This document presents a strategic model for a virtual university. It begins by discussing the impact of globalization and technology on education and the need for lifelong learning. It then outlines the characteristics and benefits of virtual learning environments and discusses different types of virtual universities. The proposed model has four stages: planning, design, performance, and evaluation. The planning stage involves needs analysis, goal setting, and learner preparation. The design stage focuses on classifying content and software, and individualizing learning. The performance stage describes how learners can access and interact with content through various technologies. Finally, the evaluation stage involves recording learner performance, providing feedback, and modifying content and assessment as needed. In conclusion, the model aims to provide

1. Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
1877-0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.167
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 28 (2011) 909 – 913
WCETR 2011
A strategic model of virtual university
Somaye Shahtalebia
, Badri Shatalebib
*, Fakhri Shatalebic
a
Young Researchers Club, Khorasgan (Isfahan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
b
Department of Educational Scince,Khorasgan(Isfahan) Branch, Islamic Azad University ,Isfahan ,Iran
c
Department of English, Najafabad Branch, , Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Human being has been facing various Millennium challenges. One of the fundamental changes that the world is now facing is
globalization, communication and information technology. That affects different fields of political, social and cultural education.
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paradigm as well as all areas. In the field of education the big change is that current knowledge and wisdom are the only ways for
creating investment in societies. Human and native investment becomes the wealth when they are stirred with knowledge in
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society and those that lack these tools are considered poor. Virtual learning is a way for facing with millennium challenges in
educational field. Virtual learning environment is a kind of area, using technology, communication and information; it eliminates
time and place barriers regarding variety of training and speeds up educational opportunities with the trainers desired speed.
Universities as the engine of the community create virtual environments for learning. Distance educational institutions are
traditional institution uses information and communication technologies for reinforcing education. Total virtual education
institutions and consortium are examples of higher education efforts, regarding changes in the current era. Considering what was
mentioned earlier, this paper is intended to explain new forms of strategic model of virtual university. Being grateful to the
infrastructure, this model has been developed in a way that can take human infrastructure, technology, pedagogy, socio - cultural
values, social administrative and support into consideration.
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Keywords: communication and information technology, higher education, virtual learning, virtual university model
1. Introduction
7KH WHUP ³virtual university´ characterizes an organization that provides education and learning opportunity
through a well architected web-portal on the Internet, using computer programming and multimedia technologies to
deliver its virtual classes, course modules, interactive tutorials, online simulation and virtual reality application to
support lab and experimental work, assignments, and finally assessment, examination and certification (Mohanty,
2009).A growing tendency toward technological and social changes have influenced life and individuals'
occupations. Facing with these changes, one has to update his knowledge permanently and put himself into learning
* Somaye Shahtalebi. Tel.: +989131268471
E-mail address: b_shahtalebi2005@yahoo.com
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

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and relearning. Today, these features have caused a more demanding situation for education and learning (Groff and
Moza, 2008).
In the recent years we have seen exponential growth of Internet-based learning. The transition to online
technologies in education provides the opportunities to use new learning methodology and more effective methods
of teaching. The major perspectives of using e-learning can be generalized as follows: an opportunity for
overcoming the limitations of traditional learning, such as large distance, time, budget or busy program; equal
opportunities for education no matter where you live, how old you are, or what your health and social status is;
better quality and a variety of lecture materials; new consortia of educational institutions, where a lot of specialists
work in collaboration, use shared resources and the students get freedom to receive knowledge, skills and experience
from other universities (Georgieva et al,2003).
The advent of a vast number of communicational services like internet, along with developing educational tools
and equipment have made a great change in learning condition and have provided a way for collecting and gathering
interested individuals in learning from different spots under one single teaching umbrella, equipping with different
methods of teaching including the traditional ones, without taking part in actual classes, scientific and specialized
teaching have become into practice by the advent of virtual universities (Jokar et.al,2007; Al-Shehr, 2004).
Virtual environment, with the help of communication and information technologies, putting time and place barriers
aside and have paved the way for a variation in educational opportunities suited with learners' method and speed.
Virtual university is considered as a new phenomenon coincides with the technical reveolution of information and
communication and internet arrival in one way and is also a way of distance education that was transferred from one
generation into another, moreover it has changed distance education into using radios and television, video
conferences into interactional web-based learning opportunities and intelligence interactional opportunities (Jaafari,
2003; Georgieva et al,2003).
It is clear that knowing technical, communicational, informational, self-learning, interactional and learning
inabilities in every time and place and presenting multi techniques inabilities and also active learner, social,
presenting interactional discussion, multiple views, providing main and actual learning experiences, providing
subject oriented opportunities and presenting feedback are the necessities for designing such universities (Serraj
et. al, 2008). With the access of hardware and software tools, mastery, abilities and enough skill in hand for applying
these tools, having enough experience to work with a virtual system as a student or teacher, having enough time and
interest for using these software and practicing with them and more important being assure if presenting lessons in a
virtual or electronical way would fulfill the main goal of learning (Sarafinejad et.al, 2008) is another point which
is into focus.
In Bannets' view (2000) along with to implementation problems, establishing such educational environment
would also be important. The amount of primary investment , decision about usefulness and thriftiness, powerful
leading and managing in implementing a program and thinking about human resources , scientific and
implementing and also university students, program addressee, and group supporter are considered as
implementation infra structure for establishing virtual universities. Considering technical infrastructure, humanities,
pedagogical, cultural, social values, managing and leadership ± economical, university support, virtual universities
in the form of super universities educational centers with the lack of physical aspects, shared universities,
concersiuum will be formed universities (Stonebarker, 2009; Mohanty, 2009).
2. A model of virtual university
In order to run design a new model of learning different theories. Theory of live system, virtual organization, S
curve, and learners sharing are the theories which can be used in this domain (Jaafari, 2009). In this paper,authors
have designed a new model for virtual university. The following figure has indicated applied element as well. Four
stages of (planning, design, performance and evaluation) are the basic categories.

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Somaye Shahtalebi et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 28 (2011) 909 – 913
Figure 1:Model of virtual university
Figure 2: Describe the first stage (Planning)
Figure 3: Describe the Second stage (Design)
Planning (1) Design (2) Performance (3) Evaluation (4)
Feed back
Planning(1)
RespondentV¶identification
Need analysis
Material development
along with goals
Determine Goals
Who, what knowledge, what age level
Diagnostic evaluation
Individual differences
Learners preparation working with computer
Design (2)
Software classification with
regard to educational planning
Learning
Content Learners classification due
to their talents
Well designed
software to increase
learning
motivation
Updated
content
Content
flexibility
Presenting lots of content
in a short time
Presentation at any
time place
Virtual Group Individual
Video
Conferenc
Online
chat CD Multimedia Internet
search
Easy access to research resources
Ability to use otherV¶ experiences
Modify evaluation program in
every time place
Content presentation in line
ZLWKHYHUERG¶VDSWLWXGH
Aptitude
rising
Simulation
Time
press
Time
expanding
Program training
Tree
planning
education
Linear
planning
educatio
Information access from
learning recourses
5HFRUGLQJOHDUQHUV¶
performance

4. 912 Somaye Shahtalebi et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 28 (2011) 909 – 913
Figure 4: Describe the Third stage (Performance)
Figure 5: Describe the Four stages (Evaluation)
Conclusion
In fact one of the effective ways for presenting academic education is using computers. The quality and the
content of the subject and the quality of assessment and implementation should be taken into consideration. Clearly,
face to face teachers and students interaction in teaching environment is mostly oral. For some reasons, in virtual
Evaluation (4)
Recording learners performance in every stage
Providing suitable feedback
Content changing if necessary
Holding the online exam at any time and place
Performance (3)
Video conference
Information access from additional resources
Create group sharing sprite
Providing various research facilities
Possibility to use others experiences
Multimedia
Attractive
Ability to motivate learners
Attention to individual differences
Graphics videos in
maximum quality
CD
Storing large amount of content
Content repetition
Attention developing
Evaluation
Recording learners
performance
Reviewing previous
content
Individual
training or tutor
Learners
development due
to his talents
Education in
any time
place
Considering
individual
differences
Recording
learners
performance
learning how to
learn
Habit to
studying more
Satisfaction
Possibility
in content
digestion
Providing
feedback
channels
Providing
opportunities for
learners to select
Content repetition
Learning
through doing
Make peace
confidence
Providing a link
between individuals
real world

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Somaye Shahtalebi et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 28 (2011) 909 – 913
environment writing should be used more. The first reason is the constraint of communication in comparison with
face to face interaction. The second reason is that writing is the most important factor in reminding and thinking.
Writing improves conscious interaction among individuals. Since students spend more time for thinking and
organizing their thoughts, teachers can ask higher written recognition questions (Attaran, 2007).Investigating
previous literature have made the 3 main challenges in this era (Ebrahim Zade,2008), which are educational
knowledge, pedagogical and organizational issues. The first educational knowledge or pedagogical issues. Clearly
one should consider these issues before making decision about model and teaching approach and even before
determining the main educational goals one should think about pedagogical issues as well. Many believe that virtual
education implementation is successful since it is based on training, psychological, and pedagogical issues and every
country considers historical, cultural, and social features for strategic planning. Organizational issues: thinking about
the organization problems depends on the courses and lessons which are presented in that specific field of study and
which are going to be presented in this new virtual environment. Although, the answers seems to be simple by its
surface, but it is difficult in real. Implementation issues: considers new programs from the mangers perspective in
different level and implementation. With the rapid advancement of teaching electronically and online, this new
approach is a new way of teaching in the world. Therefore, its development and improvement depends on the
support of all the implementation staff from the highest to the lowest and middle managers to high investigation.
Side program the addressee need software and hardware assistant to be in contact with educational institutes and
new social environment.
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