Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences
Volume:10 Issue: 3, Sep 2019

The emergence and use of e-learning in education have been one of the most important achievements of higher education which can solve many of the problems of this system, and addressing the challenges of e-learning are one of the concerns and problems of our society.

The purpose of this study was to explore the students’ experience of e-learning challenges at the Virtual School of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS).

The research design was qualitative with the phenomenological method. Potential participants included students from Virtual School of SUMS. 10 students were selected using a purposive sampling method with a standard technique. The data collection method consisted of a semi-structured interview. After coding the data using thematic analysis method, basic, organizing, and inclusive themes were extracted.

Results classified the challenges of e-learning at the Virtual School of SUMS into six general categories which are as follows: 13 educational challenges, including the extensive amount of context in the courses as well as a large number of modules, disregarding the educational prerequisites of the field, failure of professors to accompany students at the early stages of the projects, etc.; 10 organizational challenges including non-diversification of e-learning courses, high availability of online academic staff due to lack of e-learning experience, 9 ethical challenges such as lack of appropriate culture for applying this discipline, negative perception towards e-learning,  8 technical challenges including low speed of internet, shortage of physical spaces in e-learning, 5 supportive challenges such as lack of facilities, lack of permission to use the university canteen, 5 evaluation challenges such as mandatory in-person exams in e-learning courses,  not allocating a reasonable proportion of the final mark to in-person exams, 3 managerial challenges such as inefficiency of the educational content, rejection of students by the head of virtual faculty due to lack of time and lastly, 2 communicational challenges such as lack of interaction with academic staff and classmates as well as lack of face-to-face communication.

Understanding the challenges and obstacles of establishing e-learning in Iran's higher education and providing practical solutions for them, developing this type of education and, as a result, the excellence of Iran's educational system.

E-learning is considered as one of the most important learning environments and the efforts and experiences of this type of learning have been studied and implemented in many countries. The purpose of this study is the application of path analysis model in explaining the factors affecting the quality and usefulness of e-learning through the student’s perspective. The research method is descriptive-correlation through using path analysis The statistical population of the study consisted of 110 students of virtual courses of Payame Noor University(2018-2019); The questionnaire was provided to all of them through census and 70 students was answered and filled in the questionnaire. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data and the reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was obtained through Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94 and validity was verified by 10 experts. Also, the validity was assessed through the internal consistency method which showed 0.87. The findings of the path analysis indicated that the quality factor of the type of technology with a coefficient of influence of 0.59 had the most effect on the quality and usefulness of the education from the students perspective(P=0.001) and Content agent with an impact coefficient of 0.26 indirectly affected on the quality and usefulness of e-learning(P=0.021). Also learning methods with coefficient (0.51) directly affected on the quality and usefulness of e-learning(0.51=β). The teacher agent with coefficient0.27 has indirectly influenced on the quality and usefulness of e-learning. Based on the results of this study, virtual education planners need to pay attention to the factors affecting the quality of courses.

In recent decades self-regulated learning has been regarded as an effective factor in successful academic performance, This study aimed at presenting a causal relationship model of Self-regulated learning and future orientation based on the mediating role of academic Self-Efficacy and Task Value through path analysis.
 In this descriptive-correlational study, the data were collected through a combined questionnaire which was completed by 320Of Paramedical Students(178 woman& 142 Man). The samples were selected from among - people (statistical population) through a multi-stage sampling method (cluster, stratified and random) in 2018-19 academic year at Payame Noor University of Tehran, and they completed a questionnaire consisting of 4 standard sub-questionnaires. The data were analyzed by Path analysis using Amos24, Lisrel 8.8 and Spss22.
The results showed that the effect of three endogenous factors ) academic Self-Efficacy, task value equal, future orientation)on the academic self-regulation in the students was significant. The values obtained from the comparative fit index, goodness of fit index, adjusted goodness of fit index, and root mean squared error of approximation were 0.98, 0.97, 0.96, and 0.052, respectively.
Among the endogenous variables in students the maximum total effect on academic self-regulation is related to the academic self-efficacy and equal 0.22. The fit indices of the model showed that the proposed model in the study has a relatively good fit with the data gathered from virtual students.

Nowadays, new technologies as an integral partof the educational setting have created unique opportunities forteachers to apply various instructional and teaching methods tobetter educate students. This paper aimed at investigating the effectof the flipped classroom method on the nature of science (NOS) andachievement. This was a pretest-posttest semi-experimental studywith control group. The population included all tenth grade femalestudents of Tabriz city in the 2017-2018. The sample size consistedof 45 students of tenth grade selected by cluster sampling methodin which 23 of them were in the experimental group and 22 of themwere in the control group. Data gathering tools in this study includedthe questionnaire of NOS (Liang et al, 2008) and an teacher madeachievement exam in biology course. Data were analyzed usingcovariance analysis. Results showed that in the whole group comparison,the mean score of achievement in the experimental group wassignificantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.02). Therewas no significant difference on effect of flipped classroom on theNOS between two groups (P=0.07). The Flipped Classroom has led to an increase inlearning in students, thus it affects their academic development, butit did not affect students’ nature of science.

The present study aims to create web-based learning with peer feedback and formative feedback and web-based learning without peer feedback and formative feedback in the design and production of educational projects. It also aims to investigate the role of peer feedback and formative feedback in the design and production of instructional projects.

quantitative approach with quasi-experimental design is used in this research. Research population is all students of Farhangian University of Ardebil in the course of ICT for instruction and learning, who entered university in 2018. Sample of the study includes 40 students, selected by random cluster sampling method. First, pre-test is performed by an 8-item test. Then, the experiment group receives training via web-based learning with peer feedback and formative feedback and control group receives training by webbased learning without the peer feedback and formative feedback. Post-test is performed with the same questions. SPSS software, version 19, is used for ANCOVA analysis.

According to the results, the experimental group receives high scores in designing and producing of educational projects (mean=13.50 and 18.50. P=0.001). Findings of this research suggest that using peer feedback and formative feedback in webbased learning in designing and producing projects must be designed implemented by instructors. Also, taking into account their important features and functions is a necessity for attaining effectiveness in the instruction.

This research has shown that peer feedback and formative feedback in web-based learning have positive effect on the learning. Thus, it is suggested that peer feedback and formative feedback must be applied in web-based learning environment.

 Brain mobility is an alternative word for brain drain. Today, brain drain is considered as a major loss that has a very harmful effect on developing countries. The brain movement, and inverse immigration depends a lot on policies adopted in the countries of origin. This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the role of virtual networks and diaspora in elite brain mobility and circulation in Iran. This study was conducted using a mixed-method approach based on sequential exploratory strategy in 2018. In qualitative section a semi-structured interview was conducted with 19 former graduates who had returned back to Iran. The theoretical saturation was reached via a purposeful sampling and maximum variation by applying conventional content analysis method processes. In the quantitative section, a questionnaire was developed and its validity and reliability was tested and verified for data collection. The questionnaire was distributed among a random sample of 285 physicians out of a target population of 1100 physician returnees. Only 158 participated in the study by returning the completed questionnaire. In addition, the data were reviewed by applying descriptive-survey method, and content analysis was used to analyze the collected data. Regarding the theme of inclusive elite brain mobility and circulation, the results are indicative of the existence of 18 basic themes, and 4 organizing themes including: cultural strategies, educational and research strategies, management strategies, social and economic strategies, and 1 global theme. The Basic Islamic Cultural Requirement theme (with a factor of 0.83, P<0.001) is the best descriptor for elite brain circulation and movement. Developing countries not only should send their elite medical graduates abroad to gain professional experiences, but also they should try to motivate them for inverse migration to their homeland by creating and promoting Diaspora networks.