Challenges Faculty Faced Transitioning to e-Learning Platforms during the Current Pandemic in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The authors recount the challenges they overcame to deliver lecture content and assessments while engaging students at their newly established medical school. Faculty must multitask in new and added ways to achieve the same goal in e-learning platforms. Online course delivery introduces additional barriers to engaging students, atypical of face-to-face sessions. We received valuable feedback, adjusted our delivery, and allowed our students to access lecture recordings at their convenience. Our sessions with students were more than just a lecture but a way to help people through a unprecedented time. Remote learning platforms also provided faculty with opportunities to develop new pedagogical skills and alternative assessments.