PURPOSE: This study aimed at describing the experience of academic staff and students with distance education, during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a college of pharmacy in Saudi Arabia METHODS: This study used a mixed-method approach The first phase implemented a survey that targeted both academic staff and students to evaluate their experiences with distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic Then, a focus group discussion was conducted to explore, in-depth, their experience The survey consisted of five domains as follows: readiness for the shift to distance education during the full and partial lockdown, perception towards distance education, barriers against distance education, and the acquisitions due to distance education A five-point Likert scale was used to assess participants' responses to the different domains (mean score ± standard deviation) RESULTS: Seventy-eight percent of the academic staff and 65% of the students responded to the survey Participants' views were positive for readiness for the shift to distance education during the full lockdown (3 89±0 42 for academic staff and 3 82±0 50 for students) with almost similar evaluation for the readiness during the blended learning period (3 91±0 44 for staff and 3 83±0 59 for students) The findings showed a generally positive perception towards distance education (3 59± 0 67 for academic staff and 3 47±0 64 for students) The acquisitions due to distance education were also positive (3 95±0 72 for academic staff and 3 78±0 77 for students) Nonetheless, some barriers that affected distance education were raised with an overall neutral view from both academic staff (3 31±0 72) and students (3 31±0 64), with different responses for the individual items Qualitative findings from the focus group discussions explored the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges, with emphasis on the areas for improvement CONCLUSION: Although the shift for distance education was out of a sudden, participants showed overall positive views about their experience with distance education and highlighted areas for improvement
Distance Education During COVID-19 Pandemic: A College of Pharmacy Experience