Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for the global higher education community. Understanding of students' perception has important implications for the quality of the learning process, as it affects students' engagement in learning, helps educators rethink the principles of the learning design and further improve the developed programs.
Objectives: Understanding of how rapid and necessary changes of learning caused by the pandemic are related to students' intrinsic motivation and awareness.
Methods: There were 832 participants in this study. Quantitative and qualitative research methods employing relevant statistical techniques were used to research students' opinions regarding the distance learning process.
Results and conclusions: Our analysis showed that first-year students were significantly less motivated during the learning process than older students, they saw distance learning as less valuable and less interesting than the others. Our research found several positive consequences of the pandemic: working according to students' own schedule in a relaxed environment, looking at the lecture again if necessary, feeling free to ask questions and communicate with teachers and saving travel time.
Implications: Teachers should have more understanding for the first-year students who are threatened when it comes to developing motivation to learn and help them cope with learning anxieties, encourage their self-belief and give them extra support during the learning process.
Keywords: Covid‐19; distance learning; higher education; motivation.
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.