Reviewers :
1.
Pius Thaal
2.
Muhammad Fachrur Rozi
3.
Analisa
IS
E-LEARNING NECESSARY FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS?A CASE STUDY FROM IRAN Today many claim that e-learning can result in considerable time and cost-savings ,
such as traveling , work time and etc . This study was conducted to investigate these questions: should e-learning be used to reduce travel related stress? should e-learning be offered fully online to reach students living in remote
areas? should e-learning
be adopted to allow working students to study from home ? Pressure to use e-learning was
developed as a factor to answer above questions. Data was collected through a survey
of 400 post graduate students at Tehran University. The results showed that many
Iranian post gratitude students agreed on above statements .
In
addition ,
linear
regression analyses revealed a statistically –significant model for pressure to use e- learning as
the best predictor of
level of student’s intention to adopt e-learning (F 37.737, df=1 , R
square = .187 )
A.
Review of Previous Research
1.
Modelling student’ Intention to adapt
E-Learning : A Case Study from Egypt. (Abdel Wahab, 2008 )
2.
The Role of Social Presence and Moderating Role of Computer self-efficacy
in Predicting the continuance Usage of E-learning System. ( Hayasi, 2006)
a.
Research Questions :
1.
Should E-learning be used to reduce travel related stress?
2.
Should E-learning be offered fully
on line to reach students living in
Remote Areas?
3.
Should E-learning be adopted to allow working students to study from
home?
4.
Should E-learning be adopted to
alllow married students to balance
family and study demand?
|
|
b.
Introduction :
|
|
2.1. Purpose of the study : To
pressure the using of the E-learning for students at Tehran University
|
|
2.2. Theoritical backround
|
1. E-learning can result in
considerable time and cost-savings, such as travelling, work time and etc. (
Hackley 1997, et al ).
2.
|
c.
Methodology
|
|
3.1. Design
|
Quantitative : Case study
|
3.2. sample characteristic
|
1.
400 post graduate students at Tehran University, devided into ten faculties, they are education, mass
communication, geography psycology, political science, computer science, biotechnology, statistic,
phisyc, and chemistry, in which at each faculty there are 40 students as the samples.
2.
94,8% students who participated between 19-25 years old, and 5, 2% the age up to 26 years old.
3.
53, 5% are female and 46,53% are
male
|
3.3. main Variables
|
1.
E-learning
2.
Travel related stress
3.
Students living in remote area
4.
Working student
5.
Married students
|
3.4. measure
|
Questionares
Scorded 4,3,2,1,0 ( strongly agree,
agree, disagree, strongly disagree, respectively
|
3.5. procedures
|
1.
Survey
2.
this research was used five step questionares : first step is to measusre
the relationship of the E-learning and the travel related stress. Second step is to measure the relationship of the
E-learning and students living in remote area. Third stepp is to measure the
relationship of the E-learning and the working student. Fourth step is to
measure the relationship of the E-learning and the marriied students, and the last step is to
measure the students’ intention to adopt E-learning.
|
d.
result
|
The result of this study are :
1.
for the question 1. 29,6% students
strongly agreed, 46,3% students agreed, 2,8%% disagreed, 2,8% strongly
disagreed and 14, 3% undecided.
2.
For question 2, 29, 3% students strongly agreed, 40,9% agreed, 10,6%
disagreed, 3,3% strongly disagreed and 16,0% undecided.
3.
For question 3, 35,9% strongly agreed, 46,5% agreed, 5,6% disagreed, and
2,0% strongly disagreed.
4.
For question 4, 33,1 % students are strongly agreed, 45,8% agreed, 6,5%
disagreed, 2.1% strongly disagreed,
and 10.0% undecided.
5.
For question 5. Linear regresion analyses revealed a statistically-
significant model, the result = F= 37,737, df 1, R square = 0, 187).
|
e. discussion
|
Based on the result of the study, shows that many
Iranians post graduate students agreed ont these statements : “E-learning can
be used to reduce travel related stress, fully online, allow working
students, students living in a remote area. ( Research Gap)
|
f.
limitation
|
|
Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE January 2012 ISSN 1302-6488 Volume: 13 Number: 1 Notes for Editor-4
IS E-LEARNING NECESSARY FOR
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS?
A Case From Iran
ABSTRACT
Dr. Faranak OMIDIAN Fatemeh KEYVANIFARD
Islamic Azad University, Dezfool, IRAN
Today many claim that e-learning can result in considerable time and cost-savings ,
such as traveling , work time and etc . This study was conducted to investigate these questions: should e-learning be used to reduce travel related stress? should e-learning be offered fully online to reach students living in remote
areas? should e-learning
be adopted to allow working students to study from home ? Pressure to use e-learning was
developed as a factor to answer above questions. Data was collected through a survey
of 400 post graduate students at Tehran University. The results showed that many
Iranian post gratitude students agreed on above statements .
In
addition ,
linear
regression analyses revealed a statistically –significant model for pressure to use e- learning as
the best predictor of
level of student’s intention to adopt e-learning (F 37.737
, df=1 , R
square = .187 )
Keywords : E-learning , pressure to use e-learning , intention to adopt e-learning
INTRODUCTION
Today many claim that e-learning can result in considerable time and cost-savings ,
such as traveling , work time and etc (Hackley , 1997 : Hall and Sbider , 2000; Connolly , Hiltz
, 1988 ; Piccolo et al , Zaham , 2000 , coppola and Myre , 2002; Volery and Lord 2000;
Urdan and Weggan ,2000 Hiltz , 1988 ; Piccolo et al , 2001; coppola
and Myre , 2002 ;
Kruse 2005
Connolly and Stansfield 2006) . Because we enter the telecommunication
age, with its
vastly
expanded employment skill sets,
the undergraduate
student
population has changed to
include
older
,
married, employed,
and non-residential
students. (Beller and Or 1998). Previous studies have indicated
that the decision of mature students to enter or return
to
higher education is a decision that has to be waved against responsibilities stemming from various social roles and responsibilities (Pascall & Cox, 1993; Edwards, 1993 ). Managing time amidst conflicting responsibilities
is paramount in this process as students struggle to balance themselves between new and
on-going obligations generally resulting in anxieties and tensions .Appropriately, Davies et al (2002) report that the decision of mature students to enter higher education is a
complex one and barriers to entry are linked to the realities of their lives which include: multiplicity of roles ,costs of study, the importance
and
value attached to caring responsibilities, and time management problems.
E–learning eliminates costs associated
with instructor's salaries, meeting room rentals, and
student travel, lodging, and meals. The concept e-learning are combination, implementation
and relationship of the activities for learning and teaching via different electronic media such as in distance and open learning , etc . Nipper (1989) identified
three generations of distance
education. The first generation “ correspondence model” is provided mostly through paper-based instruction and characterized
by
the mass production of educational materials .
The second generation referred to as the multimedia model is provided through
integrated multimedia such
as delivering
courses via television or introducing material like audio , video, tapes and computer –based learning
(CBL) in addition to printed
material. The third generation
is provided through two-way communications media such as audio/video-conferencing and broad - cast technology. Growing interest in e-learning, as a way to provide distance students with additional resources
and support, prompted universities to investigate the adoption of Learning Management Systems to enable
teaching staff to develop and manage online courses with little
professional support. The
term Learning Management
System (LMS) refers to an integrated set of networked, computerized tools that support online learning (Virtual Learning Environment or Course
Management System are other terms that are sometimes used). Learning Management System (LMS) such as WebCT, and Moodle,
has
many built-in
features to help teachers
managing their courses. A learning management system can deliver:
Course material,
On-line tests (multi-choice, list-matching, etc) Discussion groups and live chat.
It has many tools to help teaching staff work with students' marks, conduct group work, and process the submitting and return assignments .
Students log in with their university username and password, and have access to
courses in which they are enrolled. They can access the system from a campus computer lab
or over the Internet from home. The benefits of using such tools (i.e.WebCT, and
Moodle) is that instructors do not require advanced web development skills to develop
interactive sites as the template already contain the various interactive features, such as chat rooms and discussion
lists. Course designers can add course and lecture notes in a variety of file formats, including graphics (Abdel-Wahab , 2008). However, despite the
benefits of e-learning for reduction travelling related to stress universities have been
slow to bring e-learning
into the main stream and maximize the potential benefits for students who live in remote areas or married students (Link and Marz,2oo6 ; Hayashi , Chen ,
Ryan and Wu ; 2006 ).
Martinze (2004) suggests that the study of student’s attitude towards the benefits of e-
learning related to reduction student’s traveling in many ways help managers better prepare in light of e-learning for the future . Perez Cereijo (2006) states that student’s
attitude may be more important than reality ,i.e .,
decisions , many times are based on attitudes . The theory of technology acceptance model was really designed to test why students should use e-learning.
Davis (1983) explains a variety of factors that affect student’s attitude to use e-learning. This study focus on only two factors of
davis’ model ,
pressure to use e-learning
and intention to use e-learning.
In order to test student’s pressure to use e-learning were designed as following:
METHOD
Ø should e-learning be used to reduce travel related stress?
Ø should e-learning be offered fully online to reach students living in remote areas?
Ø should e-learning be adopted to allow working students to study from
home ?
Ø should e-learning be adopted to allow married students to balance family
and study demands ?
Designing the instrument
The
reliability of the measurement scale was derived as 0.82 by employing Cronbach’s
alpha for 50 Indian students .
Survey sample
Stratified sampling technique
was
employed in the present study . 400 post graduate
students at the University of Tehran from different
faculties were the sample of the
present study (table2) .
Table: 1
Sample details
Arts
|
Science
|
||
Department
|
Number
|
Department
|
Number
|
Education
|
40
|
Computer science
|
40
|
Mass communication
|
40
|
Biotechnology
|
40
|
Geography
|
40
|
Statistic
|
40
|
Psychology
|
40
|
Physic
|
40
|
Political science
|
40
|
Chemistry
|
40
|
Personal characteristics of respondents
Approximately 94.8% of students who participated in the study here between 19 to 25 years and only 5% more than 26 years . 46.53 %of respondents were male and 53.5%
were female.
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
To answer the questions
of the study all the items of the scale were positively worded .
Items were scored as 4. 3. 2. 1 and 0 for strongly agree , agree, disagree , strongly
disagree and undecided, respectively .
Research Question: 1
should e-learning be used to reduce travel related stress? All the items of the scale were
positively worded . Items were scored as
4 . 3 , 2 1 and 0 for strongly agree
, agree
,disagree , strongly disagree and undecided , respectively . As table 2 shows that 29.6 % Students strongly agreed , 46.3% agreed , 2.8 disagreed and only 2.8 strongly disagreed
. On the other hand , about 14.3 % were undecided on this statement .
Table: 2
frequency scores on question 1
Likert Scale
|
Frequenc y
|
Percent
|
Valid
Percent
|
Cumulative
Percent
|
undecided
Strongly Disagree
Disagree agree
strongly agree
Total
|
114
|
14.3
|
14.3
|
14.3
|
22
|
2.8
|
2.8
|
17.0
|
|
57
|
7.1
|
7.1
|
24.1
|
|
370
|
46.3
|
46.3
|
70.4
|
|
237
|
29.6
|
29.6
|
100.0
|
|
800
|
100.0
|
100.0
|
Research Question: 2
should e-learning be offered fully online to reach students living in remote areas? As table 3 shows that 29.3 Students strongly agreed, 40.9 agreed, 10.6 disagreed and only
3.3 strongly disagreed. On the other hand, about 16.0 were undecided
on this statement
.
Table: 3
frequency scores on question 2
Likert Scale
|
Frequenc y
|
Percent
|
Valid
Percent
|
Cumulative
Percent
|
undecided
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree agree
strongly
agree
Total
|
128
|
16.0
|
16.0
|
16.0
|
26
|
3.3
|
3.3
|
19.3
|
|
85
|
10.6
|
10.6
|
29.9
|
|
327
|
40.9
|
40.9
|
70.8
|
|
234
|
29.3
|
29.3
|
100.0
|
|
800
|
100.0
|
100.0
|
Research Question: 3
should e-learning be adopted to allow working students to study from home ?
As table 4 shows that 35.9 students strongly agreed, 46.5 agreed, 5.6 % disagreed
and
only2.0 % strongly disagreed.
On the other hand, about 10.0 % were undecided on this statement.
Table: 4
frequency scores on question 3
Likert Scale
|
Frequency
|
Percent
|
Valid
Percent
|
Cumulative
Percent
|
undecided
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree agree
strongly agree
Total
|
80
|
10.0
|
10.0
|
10.0
|
16
|
2.0
|
2.0
|
12.0
|
|
45
|
5.6
|
5.6
|
17.6
|
|
372
|
46.5
|
46.5
|
64.1
|
|
287
|
35.9
|
35.9
|
100.0
|
|
800
|
100.0
|
100.0
|
Research Question: 4
e-learning should be adopted to allow married students to balance family and study
demands ? As table 5 shows that 33.1students strongly agreed, 45.8 agreed , 6.5
disagreed and only 2.1 % strongly disagreed . On the other hand, about 10.0 % were
undecided on this statement.
Table: 5
frequency scores on question 4
Likert Scale
|
Frequenc
y
|
Percent
|
Valid
Percent
|
Cumulative
Percent
|
undecided
Strongly Disagree
Disagree agree
strongly agree
Total
|
100
|
12.5
|
12.5
|
12.5
|
17
|
2.1
|
2.1
|
14.6
|
|
52
|
6.5
|
6.5
|
21.1
|
|
366
|
45.8
|
45.8
|
66.9
|
|
265
|
33.1
|
33.1
|
100.0
|
|
800
|
100.0
|
100.0
|
Research Question: 5
can student’s intention to adopt e-learning
be predicted by student’s pressure to use e-
learning ? linear regression
analyses revealed
a
statistically-significant model
for pressure to use e-learning as the best predictor of level of student’s intention to adopt e-
learning ( F=37.737 , df=1 , R square=.187).
DISCUSSION
The results show that many Iranian post gratitude students agreed on these statements: “e-learning should be used to reduce travel related stress .” “e-learning should be offered
fully online should “. “e-learning be adopted to allow working students to study from
home
to reach students living in remote areas “Hence, Program managers can focus on these benefits of e-learning for postgraduate university students. Further, pressure to
use e-learning
explained 18.7 % of the variance in the dependent variable of student’s
intention to adopt e-learning .
BIODATA and CONTACT ADDRESSESS of AUTHORS
|
Dr Faranak OMIDIAN is an
Assistant
Professor at Education , Department of Educational Sciences, Education Faculty,
Islamic Azad
University . She obtained her Ph.D degree from Panjab University,
Chandigarah , the Department of Educational Sciences , In 2010 . Her
main research interests are e-learning , computer
anxiety, Computer self efficacy and educational management .
Fatemeh keyvanifard is a lecturer at Education , Department of Educational Sciences, Education Faculty, Islamic Azad University.
She
is scholar research student in Tehran university .
|
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