Phenomenology of ethical bottlenecks in E-learning in Iranian virtual higher education

The general purpose of the present study was the phenomenology of ethical bottlenecks in e-learning in Iranian virtual higher education. Using phenomenological research method, purposeful sampling and deep semi-structured interviewing tools, The mental perceptions of sixteen people (eight master and eight e-course students) were analyzed. Then data was analyzed using Van Menon method. The findings of the research led to the identification of the three main axes and the twelve axes. The main pillars included ethical bottlenecks related to professors, students and universities. Master related ethical bottlenecks included the violation of privacy, limitation of access to professors, weakness of teacher and student’s relationships, and lack of ethical modeling of instructors. Student ethical bottlenecks included academic intolerance,The promotion of deception, diminished commitment and ethical adherence, and the misuse of technology. The ethical bottlenecks related to the university include the lack of educational aspects, lack of responsiveness to students, lack of skills and deficiencies in the assessment system and the existence of score bubbles. the results showed that, despite the unique opportunities of e-learning, due to the lack of face-to-face communication and the lack of student ethical modeling, the student's actual behaviors did not provide much ground for moral development, but this distance can be filled by interacting with the learning environment and using more multimedia technologies.