Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences
Volume:9 Issue: 1, Spring 2018

The efficacy of electronic continuing education courses in comparison to lectured based methods requires further evaluation. This study aimed at comparing the effect of electronic (e-learning) and face-to-face conventional instruction on level of knowledge of general dentists on bleaching of discolored teeth.
In this quasi-experimental controlled trial study in 2017 (1396) with post-test and control group design, firstly, a lecture-based continuing education courses at Shahid Beheshti University on discoloration of a single tooth was carried out for general dentists (as the control group, N = 35). Then, a continuing education online course with the same topic was done for the second group (N = 35). Convenience sampling was used to select participants of each group. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire, which consisted of 2 parts (post-test with 10 questions and a satisfaction questionnaire with 10 questions). Content validity and test-retest reliability (r = 0.8) of both was determined. Data analysis was performed using the t-test and Pearson’s chi square test using the SPSS 23 software. The level of statistical significant was considered at P = 0.05.
The mean knowledge score after education was 7.02 (2.87) in e-learning and 6.77 (1.23) in the conventional group. The difference between the 2 groups was not significant (P = 0.63). Overall, 91.4% in the e-learning and 91.5% in the conventional group believed that the educational course obviated their occupational needs.
E-learning was as effective as conventional instruction for bleaching of a single discolored tooth in terms of knowledge score (post-test score) and self-reported satisfaction and attitude of dentists.

Satisfaction is one of the most common indicators of effective learning and many factors, such as interaction, flexibility, and feedback, are involved in the development of satisfaction. Thus, goals of this research was to determine electronic education student’s perception towards effective distance education components and contribution of these components in explaining satisfaction of distance education.
The current research used a survey method. The statistical population consisted of all electronic education graduate students (3915) of universities of Tehran, who took part in distance education in the academic year of 2014 to 2015. Overall, 390 students were selected by the random classified sampling method. For gathering data, 2 instruments were used. One for measuring effective distance education components and another for measuring satisfaction of electronic education. The first scale included 24 items with 3 dimensions, including interaction, flexibility and feedback, and the other scale included 20 items with one dimension, being satisfaction. Data were analyzed through the SPSS software, version 21, and statistical methods were used, such as variance analysis, one sample t - test, and multivariate regression analysis. Validity and reliability of both scales were confirmed through content, convergent validity, and reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.77 for effective distance education scale and Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.85 for electronic education satisfaction scale).
The mean satisfaction of electronic education of female students (M = 14.44, p ≤ 0/001) was significantly higher than that of male students (M = 11.84 p ≤ 0/001) in all academic groups, including humanities, technical, and basic sciences. Also, data analyses showed that 46% of satisfaction variance could be explained by combination of interaction, flexibility, feedback, gender, and academic groups. Among them, flexibility contribution (Beta = 0.590, P ≤ 0/001) was more than interaction (B = 0.547, P ≤ 0.001) and feedback (B = 0.369, P ≤ 0.001).
The research statistical model suggested that interaction, flexibility, feedback, and gender are positive explanations of satisfaction. Also, the research goal was approved, which means that designing effective distance education by proposed agents could lead to greater satisfaction of electronic education students.

One of the most important basic skills of the 21 century is critical thinking. The aim of this study is comparing the critical thinking of students in real and virtual courses.
The type of research, in terms of purpose, is applied and in terms of method is descriptive, survey. In this paper, according to the desired criteria, 120 MA students of faculty of psychology and educational sciences, Tehran University in the 2015 - 2016 academic years, in virtual and real courses were selected. A total of 60 virtual course students were selected with the census method and 60 real course students selected with random selection method. Assessment tool used this study is Ricketts (2003) critical thinking questionnaire consisted of 33 question that its validity has been certified by a group of stuff and its reliability in the 3 sub-scales, creativity, development, and commitment were obtained, respectively 0.75, 0.57, and 0.86. In order for data analysis, mean, standard deviation, and percentage were obtained and the Levine test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA test were used.
Considering the results for gender and age, there was no significant difference between present and virtual students (P = 0.078, P = 0.062). Moreover, for present students the mean and the standard deviation was respectively, 3.76 and 0.28 and the same for virtual students was 3.75 and 0.38. Accordingly, there is no significant difference between critical thinking (P = 0.054) and its component (creative, P = 0.071, P > 0.05, growing = 0.061, P > 0.05 and obligation = 0.068, P > 0.05) in virtual and real course student.
Virtual education, if it has high quality, can develop students’ critical thinking as well as present education.

The present study aimed at investigating preferential factors of users of online learning systems of University of Hadith Sciences regarding ease of learning.
The research was a survey. The studied population consisted of all students of virtual University of Hadith Science during year 2016, which included 200 individuals and the sample size, based on the Cochrane formula, was 132. Considering the fields of study, stratified random sampling proportional to size was used. According to the number of courses and students in each course, samples were selected randomly using the random number table. Finally, 122 students cooperated until the end of the data collection process. Lee and Kim’s (2015) standard questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire contains 32 items and includes the following factors, the content variable with 4 indices and 10 questions, the feedback variable with 2 indices and 6 questions, the services variable with 5 indices and 12 questions, and the ease of learning as a dependent variable with 4 questions. Questions 29 to 32 are related to the 3 independent factors. For each item, a 5-point Likert-type scale was used. In this study, the PLS software was used for analysis of data.
Results of the study based on the approach of partial least squares indicated that the content of online learning with a coefficient of 0.32 and P = 0.01, online learning feedback with a coefficient of 0.31 and P = 0.01, and online learning services with a coefficient of 0.67 and P = 0.01 had a positive and significant effect on the ease of learning, and respectively predicted 11%, 10%, and 45% of the variance of ease of learning.
According to the results, content, feedback, and services of online learning had a positive effect on the ease of learning. Design of a user friendly online learning system causes the users to find working with this system easier and feel less of a cognitive burden.

Nowadays, the ability of information and communication technology (ICT) in removing teaching and learning difficulties has caused ICT to be the core of most educational systems. This research aimed to study the ICT effect on improving teaching and learning levels of male students of the vocational school of Razi in Marivan from the student’s points of view.
This research was a practical and descriptive-analytic study in terms of information gathering and of semi-experimental pre- and post-test type with a control group, which was conducted in 2014. The statistical population included all students in Razi vocational school of Marivan. Two classes were chosen randomly as the experimental group (n = 38) and two as the control group (n = 45). A questionnaire was designed with 34 questions and administrated to the sample members. The questionnaire’s validity was confirmed by 6 specialists who were experienced in a similar research area and the reliability was calculated using Cranach’s alpha (α = 0.81). The data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 software using descriptive statistics indicators (mean), inferential statistics tests (one sample t-test, the chi-2 test of homogeneity, Pearson, and Spearman correlation coefficients), and covariance analysis.
The results of one sample t-test with the standard mean (3) indicated that there was a significant difference in all components (learning and teaching levels) between the obtained mean and the standard mean. The obtained mean was higher than the standard mean in all components (P The findings showed that as students familiarity with ICT increases, their teaching and learning levels improvement rate enhances (educational success) because of using ICT tools in the process of teaching. Thus, to provide students with a more effective education and assuring their educational success, it will be beneficial for Razi vocational school teachers to use ICT-based education in their educational practices.