Exploring Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes towards Emergency Online Learning during COVID-19: A Case from the UAE

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study aims to investigate the attitudes of undergraduate students towards their experience with emergency online learning during the first few weeks of the mandatory shift to online learning caused by COVID-19. Students from two general English courses at a university located in Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates were asked to write semi-guided essays during the week preceding the final exams of the second semester of the academic year 2019-20. A sample of these essays was analyzed using open coding. Findings revealed that cost- and time-effectiveness, safety, convenience and improved participation were the most frequently cited positive aspects of the emergency online learning experience, while distraction and reduced focus, heavy workload, problems with technology and the internet, and insufficient support from instructors and colleagues were the most recurrent negative aspects. The findings of the study help instructors and institutions understand students’ attitudes regarding online learning under abnormal circumstances. A number of recommendations informed by the interpretation of the participants’ feedback are offered to assist instructors, administrators and policy makers improve future online learning experiences.