This study investigates the experiences of English major students at the College of Language and Translation (COLT) in King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, with Emergency Remote Learning and Teaching (ERLT) during the Covid-19 crisis. It focuses on the students’ preferences for devices and platforms, and gender differences influencing their choices. The study is of significance because it considers the student-centered learning approaches. The paper also seeks to answer the question as to the factors that lead students to make their preferences for the online teaching tools and devices. A total of 150 students, both men, and women, participated in the study. An online survey was carried out in the form of questionnaires to elicit their responses. The results showed that laptop computers were the dominant devices students used and preferred. They also revealed that the Zoom platform came first in students’ preferences, followed by Blackboard. Also, the findings showed that although participants used smartphones in their ERL, they did not recommend it, and it came last compared to laptops, tablets, and desktop computers in their order of preference. Gender differences existed in preferences to desktops and tablets in ERL. Another gender difference existed in preferences to platforms. Women students preferred Blackboard to Zoom while men students expressed the opposite.

This study investigated Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learners' attitudes toward Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) at the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) in Saudi Arabia. Five research questions were developed: (1) What are the Saudi EFL learners' general attitudes toward CALL at the IPA? (2) What are Saudi EFL learners' attitudes toward the CALL software used at the IPA? (3) What are the differences between IPA Saudi EFL learners' attitudes toward CALL based on their years of English learning? (4) What are the differences between IPA Saudi EFL learners' attitudes toward CALL based on their current computer knowledge? (5) What are the differences between IPA Saudi EFL learners' attitudes toward CALL based on their gender? The research questionnaire was administered to a total of 578 participants, including students from several levels of English language proficiency, major areas of study, and three distinct locations. Statistical methods including standard deviation, mean, regression analysis, and t-test were used to analyze data. The findings indicated that the Saudi EFL learners' attitudes toward CALL and the software were positive. The results of the regression analysis showed that computer knowledge and gender served as the best predictors of learners' attitudes toward CALL. The t-test findings showed that Saudi female EFL learners had more positive attitudes toward CALL than their male counterparts. The findings of this study will help to improve the use of CALL at the IPA and other college-level institutions in Saudi Arabia.

One positive side of the Covid-19 pandemic is the unprecedented opportunity it has offered to the Higher Education Institutions to experience digital learning like never before. During the pandemic, Distant Learning platforms, including Learning Management Systems and Video Conferencing Platforms, have been ubiquitous, and no single institution survived without them during the pandemic. Hence, one of the critical lessons that should be learned is the students’ experiences with these platforms. This study aims to investigate the digital platform preferences of English major students in the College of Language and Translation at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia during the Emergency Remote Education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Its significance lies in the fact that it underscores and addresses students’ needs and preferences with regard to the digital platforms to be used for language learning, a pragmatic examination of which has been carried out in the following pages. It focuses on reasons for the preferences of the two leading digital platforms used in King Saud University: Blackboard and Zoom. A Survey with open-ended and closed-ended questions was designed to answer the questions of the study: which digital platforms do students prefer to use during Emergency Remote Education, and what were the reasons behind students’ preferences? A total of 300 students from both male and female campuses at different levels of study participated in the study. The results showed that students preferred the Zoom to Blackboard. Reasons of preferences were mainly the ease of use, followed by supporting smartphones, then having an app for smartphones. The thematic analysis of the open-ended question showed that technical problems and connection latency were the main reasons behind students’ preferences of the Zoom. The findings also indicated gender differences in reasons of preferences.

This study investigates the experiences of English major students at the College of Language and Translation (COLT) in King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, with Emergency Remote Learning and Teaching (ERLT) during the Covid-19 crisis. It focuses on the students’ preferences for devices and platforms, and gender differences influencing their choices. The study is of significance because it considers the student-centered learning approaches. The paper also seeks to answer the question as to the factors that lead students to make their preferences for the online teaching tools and devices. A total of 150 students, both men, and women, participated in the study. An online survey was carried out in the form of questionnaires to elicit their responses. The results showed that laptop computers were the dominant devices students used and preferred. They also revealed that the Zoom platform came first in students’ preferences, followed by Blackboard. Also, the findings showed that although participants used smartphones in their ERL, they did not recommend it, and it came last compared to laptops, tablets, and desktop computers in their order of preference. Gender differences existed in preferences to desktops and tablets in ERL. Another gender difference existed in preferences to platforms. Women students preferred Blackboard to Zoom while men students expressed the opposite.

One positive side of the Covid-19 pandemic is the unprecedented opportunity it has offered to the Higher Education Institutions to experience digital learning like never before. During the pandemic, Distant Learning platforms, including Learning Management Systems and Video Conferencing Platforms, have been ubiquitous, and no single institution survived without them during the pandemic. Hence, one of the critical lessons that should be learned is the students’ experiences with these platforms. This study aims to investigate the digital platform preferences of English major students in the College of Language and Translation at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia during the Emergency Remote Education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Its significance lies in the fact that it underscores and addresses students’ needs and preferences with regard to the digital platforms to be used for language learning, a pragmatic examination of which has been carried out in the following pages. It focuses on reasons for the preferences of the two leading digital platforms used in King Saud University: Blackboard and Zoom. A Survey with open-ended and closed-ended questions was designed to answer the questions of the study: which digital platforms do students prefer to use during Emergency Remote Education, and what were the reasons behind students’ preferences? A total of 300 students from both male and female campuses at different levels of study participated in the study. The results showed that students preferred the Zoom to Blackboard. Reasons of preferences were mainly the ease of use, followed by supporting smartphones, then having an app for smartphones. The thematic analysis of the open-ended question showed that technical problems and connection latency were the main reasons behind students’ preferences of the Zoom. The findings also indicated gender differences in reasons of preferences.