Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, schools and universities worldwide shifted from face-to-face to online learning. Preservice student teachers were placed in an uncomfortable situation that led them to question the way they act and think. Educational plans were then modified to suit the online learning model. The purpose of this study is to investigate the transformation of preservice teachers' learning in online courses, using an instructional design framework. The participants are preservice teachers in a university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A concurrent mixed-method approach using quantitative and qualitative data was used. An online survey was adopted to collect quantitative data, and focus group discussions were conducted to collect the qualitative data. The study results showed a positive impact of transforming students' learning in online courses, using an instructional design framework. The study introduced the barriers and challenges preservice teachers faced and how they overcame these challenges.