INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
Year:2016 | Volume:6 | Issue:2 (22)|Papers Count:9

This study aimed to measure the influence of the use of podcasts as a tool for collaborative learning. The main concern was the influence of this tool on the elements of collaborative learning like positive cross-correlation, individual responsibility acceptance, group processing, social skills and interaction. The method of the study was quasi-experimental with single subject group method, and with respect to aim it was applied. The study population consisted of all undergraduate students in the faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University. The statistical sample consisted of 35 students from semester 2 educational management major students of faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the university registered for educational technology course, who were selected through convenience sampling. The research tool was the researcher made cooperative learning questionnaire, whose validity and reliability were confirmed. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (including the calculation of the mean, standard deviation and mean deviation error) and inferential statistics (one-sample t test). The results suggested that the use of podcasts as a new tool in the training process was effective on components as positive cross-correlation, individual responsibility acceptance, group processing, social skills and interaction in collaborative learning process among students.

This study aimed to design and present an effective interactive model in the context of open and virtual universities in Iran. The study was descriptive, using surveying method. The population was made up of undergraduate and postgraduate students studying in virtual courses and traditional universities in the University of Tehran, Payame Noor University of Tehran, Al-Mustafa University of Qom and the University of Isfahan. Among them 491 students were selected as the study sample, using random clustering sampling method. To collect data, an interaction questionnaire on the basis of the traditional and virtual students’ satisfaction was devised by the researcher. Structural formulas model with LISREL statistical software and confirmative factor analysis with path analysis were used for significance test of factors. The final finding of LISREL showed that the variables of content-content interaction (0.65), learner-content interaction (0.75) and teacher-content interaction (0.43) had the highest impact on students’ satisfaction, respectively. Thus, the model has acceptable fitting and is confirmed. Consequently, the specialists and designers of virtual education should focus on the following three interactions: content-content, leaner-content, teacher-content.

This study aimed to identify the components of intelligent schools in Sanandaj and then to evaluate the schools based on the use of these components. The method was applied, and with respect to data collection, it was descriptive. The population of the study of the first part was 14 people (four professors in educational sciences and experts in curriculum, six ICT experts from educational Office of Kurdistan and four experienced principals) who were identified through Delphi technique in the part of experts in schools intelligent making components. For the second part of the research, the population was teachers and principals. Based on the extracted components, a questionnaire was designed, the reliability of which was estimated 0.88 using Cronbach Alpha. The questionnaire was distributed among 312 teachers and principals (through Cochran sample size formula). Data collected from the samples were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings recognized infrastructures, laws and public culture, skilled manpower, the relationship between schools, learning environment and internal IT management of schools as the main components, which had the highest impact on the intelligent making variable of schools. Besides, the degree of using these components in Sanandaj City intelligent schools was not satisfactory.

The present study aimed to compare auto-regulatory skills of intelligent and traditional high school students of Mazandaran Province in 2014. The research method was causal comparative. The statistical population of the research was all the students of intelligent and traditional junior high schools of Mazandaran Province, among whom 400 people were selected with cluster sampling method (200 people from intelligent school students and 200 people from traditional school students). To gather the data, Pintrich & De Groot (1990) auto-regulatory skills questionnaire was used. The questionnaire reliability was 0.92. The statistical methods used were descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t test and multi-variable variance analysis). The results indicated that auto-regulatory skills in smart and traditional schools were significantly different. Also, motivational beliefs and auto-regulatory strategies were more among students in smart schools. It seems that the use of ICT through smarting program of schools in Mazandaran Province could promote students’ auto-regulatory skills.

The purpose of this research was the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) skills on entrepreneurship, self-efficacy and academic performance in students. The research type was descriptive correlative, and with respect to purpose, it was applied. The statistical population consisted of all the 9353 students in Universities of Kashan and Medical Sciences in academic year 2014-2015, among whom, using Cochran Formula, 239 persons were chosen through stratified randomized sampling. The information gathering tools were ICT questionnaire with 25 items, entrepreneurship questionnaire with 20 items, self-efficacy questionnaire with 20 closed-ended questions and academic performance (GPA). To measure the validity of the questionnaires, content and construction validity (confirmative factor analysis) were used. Using Cronbach Alpha, the reliability coefficients were obtained equal to 0.84 for ICT, 0.79 for entrepreneurship and 0.81 for self-efficacy. For data analysis in inferential level, one sample t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, regression and structural equation modeling through SPSS and Amos softwares were used. Findings showed that the mean of ICT skills was bigger than average and the means of entrepreneurship and self-efficacy were lower than average. There was a positive and significant relationship between ICT skills and entrepreneurship and self-efficacy. Also, there was a positive and significant relationship between ICT skills in training component and academic performance. However, there was a negative and significant relationship between ICT skills in research component and academic performance.

The purpose of the study was cost- benefit analysis of University of Tehran databases and the impact of the use of the databases on scientific output. The study was descriptive conducted with survey method. Among the Tehran University databases, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Springer, Emerald, Oxford and EBSCO were studied as population. Also, from among faculty members and graduate students of the university, 150 students and 70 faculty members were selected via stratified random sampling. The analysis of the research data was performed using SPSS software. Results showed that among the studied databases, the highest use of electronic full-text articles was devoted to ScienceDirect. A cost-benefit result obtained in relation to electronic databases of full-text articles at University of Tehran in 2014 showed that ScienceDirect database was the most cost-effective. The study also revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between the use of electronic databases of full-text articles at Tehran University and scientific growth rate (the number of articles) of faculty members and graduate students there. The researchers deem necessary similar studies for any organization because this way we can identify cost-benefit supplies and can help libraries in selecting supplies with lower costs and greater use.

This qualitative study investigated the elements forming electronic learning community. Using qualitative content analysis with inductive approach, structured interviews in a purposeful way with professors, experts and students of electronic learning from the University of Tehran, Iran University of Science and Technology, Amir Kabir University, Tarbiat Modarres University, Khaje Nasirodine Tusi University, Mehr Alborz Electronic University and Hadith Sciences University of Ray were made. 19 articles and 4 books on the subject were examined and analyses continued until saturation. Theme was considered as a recording unit in this research. At the end of inductive content analysis and constant comparison to those codes, 9 categories and 16 subcategories emerged. The main categories included teacher, participation, time, group, support, trust, social presence, tools and resources. The result of this research can guide educators and e-learning designers to increase student participation in training courses that are held formally, and finally to form learning communities in these environments.

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the combination of video casts and virtual education on students` learning in distance education system in Payame Noor University. This study was a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design performed in one group. The population of the study was all of the graduate virtual students in Payame Noor University who studied educational planning in 2014. Among them 30 persons were selected through convenience sampling. The data instruments were two researcher-made exams of principles and methods of curriculum course, the validities of which were confirmed by experienced teachers. Their reliabilities were found to be 0.78 and 0.72, respectively. To do the experiment, Curriculum Planning Book by Fathi Vajargah was first divided in two parts (each part including four chapters). One part was educated in online format and the other with the use of combination of video casts with online education through a one-hour MP4 format of the instructor’s teaching session in the classroom. The results showed that the means of the scores for the courses that integrated with video casts was more than those courses taught only with online education. So, based on results of this research it seemed a combination of video casts with online courses is recommended to be used in virtual courses.