Compiling Strategies and Determining Strategic Situation E-Learning System of PNU (Payam Noor University) in Iran

The purpose of this article is to compile strategies and to determine strategic situation of E-Learning system of PNU (Payam Noor University) in Iran. According to the objective and data collection method, this article is of applied type and descriptive-analytic respectively. The final SWOT list includes 16 strong points, 14 weak points, 17 opportunities and 15 threats identified and prioritized through confirmatory factor analysis, Bartlett and KMO tests. The results show that in advantages, the item of "identity and mission of PNU as the only distance education and open learning university in Iran" with the load factor of 0/829 has the highest level of importance and in disadvantages, the item of "mismatch of the current structure of the university with its main mission (distance education development)" with a load factor of 0/800 has the highest level of disadvantage according to the respondents. In opportunities, the item "attention of senior official at the Ministry of Science and University to the subject of Science and software movement" with a load factor of 0/850 has the highest level of importance and in threats, the item of "the development of E-learning centers in universities as actual and potential competitors" with a load factor of 0/809 as the highest case that threatens the E-learning system of PNU. Moreover, the results proved that E-Learning system of PNU need to change direction for improvement and beside internal weak points, system faced with several major external opportunities that put it in the conservative (WO) position in the SWOT matrix.