Cyberspace and Metaverse Culture
S. Khosravi
Abstract
The online learning process during the recent Covid-19 pandemic gave us an input about the significance of technological requirements for improving learning experiences in long-distance education. Scanning textbook pages, typing course materials, playing videos of scientific experiments, asking students ...
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The online learning process during the recent Covid-19 pandemic gave us an input about the significance of technological requirements for improving learning experiences in long-distance education. Scanning textbook pages, typing course materials, playing videos of scientific experiments, asking students to record a vide while doing homework, discussions in the chat-box, and even using an interactive whiteboard in virtual classrooms are all examples of technologies used, but they are not unavailable or inaccessible cutting-edge technologies any more. Increasing students’ performance and satisfaction requires adoption and adaptation to other technologies. Therefore some schools and universities in Iran have been equipped with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hardware and software. Metaverse labs in some schools s well as universities have been launched; although its effectiveness is questionable. But the main question is if the metaverse is accessible to learning outside of academia, why do we need universities anymore? Is expansion of the metaverse synonymous with the reduction of the university? May universities use the metaverse in learning activities, but keeping their function to formal higher education? Will universities be transferred to (and transformed in) the metaverse? Will organizational structure (and social role) of universities change in the metaverse? Answering such questions wants us to reconsider the linguistic construct and the social relation of university, technology, and society - which needs returning to the conceptions and conceptualization of the university, turning points of great expectations for/from the university, and megatrends of socio-digital transformations. In this paper, we reviewed John Henry Newman’s idea of a university in its historical context, the discursive turn of higher education (HE) from university to Clark Kerr’s multiversity, and the resurgence of the idea of the metaverse (i.e. a single, universal, and immersive virtual world) as a consequence of pervasive prevalence of alternative technologies. Attempts are to re-articulate those concepts, draw a big picture of their social relations (in what Karl Popper called world 3), and provide an epistemological criticism of current debates on consistencies and controversies of university and the metaverse.
Higher Education
S.R. Ameli; R. Sayadi
Abstract
Given that the University of Tehran is one of the key institutions of knowledge production, two main questions arise in this regard: What is the student lifeworld at the University of Tehran? What is the connection between this lifeworld and the university? In the course of this research to reach the ...
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Given that the University of Tehran is one of the key institutions of knowledge production, two main questions arise in this regard: What is the student lifeworld at the University of Tehran? What is the connection between this lifeworld and the university? In the course of this research to reach the actual answer to the problems, theoretical views of lifeworld and communication action were taken into account. Field information was obtained using ethnographic methodology as well through two tools, namely participatory observation and semi-structured interview. The sample of the study was 30 students who were interviews. They were from different colleges such as medical sciences; electrical, electronic, and mechanical and civil engineering departments and technical campus, theater and music from the faculty of fine arts, faculty of social sciences. The student's world was defined by eight categories: student, professor, classmate, academic terms and field of study, cyberspace, media, university, and dormitory. Results was obtained from qualitative interviews, with emphasis being on the existence of a semantic disorder for the "sense of being a student", the spirit of scientific cooperation and the horizon of looking to the future in the light of active and effective role of students and universities for the development of the country.
Intercultural Communications
M. Fouladiyan; N. Khavari Khorasani
Abstract
Most societies, today, are made up of people with diverse cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities. Today, migration and communication between nations is common occurrences and sometimes necessary; hence, the acceptance of different nationalities by each other and the lack of social distancing becomes ...
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Most societies, today, are made up of people with diverse cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities. Today, migration and communication between nations is common occurrences and sometimes necessary; hence, the acceptance of different nationalities by each other and the lack of social distancing becomes a necessity for pluralistic societies. For years, Iran has welcomed large numbers of Afghan immigrants as well as many Iraqi travelers. Considering the importance of the manner and quality of communication between different nationalities and the determining role of the attitude of the host society in this regard, this study is conducted to investigate the attitudes of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad students towards four nationalities: Iraqi, Afghan, American and Dutch. The research method is survey, with the sample size being 197 people who were randomly selected and filled in the Bogardes scale for the four nationalities. Statistical analysis of the data shows that Iranian students have had significant differences in their attitudes toward these four nationalities. According to the results of this study, the Netherlands, as the representative of Europeans, has the highest acceptance rate among Iranian students, followed by the United States and Afghanistan, respectively, and finally, Iraq has the lowest acceptance rate among Iranian students.
F. Asghari
Abstract
Like any other community, the university has its own cultural set up. But unfortunately, the culture, which is currently dominating the Iranian higher education institutions, does not meet the expectations of a scientific community. The present study, based on views and experiences of academics as well ...
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Like any other community, the university has its own cultural set up. But unfortunately, the culture, which is currently dominating the Iranian higher education institutions, does not meet the expectations of a scientific community. The present study, based on views and experiences of academics as well as using an interpretive approach, tries to answer the main research question as why and how such a disorder prevails in academic culture. In this qualitative study, the Grounded Theory has been applied as research methods. The selection of participants, including faculty members from higher education institutions, was based on theoretical sampling. It continued until achieving a saturation point. Data collection was done through semi-structured interviews, including 17 individual and 4 group interviews. Data were categorized via three-stage coding (open, axial and selective) and classified into 1900 codes, 458 concepts, 101 subcategories and 32 main categories. Further, the data analysis was carried out based on the concept of context, analytical tool paradigm (conditions, action-interaction and consequences) and conditional-consequential analytical strategy matrix. Based on the acquired results "non-adherence to academic norms" was selected as a central phenomenon, and the final model was based on causal conditions and contextual factors at micro and macro levels, academic interaction including resistance, silence and abuse as well as the consequences including individual, organizational and national ones. The final outcome indicates the strengthening and reproduction of the central phenomenon in case of lack of university actions to help improve the situation.
H. Taheri Kia
Abstract
This article studies the experience of fear of confronting the political state at the Iranian university. From the early days of establishing the university in Iran, Iranian university has been engaging in the politics and triggering political movement. In other words, student political movement, in ...
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This article studies the experience of fear of confronting the political state at the Iranian university. From the early days of establishing the university in Iran, Iranian university has been engaging in the politics and triggering political movement. In other words, student political movement, in Iranian contemporary political history, is a key term. Hence, the previous researches, in this field, just consider the historical approach, and then there is a lack of deep and qualitative examination which analyzes the current features of the political state at the university. Thus, in this article, analyzing the political state connects to the recent Iranian political approaches and its changes. Our study is after the green movement of 2008 and security encounters with students. Therefore, for students, based on those days and experiences, involving in political state is with fear and frustration. For examining this, we studied the University of Poly Techniques, Faculty of Social science at Allameh Tabataba'i University and Faculty of Medical Science at Tehran University. We conducted deep interview with 50 of political and non-political students. The object of the article is to answer how the fear of the political state at the university, for students, does make sense? And, how political student activists have encountered the fear? Consequently, students’ families are the basic factor to produce fear of the political situations, for the historical facts proves the political actions at the university threaten students’ future opportunity to get a job and even continue studies. Besides, in the everyday life at university, students alert each other to the adventures of the political engagements. But, when we talk about political state, mostly, it is about radical and reformist approaches and not those conservative practices which are supported by hardliners. Also, those political students who passed the gate of fear to the political sphere and doing political actions are like a catalyzer to persuade and stimulate other students to pass from the gate of fear.
Cultural Studies
M. Rezaie; A. Kazemi; H. Taheri Kia
Abstract
After 1979 Islamic revolution, from April 20 to 22, 1980 universities in Tehran, Tabriz and some other cities, experienced an outstanding political juncture. Active collegiate political groups were compelled to surrender their rooms and offices, and leave the universities’ campus. Accordingly, ...
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After 1979 Islamic revolution, from April 20 to 22, 1980 universities in Tehran, Tabriz and some other cities, experienced an outstanding political juncture. Active collegiate political groups were compelled to surrender their rooms and offices, and leave the universities’ campus. Accordingly, universities and cities were the scene of bloody clashes. As a matter of fact, university as the fortress of freedom, resistance and revolution against Pahlavi was about to change its revolutionary identity and to adapt new role of an engaged proponent of Islamic regime. Concerning to Badiou’s concept of empty space and Delousian Rhizomatic analysis, we study related news and pictures of related newspapers. Concludingly, we demonstrate the set of relations in which Islamic university renovates. Also, we illustrate how the universities, on the one hand, acted as an agent and a mechanism for de-centering the revolutionary characteristic, and remaining this “Holy Place”, in Ayatollah Khomeini’s word, as a permanent Islamic partisan of new born political regime, simultanouly.
Higher Education
Reza Mahdi
Abstract
The quality of college life means the overall satisfaction of students from the college life as a whole which is affected by different aspects of life based on the theory of generalization. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of college life among local and non-local students from non-state ...
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The quality of college life means the overall satisfaction of students from the college life as a whole which is affected by different aspects of life based on the theory of generalization. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of college life among local and non-local students from non-state universities in Tehran. This study is developmental with respect to the aim and uses survey method for data gathering. The statistical population of the study are undergraduate students and 500 samples are chosen from the universities in the target population randomly and data are gathered using the questionnaire designed by the researcher the validity of the questionnaire has been verified based on the views of 5 experts and using some similar tested questionnaires as a model. The reliability has been estimated using Alpha Cronbach’s index by pre-test of 15 samples about 0.86. To data analyze SPSS software and statistical tests are used. The quality of the college life of students has been evaluated significantly lower than average and the quality of college life of non-local students is significantly higher than the quality of college life of local students. The low quality of college life shows that higher education policies on quality and national resources productivity have had low effectiveness. Dissatisfaction of students, as the key stakeholder of higher education system, from quality of college life could be a starting point to stray away from the higher education missions and philosophies. It is necessary that academic managers and leaders make serious decisions to promote the quality of college life. The higher education without the quality of college life, will be defeating the purpose.
Higher Education
Omid Shokri; Reza Reza Kormi Nouri; Mohammad Naghi Farahani; Alireza Moradi
Abstract
The quality of college life means the overall satisfaction of students from the college life as a whole which is affected by different aspects of life based on the theory of generalization. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of college life among local and non-local students from non-state ...
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The quality of college life means the overall satisfaction of students from the college life as a whole which is affected by different aspects of life based on the theory of generalization. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of college life among local and non-local students from non-state universities in Tehran. This study is developmental with respect to the aim and uses survey method for data gathering. The statistical population of the study are undergraduate students and 500 samples are chosen from the universities in the target population randomly and data are gathered using the questionnaire designed by the researcher the validity of the questionnaire has been verified based on the views of 5 experts and using some similar tested questionnaires as a model. The reliability has been estimated using Alpha Cronbach’s index by pre-test of 15 samples about 0.86. To data analyze SPSS software and statistical tests are used. The quality of the college life of students has been evaluated significantly lower than average and the quality of college life of non-local students is significantly higher than the quality of college life of local students. The low quality of college life shows that higher education policies on quality and national resources productivity have had low effectiveness. Dissatisfaction of students, as the key stakeholder of higher education system, from quality of college life could be a starting point to stray away from the higher education missions and philosophies. It is necessary that academic managers and leaders make serious decisions to promote the quality of college life. The higher education without the quality of college life, will be defeating the purpose.
Hamid Javdani
Abstract
In the last few decades sustainable development has become a universal cause. One of the key requirements to achieve sustainable development is rethinking and identifying the concepts and requisites consistent with this idea that rests heavily on environmental, social, and economic sustainability. In ...
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In the last few decades sustainable development has become a universal cause. One of the key requirements to achieve sustainable development is rethinking and identifying the concepts and requisites consistent with this idea that rests heavily on environmental, social, and economic sustainability. In this light, this conceptual study aims to re-analyze concepts like "social capital" and the diversionary narration of development, and to draw attention to the important role of knowledge-producing institutions and fundamental knowledge requirements that underlie and influence the quantity and quality of social capital and consequently sustainable development. Conceptualizing and applying an analytico-critical approach requires a systematic, analytical and critical review, which forms the main part of the research methodology employed in this study. In addition, to reinforce the applicability of this article, experiences of some international institutions and advanced countries are accentuated. My findings, which are based on theoretical and empirical studies, emphasize on quality and relevance of education as well as re-conceptualized requisites and new approaches to future education. The reflection of these concepts in citizens' social capital lays the necessary ground for sustainable development.
Gholamreza Khaje Sarvi; Alireza Aliahmadi; Alireza Moeini; Mostafa Dezfooli
Abstract
Implementing Investigations, analyzes and performance measurements in special and qualitative social/cultural arena in our country, needs local and special methodologies. Thus the aim of present article is investigating these issues: the concept of culture, classification of cultural organizations in ...
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Implementing Investigations, analyzes and performance measurements in special and qualitative social/cultural arena in our country, needs local and special methodologies. Thus the aim of present article is investigating these issues: the concept of culture, classification of cultural organizations in Islamic Republic of Iran, the Pyramidal structure of cultural hierarchy, the process of development and mutual influences of institutions, reviewing related literature of policy making in cultural issues, compatibility of strategies to existing realities in cultural performance structure, double division in measures and analyzing and elaborating suggested measures in elaborating weighting model and assessment method and investigating progress measures by focusing on Islamic-Iranian pattern of progress and investigating the effects of implementing this pattern plus weighting method and using related measures and studying some university cases which are implemented in three phases in universities and high education centers overall the country. This research has shown a linear model by considering weighting coefficients.
Zahra Karimian; Ali Mohammad Ahmadvand
Abstract
Based on Horizon perspective of twenty years: "Iran Is developed country with the first position in Economy, science & technology in the level of area, with Islamic Identity in world and constructive interaction & influence in the International relationship ... ". In the most important document ...
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Based on Horizon perspective of twenty years: "Iran Is developed country with the first position in Economy, science & technology in the level of area, with Islamic Identity in world and constructive interaction & influence in the International relationship ... ". In the most important document of national development of Iran, has been emphasized on strengthening of Iran- Islam culture & needs to enjoy of Information technology & good international communication as an index of national power. Specially, fast hanging of Information technology in new ages caused to deep social- cultural influence in the today informative society in addition to knowledge & technology dimension of it. Emerge of new communication & information technology has provided possibility in appearing the area divergent identity & also it lead to world divergent in the field of culture & identity. In this way, universities has special position in achievement to the aims of development view because of having different role in fields of science, technology & culture in guidance & training of the most important human capital. Regard to this, we attempt to present the conceptual framework based on analytical study and some theories about cultural identity & information society and describe the tasks of universities about it.
Azita Salajegheh; Nematollah Mosapour
Abstract
Hijab is one of the issue in social life which respected in all different communities since past. In this study a comparison was made among the students of State University, Payame Noor University and Islamic Azad University about the model of Hijab. The sample size was 180 students which 38. 9 % of ...
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Hijab is one of the issue in social life which respected in all different communities since past. In this study a comparison was made among the students of State University, Payame Noor University and Islamic Azad University about the model of Hijab. The sample size was 180 students which 38. 9 % of students in State University, 38.3 % in Payame Noor University and 22. 8 % in Islamic Azad University were studying. The data gathered by a questionnaire and the data analyzed through statistical test. The results of the study indicated that there was significant relationship among the universities in terms of the model of Hijab among the students in different "situations" and "environments". The results showed that the students of Islamic Azad University had more inappropriate Hijab than the students of Payame Noor and State University in market and parties. The result also showed that the students of Payame Noor University had more inappropriate Hijab than the students of State University in market and parties. But the result showed that no significant relationship among three universities about the model of Hijab when the students are studying in universities. In public environments (without control and be unfamiliar). There is more inappropriate Hijab but in Universities it is not in this way. Because there is a control system in the universities to monitor students in order to have appropriate Hijab. The other reason for having appropriate Hijab in State University is that the students are expecting to obtain job than other students who study in Payame Noor University and Islamic Azad University.
Mahdi Montazerghaem
Abstract
Internet and other modern communication technologies have affected all aspects of the gathering, combining, and transforming knowledge, especially in scientific-educational and research organizations. These processes are parts of the whole intellectual capital in any organization. Intellectual capital ...
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Internet and other modern communication technologies have affected all aspects of the gathering, combining, and transforming knowledge, especially in scientific-educational and research organizations. These processes are parts of the whole intellectual capital in any organization. Intellectual capital is the hidden and intangible property which is oriented toward organizational goals. In the present study, I attempt to reflect on the affects internet has on some particular dimensions of intellectual capital, namely the human and the communicational, in Iran’s universities. According to the theoretical basis, it is shown that internet usage is an important factor in developing organizational intellectual capital (here, in the universities). Results show that human and communicational capitals are differently distributed in various universities. On the other hand, internet accessibility and consumption (type and quantity), as the independent variables of the study, have meaningful affects on human and communicational capitals in all universities. Furthermore, it is noteworthy to say that there are some other factors, as the ranking of the university, department, educational level (for students), and degree (for faculty members), and gender, which intervene in the process. Results show that internet usage, besides other factors as age, gender, marital status, could guide in explanation of the human and communicational capitals’ changes in the universities.
