Electronic learning (e‑learning) plays a significant role in
improving the efficiency of the education process. However, in many
cases in developing countries, technology transfer without
consideration of technology acceptance factors has limited the
impact of e‑learning and the expected outcome of the education
process. Therefore, this shift in learning method has been met with
low enthusiasm from academic staff and students owing to its low
perceived usefulness and perceived ease‑of‑use. The University of
Kufa (UoK) in Iraq is considered a good case study because it has
implemented the e‑learning platform since 2013. The UoK platform is
based on open‑source Moodle owing to the latter’s advantages, such
as low implementation cost, open community for support and
continuous update and development. To identify and evaluate the
challenges, this study uses a questionnaire survey that targets the
level of adoption, implementation, familiarity and technology
acceptance of staff and students. A total of 242 educators
participate in the survey, and the data are subsequently analysed.
Important information is extracted using data mining techniques,
namely clustering and decision trees. One of the main crucial
factors extracted from the analysis results is the perception that
social media is easier to use compared with a dedicated e‑learning
platform such as Moodle. This factor may also discourage
educators/learners from adopting an offered e‑learning platform,
regardless of actual usefulness, motivation and training programs.
Therefore, this paper offers practical information regarding the
main issues and a guideline to fully utilise e‑learning for policy
makers and e‑learning developers, particularly in newly established
institutions or developing countries.