Critical Success Factors for Electronic Learning from the Perspectives of Faculty Members and Experts of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Using Delphi Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process

Background: The present study aimed to investigate and rank the effective success factors for e-learning based on the perspectives of the faculty members, students, and technical specialists of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Methods: This descriptive survey was conducted using the qualitative-quantitative method. At the first stage of the qualitative approach, 15 specialists in e-learning were selected from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences through the purposive sampling technique to discuss and confirm the effective factors in the e-learning success using the Delphi method and a questionnaire. Subsequently, these students categorized the effective factors in the success of e-learning based on their level of importance using a researcher-made paired comparison questionnaire and analytical hierarchy process. The reliability of the study tools was confirmed by showing a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of higher than 0.7, and their structural validity was confirmed using the confirmatory factor analysis. Results: According to the results of the study, the management with the relative weight of 0.311 was found to be the most effective factor in determining the success of e-learning. This factor was followed by support services, teaching strategies, financial sources, technology infrastructure, and teacher-learner with relative weights of 0.236, 0.197, 0.124, 0.094, and 0.038, respectively. Conclusion: As the findings of the current study indicated, the factors of management, support services, education strategies, financial sources, and technology infrastructure had the highest significance in e-learning, respectively, whereas the factor of teacher-learner had the lowest importance in this regard.