Abstract

The rapid integration of digital platforms has transformed English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction in Saudi higher education under Vision 2030. This study examines Saudi first-year students’ beliefs about online EFL learning as facilitated via Blackboard and the Cambridge Learning Management System, two widely used educational technology platforms, using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. Survey data from 201 first-year students were analyzed across six constructs: transition and ease of use, engagement and interaction, self-regulation and time management, technology readiness, perceived usefulness and satisfaction, and online exams and assessment. Follow-up interviews provided qualitative insights to contextualize these findings. The results revealed a clear hierarchy: students rated online exams and assessment and perceived usefulness and satisfaction most positively; transition and ease of use and self-regulation and time management fell in the middle range; and engagement and interaction together with technology readiness ranked lowest. Participants valued the convenience and autonomy of online learning but expressed concerns about the fairness of assessments, limited pedagogical interaction, and infrastructural instability. This tension between valuing autonomy and questioning fairness illustrates both the transformative potential and structural fragility of online learning in Saudi higher education. The findings highlight the need for transparent assessment practices, interactive pedagogy, and reliable technological support to improve satisfaction and learning outcomes. This study contributes to Vision 2030 reforms by emphasizing that sustainable digital transformation requires alignment between human-centered design and technological capacity.

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