Journal Pre-proofs

Exploring Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes towards Emergency Online

Learning during COVID-19: A Case from the UAE

Elham Hussein, Sumaya Daoud, Hussam Alrabaiah, Rawand Badawi

PII: S0190-7409(20)32122-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105699
Reference: CYSR 105699

To appear in: Children and Youth Services Review

Received Date: 19 August 2020

Revised Date: 2 November 2020
Accepted Date: 5 November 2020

Please cite this article as: E. Hussein, S. Daoud, H. Alrabaiah, R. Badawi, Exploring Undergraduate Students’
Attitudes towards Emergency Online Learning during COVID-19: A Case from the UAE, Children and Youth
Services Review (2020), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105699

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

First author:

Dr. Elham Hussein

Institution: Al Ain University

Department: English Language Teacher Education

Email: elhamrambadwi@yahoo.com

Second author (corresponding author):

Dr. Sumaya Daoud

Institution: Al Ain University

Department: English Language Teacher Education

Email: sumayat8@gmail.com

Third author:

Dr. Hussam Alrabaiah

Institution: Currently at Al Ain University

Department of Mathematics, Tafila Technical University, Tafila, Jordan

Email: hussam89@yahoo.com

Fourth author:

Rawand Badawi

Institution: The University of Jordan

Department: Electrical Engineering

Email: badawirawand@gmail.com

1
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.

Keywords:

Emergency online learning, United Arab Emirates, COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Introduction

For long, online education has been viewed as a choice that has the potential of serving a
particular group of students that are notably older and bear more familial, financial, and work-
related responsibilities compared to on-campus students (Jung & Rha, 2000 & Hussein, 2020).
However, in a matter of weeks the COVID-19 pandemic, which in December 2019 took the
world by surprise, fundamentally changed the educational landscape. According to information
from the United Nations and the UNESCO, the pandemic has caused the greatest disruption to
the education systems in history. School closures have impacted 1.6 billion learners (94 percent
of the world’s student population) in over 190 countries. Some of these closures started in
January, but most began during the month of March when the spread engulfed most of the
world. In all cases, school closures have placed unprecedented pressures on governments,
educational institutions, educators, parents and students to ensure learning continuity.

In short order, face-to-face classes were halted, and emergency online learning became
the optimal, and in many cases the only, alternative available. Although this measure has proven
to be one of the most highly effective non-pharmaceutical interventions imposed by governments
in containing the spread of the disease (Flaxman et al., 2020a; Moosa, 2020), it has also put all
those involved in the educational process under substantial pressure. This is particularly true
because many instructors and learners who had never had adequate (if any) experience with
online learning found themselves obliged to do so with minimal support. In addition, most higher

2
education systems lacked the necessary equipment “to offer online learning for all students at
scale, quickly” (World Bank, 2020. Italics in original).

In many cases, the result of emergency online learning was a substantial compromise to
the quality of the learning experience (DeVaney et al., 2020; Hodges et al., 2020). However,
given the suddenness of the matter and the difficulty and uncertainty of the situation, it is
understandable that all parties involved in the educational process would be forgiving and
accepting of a less-than-perfect performance, especially during the first wave of the pandemic.
Still, with the, thus far, uncontrolled progression of the virus, it will be impossible to predict the
length of these disruptions. What is predictable, however, is that education, like all other sectors
of life, will (and to many, should) never be the same, and that the crisis will have a lasting impact
on the trajectory of learning innovation and digitization (Aristovnik et al., 2020; DeVaney et al.
2020; Hodges et al., 2020). Therefore, flexible and mature longer-term plans to deal with the
implications of the current crisis, as well as other possible interruptive incidents, on education
must be considered. Equally important is the need for these plans to take into consideration the
attitudinal outcomes, suggestions and concerns of instructors and learners based on their
experience during the first wave of the crises (Aristovnik et al., 2020; Hodges et al., 2020;
Zhang et al., 2020), which makes this study and similar others particularly important.

2. Background and Previous Research

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the globe rapidly ended in-person
classes and shifted instruction to various types of virtual settings. This massive and mandatory
shift has been accompanied by a global surge of research production on various aspects of the
emergency remote and online education dictated by the pandemic. Among the wide array of
important topics tackled by these studies are the differences between quality and emergency
online learning; the importance of flexible pedagogy that prioritizes students’ wellbeing over
academic achievement; and the exploration of participants’ attitudes towards emergency online
learning, the major challenges they encounter and suggestions for overcoming them.

Numerous studies have warned against confusing well-planned online learning which
requires careful instructional design, long planning and a special teaching infrastructure with the
swift and temporary shift to online learning carried out during the extraordinary conditions of
COVID-19 for the purpose of maintaining instruction (Bozkurt et al., 2020; Fujita, 2020; Hodges
et al., 2020; Selwyn, 2020). Within this context, it has been argued that confusing quality online
learning with emergency online learning could have a long-term damaging effect on the former
because educators and students who have limited or no prior experience with online learning will
possibly presume that this mode is a poor substitute to the face-to-face mode (Bozkurt et al.,
2020; Hodges et al., 2020; Lederman, 2020). The distinction between the two modes is
particularly important because online learning is often considered inferior to face-to-face
learning despite evidence to the contrary (Bozkurt et al., 2020; Hodges et al., 2020).

Another important theme discussed in articles concerned with the abrupt transition to
online education deals with the need for pedagogic flexibility to ensure that students’ wellbeing
and their access to equitable and inclusive learning environments are given prominent attention
(Al-Rabiaah et al., 2020; Craig et al., 2020; Liguori & Winkler, 2020; Selwyn, 2020; Thompson
& Copeland, 2020; Toquero, 2020). Thompson & Copeland (2020), for example, argue that an

3
emergency course redesign, which prioritizes students’ accessibility to the educational material
at the onset of the transition, will ensure that more disadvantaged students succeed in the online
learning environment. Equally important, however, is the fact that such redesign is likely to help
alleviate students’ anxiety caused by sudden life changes including the abrupt shift of all courses
to online. Indeed, numerous studies have emphasized the need for educational institutions to
prioritize the physical, mental and psychological wellbeing of their students and educators over
the need to teach the curriculum (Bozkurt & Sharma, 2020; Quintana & Quintana, 2020; Sahu,
2020).

Another set of studies explored students and/or instructors’ attitudes towards the pivoting
to online education amid COVID-19. While most of these studies focus on a single institution
and/or country: Kapasia et al. (India); Adnan & Anwar (Pakistan); Zhang et al. and Bao (China);
Almuraqab (United Arab Emirates); and Toquero (The Philippines), others like Aristovnik et al.
and Bozkurt et al., are large scale studies that survey students in 62 countries across the globe.
These studies show that, in general, students had adapted well to the new teaching and learning
experience. However, most researchers agree that there is strong correlation between the
participants’ attitudes and their socio-economic conditions with the privileged being more
satisfied (Adnan & Anwar, 2020; Bozkurt et al., 2020; Fujita, 2020; Kapasia et al., 2020). In
addition, some of these studies draw attention to various hurdles which could impede an
effective delivery of online education including the unpreparedness of most institutions, staff
members and students to participate in massive and emergency online courses (Bozkurt et al.,
2020; Flaxman et al., 2020b; Zhang et al., 2020); digital, economic, social and gender disparities
among participants which have a direct impact on the availability of online teaching
infrastructure and accessibility to technology and internet facilities (Adnan & Anwar,2020;
Kapasia et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2020); the inadequate psychological, social and academic
support provided to students (Adnan & Anwar, 2020; Bozkurt et al., 2020); and the unfavorable
home environment for many students and educators (Kapasia et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2020).
These hurdles are expected to exasperate participants’ susceptibility to psychological pressure
and necessitate a pedagogy of care and empathy (Bozkurt et al., 2020; Bozkurt & Sharma, 2020;
Selwyn, 2020).

3. Online Learning in the UAE

Tertiary education institutions in the UAE have been investing heavily in e-learning--an umbrella
term which includes all types of education that take place partially or fully through a digital
medium-- since the beginning of the new millennium (Ati and Guessoum, 2010). Some of these
institutions adopted the blended or hybrid modes (Moussa-Inaty, 2017) while a significantly
smaller number offered fully online courses (Ati and Guessoum, 2010). The adoption of e-
learning in UAE was triggered by the need to prepare students for a rapidly evolving and
technology-driven world (Vrazalic et al., 2009); the conservative cultural values and preference
for gender segregation (Naaj et al,. 2012); and the desire to eliminate the cost of duplication in
multi-campus institutions,(Naaj et al., 2012). Yet, prior to COVID-19, the rate at which e-
learning was adopted by these institutions was slow and did not reflect the substantial
investments spent on this mode of learning (Daouk & Aldalaien, 2019).

Unfortunately, the number of scholarly studies on the topic of e-learning in tertiary

institutions in the UAE is still limited (Daouk & Aldalaien, 2019; Thabet et al., 2020). Most of

4
these studies are attitudinal and seek to investigate the perception of instructors and students
towards the adoption of online, blended and hybrid modes of learning and to identify the
challenges encountered by participants. Schoepp (2005) and Thabet (2020), Hussein et al.,
(2020), for example, show that the overall attitude of faculty members is positive and that the
majority are well-aware of the benefits of utilizing digital technology in the educational process.
Dougherty et al. (2011), Naaj et al. (2012), Moussa-Inaty (2017) and Fidalgo et al. (2020), on the
other hand, explore the perceptions of students affiliated with various academic institutions in the
UAE towards various forms of online learning. Intriguingly, all these studies have arrived at
almost the same conclusion: although students were generally satisfied with their academic
performance and achievement, they still preferred the face-to-face mode of instruction.
Almurqab (2020) is the only study on online learning in UAE during the COVID-19 pandemic to
date. The research sought to explore the attitudes of students at one of Dubai’s universities
towards emergency online learning. The results of the study showed that almost 47% of the
respondents found this mode effective, and the list of positive aspects included: location
flexibility, accessibility of wideband internet and the availability of technology, time and effort
efficiency, while inadequate support from instructors and colleagues was cited as the most
challenging hurdle.

4. Research Questions

The purpose of this study is to identify the most recurrent positive and negative aspects of
emergency online learning as perceived by AAU students. More specifically, the study seeks to
respond to the following questions in relation to AAU students’ experience with online learning
during the first few weeks of the shift from face-to-face learning to online learning in the context
of the COVID-19 pandemic:

RQ1: What are the most recurrent positive aspects of emergency synchronous online learning?

RQ2: What are the most recurrent negative aspects of emergency synchronous online learning?

5. Methodology

The current qualitative study uses semi-guided essays to explore the attitudes of Al Ain
University (AAU) students towards emergency online learning during the first wave of COVID-
19. This study followed a survey that was conducted on a group of students. The survey mainly
consisted of a set of 5-Likert scale questions addressing negative and positive aspects of the
emergency online experience. The survey was piloted to find out if there were any significant
results based on the participants’ responses, and to test the data collection method. Some trends
were evident in the results. However, the researchers believed that the essay-writing task would
allow participants the chance to express their ideas more freely than the highly controlled
surveys with multiple choice questions. This freedom of expression is particularly important
because the purpose of the current study is to obtain an in-depth understanding of the students’
perspectives, and to shed light on aspects that were not deemed important by the researchers. The
qualitative analysis showed results that were compliant with trends that appeared in the pilot

5
survey, and allowed more fine-grained examination of details comprising the participants’
negative and positive attitudes.

The current study adopts a grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) to data
analysis by implementing open coding. We believe that this approach is suitable for the
qualitative data we collected because it is appropriate when the research does not assume an
existing theoretical framework, or when it is meant to propose one through inductive reasoning
based on the data (Creswell & Poth, 2018).

5.1 Context of the Study

This study was conducted at AAU during the second semester of the academic year 2019-20.
AAU is a private university with two campuses in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain which was founded in
2004 and hosts approximately 1450 students (AAU Website). Due to COVID-19, the Ministry of
Education in UAE mandated on 8 March that all educational institutions were to shut down for
four weeks. To minimize disruption to the educational process, AAU moved up spring break to
8-19 March instead of 29 March -9 April. This rescheduling of spring break allowed for better
preparation for the shift from an entirely face-to-face learning mode to a completely online
learning mode. Synchronous online classes started on 22 March using Microsoft Teams program
for classes and Moodle as a platform for testing, and delivering course materials and
assignments. The preparation for the shift included providing faculty members with the
necessary training which was exclusively technical and covered only the basic features that
would enable instructors to deliver their classes via Microsoft Teams, record and upload them to
Moodle. As Zhang et al. (2020) rightly points out, the short-term effect of such training is
minimal as it aims to continue the education process without necessarily ensuring quality. As
time progressed, new policies, procedures and rules were developed to improve online teaching
and testing without overwhelming educators and learners. Among the new policies, for example,
was allowing students to choose the pass/fail option after seeing their letter grade; directing
instructors not to fail students because of excessive absence; and encouraging instructors to be
more flexible with deadlines for assignments.

The semester during which the study was conducted was almost evenly divided into two
modes of education—face-to-face during the first eight weeks, a two-week spring break followed
by synchronous online learning during the remaining seven weeks of the semester. Prior to
March 22, 2020 AAU had never offered any online course, but instructors were strongly
encouraged to use Moodle to communicate with students, receive assignments, grade them and
provide students with feedback, post educational material and conduct quizzes and exams.
Therefore, this was a novel experience to all participating students, faculty members and AAU
management and administration.

5.2 Sample and Tool

The sample of this study consists of 45 students who were selected through convenience
sampling (also known as consecutive sampling) from a pool of 83 students. In this kind of
sampling, participants are consecutively chosen in the order of appearance and the selection

6
process concludes when the desired number of participants is achieved (Martínez-Mesa et al.,
2016) . Since students submitted their essays through Moodle, they were selected in the order
they appeared to the instructors. However, due to their digression from the essay questions-- and,
therefore the research questions-- three of the essays were replaced by three others following the
same method of selection. The essays were written by 20 male and 25 female undergraduate
students who were enrolled in a section of English 1 and a section of English 2 during the second
semester of the academic year 2019-2020. Twenty-two essays were produced by students
enrolled in English 1 and 23 were written by students from English 2. These two courses were
selected because they are university requirements. Therefore, the diversity of participants across
educational disciplines and majors was guaranteed. In addition, since English 1 is a prerequisite
to English 2, having participants from both courses ensured diversity in the academic level as
well.

5.3 Data Collection and Analysis

Data was collected through semi-guided essays asking students to reflect on their experiences
with online learning during the pandemic and to identify the most positive and negative aspects
of the experience. The guiding questions for the essay are reflective of the study questions. The
essays were part of the coursework students were asked to do, and they were assessed and
graded. For the purpose of the study, 45 essays were selected and analyzed to find the most
recurrent positive and negative aspects of online learning from the perspective of AAU
students.

After posting the assignment on Moodle, the instructors orally explained to the students
that they intend to use some of the produced essays in an academic study while keeping the
writers’ names anonymous. The purpose of the study was explained to the students, and they
were informed that while composition and submission of the essays were compulsory (because
they were part of the graded coursework), participation in the study was completely voluntary.
The students were assured that their choice to have their essays included or excluded from the
study would have no influence on their grade for the assignment and the course, and that grading
would be done independently from data analysis. Since the assignment was part of the
coursework, no bonus points or any other kind of compensation was awarded for participation.
None of the students asked for their essays to be excluded. In addition, to maintain the privacy
and confidentiality of the data, the identities of the students were concealed during data analysis
and coding, and data were saved on the researchers’ computers which are exclusively accessible
to researchers. Those measures were taken to ensure that the study adhered to ethical bounds.

5.4 Procedure

During week 15 of the second semester, week five of online learning, the essay-writing
assignment was posted on Moodle, and students were given five days to submit their 250 word
and 350 word essays for English 1 and English 2 respectively. Students were asked to express
their thoughts and feelings towards synchronous online learning as they have experienced it
during the pandemic. To help them remain focused, students were asked to respond to the
following two questions:

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Q1. What are the most positive aspects of the emergency online learning mode?

Q2. What are the most negative aspects of the emergency online learning mode?

To identify the positive and negative attributes of emergency online learning from the
students’ perspective, open coding was used to analyze the data, Crestwell & Poth (2018). A
three-stage process of coding was carried out to guarantee the reliability of the results. In the first
stage, the researchers analyzed a sample of the essays and identified codes of positive and
negative aspects. The codes were then discussed and revised by the authors to set a preliminary
coding scheme. In the second stage, the scheme was piloted on a sample of the essays.
Ambiguous codes were discussed and revised then a final coding scheme was adopted and
applied, see Tables 1 & 2. The categories that emerged from the data were: effectiveness, safety,
convenience and increased participation as positive aspects, and distraction and reduced focus,
workload, technology and internet connectivity and inadequate support from instructors and
colleagues as negative aspects. Many of these categories were compliant with a pilot survey that
was conducted prior to this study, see 4. Methodology above. The researchers coded the data
independently, then they compared the coding results, see Supplementary 1. Cohen’s kappa
coefficients were then calculated for inter-coder reliability, and the results were: 0.609 and 0.821
for positive and negative aspects respectively, suggesting substantial to outstanding inter-coder
agreement 1. In the final phase, the researchers resolved categories that were coded differently
through discussion, consequently, minor modifications were made to the classifications, and final
agreement was 100%. A sample essay with raw data coding can be seen in Supplementary 2.
Table. 1 Coding scheme for positive aspects
Categories from the Data Positive Aspects Codes Frequency
A. Saving the time getting ready. (PA1)
B. Saving the time commuting. (PB1) 1. Effectiveness (time and 25
C. Saving transportation cost. (PC1) cost)
A. Reducing risk of catching COVID-19. (PA2)
B. Reducing risk of accidents.(PB2) 2. Safety 22
A. Being able to supervise children (PA3)
B. Being able to attend from work or home. (PB3) 3. Convenience 18
C. Being able to control visibility. (PC3)
D. Having easier access to class recordings and materials. (PD3)
A. Feeling less nervous about mistakes while speaking. (PA4)
4. Increased participation 6
B. Feeling confident to express ideas. (PB4)

Table. 2 Coding scheme for negative aspects

Categories from the Data Negative Aspects Codes Frequency
A. Getting easily distracted. (NA1)
B. Having to attend while doing other tasks. (NB1) 1. Distraction and reduced 27
C. Feeling less committed due to the absence of the instructor’s focus

8
 physical presence. (NC1)
A. More assignments were given. (NA2)
B. Classwork became homework. (NB2) 2. Workload 17
A. Poor connectivity due to several simultaneous users per
households. (NA3) 3. Technology and internet 7
B. Lack of adequate devices. (NB3) connectivity
C. Lack of technology literacy. (NC3)
A. Lack of support from peers, instructors and admin. (NA4)
4. Inadequate support 4
B. Having to use online platforms to reach out for support. (NB4)

6. Findings and Discussion

This study aimed at exploring AAU students’ perceptions of the most recurrent positive and
negative aspects of their online learning experience during the first few weeks of shifting to this
mode as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this study fall into two categories
in relation to emergency online learning: the positive and the negative aspects.

6.1 The Most Recurrent Positive Aspects of Emergency Online Learning

Table (3) below shows the most recurrent positive aspects of online learning from students’
perspectives.

Table 3 Positive aspects’ frequency and percentage

Positive Aspects of Online Learning Frequency Percentage
1 Effectiveness (time and cost) Safety 25 55%
2 Safety 22 48.9%
3 Convenience 18 40%
4 Increased participation 6 13.3%

Time- and cost-effectiveness as important advantages of online learning were cited by 25

participants. Among these, 15 respondents specifically referred to the fact that online learning
helped them save the time of getting ready and commuting to and from university. A male
participant, for example, remarked that “The fact that I was able to wake up ten minutes before
class and take the class while still in bed, was a dream come true.” This finding is in line with
previous research which pointed out that online learning allows learners to use their time more
efficiently (Fidalgo et al., 2020; Jung & Rha , 2000; OECD, 2020). As for cost-effectiveness, it
has been argued that the online mode of learning is generally cheaper than the face-to-face mode
(OECD, 2020). However, since tuition fees were not altered at AAU during the time of the study,
cost-effectiveness mostly referred to the cost of transportation. Six respondents specifically

1 Values of kappa from 0.40 to 0.59 are considered moderate, 0.60 to 0.79 substantial, and 0.80 outstanding
(Landis & Koch, 1977).

9
pointed out that they no longer had to pay for commuting. Four respondents mentioned both
time- and cost-effectiveness. In the words of a female student “online learning allowed me to
save time and money. Instead of spending an hour going to and back from the university, I saved
this time, and I saved the money for the car petrol as well”.

Safety was considered an important advantage of online learning during the pandemic by
22 respondents. This view is consistent with several studies which have emphasized the need to
prioritize the safety and well-being of students and educators during the pandemic (Al-Rabiaah
et al., 2020; Bozkurt et al., 2020; Bozkurt & Sharma, 2020; Sahu, 2020; Selwyn, 2020).
Interestingly, 13 of the respondents considered staying home a national and/or a familial
responsibility. Such view indicates a high level of awareness which has probably resulted from
intensive media coverage of the pandemic and from UAE’s policies and awareness campaigns
(such as the ‘For Your Safety, Stay Home’ and “You Matter” campaign) to curb the spread of
COVID-19. Obviously, this advantage is closely related to the fact that the shift to online
learning took place in the context of a pandemic. However, safety can also be an important
benefit of online learning during wars, natural disasters and diseases (Bozkurt et al., 2020).
Students’ awareness of the concern for safety has probably been a driving force for a faster
adaptation to the new approach. Amidst the scarcity of other solutions, even those students who
are not so adept at technology strived to adjust and cope with the move to the online mode.

Convenience is often considered an important advantage of online learning (Hussein,

2016; OECD, 2020) since it has the potential to provide “a world class education to anyone,
anywhere, and anytime as long as they have access to the Internet” (Nguyen, 2015: 310).
Eighteen participants in the current study identified convenience, which was interpreted
differently by various respondents and sometimes overlapped with time- and cost-effectiveness,
as an important positive aspect of online learning. Six female and two male students specifically
pointed out that studying online helped them stay with their children, supervise them while
taking online classes, and take care of them during the difficult time of the pandemic.
Convenience in this context was also linked to accessibility to class material. Seven students
appreciated the fact that they were able to access the recordings of classes at their convenience
while two respondents enjoyed taking classes in bed without having to worry about their dress.
Interestingly, for a female respondent, convenience meant having control over her “visibility” to
instructors and colleagues.

6.2 The Most Recurrent Negative Aspects of Emergency Online Learning

Analysis of the 45 essays showed that aspects included in Table (4) below were the most
recurrent negative aspects of online learning.

Table 4 Negative aspects’ frequency and percentage

Negative Aspects of Online Learning Frequency Percentage
1 Distraction and reduced focus 24 53.3%
2 Workload 17 37.7%
3 Technology and Internet connectivity 7 15.5%
4 Inadequate support from instructors 4 8.8%
and colleagues

10
 Twenty-four respondents viewed being distracted and unable to remain focused during
classes as a serious disadvantage of the online mode. Eleven of these respondents drew an
explicit comparison between their ability to focus while physically present in the classroom and
when taking online sessions to the advantage of the former. Though the freedom to take classes
anytime and anywhere is often cited as an important merit of online learning (Nguyen, 2105),
this outlook does not necessarily apply to emergency online learning since research shows that
the burden of housework and childcare, the unavailability of proper study spaces, the lack of
discipline and ritual in online at home may negatively impact the experience (Fidalgo et al.,
2020; Zhang et al., 2020). According to Aristovnik (2020), a greater level of self-discipline and
motivation to follow through online classes is particularly important during the earlier period
when students are getting used to the new system. A participant in the current study remarked
that “I always need to sit in the front seat to focus. If I sit in the second seat, I start dreaming. In
online courses, I am on another planet.” Several essays pointed out that the problem of
distraction is particularly relevant in the context of the lockdown. A mother of three children, for
example, stated that it was extremely difficult for her to focus while her husband was working
online, her older son was taking his online classes and the younger two “were playing and
jumping around.” These responses seem to contradict some of the students’ statements discussed
earlier about the convenience and time efficiency of online learning. A possible explanation to
this seeming contradiction is the fact that students’ learning styles, home environments and
socio-economic conditions vary significantly. Hodges et al. (2020) suggests that replacing at
least some synchronous classes with asynchronous ones could partially solve the problem as the
shift offers students more freedom to take their classes not only anywhere but also anytime.

Seventeen respondents considered the heavy amount of coursework students were asked
to do a negative aspect of their online experience. Five of these participants indicated that the
load became particularly heavy as the semester was approaching conclusion. According to a
female respondent: “All professors ask us to do more and more work. As if we only have one
class [i.e. course]. This week, I have three homework and two quizzes!” The increased amount of
work especially during the last couple of weeks could be attributed to the fact that with the
abrupt shift to online learning, instructors needed to find alternative ways to the originally
planned in-class assessment tools. Understandably, they needed time to decide and prepare these
assessments. Hence, the amount of work increased towards the end of the semester. The
perception of AAU students towards course load corresponds with that of students across
the world. According to Aristovnik (2020), a study which has surveyed the perception of 30,383
students in 62 countries, less than one-third (30.8%) of students participating in the survey
reported that their study workload had become lighter or significantly lighter, (26.6%) stated that
work load remained almost unchanged while the rest (42.6%) of students reported that their
workload had increased or significantly increased. Commenting on some potential problems with
emergency online learning, Selwyn (2020) warns that synchronous video classes and meetings
that are not properly prepared could be mentally exhausting to students who are also likely to
feel over-burdened by multiple tasks and activities.

Only seven respondents cited technology and internet connectivity as an issue of concern.
Six of these respondents explained that this is due to the fact that most family members had to
simultaneously use technology and the internet to work, take classes and go about their daily

11
lives during the pandemic. The low number of respondents who faced problems with the
availability of technology and internet despite the exceptionality of the situation is largely due to
the fact that the UAE is one of the richest countries in the world with 91% of the residents using
mobile Internet and over 98% of the households have Internet access (Knoema, 2018). The GfK
Connected Consumer Index ranked the UAE as the third most-wired country on earth2. In
addition, to ensure that no student is left behind, at the onset of emergency online learning
experience, the UAE government promptly coordinated with all telecommunication companies
“to facilitate free mobile internet package for families in the UAE who have no home internet”3.
The relatively low number of respondents who reported problems related to the internet and
technology contrasts with the findings of Fidalgo et al. (2020), which revealed that UAE students
were not highly confident about their technical skills and home internet connectivity and
reliability. This seeming disagreement could be attributed to the gap between expectations and
reality since Fidalgo et al. was not concerned about students’ actual experience with online
learning, but with their willingness to try it. It is, therefore, possible that students expected online
learning to be a far more complicated process that requires highly refined computer skills and
special types of gadgets and internet connectivity, while in reality the students were adequately
competent and the gadgets and internet available to them were sufficient. This explanation is
further supported by the fact that about one-third of the Emirati participants in Fidalgo et al.’s
study selected “I do not know enough about online education courses” as their reason for not
wanting to enroll in this type of courses.

Inadequate support from instructors and colleagues was mentioned by four respondents.
Two of these respondents alluded to the importance of group- and team-work I helping them
better understand the course material. According to one of the students “I sometimes feel lost.
Before online learning, I always asked my friends when I see them in the class about the things I
don’t understand. Now, I use WhatsApp, but it is not the same at all.” These views are confirmed
by recent research which illustrates that communication with instructors and peers and timely
feedback from the instructor improve students’ sense of self-efficacy and increase their
motivation and level of engagement, (Craig et al., 2020; Daoud et al., 2019; Quintana; Quintana,
2020). To alleviate students’ frustration over inadequate support and interaction with instructors
and peers, Craig, K. et al, (2020) proposes the use of network tools, such Net.Create, to bring
students closer together and make learning more efficient and enjoyable during challenging
times.

The negative aspects of emergency online learning discussed above are not properly dealt
with, they could exasperate students’ anxiety during these traumatic times. As Miller (2020)
aptly points out, Covid-19 has affected families, students and teachers both emotionally and
psychologically, and feelings of uncertainty and fear “were as contagious as the Coronavirus and
affected learning climates” (2020: 4).

7. Conclusion and Recommendations

2https://insights.gfk.com/hubfs/Landing_Pages_PDF/Germany/Insight_Summit/GfK_Insight_Summit_2017_Openi

ng_Mueller.pdf?t=1513344408735
3 https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/education/distance-learning-in-times-of-covid-19.

12
The COVID-19 pandemic took the entire world by surprise and impacted all walks of life. In a
matter of weeks, most educational institutions around the world had to close down, and face-to-
face education was replaced by online education. This abrupt shift placed considerable pressure
on all those involved in the educational process, but it has also been an opportunity for educators
and students to experience online education first hand. The pandemic has taught us the
importance of being well-prepared to ensure that quality education continues when upheavals
and emergencies hit. Therefore, the question, as Bozkurt et al., (2020) points out, should not be
what did we do during the COVID-19 pandemic, but what will we do for upcoming interruptions
in order not to repeat our mistakes. By identifying the most positive and negative aspects of
online education during the first wave of the pandemic from students’ perspectives, the current
study hopes to contribute to such preparation.

8. Suggestions and Recommendations

In light of students’ responses, the study recommends that academic administrators should

 Invest in online education to ensure academic continuity particularly during times of

emergencies.
 Provide instructors with comprehensive training which not only covers the basic
technical tools, but also the more advanced resources as well.
 Introduce instructors to cohesive frameworks of knowledge which allow for the blending
of technology, pedagogy and content.
 Employ a mix of synchronous and asynchronous classes.
 Create support communities that help students better cope with the psychological and
educational implications.

In addition, the study recommends that instructors involved in emergency online education
should

 Create channels for student-instructor and student-student interaction. This interaction

will help alleviate students’ feelings of isolation and boost their engagement in and
confidence about the academic material.
 Develop students’ self-directed learning and time management skills by fostering values
of commitment, adaptation, integrity and self-reliance.
 Avoid overwhelming students with coursework, assignments and assessments since
during times of abnormalities and disruption, the psychological and physical wellbeing
of students is the most important.
 Focus on students’ wellbeing and address their social, emotional, and psychological
concerns.

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public,
commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

13
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Supplementary 1: Symmetric Measures
Asymptotic Approximate
Value Standard Errora Approximate Tb Significance
Measure of Agreement: kappa .609 .040 21.127 .000
No. of Valid Cases 180
a. Not assuming the null hypothesis.
b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis.

Supplementary 2: A sample of raw data coding

Participant ID# 11

Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes them
meaningful. As we all know, the world nowadays undergoes a hard time because of the
coronavirus pandemic. All People around the world are stressed about it because this virus
had to change all aspects of life. As a student, my life routine Turned upside down, all of
our courses have changed to become online lectures which is a new learning method
referred to as distance learning. However, these online lectures are becoming more
conceivable and plausible over time. Distance learning is a special experience that has its
ups and downs.

Many students consider online courses better than the traditional classroom. In which it
does save time that’s usually wasted on transportationPA1. Also, distance learning helped
shy students to dare to interact online with their instructor these students gained more
confidence.PB4 Also, distance learning provides good learning options, like searching and
access to several tools during a lecture. Personally, the best part of this experience was
flexibility during the online lecture as I can Sit comfortably while writing my notes
down.PB3 Over time, I see these lectures are becoming way better than the first time we’ve
started them.

18
 On the other hand, Using Distance learning for the first time was a bit scary for me
because I thought it would be a complicated and misleading technology, it was hard for
some students and even for our instructors.NC3 Personally, since we’re a big family, my
online courses have higher chances of distractionNA1 which sometimes hinders me from
opining my mic to prevent disturbing the whole class only to answer. Moreover, my life
stress enlarged due to a lack of communication with my friends and colleagues who always
supported meNA4, which was the hardest part of this experience.

Despite its numerous obstacles, distance learning still offers better intense learning
choices for us. I believe that everything is capable to be modified and become a better
version, as well as distance learning. Since our doctors give us the chance to express our
opinions and always interact with them in a positive way.PB4 Like every matter in life,
distance learning has its pros and cons. It's mandatory for everyone under these
circumstances, but I believe everything will go back to its normal rhythm. Nevertheless,
many people assert that distance learning will be a favorable option for some students in the
future especially for those who enjoyed it.

Highlights

 We explored attitudes of undergraduate students in United Arab Emirates towards their

experience with emergency online learning during COVID-19.

 For data analysis, we implemented open coding, a method informed by Grounded Theory.

 Positive aspects of emergency online learning were cost- and time-effectiveness, safety,
convenience and improved participation

 Negative aspects of emergency online learning were distraction and reduced focus, heavy
workload, problems with technology and the internet, and insufficient support from instructors
and colleagues

 Institutions need to invest in online education to ensure academic continuity particularly during
times of emergencies.

19
 Institutions and policy makers should adopt a pedagogy of care and prioritize students and
instructors’ wellbeing

20