 Online learning is rapidly becoming one of the most effective ways to impart education.

The impact of the virus was so strong that online education became a seemingly
ubiquitous part of our growing world, which resulted in the closure of schools and no
further physical interaction of teachers with students. Fortunately, soon enough most of
the schools and educational institutions moved to online mode to resume their studies.
As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the distinctive rise of e-learning,
whereby teaching is undertaken remotely on digital platforms instead of physical
classrooms.
 Online classes and technology have emerged as a superhero during the lockdown
days. We have all been under house arrest but are still connected with the world of
education. Due to the lockdown, students have not been able to stay connected with
the outer world and the lack of exposure is evident. The only reprieve for the students’
mental well-being has been the transition to online classes. Teachers made sure that the
learning for students was not compromised, so they took a great leap forward to find
solutions and create new learning environments for their students to ensure that learning
never stops. With little time to prepare, curriculums were modified, new lesson plans
were created, activities were planned, all so that their students remain actively involved
through online learning.
 For students, online classes have become an imminent trend in the education
sector around the globe. Digital learning has provided easy access to the files
and folders that can now be organised and saved without any physical damage.
With one click, students can access their notes and assignments without the fear
of misplacing or spoiling them. With advanced technology, this mode of learning
has not only been simpler but fun and engaging as well. Technology-enabled
learning is beneficial and has proven to be more engaging as it helps in making
those subjects interactive and fun which are traditionally considered dull by
students. It became very convenient for the students to attend classes from
anywhere in the world as both classes and learning content was easily accessible
at home. Integration of the learning platforms with new-age interactive
applications has made online classes more convenient for both students and
teachers as more students are able to express their views at the same time using
certain online applications. Students have been more particular with their online
submission as they are notified on a regular basis and it is an effortless task for the
teachers to track down the students who have failed to submit their assignments
on time. Online learning has helped students to become independent learners
before they make their way into the real world. Students got opportunities to
explore new learning applications and platforms during the class, which helped
them to develop new skills and capabilities accelerating their growth trajectory.
Some of the students have been responding well to the active learning
environment created online by the teachers whereas others need a push in fits
and starts.
 Most of the private and public schools have made a smooth transition to online
platforms such as Zoom, Google classrooms, Microsoft teams, etc. while many still
find it a herculean task. The challenges of online learning are multifaceted. Online
learning has played a crucial role during the pandemic, but its consequences
can not be ignored. Online classes can not be accessed by every student due to
the unavailability of smartphones, laptops, and network. Unfortunately, the less
privileged part of our society has been more on the receiving end of this. This may
increase the class and demography-based disparity with respect to access to
quality education.
 One of the biggest challenges of online learning that many students face is the
struggle to focus for long durations on screen. Not to mention, there is a plethora
of distracting content available online which attracts and distracts the students
more often than not. To avoid this and help the students stay focused on the
class, the teachers have made strenuous efforts and designed their online classes
to be crisp, engaging, and interactive. Online classes are not completely reliable
as internet connectivity plays a vital role. While access to the internet has
drastically improved over the past few years, in some parts of the country, people
still lack access to decent internet speed and connectivity. Inconsistent internet
connectivity has emerged as one of the top excuses for the students to dodge
some important requirements such as an active visual presence which is
imperative for due vigilance. With the cameras turned off there is a disconnection
between the teachers and students. It is observed widely that students would log
into the class and then get distracted with other activities.
 Given that students are free from the regulations and boundaries of an
appropriate classroom environment, it is perceived that the curriculum is not
given importance by the students. The notebook work may have been taken
lightly. There are high chances of the students distracting themselves while
learning online. Traditional classroom education offers the benefit of face-to-
face interactions with peers which are typically moderated by a teacher.
Physical classroom interaction provides children, especially those in their
early developmental years, with a stable environment for social interactions,
helping them develop skills like empathy and cooperation. It helps them in
their overall development and real-life situations.
 Introduction :- Education through virtual instructor is a type of teaching and
learning in which the teachers and learners are geographically separated
from each other. Therefore, to provide educational services, one needs
electronic means such as texts, computer and internet to provide them. Due
to a number of reasons, including some fields of study being new in Iran or
the complexity of some other fields, supply of skilled and experienced
instructors for universities in remote areas is difficult or impossible in some
cases. Thus, either those fields of study and courses are not offered or are
taught using teachers with secondary specialties. In any case, they lead to
academic damages in universities (Sarmadi, 2005).
 Mehrpouya (2004) classifies virtual education in two groups. The first type is
intra-school programs. In these programs the learners learn through the
internet at their place of study in groups supervised by the officials. The
second type is extra-school programs which are more common in reality. In
these programs, the individuals learn at their own homes or even at their
workplaces individually by connecting to internet. UNESCO states that intra-
school distance learning programs are used to support education at schools
where there is no learning materials available. They could also be used
where the teachers have not formal abilities or to support schools where the
number of learners is too low to implement traditional education.
 According to Nichols (2003) virtual education could be used
in many ways and to teach the learners in one of the two
forms: synchronously and asynchronously. Through this
education, the information of the learners may be updated.
Also, in cases where the learners have problems, they can
communicate with their teachers. Finally, he reports different
views and opinions of the virtual education authorities.
 Baras (2000) believes that the increasing development of
science and technology of today entails new methods of
teaching and learning. The use of the theory of "the teacher,
the only knowledgeable on the scene" is already an old and
rejected belief. Learners must play a more active role in
teaching and learning, and the teacher must turn into the
guide by the side, the facilitator, the mediator and the
education designer.
 However, the realization of all these responsibilities and functions in a physical
classroom with fixed area, a given time, and traditional educational
approach is difficult. Live education based on the classroom have high costs
for their executors, while in online learning the persons are able to learn the
information they are required any time of the day and any day of the week.
In e-learning, the costs of movement (or transportation) and wasting of time
is avoided. Therefore, examination of the possibility for establishment of such
education and studying its efficiency and effectiveness seems necessary.
 Keegan (2000) lists features of online education as follows: freedom from the
constraint of scheduled classes, freedom from closed places, and freedom
from time constraints. Mehrmohammadi (2002) states that learning is not
limited to what you learn in the classroom. Enjoying the technology for the
purpose of development and growth of education will lead into the flooding
of huge benefits for all layers of the society.
 Yaghma (2009) indicates that the bases of educational technology
(including online education), are rooted in the behaviorist psychological
theory.
 In contemporary educational technology, boosting and deepening of
knowledge, self- assessment and receiving feedback, retrieving the
information required, carrying out laboratory and field work activities at
virtual environments, generation of knowledge and provision of creativity,
using electronic communication devices are sought. Nowrouzi (2006),
conducting a study with the aim of reviewing different methods of using IT in
the learning process, arrived at the following conclusions: The appropriate
method for application of IT in the learning process in the public course is
utilizing self-learner multimedia software and simulations, whereas the
methods based on internet are more appropriate for theoretical high school
and technical high school courses.
 Villegas-Reimers (2008) reported the following results: Using computers for
education has found more representation in educational contents and
course learning and has been stated as an alternative to the classical view,
the purpose of which is providing learning in individual form instead of in
group form. Based on this, internet has provided many basic alternative
solutions and means which are capable to replace the classical education
systems.
 . This means CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, 2012, 3(1), 50-59
52 having a significant advantage in the distance learning system and this
way the real progress in completion and even replacing the teachers has
been made possible by extensive facilities for storing information in large
archive files. Vilhem (2004) concluded that "the education trustees can, for
improvement of the teachinglearning process, use different tools of IT in any
conditions, including the computer, LAN, and internet, and this entails that
they believe in the role of a guide by the side, not a wise at the scene".
 Johnson, Hornik, and Salas (2007) suggested that of the factors that lead to
limitation in successful implementation of e-learning, one can mention non-
acceptation of e- learning by the user, insufficient fluency in working with
computer by the user, and presence of stress while working with the e-
learning environment in general and concluded that we must use the
experiences that provide a common sense in the online classroom. Wu et al.
(2008) showed that comprehensive e-learning development using the
hypercube model by studying basic differences and comparison of the
natures of their technological elements (technology, content, infrastructure)
with the present situation of e-learning and review of abilities of educational
institutions shall be possible based on an outlook for implementation and
effective and innovative management of e-learning
 Adibi (2010) believes that online education gives the learner the ability to
learn anywhere, anytime and even it pays attention to the pace of learning
for each individual; that is, learning with high flexibility, and mentions the fact
that in this type of education, the learner is himself a decision-maker and can
debate or speak with teachers and students using ICT. George (2009)
elaborates the use of the six efficient words of "what, which, why, where,
when and who" in the initial implementation of e-learning and believes that
providing education in electronic form is providing opportunities for the
students in potential use of technology to improve teaching and learning.
Therefore, all aspects must be studied for its establishment. Etienne and van
den Stock (2010) show that the main points of success for continuation of
elearning are free access to the tools, high interest and motivation of
teachers, the situation of learning based approach, structure development,
visual processes of decision – making and the culture of using that
education. Stricker, Weibel, and Wissmath (2011) state that an approach to
the cognitive power, computer learnt-outs, mediation, learning style, access
to infrastructure, and the gender distribution are useful to a relatively high
degree in successful implementation of online education; self-regulated
learning is realized through an appropriate educational environment.
 A significant relationship between the student's motivation and effort was
seen in this environment and at last suitable use of learning resources as a
part of supervised aptitude was considered. Considering all these views and
debates, now the question is: Regarding the quality of learning, is there a
difference between education through an online teacher and a real
teacher? Within the context of the universities in a country enjoying high-tech
computer science, especially high-speed internet lines, could online
teachers be used instead of real teachers in real university classrooms? In
other words, could online teachers be used to remove the paucity of skilled
teachers in universities? These questions frame the problem of the present
study. Due CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, 2012, 3(1), 50-59
53 to the necessity of this kind of research and importance of the subject for
countries such as Iran, the current study was conducted to answers to these
questions.

 PURPOSE:-
 The main purpose of this study is comparing the effects of teaching through
online teachers versus the real teachers on student learning in the actual
university classroom. Sub-purposes of the study are: 1. To study the possibility
for establishment of real classrooms using online teachers with optimal quality
in learning 2. To compare the overall quality of learning through teaching
with online teacher and teacher in person 3. To study the possibility of using
online teachers instead of real teachers 4. To compare the level of retention
in learning through online education versus face-to-face education.
 To find statistically reliable answers to the above questions, the following
hypotheses were formed and tested in this study. Each of these hypotheses is
directly connected with each of the questions raised. 1. One can use online
teachers to overcome the lack of skilled teachers in universities 2. The quality
of learning through an online teacher is the same as that of a real teacher 3.
One can use online teachers instead of real teachers in educational
environments 4. The level of retention in learning is the same for online and
face-to-face instruction.
 Since the focus of this study is achievement of a practical outcome
concerning the creation of a special type of education called "centralized
online education", it is an applied research. The study is also experimental
because a random method has been used to choose the subjects and the
treatments were conducted by paying particular attention to the control of
variables in an experimental environment. Since the findings of the study are
obtained by modification of variables with some implications for the future, it
is also a prospective research. Therefore, it is generally an experimental,
applied, and prospective study. The methodological procedures were
conducted as follows: After placing the groups in two separate classrooms, a
teacher-made test consisting of 40 questions with a total score of 20 was
given as the pre-test. Then, concurrently the control group classroom was
subject to teaching by the traditional face-to-face method; while the
experimental group in the other classroom was subject to online instruction.
Following the implementation of treatments, using the teacher-developed
achievement measure consisting of 40 items, the posttest was administered
on both groups.
 After elapse of two weeks, again the teacher-made learning retention test with 40
items was conducted and the findings were statistically analyzed. In this study, a
research design of the real experiment of the pre-test and post-test design with
the control group was used; therefore, the level of learning in the control group
and the experimental group both before and after the introduction of the
independent variable was compared to determine the effect of the independent
variable on learning.
 The pre-test, post-test design with the control group RE T1 * T2 RC T1 - T2
 The Sample:- The population of this study consisted of all students of Islamic Azad
University-Marvdasht Branch, where there were 13,158 students in the academic
year of 2009-2010. From this population, 80 students were selected as the sample
of the study. In order to estimate the required sample size, prior studies of the
similar nature and research methodology books were examined. Based on the
relevant literature requiring a minimum of 15 subjects in each cell of an
experimental study, the number of subjects in the control group and the
experimental group were determined to be 40 students each. The sampling
method was cluster assignment because four existing groups (each including 20
students) from different courses and fields of study were assigned to control and
experimental groups without random selection of individuals.
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