Investigating Students' Mental Model and Electronic Learning System at Shahid Beheshti University

this study aimed to investigate the compatibility of students' mental models with the Learning Management System (LMS) at Shahid Beheshti University applied in terms of its purpose and a survey in terms of data collection method. The population of the study consisted of virtual students of the Faculty of Education and Psychology which had experience at least with one of the electronic learning systems. From a total number of 120 students, 95 students were selected as a sample when they were attended for final exams of first semester of the academic year. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the characteristics of the electronic learning system. there was a significant difference between the students' mental model in accord with the facilities of electronic learning systems (P = 0.0001, Z = 0.601). Therefore, the students' mental model did not match with the electronic systems and according to the negative sign Z, electronic systems differed greatly from users' mental models. the capabilities of LMS did not match with any of the sections of the presentation, guidance, online and general broadcasting. Moreover, the components of gender and field of study also indicated no significant relationship with students' mental model based of facilities located at LMS.