INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
Year:2013 | Volume:3 | Issue:4 (12)|Papers Count:8

This study investigated the strategies Iranian high-school students use to search the Internet and the role of students’ gender and English reading comprehension proficiency in the use of these strategies. The population of the research included all male and female students who were studying in public high-schools of Gorgan in the academic year 2011-12. One hundred and ninety high-school students were selected based on convenience sampling among the population who used the Internet for their studying. They filled in the Online Information Searching Strategy Inventory (OISSI) with three components including procedural, behavioral and metacognitive strategies (tool reliability=0.75). They also took part in the reading section of Cambridge University’s Key English Test (tool reliability=0.71). The data was analyzed using Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Correlation Coefficient. The result of the study showed the influence of gender on behavioral strategies, indicating that boys used this strategy more frequently than girls. However, gender did not show any effect on using procedural and metacognitive strategies. Further, evidence indicated a positive and significant relationship between English reading proficiency and online searching strategies. Besides, regarding information searching strategy inventory sub-scales, positive and significant relationship was found between English reading proficiency and metacognitive and procedural strategies. In general and two types of strategies, that is, metacognitive and procedural strategies. However, English reading was not found to be significantly related to using behavioral strategies to search the Internet.

The present study aimed to examine the effects of multi- media language learning software in teaching language and speech to hearing-impaired children under eight in Mazandaran province. The study adopted a quasi-experimental method with pre-test/post-test design in two control and experimental groups. To conduct the study, 30 subjects were randomly selected out of 60 hearing-impaired students in the province under eight who were assigned to two control and experimental groups randomly. To achieve the objective of the study, both the control and the experimental groups were given a pre-test and then the control group has received educational training through multi-media language learning software for two months (15 sessions). When the training was completed, both control and experimental groups were given a post-test. The tools for conducting the study were TOLD-P3 test and the multimedia language learning software. The independent t test and covariance analysis (ANCOVA) were used to analyze the data obtained from the pretest and posttest. Evaluating the first three hypotheses revealed the fact that using multi-media software has better effects on children's pictorial words, grammatical understanding and word production than the traditional approach. Further, the covariance test analysis showed that by removing the pretest effects, multimedia language learning software had more effects in improving the children's language and speech compared with the traditional approach.

This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the users' satisfaction with the document center services of the central library and document center in the University of Mazandaran. The research was a survey research and a researcher-made questionnaire was used that included 23 closed-ended and one open-ended questions. The research population was all the students who came to the document center services of the central library and document center of the University of Mazandaran during 2011-2012 academic years. Two hundred and sixty students were selected during two months, using available sampling. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, using Chi-square and one-sample t tests. The results showed that the users were satisfied with the electronic services, databases, and the staff skills, but dissatisfied with the equipments and timetables. The most used services by the users were SID (Scientific Data Center) and Science Direct databases.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of non-native computer games on students’ identities with respect to national, religious, family, gender and personal components. It was a descriptive-survey research. The statistical population consisted of both male and female of 29757 middle school students from Mazandaran, among which 487 subjects were selected based on Cochran formula using multi-stage cluster sampling method. Library and field methods were used to collect research data as well as researcher-made questionnaire tool. The face and content-related validity of the questionnaire was verified by experts. One sample t test, binominal test, independent t test and one-way variance analysis (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. Accordingly, the reliability of Chronbach's Alpha coefficient was 0.91. The results indicated that the computer games have significant influence on national, religious, family and gender identities of students. It had no effect on personal identity. There was a significant difference between males and females in religious, family, gender and personal identity variables. Male students were more affected than females. However, the grade and the field of study showed no meaningful difference between them. In general, the results indicated that frequent, improper use of non-native computer games has a debilitating effect on middle school students’ identity.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between information technology knowledge and empowerment of teachers. Accordingly, a correlational descriptive research method was adopted. The research population consisted of all teachers employed in Bojnurd city (n=1100) out of which 287 subjects were selected through stratified random sampling. The research instruments included Spreitzer’s empowerment questionnaire with a reliability of 0.82 as well as the researcher-made questionnaire in the field of information technology with a reliability of 0.71 based on Cronbach Alpha coefficient. In order to examine research hypotheses, Pearson correlation coefficient was used. Further, to determine the affecting variables and demonstrate the direct and indirect effects of independent variables on dependent variables, multivariate regression was employed. The results revealed that there were significant relationship between teachers' empowerment with using internet, using education courses, teachers' ability to transfer information, ability to manage databases, ability to share information, and, in general, familiarity with information technology. Also findings suggested that taking the training courses, the ability to transfer information and the attitude toward the information exchange played a decisive role in empowerment of teachers.

The present study aims to investigate the feasibility of using email in student formative evaluation in west of Mazandaran province. The purpose of this research was applied and the method was descriptive survey. The statistical sample included 400 university professors in West of Mazandaran province. The sample size has been 162 based on Morgan table. Stratified random sampling method was used. The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with 27 questions on a Likert scale. Cronbach alpha was calculated 0.778. Both descriptive and inferential statistics methods, together with SPSS software, were used for data analysis. One sample t test was used at inferential level. Findings showed that the professors in west of Mazandaran province are desirably familiar with email. From their perspective, the use of email is possible and effective in formative evaluation. They also believe that all email supplies (band width, high speed internet, honesty, cultural context, students' attitudes changing, and professors' attitudes changing) are highly necessary in formative evaluation. Besides, factors like: ' to be time consuming, the possibility of fraud, causing trouble for professors, the seriousness of barriers, lack of information literacy, lack of standards and administrative barriers' ; are serious barriers to formative evaluation.

The goal of this research was to investigate the relationship between IT System and creativity of principals and teachers in boy public high school at Khoy city. The research method was descriptive and its type was correlational. All principals and teachers were the statistical population of the research (270 individuals), among which 40 principals were selected by census method and 100 teachers were selected randomly. Two questionnaires were used for gathering the data, whose face and content validity was confirmed by the experts. Reliability of questionnaires was estimated for IT systems (0.89) and creativity (0.87). To test the hypotheses, parametric tests - simple regression and Pearson correlation coefficient tests - were used. Results showed that all of the creativity components (Fluidity, flexibility, expandability and innovation) have a significant relationship with IT systems. Regression results indicated that IT systems, with expression factor 0.546 and Beta factor 0.515, had positive effect on creativity of principals and teachers. It is, therefore, concluded that there is a strong relationship between information technology system and creativity and that implementation of modern information systems at schools is among the most important factors for creativity and flexibility, as well as fostering new ideas among educational staff. It is also an important substrate for establishing learning schools.

The present study was conducted to examine the effect of action and strategic computer games on visual and audio selective reaction times and impulsive responses in school pupils. The research method was causal-comparative. The statistical population included all 13-18-year-old boy school pupils in Hamedan. The sampling method was non-random voluntary and purposeful sampling to match the procedure into groups. Two test groups (action computer games and strategic computer games) were matched in a targeted manner with a control group that lacked any experience of computer games. The selective reaction time and impulsive responses of subjects were measured by advanced reaction time software. The data were analyzed by MANOVA and ANOVA. The results revealed that both reaction times in test groups were faster than in control group. The two reaction times in action games group were faster than in strategic games group, and the impulsive responses in computer games groups (test groups) were fewer than in control group.