Study of the Effects of Ranking Factors on Strategic Thinking of Top Managers of Small Firms by Applying AHP Method: Case Study, Dairy Industry in Tehran

This study aims to rank the factors affecting the strategic thinking of top managers of small firms by applying analytical hierarchical process (AHP) through the accomplishment of a case study in the dairy industry of Iran. It is practical by purpose and in terms of collection, it is descriptive, as an expert measurement option. Statistic population of this research included all of the top managers of small firms in the dairy industry of Tehran. The sample size of the study is selected, based on the measurement expert method as 15 individuals. Accordingly, a pairwise questionnaire is distributed among participants, in order to define the ranking factors affecting strategic thinking, by using the purposeful method. Meanwhile, the validity of the questionnaire content has been corroborated by expert professors. Accordingly, inferential statistics AHP technic was used for the winnowing of ranking factors affecting strategic thinking. The results of this study showed that among factors affecting strategic thinking, individual factors have the greatest ranks and the most relevant important factor is the driver of strategic thinking. Similarly, among the components of organizational factors, the reward system has the highest rank. Meanwhile, among individual factors components, the criterion of bearing the risk has the greatest rank. Among intuitive factors, creativity has the highest rank and among the systemic view, hypothesizing is regarded as the most important component.

Evaluating Current Status of MA Educational Technology Curriculum in Iran from Viewpoint of Experts and Professors in Order to Offering a Desirable Curriculum

<p class="apa">The aim of this research is evaluating status of MA field of educational technology in Iran. This research is qualitative and it is conducted based on survey method. The statistical community of this research is expert professors in educational technology area. Accordingly, 15 persons were chosen among this statistical community as statistical sample using objective sampling of desirable cases. Used tool was semi-structured interview. Questions of the interview were determined based on research questions and five expert professor confirmed its content and apparent validity. The interview was conducted face-to-face during 30 to 60 minutes. Collected information was initially classified and then it was analyzed by category method. Results of the research indicated that from viewpoint of professors, the ‘current’ curriculum does not meet the needs and expectations of students in scope of objectives, content and topics, strategies of learning-teaching and assessment methods. Results that are more precise showed a minimum attention of current curriculum to ‘empowerment’ and ‘attitude’ of students in this field. The offered curriculum of professors for more desirable status emphasized on entrepreneurship and empowerment objectives of students and various, student-oriented educational strategies and practical combined assessment methods.</p>

Multi-Institution Team Teaching (MITT): A Novel Approach to Highly Specialized Graduate Education

As engineering becomes more and more specialized, both the faculty resources and number of interested students become limited. Consequently, very frequently highly specialized graduate courses are not offered, especially in disciplines like Materials with small faculty and enrollment. NSF's International Materials Institute for New Functionality in Glass (IMI-NFG) has successfully addressed this problem by successfully introducing the concept of multi-institution team teaching (MITT). It brings together via internet both the expert professors and students from many universities. By pooling the talent of various instructors, the courses become technically stronger and students learn advanced topics that would be available otherwise. As an example, a recent MITT course included instructors from 10 US institutions, and students from many more US and international universities.Software such as ‘Adobe Connect’ is used for the live delivery of lectures, wherein students can see the instructor and Power Point slides as in a normal classroom. The students may ask questions any time during the lecture, and the instructor would respond immediately. They register and pay tuition at their home institution, so that no exchange of funds is involved between universities. Survey results support that a majority of the enrolled students liked the format and delivery of the course, and more than 75% students felt that multiple instructors, who “taught information of their expertise”, made the course stronger. In conclusion, the concept of MITT has been successfully demonstrated for teaching highly specialized graduate courses.