Determination of the recreational park users satisfactions and dissatisfactions factorsRekreasyonel amaçlı park kullanıcılarının memnuniyet ve memnuniyetsizlik faktörlerinin belirlenmesi

The aim of this study was to determine the satisfaction and dissatisfaction factors of the park users. The survey applied on Atatürk Culture Parks, Karaalioğlu Parks and Kepez Urbun Forest which have been selected as the sample areas in three different regions of Antalya. 600 subject were (303 female, 297 male) carried out in this study. Uzun’s (2005) questionnaire which prepared to Dawson, Newman & Watson (1997) and Newman & Dawson’s (1998) studies were used to the determined of user’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction factors in the study. Frequency and percentage analysis were used to analyze participant demographic traits and park user’s characteristics. Independent sample t-test and Oneway Anova tests were used to assess the mean differences in user’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction factors with participant demographic traits and users characteristics. According the findings were park participants’ age range is 26-40, level of education is high school and college, income level is 1000-1500 TL, living time in city is more than 16 years and living place is apartment. According to the results of study the important satisfaction sub-dimensions were accessibility and physical activity, and the important dissatisfaction sub-dimension of park users are maintenance. The findings of the study reveal that participant demographic traits and park user’s characteristics affected the user satisfaction and dissatisfaction level in the park. It’s suggested that when parks designed and being managed with consider these results. ÖzetÇalışmanın amacı, rekreasyonel amaçlı park kullanıcılarının, park kullanımlarına yönelik memnuniyet ve memnuniyetsizlik faktörlerinin belirlenmesidir. Bu çalışmada, Antalya ili merkezinde 3 farklı bölgede bulunan Atatürk Kültür Parkı, Karaalioğlu Parkı ve Kepez Kent Ormanı örneklem alanları olarak seçilmiştir. Her bir alanda 200 olmak üzere toplamda 600 (303 kadın, 297 erkek) kişiye anket uygulaması yapılmıştır. Çalışmada park kullanıcılarının memnuniyet ve memnuniyetsizlik faktörlerini belirlemek amacıyla Uzun’un (2005), Dawson, Newman ve Watson’ın (1997) ve Newman ve Dawson’ın (1998) çalışmalarından yararlanılmıştır. Katılımcıların demografik özellikleri ve park kullanım özelliklerinin analizinde frekans ve yüzde analizi kullanılmıştır. Park alanlarına ait memnuniyet ve memnuniyetsizlik faktörleri ile demografik özellikler ve park kullanım özellikleri arasındaki farkları ortaya koymak için Bağımsız Örneklem t-testi ve Tek Yönlü ANOVA analizi yapılmıştır. Çalışmada park kullanıcılarının, 26-40 yaş aralığında, lise ve üniversite düzeyinde eğitimi olan, çoğunlukla 1000-1500 TL gelire sahip, 16 yıldan uzun süredir kentte ikamet eden, apartman dairesinde ve sitede yaşayan bireyler olduğu görülmektedir. Çalışma sonuçunda, park kullanıcılarının memnuniyetini etkileyen en önemli faktörlerin ulaşılabilirlik ve fiziksel aktivite faktörleri olduğu, memnuniyetsizliği etkileyen en önemli faktörünün ise bakım-onarım faktörü olduğu belirlenmiştir. Katılımcıların demografik özelliklerinin ve park kullanım özelliklerinin memnuniyet ve memnuniyetsizlik fakörlerini etkilediği görülmektedir. Bu doğrultuda yapılacak olan park tasarımlarında ve bu alanların yönetilmesinde bu özelliklerin göz önünde bulundurulması önerilmektedir

Bir mesleki yükseköğrenim kurumu için uzaktan verilecek dersin tasarlanması, geliştirilmesi ve değerlendirilmesine yönelik bir eylem araştırması.

The main purpose of the study was to design, develop, deliver and evaluate a new distance web design course for the needs of students in a vocational higher education institution. Proactive action research was used as a framework during the research process. This research focused on the analysis of the existing face-to-face course to mitigate its problems in the new design. Then, accomplishments and insufficiencies of the new design in the new context were investigated. For this study, data were collected in two different semesters, in a vocational higher education institution. In the first semester, an existing course was investigated to see the problems and the needs. The results revealed that there were problems associated with “motivational”, “interactional”, “instructional activities”, “support materials”, “up-to-date content”, “technologic”, and “non-technologic” aspects of the existing course. Before the delivery of the new distance course in the second semester, it was completely redesigned with the new characteristics to mitigate some of the predetermined problems of the existing course. In this new structure, an instructor from Ankara gave the course via smart class to this vocational institution located in another city. In the second semester, data were collected to understand what the accomplishments of the new course, and what aspects of the new course needed to be modified. To triangulate qualitative findings, two questionnaire were conducted to see the students’ attitude towards web-based instruction and students’ perceptions about learning environment. With the findings of these data collection procedures, the accomplishments of the new design can be categorized in five main headings. These are “working with an experienced instructor”, “extended learning opportunities”, “increased future expectations of students”, “fulfilled software requirements”, and “applicability of a distance vocational course”. On the other hand, in the new structure of the course, new problems emerged such as “course delivery problems” and “students’ readiness”, because technology use in education sometimes comes with its unique problems including the solutions. Those accomplishments and insufficiencies points of the new design would be helpful in the new distance course design projects.Ph.D. - Doctoral Progra

Why Turkey needs to integrate virtual and remote laboratory technology to technical vocational school of higher education system: A situation analysis

The emergences of new and advanced technologies have led to an increase in jobs that require more knowledgeable person in their field. In this context, vocational education tries to adapt itself to this new situation, because the industry demands well educated technicians with the ability to use new instruments, and devices. However, in Turkey the situation of the technical vocational school of higher education is not very optimistic. Although there are several problems in these educational institutions, there is an increasing demand to the technical vocational school of higher education because students can go to technical vocational school of higher education without a university entrance exam. This demand cannot be met, because of the lack of resources and staff available. In this situation virtual and remote laboratories will contribute to the development of technical vocational school of higher education in Turkey by filling absence of adequate staff and instruments

Determining new instructional strategies for web design course in vocational education with respect to instructional technology perspective

Vocational education has its unique structure and need. That is reason why determining new instructional strategies to their different needs is vital to recommend solutions to the problems of these educational institutions. Although Turkish vocational education has staff and resource problems, an instructional technology perspective to those problems may illuminate future studies. Within the scope of this project our aim is to determine some instructional strategies for the needs of a distant web design course with the collective work of students and the instructor. In this process students wishes gives us the path to instructional strategies that can be used in that course. Qualitative case study used as a research methodology to determine those strategies. Researcher observed a web technologies course and interviewed with the students who took that course in Mersin University, Faculty of Vocational Education. With respect to those observations and interviews some instructional design related problems were determined in this existing course. During the design of a new distant web design course, some problems were identified. In order to eliminate them, instructors should follow strategies like: Peer-to-Peer Collaboration, Instructor Feedback, Grader Feedback, Student-Centered Learning, Authentic Learning, Critical Thinking, Project Based Learning. Those strategies could be supported with new content, material and web support with using computer mediated communications tools to create better learning environment and opportunities for a new course. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd

8th Graders’ Interpretation of Equal Sign in Scratch: Pan Balance Activities

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the 8th graders interpreted the equal sign in the pan balance activities they created on Scratch. Five eighth graders (4 girls and 1 boy) in Turkey participated in this study. Case study was employed as a qualitative research method. Data was gathered through the Scratch files created by the students and the think-aloud protocol interviews with them. The questions used in the activities were prepared in accordance with the test created by Matthews et al. (2012). For data analysis, content and descriptive analysis methods were employed. Findings showed that participants interpreted the operational questions as operational and relational questions as relational through using Scratch. Another significant finding emerged in Scratch activities was the fact that in order for the code block to provide an equation, the pan balance was supposed to balance. Employing Scratch in the class teachings may provide variety in learning environments for teaching of equal sign

Students Perceptions about Learning Environment of a Distance Course Based on Technology Acceptance Model A Descriptive Study

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is a measure to assess the underlying reasons about the use of a technology. In this study an extended version of TAM were used. This extended version composed of three factors. These are “perceived motivation towards learning environment”, “perceived usefulness” and “perceived ease of use”. In this study, the learning environment of a distance course was investigated to see students’ perceptions. This distance course was delivered from one university to the other university via video-conferencing with ITL Learning Gateway content management system during the whole semester. The participants were the 32 first year vocational higher education institution students. The descriptive findings revealed that each factor of TAM perceived by students as having moderate advantages. It is believed that the underlying reason of this situation was based on the students’ low computer competency and e-learning experiences

An Action Research on Design, Delivery, and Evaluation of a Distance Course in a Vocational Higher Education Institution

In this chapter, the main purpose is to explain design, development, delivery, and evaluation process of a new distance web design course for the needs of students in a vocational higher education institution. It is important to highlight how wisely instructional technology was designed and used to mitigate problems to effectively support the course. Proactive action research was used as a framework of the study. This research focused on an analysis of the existing face-to-face course to mitigate its problems in the new design. Then, strengths and weaknesses of the new design in the new context were investigated. It is important to highlight that technology comes with its unique problems and opportunities. Thus, teaching in a technological environment confronts instructors with a wide range of pedagogical, technological, and physical challenges