An Exploration of Students and Lecturers’ Insights of Online University Learning Implemented During the COVID‐19 Contagion

ABSTRACT

The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic present serious threats to the normal functioning of the global economy, societies worldwide and specific institutions, including educational services. Confronting challenges arising from the fact that the changes needed to be enacted quickly, educational providers have resorted to online learning solutions via various platforms to limit the ongoing spread of COVID-19. To deepen knowledge and understanding of the critical benefits and difficulties that online learning has created during the pandemic, the present study investigates student and lecturer perceptions regarding the use and execution of online learning in higher education institutions. The sample is comprised of students and lecturers based in Al-Baha University, Saudi Arabia. The study unearths the major difficulties encountered in using online learning methods and identifies the key factors which have enabled more effective use of these methods. The study will use interviews to collect qualitative data on Al-Baha University students and lecturers’ insights and use thematic analysis to analyse and interpret the ensuing data. The resultant data and analyses will be used to formulate practitioner recommendations as to how online learning systems can be more effectively deployed throughout the pandemic and in future scenarios in which online learning becomes essential to education. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.