The current study aims to investigate students' attitudes towards the use of distance education during COVID-19 in Morocco. The first cases of COVID-19 starting from the first weeks of March 2020 has obliged educational authorities to suspend face-to-face education. Immediately, distance education was declared the alternative means to complete the academic year. Moroccan TV channels started broadcasting lessons for different levels at different times. Moreover, teachers and students started using social media and university platforms to share lessons. However, not all students agree with distance education in the adopted format. Accordingly, the current study investigates the attitudes of Moroccan English Department students at Moulay Ismail University. A mixed-method design was adopted by triangulating data from five-point Likert scale questionnaires and a focus group. The results showed that students generally prefer face-to-face education rather than distance education. However, part-time students reported positive attitudes towards distance education. It is recommended that both distance education and face-to-face education should be planned by teachers, coordinators, and administrators.

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The current study aims to investigate the role of using Information Communication Technology in motivating Moroccan English Department Students to learn during COVID-19 quarantine that lasted from the mid of March to the mid of July. Distance education or emergency remote instruction has become the standard way of teaching and learning during COVID-19. Hence, many universities have started uploading their lesson materials to different platforms. However, many students feel unmotivated to learn using ICT. To prove this hypothesis, a questionnaire in Google Forms was submitted to 114 students from some Moroccan English Department students to investigate the motivating and demotivating factors behind using ICT. Both open and closed-ended questions were used. Moreover, a focus group on the topic of motivation during distance education was conducted for more in-depth data. The results revealed that the most highly motivating factor behind using ICT to learn is attributed to extrinsic factors, whereas the demotivating factors are about lack and weakness of connection and lack of orientation. It is highly recommended that educational administrators and authorities respond to students’ needs.

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