From Offline to Online Learning: A Qualitative Study of Challenges and Opportunities as a Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UAE Higher Education Context

Abstract

AbstractThis paper aims to explore the challenges, opportunities and implications of COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE higher education context. It uses the qualitative study approach and websites methodologies to enrich the aims and results of the study. It focuses on the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on higher education institutions and their progressions respectively. As higher education institutions not only provide knowledge but also develop interpersonal skills and help mold an individual in all aspects to face real-world challenges. Institutions should, therefore, get back to traditional teaching methods as soon as possible by incorporating the benefits of virtual learning into traditional learning methods, as virtual learning cannot replace traditional methods. Consequently, over some time as the crisis continues globally, the higher educational institutions worldwide can take into development better modes of communication and continue to provide various forms of delivering their services, and as the COVID-19 with progress in medical fields can fade to a disease of history we can improve what was once traditional learning with the online learning experience from this time. As the COVID-19 crisis continues globally, the higher education institutions can develop better modes of communication and forms of providing their services and as the COVID 19 fades to a disease of history, so it can improve what was known as traditional learning into the online learning over the time. After substantiating the multiple benefits and consequences of having virtual learning in the higher education system, it is clear that there is a lot of room for improvement over the time. This study contributes to the COVID 19 concept and higher education tools as it introduces you to the various impacts of online educational tools used by higher education universities in the UAE during the spread of COVID-19. It can be considered as a pioneer study in UAE in exploration the relationship between COVID-19 and higher education field.KeywordsCOVID-19PandemicHigher educationDistance learningE-LearningUAE