Sociological Study of Developmental Literacy Education with Emphasis on Virtual Education and Reference to Iran

Abstract

This paper goes through the potentials of information and communication technology, and specifically computerbased education, in equipping students with developmental literacy (social, cultural, scientific, and environmental) which is instrumental in the realisation of national development. One of the main goals of the education system, everywhere, is to teach students the life skills and equip them with the ability to live and play an effective role in the society's reconstruction and maintenance; therefore a developmentbased education should provide skills along with knowledge to this aim. In this paper capacities of a computerbased education will be reviewed and some lights will be shed on its role in removing the present educational barriers in training developmentoriented citizens-especially in the developing countries. After some theoretical arguments in support of this assertion, the paper will demonstrate some practical evidence concerning the educational system in Iran. For this purpose, the educational goals prescribed in educational policy documents are extracted, compared, and contrasted with the concrete situation and the present functioning of educational programs there. After scrutinising on