Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences
Volume:1 Issue: 1, 2010

The process of higher education is highly significant in any society. These days, universities have come across a main transformation. Lack of budget, an increase in the number of university students, a change in the student population, up-to-date and various educational needs of each society require fundamental changes that are coordinated with recent needs. Through ICT based education, the feasibility of “learning with no time and place limitation” proportionate to the students’ requirements has been brought about. By fusing proper keywords, electronic resources and credible scientific websites, this review article is analysis for higher education in information era and concepts of information and communication based education. Using the information and communication technology is a symbol of a new period for education. Information and communication technology transforms and changes models of education, enriches the present educational models more than before and makes new methods. These models share the features of education that is based on technology and suggest modern educational and learning approaches in which the learner plays an important role and emphasizes on Self-directed learning, independent, flexibility and communication.

E-learning as the youngest generation of distance education, rapidly has developed in recent years, in majority of institutional systems. But in spite of its rapid growth, there are many challenges and ambiguities about it. Some of these challenges are: the lack of a clear and definite definition for it, the lack of a precise classification for kinds of e-learning formats, and finally, the accurate and appropriate forms of interaction in e-leaning environment, in current literature, was not available.In this paper, authors by using theoretical methods of research have tried to respond to all above proposed ambiguities. Initially, by made a comprehensive review on various definitions that is existed in available literature, authors has endeavoured to find a good definition for it and then, refined its defects. Second, have tried to offer and present a comprehensive classification for e-learning formats and explored the features of them. Finally, different forms of interaction in e-learning environments have discussed. Author believes that this article is very applicable and useful for all educational specialists and it can open a new vision in front of all practitioners’ eye.

Studies show among a variety of (individual and environmental) factors effective on learning and learners’ educational progress, motivation plays a prominent and perhaps more important role. A proper identification and analysis of learners’ motivation is highly significant in the effectiveness of teaching-learning activities. This article aims to increase readers’ knowledge and understanding of the concept of motivation, its significance and effective factors on it and to assist in using it in choosing teaching-learning strategies. In this direction, some scientific sources relevant to the study and content of this writing have been collected and summarized. In this writing, concepts such as motivation, motive and one of the types of motivation important in education that is integrative motivation have been studied; then the significance of motivation in teaching-learning procedures, and finally effective factors on the learners’ motivation have been briefly described. Motivation refers to a combination of one’s attitudes, desires and willingness to expend effort in order to achieve a special goal. Integrative motivation is prominently significant in education and it is usually correlated with the learners’ actual performance on attainment of goals. Students’ performance in education varies according to the level of their integrative motivation. Motivation is a very important factor and often far more significant than intelligence in learning. Students’ motivation for learning can be affected by a set of correlated factors which may consist of curriculum quantitatively and qualitatively, features of the teacher, learner and educational environment, learning activities and other environmental factors. Knowing these factors aids the teacher to choose appropriate teaching-learning activities and strategies, to interact effectively with learners and also to improve the teaching effectiveness.

Recent advances in computer networks and computer science have created a proper environment to control and monitor systems. With the needs today's society to virtual and distanced educations, developments of virtual universities and an increase in candidates of such programs, the need to develop virtual and remote laboratories to access via networks for virtual universities seems to be serious. In this paper, with in introduction to various approached for data transmission within Lab VIEW environment, design and developments of real-time virtual laboratories with networked control and monitoring capabilities are described. Then, a typical development of the electric machines laboratory of Shiraz University is presented.

There are some issues examined and discussed in the area of comparative education, most important of which include relevant matters to features of an educational system, economy of general education, education and society, the relationship between religion and education, and also questions concerning the government and policy in relation to education. Japan education system is a centralized one that encompasses preschool up to higher education. Therefore, regarding the above mentioned subjects, the present article has reviewed first the history of evolution in Japan education to provide an understanding of such system, then the administrative structure of Japan for realizing the position of higher education and ICT based learning, and next a short history of ICT based education in Japan and its types in this system. Finally, a current situation of correspondence education and E-learning are compared regarding statistics in 2006.

E-learning must provide learners with feasibility to have a synchronous interaction. Therefore, some structures and devices have been come into being for implementing presence learning structures in cyber space that can carry out functions of synchronous interaction of classroom training in eLearning. Consequently, learning environments should be provided as learners feel they are present in class and conferences and observe the rules (order-discipline) governing them. Various structures have been created for making this interaction that regarding their structure and capabilities can establish synchronous multimedia connection for learners. Multimedia connection is complementary to learning methods in education along with different processes in data transmission which includes a variety of standards.