Distance education, virtual learning and e-learning
Hasan Karamalian; tayebeh dastanpoor; Mohammadreza Sarmadi; mehran farajollahi
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the curriculum of the eLearning system at Payame-Noor University from a constructivist perspective and provide an appropriate model to enhance the quality of the university curriculum. The research design employed a mixed-method approach, incorporating both qualitative and ...
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This study aimed to examine the curriculum of the eLearning system at Payame-Noor University from a constructivist perspective and provide an appropriate model to enhance the quality of the university curriculum. The research design employed a mixed-method approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative elements. The study encompassed experts, professors, and students from electronic learning centers at Payame-Noor University, with participants selected randomly from three centers in Tehran, Isfahan, and Arak. A total of 863 individuals were chosen using quota sampling. The research tool was a custom-designed questionnaire. The analysis of research hypotheses involved One-Sample T-Test and One-Way ANOVA tests using SPSS software (Version 22), and the structural equation modeling was conducted using AMOS software (Version 22). The results indicated that, from the perspective of the research participants, the components of the curriculum in the eLearning system at Payame-Noor University do not align with the principles of the constructivist approach. However, when analyzed separately, each component showed different results across participant groups. According to experts, the curriculum's goals, teaching and learning strategies, the roles of students and lecturers; as perceived by professors, teaching and learning strategies, and the role of lecturers; and as reported by students, the goals and teaching and learning strategies in the current curriculum were in line with the constructivist approach. All participant groups concurred that the content and evaluation methods of the university's eLearning system did not conform to the constructivist approach. According to the results, the research model adequately fits the data and can effectively enhance the quality of the curriculum in the university's eLearning system.