This research aimed at investigating the infrastructure of library Services in fulfilling the Educational needs of Payam Noor University, i.e, Distance Education. 10 large and 10 small PNU Centers were randomly selected for survey. Also 220 faculty staff were asked to fill in a questionnaire. Findings are: 1) there is a significant difference between large centers and small centers regarding the infrastructural factors, 2) there is no significant correlation between quantitave and qualitative growth of PNU, 3) there is a significant difference between the view of faculty staff and students regarding facilities, resources and Services, 4) there is a significant difference between the faculty staff and students regarding the extent to which printed and digital information are accessible, 5) there is a significant difference between the faculty staff and students regarding the possible replacement of printed sources by datelines.

Distance-based clustering methods categorize samples by optimizing a global criterion, finding ellipsoid clusters with roughly equal sizes. In contrast, density-based clustering techniques form clusters with arbitrary shapes and sizes by optimizing a local criterion. Most of these methods have several hyper-parameters, and their performance is highly dependent on the hyper-parameter setup. Recently, a Gaussian Density Distance (GDD) approach was proposed to optimize local criteria in terms of Distance and density properties of samples. GDD can find clusters with different shapes and sizes without any free parameters. However, it may fail to discover the appropriate clusters due to the interfering of clustered samples in estimating the density and Distance properties of remaining unclustered samples. Here, we introduce Adaptive GDD (AGDD), which eliminates the inappropriate effect of clustered samples by adaptively updating the parameters during clustering. It is stable and can identify clusters with various shapes, sizes, and densities without adding extra parameters. The Distance metrics calculating the dissimilarity between samples can affect the clustering performance. The effect of different Distance measurements is also analyzed on the method. The experimental results conducted on several well-known datasets show the effectiveness of the proposed AGDD method compared to the other well-known clustering methods.

Distance Education is a set of teaching and / or learning strategies to meet the learning needs of students separate from the traditional classroom setting that teachers and learners are in the same location.In an era that the number of nurses, qualified nurse faculty and especially nurse researchers is well below national need (AACN), technological advances are increasing opportunities to improve the quality of and access to nursing Education. Technology affords increased collaboration among nursing faculties in teaching and research.Technological strategies can change the way teaching and learning occurs, challenging the traditional relationship of student to academic institutions.Technological advances have resulted to reach far beyond their own geographic areas and decreased costs of Education. Distance Education fight "brain drain" from rural areas students who learn within their own communities are more likely to practice there. Nurses use Distance Education in promoting their skills and increase service quality provided for patients.The technologies of Distance learning can be mixed and matched endlessly, but essentially, the learning breaks down into two basic styles: "synchronous" and "asynchronous". Each presents advantages and constraints: with synchronous technology, student can learn in real time, through video conferencing or online "live" chats, and is ideal for coursework where interactive group discussion enhances the material. Asynchronous technology, where students download prepared materials at their convenience, works best for coursework that is more fixed. Part of the success of any Educational program is the support and direction of leadership. Distance Education requires not only Educational innovation but also an environment that rewards risk-taking. Creativity, flexibility and willingness to learn new teaching methods are necessary for faculty engaged in Distance Education. Since Educational technologies are likely to change rapidly in the next decade, it is imperative to consider the benefits of Distance Education versus the high cost of this investment.

The purpose of this study with a descriptive-survey method is to investigate the trends and dimensions of curricula internationalization process with a Distance Education approach in higher Education in Iran. It examines the necessity of internationalization of curriculum as well identifying the factors, conditions, resources, equipment, limitations, opportunities and appropriate strategies to do so. Using cluster-stratified sampling and Cochran formula, 543 university professors and Iranian and foreign students at five universities in Tehran were selected to fill out the questionnaire which consisted of 8 areas and 96 questions. The data analysis was carried out using one sample t-test, Friedman test and standard deviation. Based on the findings, to accompany globalization and to introduce Iranian culture and civilization to the world, curricula internationalization in higher Education is a necessary issue; Distance Education can be an effective strategy to achieve the above due to its high degree of flexibility and its ability to overcome geographical, political, economic and cultural borders. The most influential factor in succeeding in internationalizing curriculum with a Distance Education approach in higher Education of Iran are: increasing international cooperation of universities, expanding use of the international language in teaching, revising the current rules and regulations and clarifying them, increasing financial and human resources, developing technological infrastructure, exploiting cultural similarities and a large number of applicants who want to study aboard in the middle east, selecting appropriate subjects and considering transformative approach in curriculum components or change in thought paradigms of teachers and learners for the sake of change in materials and how to teach them.

The aim of the present research examine the researches related to digital libraries and Distance and digital Education Services to identify the basic issues of this field and to introduce the digital library reference model for the development of a collaborative model in digital libraries.This research is a review type that was conducted using the library method and the articles on this topic were studied in the English and Persian databases. The findings showed that the three main policy concepts, content and architecture, are considered critical success factors for the implementation of digital libraries in Distance and digital open Education, which are strategic planning and policy development, digital content and information Services, and infrastructure. Technology and skills development have been adapted.According to the findings, it is concluded that the collaborative model for implementing digital libraries in open Distance and digital Education (ODDE) can ensure that digital libraries are jointly designed, which leads to wider adoption and use in open Distance and digital Education. Also, digital libraries can increase the sense of cooperation and culture of knowledge sharing to improve learning and teaching and communication between learners and teachers.

Background: No one can deny the importance of Educational Services and the role it plays in attaining social goals. Proper training and students’ satisfaction leads to system promotion and finally social development. This study aimed to evaluate the Educational service quality in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences (QUMS). Methods: This cross-sectional studywasconducted in 2014among327 students of QUMSwhowereselected through simplerandom sampling. The most significant variables were tangibility, assurance, empathy, reliability, and accountability of the Educational service quality. The data were collected using the 27-item SERVQUAL questionnaire. Cronbach’ s alpha score ( = 0. 88) and test-retest (R = 0. 83) method were used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. Results: The average age of the students was 22. 2 3. 1 years. The quality gap of the Educational Services was-1. 62,-1. 70,-1. 52,-1. 31, and-1. 15 for assurance, accountability, empathy, reliability, and tangibility, respectively, which was statistically significant (P< 0. 001). The mean Educational service quality gap was-1. 38 based on the students’ perceptions (P < 0. 001). There was no significant relationship between the students’ perceptions and expectations and their gender (P > 0. 05). Conclusions: There are significant gaps in the Educational service quality regarding accountability and assurance. More attention from policymakers seems to improve the Educational service quality.

Payame Noor University (PNU) was established in 1988 after the sanction of the High Council of Cultural Revolution to enhance the scientific level of the society and to respond to its need for specialized manpower. PNU started its activities with 29 local study centers in different cities of the country. It first launched four degree programs. Now after 14 years, PNU has 10 Regions with 187 Study Centers and Units and has annually increased the number of its study centers and units. PNU offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral Degree level programs.Application is through National University Entrance Examination and General Degree Programs. There are 24 programs at Bachelor’s degree level, 14 programs at Master’s degree level and one program at Doctoral degree level.