Student voices about distance education during the Pandemic

Abstract

Research about student opinions regarding Distance Education (DE) during the pandemic was conducted in Portugal, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A 12-item survey was e-mailed to participants in institutions of higher education (IHE). Almost 1000 students responded. There were 400 responses to an open-ended item where students could share additional thoughts about DE. A qualitative analysis was performed on these comments. Results showed that Portuguese students were more positive about DE, and Emirati students were the ones with a less favorable opinion. In addition, students’ most prevalent positive comments focused on the subcategory of the usefulness of DE. The most common negative comments focused on the inadequacy of DE to deliver some content and distractions. This study addresses the differences between the three countries. Examples of students’ observations are shared.