The COVID-19 pandemic and Movement Control Order have restricted learning activities from traditional face-to-face classrooms attendance shifted to full online learning in the student’s environment. The present study is aimed to explore pertaining issues on full online learning among nursing students and offer a contingency solution. Nursing students from one Malaysian public institution were recruited. The sessions were conducted online via teleconference and were recorded. The data were analysed using thematic analysis with the assistance of QDA Miner Lite software. Twenty-one students participated, resulting in four focus group discussions and three in-depth interviews. Three themes with a total of ten sub-themes were generated: (i) Full online learning has ramifications on life (it is about life; blurred division on education life and personal life; non-conducive environment for learning; health and well-being; human is an adaptable being while the transition takes time), (ii) full online learning is a medium of teaching and learning delivery but with several concerns (the boon and bane of fully online learning; challenges associated with full online learning; coping strategy in handling full online learning), and (iii) Foundation in teaching and learning is the key (role of the educator; teaching and learning approaches; motivation and regulation). A model of practice for full online learning was developed, consisting of some modifications to create a conducive and healthy learning environment. This study embarks on a more structured and standard online learning practice for making the Internet of Things and Industrial Revolution 4.0 concept a contemporary and mainstream education practice.

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Background: Academic struggle is a concern for students, medical schools and the society. As academic struggle is not idiopathic and instantaneous, qualitative research could provide an in-depth understanding on why it occurs. This qualitative research aimed to explore the reasons for why Year 1 medical students failed in their studies.Methods: This study adopted a single, embedded case design. Six medical students repeating their Year 1 studies performed a written reflection describing their experiences and behaviours during Year 1. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with each student and data was analysed by two researchers. Independent analysis was compared, and discrepancies were resolved through discussions between the researchers. Results: Each student narrative demonstrated difference in behaviours and experiences. Students engaged less in studies or had ineffective learning methods. Narratives indicated various reasons such as being overconfident or unmotivated to study for these behaviours. However, interpreting based on Theories of Action, the students’ failures could be explained by three types of invalid governing variables found in the data. Students may have performed their actions based on either inadequate knowledge, possessing misbeliefs or have no rationales at all. Invalid governing variables may have led to ineffective actions, and subsequently resulted in unintended consequences. Hence, all students failed the mid-year and/or end-year assessments. Conclusion: Struggling students lacked the valid governing variables in rationalising their actions. One suggestion based on the Theories of Action is the recommendation that students perform double loop learning to deeply assess and alter their governing variables.