The emergency remote learning experience of university students in Indonesia amidst the COVID-19 crisis

This study aimed to explore and interpret the lived experience of Indonesian university students in emergency remote learning (ERL) during the COVID-19. Methods of the investigation was a qualitative phenomenological approach involving 80 students from the Social Science Education Program at a public university in Jakarta. Understanding their experience was achieved through a rigorous analysis of the participants’ diaries and reflective essays and an online focus group. Results revealed that the students’ experiences fell into two overarching themes, each with related sub-themes. The two identified themes and subthemes were: (a) blended learning, with the subthemes of e-learning, m-learning and conventional learning, and (b) paradoxical learning, with the sub-themes of flexible learning and challenging learning. By studying how university students learned during COVID-19, we could help ensure the efficacy of ongoing ERL and better incorporate similar programs in the future if this ever happens again.