Evaluation of Disaster Management E-Learning Webs in Turkey

Abstract

It is emphasized that Turkey experiences frequent earthquakes, causing extensive losses to economy, life and limb. In order to mitigate the losses due earthquakes, a number of issues are identified to be studied and managed properly on a national scale. Firstly, the importance of education and research about earthquakes and earthquake preparedness, from cradle to grave, is stressed. Secondly, for a successful solution of the risk mitigation problems, the legislative and financial structures as well as the social and technical organizations are presented. Recommendations are given, concerning the disasters management, dealing with emergency matters during and after the earthquake, and also the risk management, dealing with preparations before the earthquake. Finally, the problems related to inventory of buildings, repair and retrofitting issues, earthquake insurance, supervision of design and construction of buildings are discussed. E-learning is a new project for education based on the adoption of new computerised, multimedia and telematic technologies. Its application has deeply changed the concept of a teacher-based teaching to a student-centred educational project. It offers a great flexibility in the educational methodology, in the administration of contents, in the synchronous and/or asynchronous interaction between teachers and students, in the organisation and in the structure of the course, in the educational plans, in the support, the tracking and the evaluation of the student. E-learning could represent a great resource and a possible revolution in the concept of education and in the field of disaster education as well. In Turkey, there are some important websites concerning disaster education. These websites are reviewed to evaluate if these sites provide good e-learning environments. The official websites concerning disaster education in Turkey are scorched and the websites are reviewed according to the established protocol. Each website has been evaluated by two independent reviewers. The average scores were obtained by averaging the two scores. Of the available 6 websites, the total scores of these 6 websites varied from 42 points to 28 points average 34+12 points . In conclusion, this report demonstrated that the e-learning of disaster education was still primitive in Turkey. It should be the first priority to implement a well-established e-learning environment to provide good disaster education.

Keywords

• e-learning
• e-learning in disaster education
• web based education
• e-öğrenme
• afet eğitiminde uzaktan eğitim
• web tabanlı eğitim