بتول خوندابی

INTRODUCTION: Disasters, both natural or manmade, have been a serious threat to human life and property for many years. The shortest response time is certainly the most important factor in increasing the survival of victims in disasters. Considering the vital importance of time in relief operations, the aim of this study is to investigate the response time in various incidents and disasters by the aid workers of the RCS by the provinces of the country during the years 2012 to 2020. METHOD: This descriptive-quantitative study is cross-sectional and data was collected by the Rescue and Relief Organization of IRCS during the years 2012 to 2020 in all Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) of the country. The variables contain the year, the province, the time interval between the occurrence of the disasters and the notification by the RCS aid workers, the time interval between their notification and presence at the scene of the disaster. The median (first and third quartile) after removing the outliers was used to report these times by year and province in the three years of 2012, 2016 and 2020. A line chart was applied to examine the trend changes during the study period. FINDINGS: The results show that the maximum minutes between the occurrence of road accidents and the notification of RCS aid worker was not reported in any province in 2012, and in many provinces, this time are equal to 5 minute. The highest mean minutes were seen 7 in Gilan province and 6 in Zanjan, East Azerbaijan, Fars, Khuzestan and Yazd provinces in 2020. Also, this figure has decreased from 5 in 2012 to 4 minute in 2020 in the country. The highest mean of minutes in 2012 and 2020 belongs to Qom province with 11.5 and 13 minute. The median of these minute has increased from 5 in 2012 to 9 in 2020. In urban accidents, the median time of notification and presence of aid workers at the scene has decreased from 5 to 4 and increased from 5 to 7 minute, respectively. On the other hand, in mountain incidents, a decrease of one minute (from 10 to 9) and an increase from 20 to 36 minute can be seen in the mean of the times of notification of the accident and presence at the scene, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to the type of disasters and the climatic and geographical conditions of the provinces, the duration of disaster relief is different and determining the standard criteria for it depends on various factors. It seems that the time between the occurrence of a natural disaster and the notification and the time between the notification and the presence at the scene in road, urban and mountain incidents are at a favorable level in the RCS.

INTRODUCTION: Virtual education and learning exert diverse effects on courses of different natures. Moreover, considering that the prime goal pursued by universities of applied sciences and technology is to focus on skills enhancement, the method of presentation, and the tools used. The teaching method should be designed appropriately and evaluated in terms of effectiveness. The current research, focusing on the effect of virtual education on practical and theoretical courses, seeks to assess the impact of virtual education on the achievement of the goals of the University of Applied Sciences and technology during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Applied Science Higher Education Institute Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran. METHODS: This applied research was conducted based on a descriptive-survey design. The data collection tools were information and data, library resources, and a researcher-made questionnaire. FINDINGS: Based on the results and the means obtained for each item, holding question and answer sessions with the highest number of good and very good items ranked first. On the other hand, uploading videos and photos to the system and providing links to related resources ranked in last place. CONCLUSION: According to the experience of virtual education in recent years following the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of hybrid methods, including online and face-to-face teaching, is recommended for teaching in skill-oriented higher education centers.

INTRODUCTION: The achievement of organizational goals depends on the ability of employees to perform the assigned tasks and adapt to the changing environment. The implementation of training and improvement of human resources allow people to effectively continue their activities and increase their efficiency in accordance with organizational and environmental changes. The present study aimed to assess the impact of information and communication technology on self-directed learning among Employees at the Red Crescent Society of Tehran. METHODS: This research was applied-descriptive and survey-type. The statistical population of the current research included all 1800 employees at the Red Crescent Society of Tehran. Based on Cochran's formula, 317 subjects were selected by simple random sampling and answered the questionnaires. To check the variables of the research, a 73-item questionnaire was used, which assesses the two variables of information and communication technology and self-directed learning. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts' opinions, and its reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha method. Research hypotheses were tested by structural equation modeling using LISREL software. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to measure the indicators of the questionnaire, and the model of path coefficients and significant coefficients was applied to examine the hypotheses. FINDINGS: The results of the analyses demonstrated that information and communication technology and each dimension of using computers, media (radio and television), the Internet, educational software, and mobile phones had a significant positive effect on self-control, willingness to learn, and self-management among the employees at Red Crescent Society of Tehran. CONCLUSION: In every organization, the management must make sure that the employees recognize the importance of learning since it is a key factor in the success of the organization. It is necessary for the management of every organization to remove mental models and old beliefs and, considering the role of information technology in learning and creating transformations in learning methods, provide the grounds for its application among employees.