students. These students attend a variety of colleges: Interior Design, Business Administration, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Engineering. The majority of the students in this study had not previously made intensive use of technology for studying or for other educational processes. This course was their first experience with online learning as a mandated part of their education.
Students were required to access the course material online, to engage in online discussion with classmates and professors in the discussion forum, to upload their assignments, to obtain their grades and professors’ feedback online, to take their tests and exams online, and to communicate their feedback regarding every aspect of the course. Indeed, it is a requirement of these students’ university programs that they access their courses via Blackboard and some may take blended courses combining traditional and online learning, which could be perceived as strange for some of them as it would be their first experience with online learning as a mandated part of their education. The course the students are taking with me is one of the early courses that requires them to use online learning. Students take online courses and they interact with their professors and student colleagues through online discussion forums. Many universities and colleges in Saudi Arabia have over the last five years established online communication forums to supplement and reinforce face-to-face teaching. But these particular institutions went further in mandating participation in online learning as a condition for graduation.