Online Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Learning Framework

Online distance learning became a lifeline for many universities and schools worldwide during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, developing countries have had several obstacles to transform education into online learning. This study presents an investigation of the transformation from traditional learning (face-to-face learning) to online learning at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University (IAFU). This paper aims to study the online learning structure which has been adopted by the College of Education at IAFU during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to investigate the online distance learning transformation phase to provide a better understanding of the adopted framework, applications which are in use, and challenges. A quantitative approach was adopted as the research methodology, with data via two online questionnaires. There were ninety-seven responses from the faculty and 250 responses from students. This research addressed the gap in knowledge on online learning for higher education in Saudi Arabia. The study showed growing interest among both the faculty and students in completing their learning online. About eighty percent of the responses preferred to use Zoom software as the main software platform for online learning. The results include reports of several challenges which students faced such as: poor internet connections and accessibility;the need to have a personal computer;lack of online support;and lack of online learning skills and awareness. The study’s results include significant differences between students regarding whether they had experience with e-learning.