An Analysis of the Business Accelerator Programs in Turkey

This paper analyses the business accelerator programs in Turkey. Business accelerators are new generations of incubation programs born especially to support technology entrepreneurs and help them reach to the next level. There are six startup accelerators in Turkey out of eighteen which fit into the criteria of accelerator programs. These are Kworks, ITU Seed, SuCool, IOT Telco Labs, Pilot and Starter’s Hub programs. All of these programs only accept technology entrepreneurs and help them grow their businesses. Using the interview method, this study provides an inside look into the models of these six programs. It provides detailed analysis about the general structure of the programs, the characteristics of the entrepreneurs in the programs, how the programs operate, information about the graduates of the programs, the mentor networks, the investment possibilities and the performance criteria of the programs. There are studies about accelerators in highly developed countries but the literature lacks information about accelerators in developing countries. Therefore, this study contributes to the literature by filling this gap

Teaching ICT to teacher candidates using PBL: A qualitative and quantitative evaluation

The idea underlying this study is that the prospective teachers develop their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills throughout the learning process supported by the Problem Based Learning (PBL), a method that produces independent learners who can, then, continue to learn on their own in their chosen careers. The major goal of the study, conducted in two phases during two academic years, is to investigate the differential effects of PBL and conventional teacher-centred instruction on cognitive and a group of affective variables which have been coined "technophobia". Phase I of the study, entirely qualitative in character, covered a case study in which a total of 111 students from three departments of the Faculty of Education took part. Phase II of the study was quasi-experimental in nature with 79 students taking part. Most of the outcomes from Phase II were based on statistical measurements. At the end of the instruction process, the findings indicated that, while there was no significant difference in the anxiety levels of the two groups, the number of successful students had registered a considerable increase. Furthermore, the students, actively involved in the learning process, solving real problems, viewed the PBL as an effective learning tool rich in motivation. Within this framework, the motivating role of ICT as a method of learning is automatically recognised

Effectiveness of business accelerator services in Turkey: from the perspective of startups

This study analyses the startup companies attending business accelerator programs in Turkey. Business accelerators are new generations of incubation programs born especially to support technology entrepreneurs and help them reach to the next level. This study makes a research on eight accelerator programs located in Turkey. Using a survey developed for entrepreneurs attending these accelerator programs, this study provides an inside look into the effectiveness of these programs from the perspective of startup companies. The main goal of this study is analysing how startups use the services provided by the accelerator program. According to startups employee size, average monthly turnover and exportation status, several hypotheses have been identified for measuring the effectiveness of supports provided in these accelerator programs. The data of this study have been analysed via SPSS and it contributes to the literature by analysing accelerator supports and services so that accelerators can differentiate their programs according to the needs of the startups

THE EFFECT OF A FLIPPED CLASSROOM ON STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENTS, ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT AND SATISFACTION LEVELS

In this study, a flipped classroom was compared with blended learning and face-to-face learning environments and the aim was to identify the effect of these learning environments on students' achievements, academic engagement and satisfaction levels. Based on this aim, one control and two experimental groups were formed. The students in Experiment-I learned the theoretical aspect of the course through the materials in the online learning environment which were prepared prior to the class study time in context with the "flipped classroom". The students in Experiment-II learned the theoretical aspect of the course in the classroom in accordance with the blended learning model and fulfilled active learning activities out of class study time. The students in the control group learned the theoretical aspect of the course in the classroom according to the current curriculum and conducted active learning activities at their homes. It was found that the scores for the students in the experimental groups with regard to academic achievement and engagement were higher than the scores for those in the control group and the differences between the groups were statistically significant. It was revealed that the students were also generally satisfied with the flipped classroom

DETERMINING ORDER DELIVERY DATE BY REVENUE APPROACH: A CASE STUDY WITH NONWOVEN TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS IN TRC1 REGION

Non-woven textile materials are used as intermediate raw materials in various sectors such as cleaning, healthcare and automotive. These products are produced based on demand because they are requested in different compositions, colors, and weights. To ensure that the company achieves its objectives, it is necessary to use the capacity efficiently in the non-woven textile technology since it has high investment costs and high production capacity. In this study, a decision support system has been developed for non-woven textile firms so that they can obtain more order revenue. This software application was developed to sort the orders in 7 different ways based on the Moora and linear functions. The total order revenues to be obtained from each ranking and the delivery dates of sorted jobs are calculated and presented to the user to help him/her in the decision-making process. In addition, this software can also record the operator's planned maintenance data. In the present study, the decision support system was run with 27 different production scenarios. In the scenarios, the Moora method and linear function methods put forward more total order revenues than FCFS (First Come First Served) and EDD (Earliest Due Date) methods. As a product that can be used by decision-makers, the present decision support system provides a different point of view to the literature -which generally consists of theoretical studies-on delivery date and order ranking

Determining Order Delivery Date by Revenue Approach: A Case Study with Non-Woven Textile Manufacturers in TRC1 Region

Non-woven textile materials are used as intermediate raw materials in various sectors such as cleaning, healthcare and automotive. These products are produced based on demand because they are requested in different compositions, colors, and weights. To ensure that the company achieves its objectives, it is necessary to use the capacity efficiently in the non-woven textile technology since it has high investment costs and high production capacity. In this study, a decision support system has been developed for non-woven textile firms so that they can obtain more order revenue. This software application was developed to sort the orders in 7 different ways based on the Moora and linear functions. The total order revenues to be obtained from each ranking and the delivery dates of sorted jobs are calculated and presented to the user to help him/her in the decision-making process. In addition, this software can also record the operator's planned maintenance data. In the present study, the decision support system was run with 27 different production scenarios. In the scenarios, the Moora method and linear function methods put forward more total order revenues than FCFS (First Come First Served) and EDD (Earliest Due Date) methods. As a product that can be used by decision-makers, the present decision support system provides a different point of view to the literature -which generally consists of theoretical studies-on delivery date and order ranking

An Analysis of Students' Views on Flipped Classroom

The aim of this case study is to determine student views on the flipped classroom. It was conducted for nine weeks with 39 students in the Science Education department. The semi-structured interview technique was utilized during the data collection process. The content analysis method was used in order to analyze the data collected from the interviews. The findings of the research revealed that students have positive opinions regarding the flipped classroom. When their perceptions were examined, some positive aspects of the model including time-efficiency in the classroom, learning reinforcement, more practice in the classroom, time and space flexibility, revision opportunity, opportunity to learn at individual's own pace, permanent and active learning, preparing for the lesson and undertaking responsibility were identified. The most emphasized negative aspects of the model included technological inadequacy, technical problems, past habits, lack of proper video duration, workload and the necessity of class attendance. In addition, students stated that the model is viable for other courses and that they would prefer to use this model for their future profession

An Analysis of Students' Views on Flipped Classroom

The aim of this case study is to determine student views on the flipped classroom. It was conducted for nine weeks with 39 students in the Science Education department. The semi-structured interview technique was utilized during the data collection process. The content analysis method was used in order to analyze the data collected from the interviews. The findings of the research revealed that students have positive opinions regarding the flipped classroom. When their perceptions were examined, some positive aspects of the model including time-efficiency in the classroom, learning reinforcement, more practice in the classroom, time and space flexibility, revision opportunity, opportunity to learn at individual's own pace, permanent and active learning, preparing for the lesson and undertaking responsibility were identified. The most emphasized negative aspects of the model included technological inadequacy, technical problems, past habits, lack of proper video duration, workload and the necessity of class attendance. In addition, students stated that the model is viable for other courses and that they would prefer to use this model for their future profession