Investigating the barriers to the development of e-learning in the education system of Ahvaz Jundi Shapour University of Medical Sciences

In addition to providing people with health care, medical science universities play a critical role in training skilled human forces required for different parts of the society. This calls for a constant review of medical staff and an attempt to eliminate the shortages. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers of electronic education development in the educational system of Ahvaz Jundi Shapoor University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS). This research was a descriptive field study conducted in year 2010-2011. The population involved the whole faculty members of AJUMS. The researchers prepared a questionnaire with a reliability of 96 % which was obtained through Cronbach's α, and its validity was confirmed by specialists in the field. As for the calculation of the results and ranking the barriers, Chi square test was employed. Data analysis was done by means of SPSS version 16. The findings of this research showed that the barriers, based on importance, include: Technological, Organizational, Managerial, Individual, and Pedagogic (evaluation, learner-centeredness, communication tools, flexibility, and the management of programs and resources). The studied factors were found to be among those which have influence on the development of e-learning in that institution; educational politician's efforts are required to remove the current obstacles.