مطالب

This paper focuses on the impact of an asynchronous online discussion forum on the development of students’ ability in and attitudes toward writing in English. To do this, 60 undergraduate students majoring in English were assigned to two experimental and control groups while receiving different types of feedback. Students in the experimental group were required to take part in an asynchronous forum by writing a five-paragraph essay, challenging their ideas and providing feedback based on a pre-designed feedback sheet, whereas students in the control group received traditional face-to-face feedback by the teacher. Analysis of the data obtained through a pre-test, a post-test, and a survey indicated that students’ writing improved significantly in the experimental group, on both lexis and grammar planes, as the results of engaging in replying to peers’ questions, involving in writing by exchanging feedback, and employing self-assessment strategies to revise their own work. Furthermore, they also expressed more positive attitudes toward writing. The study offers implications for L2 writing instruction in EFL contexts

In spite of the advancements made in science and technology, the world is still facing the perils of prevalence and epidemic of different diseases from one side and problems such as  inappropriate distribution of treatment giving services in a large number of countries. <br /> In such a condition there remains a need for the design of a comprehensive health system using the GIS based smart cards. This can facilitate having all common health, treatment services, such as issuing and receiving prescriptions, insurance services, having access to medical records which can accompany every individual. This will facilitate the development of social and spacial. Considering the fact that the data becomes regional and transferable (knowing they should stay confidential, and have permitted access) , predicated data banks in the health and hygiene net work management, such as offices and treatment giving insurance institutions could have all kinds of possibilities for planning, organizing, controlling and utmost management, in both individual and common health of the society. Although some developed countries are at the moment using smart cards in theirs health systems, but in this suggested system, the objective is to utilize the advantages of GIS smart cards being regional.  In this scheme a smart card is intended for each individual, and often loading the necessary information on it. This is used instead of his health service notebook and clinical record. In addition identification card used to access the patient’s medical record and prescription card is designed for doctors. Also the service offering identification card is designed for health centres and pharmacies. Predications should be made of the regional information in every visit to the physician or a clinic, upon which all the following possibilities can be obtained; all statistical reports based on GIS, research activities, supervising over the health and treatment distribution, number and reason for visiting the health care centers, defining the start of an epidemic and factors offering it, checking the nutritional diseases, analysing the concentration and spreading of different disease and their causes according to region or country.  All these data can help provide health maps, satellite pictures and defining various layers of information. Finally by the use of these cases optimum managing and development of a smart health and healing network can be made possible<strong>.</strong>