Information and Communication Technology in Educational Sciences: 1 (23)

Open Access Article

1 - The Relationship between Application of ICT Skills and Competencies and Psychological Empowerment of Employees
Akram Nadifard Badri Shahtalebi

The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between skills and competencies of the application of Information and Communications Technology and psychological empowerment. This study was applied in terms of the purpose and correlational in terms of the More

The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between skills and competencies of the application of Information and Communications Technology and psychological empowerment. This study was applied in terms of the purpose and correlational in terms of the method. The population was all employees with associate degree and higher in Administration of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism in Isfahan, the number of whom was 165 in 2014. Among these subjects, 103 subjects were selected as the sample by stratified sampling using Cochran formula. To collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire of skills and qualifications of the application of Information Technology and Communications with reliability 0.85 and Spritzer psychological empowerment questionnaire (1996) with reliability 0.81 were used. Data analysis was performed with the help of inferential statistical methods including Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate analysis of variance through software SPSS. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between skills and qualifications of the application of Information and Communications Technology and psychological empowerment of employees (P<0.01, r=0.269). Also, a significant relationship was found between general skills and psychological empowerment (P<0.05, r=0.247), between specialized skills and psychological empowerment (P<0.05, r=0.195), between cognitive competencies and psychological empowerment (P<0.01, r=0.283), between functional competencies and psychological empowerment (P<0.05, r=0.253). But, no significant relationship was found between emotional competencies and psychological empowerment (P<0.05, r=0.052). Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

2 - Comparing the Extraneous Cognitive Load of Designing an Instruction with Merrill's Model between Instruction by Multimedia and Traditional Methods
Mohammad Zare Esmail Zarei Zavaraki Mohammad Hasan Amirteimoury Rahele Sarikhani

This study intends to examine the extraneous cognitive load within instruction that it had been designed building upon Merrill's model and conducted by multimedia and traditional methods in a biology course. This study was a practical research and also the quasi-experim More

This study intends to examine the extraneous cognitive load within instruction that it had been designed building upon Merrill's model and conducted by multimedia and traditional methods in a biology course. This study was a practical research and also the quasi-experimental research methodology had been utilized. The research statistical population was the whole of the senior high school students in Malayer city. Research sampling was selected via convenience sampling and then they categorized into control and experimental groups. The experimental group instructed through independent variable (instructional multimedia according to Merrill's instructional design model) and the designed biology content based on Merrill's instructional design model instructed to the control group. Likewise, Brunken, Plass and Leutner questionnaire of extraneous cognitive load assessment with the reliability of 0.83 was applied to gathering data. The result showed that extraneous cognitive load in the instruction of biology course, which was designed according to Merrill's model, in traditional method is lower than multimedia method. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

3 - Identifying and Prioritizing of the Effective Factors on Brand Building of Virtual Education at the University of Isfahan
Soheila Mehrabi Bibi Eshrat Zamani Seyed Bagher Rashid

The main purpose of the study was to identify and prioritize the effective factors on Brand Buildingof virtual education at the University of Isfahan. In terms of purpose it was an applied study, and in terms of the nature of the method it was exploratory mixed. The pop More

The main purpose of the study was to identify and prioritize the effective factors on Brand Buildingof virtual education at the University of Isfahan. In terms of purpose it was an applied study, and in terms of the nature of the method it was exploratory mixed. The population of the study was all virtual students in three majors of library and information science, executive management and MBA at the University of Isfahan in 2014-2015 academic year. 188 students were chosen as the sample through random sampling method based on Morgan and Krejcie’s table. Using sources as libraries, internet and experts’ opinion, branding features of universities were extracted and used to make a questionnaire that was used for data collection. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. After identifying and classifying components of branding of the virtual education as four main categories: Human, Strategy, Infrastructure and Process, all items for each component were investigated and prioritized. The results showed that intuition cost in the strategy component, easy access to a university portal in the infrastructure component, appointing expertise employees in the human component, and finally financial support for students in the process dimension were the most important factors for branding in virtual education at the University of Isfahan. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

4 - Factors Affecting the Success of Mobile Learning Implementation Using the Theory of Reasoned Action
Hosein Molaei Aliabadi Shahram Mehravar Giglou Abasalt Khorasani Korosh Fathi Vagargah

The goal of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting the success of mobile learning implementation in the employees of the Shazand Petrochemical Company by using the theory of reasoned action. The research method was practical with respect to purpose, and descri More

The goal of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting the success of mobile learning implementation in the employees of the Shazand Petrochemical Company by using the theory of reasoned action. The research method was practical with respect to purpose, and descriptive-correlational in terms of collecting the data. The statistical population in this study was all the employees of the Shazand Petrochemical Company and the size of the population in the year 2014 was a total of 1700 persons. Using simple random sampling, 313 persons were chosen as the sample. To collect the data, a researcher-made questionnaire was used, which reliability was 0.88. Also, the Pearson’s correlation coefficient test and the multiple regression were used to test the research questions. Due to the results obtained from the willingness to learn, behavioral control, knowledge, mindset, and intention of learning in the employees of the Shazand Petrochemical Company revealed that there was a very positive and congruent mindset about this type of learning among the company’s employees. Also, the willingness to learn, behavioral control, knowledge, and mindset predict the intention of mobile-based learning among the Shazand Petrochemical Company employees. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

5 - Evaluating the Quality of E-Learning Program in Master of Information Technology Engineering at Shiraz University
Fahimeh Kakaee Rezavan Hakimzadeh

The development of communication technologies, by bringing e-learning to academic areas, provided a proper ground for the rapid development of higher education. But at the same time, educational quality of the programs became a concern of the present time. The purpose o More

The development of communication technologies, by bringing e-learning to academic areas, provided a proper ground for the rapid development of higher education. But at the same time, educational quality of the programs became a concern of the present time. The purpose of conducting the present study is to evaluate the quality of educational programs of Virtual University of Shiraz, on the basis of ten criteria of content, communication and interaction, flexibility and consistency, justification of students, technical support, instructional support, evaluation strategies, feedback, teaching strategies and online leadership. The research method is descriptive survey and the statistical population consisted of 92 graduate students of Virtual University of Shiraz in information technology. The required information was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on five-point Likert scale. The mentioned questionnaire reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient equal to 0.96. Students evaluated the quality of the criteria of content, flexibility and consistency, technical support, evaluation strategies and online leadership as lower than average and the quality of the criteria of communication and interaction, justification of students, instructional support, feedback and teaching strategies as average. In general, the results of this study showed, the quality of virtual courses of Shiraz University is not evaluated as desirable from the perspective of students. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

6 - On the Psychosocial Damages Caused by the Use of Mobile Phone and Internet among Students
Batoul Faghih Aram Zahra Ebrahimi Mohsen Zargham

The purpose of the present study was to examine psychosocial damages caused by the use of mobile phone and Internet among students. The present study was applied in terms of purpose and correlational in terms of data collection. The statistical population was all of Isl More

The purpose of the present study was to examine psychosocial damages caused by the use of mobile phone and Internet among students. The present study was applied in terms of purpose and correlational in terms of data collection. The statistical population was all of Islamshahr Islamic Azad University students (n=18825). The sample consisted of 398 students who were selected using the method of stratified random sampling. The research instrument consisted of a researcher-made questionnaire with 50 items. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlation test, chi-square, ANOVA and Scheffe test. According to the results, a negative and significant relationship was found between the use of the Internet and mobile phone with social interaction. A positive and significant relationship was found between the use of the Internet and mobile phone with psychological dependence. No significant relationship was found between the use of the Internet and academic failure. A significant relationship was found between the use of mobile phone and academic failure. Most of female students used the Internet and mobile phone for entertainment. Also, female students used mobile phone for entertainment and fun more than male students. Most single students used the Internet and mobile phone for entertainment and fun. Also, single students used mobile phone for entertainment and fun more than married students. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

7 - A Comparative Study of Social Adjustment and Academic Achievement in Internet-User and Internet-Non-User Students
Mehrangiz Peyvastegar Souri Moharramzadeh

The aim of this study was to compare social adjustment and academic achievement in two groups of students: users and non-users of the internet. The research method was sectional-comparative. The population of the study was all 16-17-year-old internet-user and internet-n More

The aim of this study was to compare social adjustment and academic achievement in two groups of students: users and non-users of the internet. The research method was sectional-comparative. The population of the study was all 16-17-year-old internet-user and internet-non-user high school students in 2014. The subjects of the research were 400 male and female high school students in Tehran. Non-user students were selected through stratified sampling method and users were selected using matching sampling (same range of age, gender and socioeconomic status). The instruments used in this study were the adjustment inventory for high school students (AISS) and a researcher-made questionnaire for assessing demographic characteristics. To measure the students’ academic achievement, their averages of the first and second semesters were compared. Data analysis was conducted using the t test and one way analysis (ANOVA). The results showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in academic achievement. This means that user students achieved higher marks in school. But, no significant difference was observed between the groups in social adjustment. Also results of ANOVA showed the effect of computer use on academic achievement is the same in both male and female students and in both group increase academic achievement. These findings have important implications for planners and educational administrators about teaching students how to use the Internet. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

8 - Presenting a Model for Enhancing Faculty Members' Social Capital with an Emphasis on Distance Education System
Behzad Rasulzadeh Hossein Najafi

This study aims to provide an appropriate model to enhance the faculty members' social capital in distance education system. The method of the study is quantitative and descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of the study included all the faculty members o More

This study aims to provide an appropriate model to enhance the faculty members' social capital in distance education system. The method of the study is quantitative and descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of the study included all the faculty members of Payame Noor University in Iran. The sampling method was a multi-stage cluster sampling with proportional distribution. The sample size was determined equal to 280 individuals based on the Krejcie and Morgan table. Two researcher-made questionnaires were used in order for collecting the required data. The first questionnaire was designed to assess factors affecting the quality of distance education and the second one for measuring the social capital. The content validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by the experts and estimation of factor analysis also showed that the construct validity of both questionnaires is desirable. The reliability of the questionnaires was calculated using Cronbach's alpha as 0.87 and 0.95, respectively. In addition to the descriptive statistics, the inferential statistics (hierarchical regression and structural equation) was also applied for analyzing the data. The results of the hierarchical regression showed that at the first level of the underlying factors, the greatest effect on the social capital is related to the family's cultural literacy (0.48) and at the second level, among the organizational factors, the greatest influence is related to the variables of the educational function (0.58) and the communication space (0.52) and the lowest impact is associated with the variable of the electronic technology (0.34). In addition, the obtained results from the structural equations confirmed suitability of the designed model with the data. Manuscript profile

XML

List of Articles