Despite knowing that academic motivation and engagement influence academic outcomes, it is unclear how students' motivation and engagement in face-to-face versus online courses differ. This mixed methods study examines whether preservice teachers' motivation and engagement in the same course, with the same instructor, in the same semester is different in a face-to-face compared to an online environment. Additionally, this study seeks to identify preservice teachers' perceptions of the transition to online instruction in the midst of a global pandemic. Results show that there were no statistically significant differences in academic motivation. There were statistically significant differences in social and cognitive presence, but not in teacher presence. Furthermore, students' perceptions of the transition to online instruction indicated that their Concerns were Exacerbated in the transition, that the Students Engaged Differently with online instruction than they did with face-to-face instruction, and that their Instructors' Support was Critical in supporting their learning.