Seyed Jamal Barkhoda, Ismail Zaree Zavaraki, Mohammad Hasan Amir Taimori
Universities of Medical Sciences bear the dual responsibility of delivering health services and training skilled professionals for various societal sectors. This necessitates an ongoing evaluation and enhancement of medical education, particularly through the integration of educational technologies. This study examines the extent of understanding and utilization of educational technologies among academic staff at a selected medical university in Iran, employing a descriptive-analytic approach. The research involved a statistical population comprising all professors and staff, with data collected from 200 individuals via simple random sampling during the academic year 92-93. Two custom questionnaires, validated by field experts and exhibiting reliability scores of 91% and 89% as per Cronbach's Alpha, were utilized. These questionnaires assessed familiarity with educational technology across three dimensions: hardware, software, and problem-solving. Analysis using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, etc.) and inferential statistics (f and t tests) revealed a moderate level of familiarity among staff and professors. No significant relationship was found between gender and software technology familiarity, although a low significant relationship was observed between software technology and overall familiarity. Additionally, a significant relationship emerged between technology familiarity and faculty type, excluding the problem-solving dimension. Recommendations for enhancing familiarity with educational technologies were discussed.