Document Type : Original Research Manuscripts

Authors

• Maryam Shafiei Sarvestani ¹
• Narges Arab-Moghaddam ²
• Fatemeh Mirghafari ³
• Kousar Khadem ⁴

¹ Faculty Member of Department of Administration and Educational Planning Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Faculty Member of ACECR (Academic Centre for Education, Culture, and Research) Fars Branch, Shiraz, Iran.

³ Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Administration and Educational Planning, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

⁴ M.A. Student, Department of Administration and Educational Planning, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the opinion of academic staff about the necessity of investment in E-learning development and the issues that are encountered with the investment of E-learning.
Method: This research is a qualitative multi-method and has been done using two meta-synthesis qualitative and phenomenological designs. The meta-synthesis design was based on the six-step method of Sandlowski and Barroso (2007). Accordingly, the meta-synthesis team was formed with the presence of three curriculum planning experts and two meta-synthesis research experts. In the phenomenological method, the participants were 12 academic staff selected from Shiraz University in Iran and Sheffield Hallam University in the UK through purposive samples. A qualitative design was adopted using semi-structured interviews.
Findings: In general, the analysis showed academic staff’s positive opinion about the necessity of E-learning development. Three main themes emerged after thematic analysis which showed that to develop E-learning three issues must be addressed: Technological-infrastructure issues, pedagogical issues, and cultural issues.
Conclusion: The result has brought some different experiences and cultural issues. Both universities claimed that investment is worthwhile. But cultural issues are a subject that needs to be considered while investing in E-learning. It brings a good research area to explore cultural diversity and different attitudes in various cultures towards the development of E-learning.

Keywords

• E-learning
• Investment
• Developed and Developing Countries
• Internal Infrastructure
• External Infrastructure

Main Subjects

• E-learning