The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Learning: Perspectives on Online Learning Adoption, Psychological Distress, and Stressors Among University Students and Instructors in Jordan

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, universities worldwide have taken actions to ensure students' learning continuity and protect their well-being. This study aims to investigate the level of psychological distress and the potential stressors among university students and instructors in Jordan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To investigate these issues, an online questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms to 120 students and 14 instructors at two public universities in Jordan, followed by descriptive analysis. The survey included demographics, the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and stressors related to online learning. The findings showed significant levels of stress and dissatisfaction among students and instructors due to shift to online learning. About half (51.7%) of the students experienced severe psychological distress, whereas 18.3% experienced no psychological distress, 11.7% experienced mild psychological distress, and another 18.3% displayed moderate psychological distress. In contrast, a significantly higher proportion of instructors 92.9%, experienced severe psychological distress, 7.1% showed moderate psychological distress, and notably, none displayed mild or no distress. The results also revealed that both students and instructors faced particular stressors. Major stressors for students were mainly isolation and lack of social interaction, unexpected transition to online classes, technical issues, using mobile phones to attend classes, lack of access to a computer at home, multiple assignments, frequent quizzes, and lack of flexible deadlines, balancing household chores, limited computer literacy, and uncertainty about academic progress due to limited feedback. Instructors encountered challenges such as adapting to the online teaching, concerns about students' technological abilities, lack of participation, increased workload, difficulty in building and maintaining connections with students, insufficient level of skills and knowledge related to the use of technology, and insufficient training. This study highlights the need for academic institutions and other stakeholders to address these challenges to enhance the online learning environment and support the well-being of both students and instructors.