Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences
Year:2014 | Volume:5 | Issue:3|Papers Count:9

Introduction: E-learning environment is one of the most common learning environments in the information era. Therefore, recognizing its associated threats and opportunities is of the highest priority. The main purpose of this study was to design a questionnaire to measure e-learning threats and opportunities and determining its psychometric properties.Materials and Methods: The present study was a sequential exploratory design with qualitative quantitative approach conducted in two steps in the second semester of the year 2013 in Guilan University of Medical Sciences. First, e-learning and its related threats and opportunities were defined based on a purposeful sampling and individual semi-structured interviews with 9 instructors and 7 students of Guilan University of Medical Sciences who had experience of elearning using a qualitative content analysis. Next, a questionnaire was designed, using the data obtained in step one. Then the psychometric properties of the questionnaire were determined regarding the face, content and construct validities and the internal consistency with 109 participants (44 teachers and 65 students). To determine construct validity, the exploratory factor analysis method was used. The qualitative data were analyzed through MAXQDA ver.2010 and the quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS ver.19.Results: After determining the face and content validities both quantitatively and qualitatively, we reduced the number of items in the questionnaire from 101 to 29. The maximum overall variance (30.78%) was defined by the first 3 factors and the rest (69.22%) was defined by the other 26 factors. The result of exploratory factor analysis in this study identified three factors: cost-learning efficacy; mental-emotional and communicational instructor-student factors; and factors related to teaching-learning. Finally, 28 items were maintained in 3 factors (a=0.81).Conclusion: Considering the desirable validity and reliability of the questionnaire designed based on the students and instructors’ experiences, this instrument is suitable for examination of the e-learning threats and opportunities.

Introduction: In recent years, most of the universities offer new educational methods, like virtual education. This study aimed to identify the challenges of virtual education in Iran’s universities.Materials and Methods: Adopting a phenomenological approach, purposeful sampling, and semi-structured interview, the researcher investigated the perceptions of eight instructors from three virtual universities on virtual education. The data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews. The data were coded and analyzed. The accreditation of the data was based on their reliability, acceptability and validity.Results: The findings showed that the main challenges involve three main dimensions: moral education, creativity and power relations. Due to lack of face-to-face interaction, students could not observe and adopt the faculty’s moral behavior. In addition, creativity was not being developed since instructions were merely based on memorization. Virtual education has made student-teacher and student-student relations more democratic, but relations between teachers and also between users and university are still at a low level.Conclusion: The study suggests the necessity of social interaction among virtual students and teachers. Adopting visual technologies, problem solving-based approaches to learning, innovative ideas and immediate feedback by the teacher may force virtual learning environment to be more interactive and creative.

Introduction: Quality improvement is one of the important challenges of health systems. Baldrige excellence model, which makes use of self-assessment mechanisms to promote organizations, has optimized the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) to improve the quality in teaching and treatment organizations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical and educational system of the teaching hospital based on Baldrige Excellence Model.Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional survey conducted in the Baqiyatallah hospital in Tehran in 2011. The data were collected based on Baldrige questionnaire (version 2009-2010) through interviewing the educational managers and the staff, studying the recorded documents and observing the processes. The scores were calculated based on Baldrige Vote matrix, and Excel 2007 software was used to analyze the data.Results: The selected hospital obtained 332.94 (33.2%) points out of 1000 in the Baldrige modeling clinical-educational section. Organizational leadership criterion with 53.95 out of 120 points (44.96%) and performance results criterion with 109 out of 450 points (24.44%) were the strongest and weakest in this hospital, respectively.Conclusion: Despite the fact that, due to the implementation of WFME, this center has an appropriate approach for excellence, it is in need of further improvement at the levels of learning and organizational integration. We recommend the use of advanced sections capabilities for organizational integration and the reinforcement of current accreditation system based on Baldrige Model criteria.

Introduction: Today, several educational portals are established by organizations to enhance learning. The use of intelligent agents is necessary to improve a system's quality and cover limitations such as face-to-face relation. Focusing on human-based agents, the researchers designed an intelligent agent as an educational assistant and then its efficiency was evaluated. Some applicable suggestions for developing intelligent agents as educational assistants are provided to virtual universities.Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in two steps: prototyping an intelligent agent and then evaluating it in three educational groups (MBA, Technology Management, and Industrial Management) at Mehr Alborz Institute in 2013. The participants consisted of 31 Electronic students selected based on random sampling. A questionnaire was used as the research tool with a reliability of 85%, estimated by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Both descriptive and inferential statistical procedures were used to analyze the data, using SPSS software, version 21.Results: By examining the results of the interaction of 31 students with the designed agent through Mehralborz institute learning management system, and the conceptual model based on elearning effectiveness, user friendliness, user satisfaction, and efficiency variables gained the scores of 55, 58 and 57, respectively with the significance levels of 0.03, 0.09, and 0.01. This shows that this agent was overall moderately efficient.Conclusion: The findings revealed the effectiveness of the agent-based intelligent teaching assistant in e-learning portals.

Introduction: A smart school can foster flourishing of the students’ talents and increase their motivation to perform better in classroom activities through providing a dynamic and attractive environment. The aim of this study was to look into the impact of smart technology on motivation and academic achievement of high school students in Gonbad-e-Kavous, Iran.Materials & Methods: The study used a quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 60 students, selected from among 230 male high school students in Gonbad-e-Kavous, Iran (first graders), using random cluster sampling. They were divided into a test group and a control group. To assess the students’ academic achievement, the students’ GPA’s in the first two semesters were considered. The Harter’s motivation questionnaire, containing 33 items was used to determine the students’ motivation. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire has been calculated by Bahrani in Iran, the coefficient of cronbach’s alpha being 0.77, intrinsic motivation scale 0.75 and extrinsic motivation scale 0.67. The data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially through one-way analysis of covariance and linear regression coefficient, using the SPSS software version.23.Results: The results showed that in the experimental group, who made use of the smart board, the increase in motivation and academic achievement was 9.32, and 1.019 in comparison to that in the control group. It was found that the variables motivation and smart board accounted for 0.18 of the academic achievement variance, using regression equation.Conclusion: There is between academic achievement and high-tech (P value=0.21). There is also a significant positive correlation between motivation and the use of high-tech (P value=0.30).

Introduction: The strategic planning is the key to survive in the competitive world, to adapt to the new era, to think and operate globally, and to find better opportunities. The aim of the present study was to Identify and prioritize strategic planning components in the Virtual Faculty of Isfahan University.Materials and Methods: The research was a qualitative, case study. The statistical population consisted of all managers, assistants and experts at the Virtual School of Isfahan University, among whom 22 were selected, using purposive sampling method. Semi-structured interviews whose validity and reliability were verified by professionals of the field were used to collect the required data. The data were analyzed, using categorization method through the NVIVO software version 7.Results: The results showed that the following elements, strategic thinking (category of logistics documents) with 91 percent, educational information system (category of saving time) with 90.9 percent, rethinking (category of beliefs and values) with 82 percent, restructuring (category of coordination of compiled programs) with 89 percent, and recreation (category of comprehensive assessment) with 95.45 percent were significantly important in strategic planning. Furthermore, the field analysis (SWOT) showed that the identification of organizational strengths with 86.36 percent were the most important factor in the development of virtual education.Conclusion: Considering the need for change in virtual learning programs, the virtual education planners and managers’ knowledge of and familiarity with the basic concepts, attitude and new approaches of strategic planning is essential for the achievement of the expected goals, accountability to the existing problems and the establishment of an efficient educational system.

Introduction: No longer thought to be value-neutral, textbooks and other materials used in language learning, generally, present a certain way of looking at the world. With technology development, developing materials for delivery through the medium of new wireless technology seems indispensable.Materials and Methods: Some new English vocabulary items were adapted to be delivered via mobile to 225 Iranian male and female juniors at the age range of 16-17 during 18 virtual sessions, using both visual and verbal cues. Both formative and summative tests were employed to assess the progress of the participants in the study. In addition, a Likert-type attitude questionnaire was prepared and sent to the students through the medium of text messaging (SMS) to be filled. The collected data were analyzed, using descriptive statistics through SPSS software, version 20.Results: The qualitative and quantitative data analysis revealed the significant effect of cued materials on language learning in mobile-enhanced settings.Conclusion: The multifaceted nature of materials design calls for the inclusion of mobile assistance as wireless technology to facilitate materials presentation and enlarge teacher-student scope of contact (mean=16.69).

Introduction: Emotional intelligence has nowadays been dealt with as a new factor in many fields, particularly management and education and its relationship with other variables has been investigated. This study was designed to determine the correlation between emotional intelligence (EQ) and educational academic achievement.Materials and Methods: This study was an analytical, cross-sectional study on Shiraz medical students. The study population included all students at Shiraz Medical School from whom 100 were randomly selected. The Bradberry’s EQ questionnaire was used in this study for data collection. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire were determined by Ganji. The indicator for academic achievement was the students’ grade point averages (GPA). The data were analyzed, using SPSS software, version 14.Results: The mean score for emotional intelligence for medical students was 16.37±1.04 with the range of 1-103. There was no statistically significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement (P=0.949).Conclusion: This study showed that emotional intelligence was not high in medical student. The lack of a significant relationship between the emotional intelligence and the academic achievement may be due to the type of test student take which are basically based on what the students have memorized but not in-depth learning.

Introduction: Planning to educate the staff of an organization necessitates their job needs analysis. In this connection, the present study intends to investigate the in-service e-learning courses for City Bank in Tehran.Materials and Methods: The participants of the study were 68 City Bank clerks selected randomly from among 250 personnel who had passed the course during the last several years. The instrument used to collect the required data was a researcher-made Likert-type questionnaire whose reliability was estimated to be 0.91, using Alpha-Cronbach’s coefficient. The data were analyzed through the SPSS software, version 20, using both descriptive and inferential statistics (T test, and Annova).Results: The results indicated that the staff passing these courses were satisfied with the practical and scientific knowledge of the instructors, use of educational electronic media, the status of network infra-structure, and the services given to them at a p value of 0.05.Conclusion: Regarding the importance of e-based methods of learning and the ongoing trends to use them in training the staff of most organizations, such courses should be held with proper quality, considering the needs of the learners.