A

Research on
Philippines at the Verge of Online Education

Presented to
Mrs. Pam Villapando

In Partial Fulfillment for the

Requirements in English III

By Jhon Poul S. Morales

December 17, 2009
Approved Sheet
The term paper attached here entitled Philippines at the Verge of online
Education and submitted by Jhon Poul S. Morales in partial fulfillment for English
III is hereby accepted.

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 Acknowledgment
The researchers wish to express their deepest gratitude and warmest
appreciation to the following people, who, in any way have contributed and
inspired the researchers to the overall success of the undertaking:

To my subject teacher, Mrs. Pam Villapando for her guidance, approval and trust

To my class adviser, Mrs. Aileen del Rosario for her unwavering support in the
duration of my research.

To my friends who have been unselfishly extending their efforts and

understanding.

To my parents who have always been very considerate and supportive both
financially and morally.

And above all, to the Almighty God, who never cease in loving us and for the
continued guidance and protection.

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Table of Contents

Content Page
Title ...……………………………………………………………….1
Approved Sheet ...…………………………………………………2
Acknowledgment ………………………………………………….3
Table of Contents …………………………………………………4
Statement of the Problem…………………………………………5
Importance of the Problem Story…………………………………6
Thesis Statement…………………………………………………..7
Definitions of Terms……………………………………………….9
Review of Related Literature…………………………………....10
Introduction of Online Learning in the Philippines…………….14
Brief history of Philippine Online Education…………………...15
Abiding with the Educational Policies………………………….19
The Remarkable People on Philippine Online…....................20
Education………………………………………………………….20
Conclusion………………………………………………………..22
Recommendation……….…………………………....................24
Bibliography……………………………………………………….27

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Statement of the Problem
This study sought to figure out the existence of an emerging type of
education in the Philippines that is globally competitive and gives fair chance to
those students in distant place that are equally having the right to acquire quality
and time-efficient education. It is a kind of education that will be very beneficial to
those who want to enhance their job skills but have no time for higher studies as
well as those who want a career shift but have no time for earning required
degrees from a regular college or university.
Specifically, the study aimed to know the scope of Philippine online
education, the things that brought about it, and its role to developing a breed of
new professionals that would populate the highly-technological world. Moreover,
it will also help to assess the overall status of e-learning in the country and its
stability to address the information needs of the Philippine educational system for
providing internal efficiency and effectiveness, planning and programming,
performance-based budgeting and sector performance reporting.
The researcher wishes to convey information about technologically-
supported learning in the Philippines, which includes the use of electronic media
such as the Internet, personal computers, phone bridging, audio and videotape,
video teleconferencing, satellite broadcast, mobile phones, personal digital
assistants, and other related technologies to enhance teaching and learning.

5
Importance of the Problem Story
The study is important and significant because it will acquaint those
individual who are not aware of online education. Besides, it's not true that only
the technologically advanced and internet savvy can go for it. Just about
everyone can go for an online degree. You only have to choose the degree you
want to pursue and one of the top accredited online universities and colleges
which are offering these degrees. It will also open the students’ minds about the
advantages and significance of online learning. It will also help to somehow
prepare students in having a mindset that would be passive to new ideas brought
about by the modern communication-the World Wide Web.

Since the start of rapid advances in technology, the need to integrate

technological knowledge in education and industry has been recognized. In order
to address this need, the concept of e-learning has been established. E-learning
stands for ‘electronic learning,’ that is, associating the utilization of electronic
materials to learning. Today, the term e-learning has captured a wider scope from
the use of Personal Computers and the Internet to the utilization of more
advanced applications, as well as devices or tools for more effective teaching and
learning. Currently, the local academe and industry have incorporated e-learning
but most of them are confined to the Internet or are web-based. There is only a
small number of Filipinos who have an Internet connection and can avail of its
services.

Moodle, for instance has been adopted by many educational institutions

worldwide and is steadily gaining prominence in the Philippines. Among its
features are lessons, quizzes, forums and reports just to name a few. And since it
is open source, everything is customizable. There is a friendly forum for support
at the site. Going further, it may even spur some IT businesses such as
consultancy and tech support which can also offer services to international
Moodle users.

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Thesis Statement
Electronic communication has reduced the world into a global
village. The speed of information exchange between distant
locations is in real time. Most higher learning institutions worldwide
operate in the online environment to educate students and
professionals alike. Right now, papers and studies that look into
online learning is mostly on how the foundations for it can support
the system, and if Filipinos are prepared for it in the first place.
There is concern to improve infrastructure if online learning is to be
available to a large number of people. Currently, a lot of Filipinos
still do not own their own phone lines, much less even a computer in
their own homes. Consider the statistics: there is only seven
percent of more than 16 million Filipino households that own
personal computers, and only three out of 50 public high school
students have access to the Internet as of 2005 (Sunday Inquirer,
2007). With the majority of the population still in poverty and even
under the poverty line, they would be more concerned with fulfilling
the basic needs rather than something they view as a luxury item.
There are also plans to include the technology of the cellular mobile
technology; specifically the smart messaging services (SMS) to
facilitate online learning as well. This is because of the phenomenal
increase of ownership of cell phones and their services. Although,
the current use of cellular mobile technology is mostly for
entertainment and business purposes at the most.
And of course, there is still that urgent need to improve the quality of
education. The social and economic divide is still a major hindrance in getting
good education, and that education itself seems to having its part in widening that
divide as well. Contributing to this is the “brain drain” of good teachers who
immigrate to other countries to create a better quality of life for their own families,
making the public education system suffer even more. There is also the

7
significant lack of resources and infrastructure, where books, classrooms and
other school supplies are still not available to every public school student. Aside
from the physical lack, there is also the curriculum where it lacks the functional
literacy need for the students to use what they’ve learned in the outside world.
Online learning is another method in which to convey education to students. This
is actually a type under distance education, a non-formal type of education that
uses different media in transferring lectures, notes, discussions to students and
the teacher.

Methodology

This paper employed the purposive or deliberate sampling of

websites of universities and learning centers that have online learning programs
as part of their curriculum. Understanding that there may already be a number of
schools that would offer this, the paper has focused on two universities and one
learning center. There is also a review of the various Executive Orders and
Memos from the government as they give the foundation to introduce online
learning in the Philippines. The method used in this study is the descriptive
design. Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data
and characteristics about the rise of online learning sites in the Philippines
ongoing increase of its customers.

Although the data description is factual, accurate and systematic, the

research cannot describe what caused a situation. Thus, descriptive research
cannot be used to create a causal relationship, where one variable affects
another. In other words, descriptive research can be said to have a low
requirement for internal validity.

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Definitions of Terms

The following terms are defined conceptually:

a. Moodle – is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a
Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment
(VLE). It is a free web application that educators can use to create
effective online learning sites.
b. History – these would be significant chronological events as
early as the middle 1990’s leading to present day.
c. Online learning – these are programs or courses that are uses
the Internet in the discussion and requirements of the course,
submission of students’ work and the use of support services
like the use of library databases, enrolment and registration.
As this is a simple chronological research, the paper will only
focus on:
d. Policies – these are government Executive Orders and memos
that provide foundation in allowing the use of information and
communications technology as a supplemental tool for
education, business and the like.
e. People – they are experts in the field of online learning; either
they have contributed greatly in introducing online learning to
the country or have played a part in the development of online
learning.
f. Institutions – aside from the government, there are schools,
colleges and universities that have been creating online
learning programs or are currently having one.

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Review of Related Literature
In 2003, the UNESCO had reported that the Philippines is part of a
group of countries with newly created policies regarding information
and communication technologies, or ICTs, and they are just starting
to apply various strategies to integrate online learning in schools.
We have come a long way after that report in 2003, but we are still
shall we say, toddler stage in having online learning in the country.
Using ICTs such as the internet and supporting hardware and
software puts us in a fourth generation of distance education,
loosely categorizing it from the most prominent technology used for
delivering educational content and its support systems. This shows
us that we are already starting to institutionalize online learning, but
there are still areas in great need of improvement, especially with
the support systems in bringing online learning to more students and
people who would want to experience online learning.
As the industrial era gave way to information era, employees must
now have critical thinking skills to identify process improvements,
works as a team, change processes, products, tools and more. The
average employee switches jobs many times, more than seven times
is said to be probable. The need to learn new information (in its
broadest sense) is unlikely to decrease. In this new knowledge
based economy, the gap between the existing knowledge of
employees and what is necessary to know is growing day by day.
However, with the growth of the internet, online education is
accessible to more people than ever: people in corporations, schools
and universities, government and other sectors profit from its
growth.
In this information age, some drivers push e-learning
technologies to the foreground. These drivers, enabling and pushing
e-learning to companies indicate that the future will be about

10
acquiring and acting on knowledge. As creating knowledge is the
context for learning, the two will merge. Not only will companies
focus on learning management, to centralize and strategically
employ the benefits of their skills, they will also focus on their
knowledge management. In the process of converting implicit
knowledge (know-how) and experience into explicit knowledge
(knowledge that can be shared with others, diffused within groups),
new, actionable knowledge needs to be created. Marc Rosenberg
states it as follows: “Providing access to information that contains
the collective wisdom of the company can be a powerful adjunct to
training. So when we have a learning need
that requires instruction, we use training, and where there is a
learning need that more appropriately requires information, we can
use knowledge management.”
Information is everywhere, overwhelming us and difficult to find
when we need to use it. However, what is done with information is
more and more important for organizations.
Knowledge about customers drives the product development of an
organization. Knowledge and experience differentiates one
organization from its competitors, but only if the organization is
quick enough to take the advantage. A shortage of skilled workers
Acquiring and keeping good and qualified people is harder than
ever. Organizations have to alter the way they look at employment,
culture and benefits. Not only will employees demand a clear career
development, only organizations that will succeed in satisfying their
employees need for knowledge will succeed in the growing markets.
Technology as enabler and driver of the economy No matter what
function an employee has, he or she has become in the first place a
knowledge worker. The information technology and
telecommunications which are used on a daily basis are driving the
need for e-learning and at the same time creating the means to
accomplish it.

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 Although e-learning has been around for decades, it has seen
exponential growth in the last years, mainly because of the growth of
the Internet. As a short introduction we present a retrospective.
1960 - The early years: Soon after computers were invented,
psychologists and educators noted the educational potential of
computers. Early computer-based instruction development focused
on automating relatively simple notions of learning and instruction.
However, the early group of computer-based instruction
technologists split into two groups: the so-called applied scientists
(engineers) and the so-called advanced researchers.
Computer based instruction: The first group of scientists focused on
automating the simple notions of learning and instruction.
During the decades, this group continued to develop and refine their
tools, to include complex instructional constructs. However,
throughout the development phases, costs were a major obstacle to
the widespread use of computer-based instruction. Initially, the
migration and adaptation of computer-based instruction, based on
mainframes to minicomputer, workstations and personal computers,
absorbed much of the energy of researchers and developers. With
each succeeding technological innovation, new capabilities and
features became available to enhance the technological supported
learning process. As the tools matured and personal computer
proliferated, costs were dramatically reduced. Recent instructional
content incorporate multimedia capabilities and sophisticated
authoring features. These computer-based instructions are
characterize by tightly bound instructional content and logic.
Intelligent tutoring systems: The second group of researchers
focused on the potential of information-structure-oriented
approaches to represent human cognition and learning. Rooted in
the early artificial intelligence studies of how we learn and master
skills, this approach led to the development of Intelligent: Tutoring
Systems (ITS). The functionalities of Its are distinct from the more
conventional approaches. The functionalities requires ITS to
generate instruction in real time, on demand as required by the

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individual learners. Furthermore, ITS must support dialogue or
discussion between the technology and the user. However, several
factors also hindered the development of ITS technologies. The
science of human cognition was relatively immature, and the
complex modeling and rule-based systems require considerable
computing power. The ITS systems are characterized by the
tendency to separate control logic from instructional content. The
advent of the World Wide Web
The Internet and the World Wide Web has reset the agenda for both
the groups of development. As the internet developed, it provided a
widely accessible communications structure built on common
standards providing easy access to information and knowledge. CBI
systems progressed from direct adaptations of CD-ROM to the
Internet to Web-based authoring systems, embracing the separation
of content and control as server-based learning management
systems emerge.
Now, moving into the 21st century, the boundaries between an
organization’s management systems seem to blur. As we live in a
knowledge driven economy, the human resources systems
(assessment, evaluation, career planning and development),
knowledge management systems (supported technologically by
content management systems), and learning management systems
are said to be merging into holistic intellectual capital systems

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Introduction of Online Learning in the Philippines
The advent of advancing technology has propelled life on the
fast lane: trade, social systems, even the arts. The Internet, along
with the World Wide Web and hi-tech media paraphernalia also made
us to be part of the globally competitive world, and nothing could be
more apparent in meeting this pressure than in education. With
such rampant changes, education should be equipped to deal with
and evolve as well for the sake of the learner, or he will suffer
because he could not cope with life’s challenges because he was not
prepared properly when he was studying. And one way education
can meet the growing need to be globally competitive is through the
use of online learning.
Online learning can be touted as an alternative delivery of
education. It is a type of teaching practice that upholds the concept
of “anytime, anywhere” kind of learning. With this, online learning is
easily accessible to the student and the teacher where they can
exchange notes, ideas and research related to the course with each
other. The Web then is the major medium to delivery instruction and
learning. Although in the 1980’s and 1990’s, electronic media like
print, TV, radio, and video were first used.

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Brief history of Philippine Online Education
In February 23, 1995, the University of the Philippines started
the Open University as its fifth constituent university, headed then
by Chancellor Felix Librero, and currently by Dr. Grace Alfonso. It is
the first school to give a formal education (i.e. undergraduate and
graduate courses) in a non-traditional format to qualifying students.
It was the first university to offer education in such a format.
Currently, they are now implementing plans to have courses that are
fully online by February of 2008. 1
The succeeding years saw the development of the Internet and the World
Wide Web. Several projects were undertaken, specifically the
development of business opportunities and information
infrastructure. They also created policies that would develop online
learning and supplement the needs in basic education, creating
programs that would also develop IT skills on a vocational level.
In January 12, 2004, a new organization, the Commission on
Information and Communications Technology (CICT), was created.
Another program that the Department of Education is currently
applying online learning is through the Cyber Ed project. Launched
just June of this year, it is planned that around 90% of public
schools across the nation in the next three years will be hooked up
via satellite technology in delivering educational services to
elementary and secondary students. It is hoped that students’
performance will significantly improve as it supplements the
teacher’s style of teaching, making the lessons reach more students.

1
University of the Philippines, Open University from http://www.upou.edu.ph.

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 De La Salle University has also started implementing online
learning in its curriculum. Last September 2000, it was granted the
installation and use of the Integrated Virtual Learning Environment
(IVLE), the second university to be granted the license. The IVLE
allowed teachers and students to interact online and provided tools
and resources to supplement their learning via virtual discussions,
lectures, and even testing. This was implemented through the
efforts of the Center for Educational Multimedia. The use of IVLE
also supplements the universities’ strive to develop transformative
learning among the students and teachers.
Learning centers are also starting to offer online learning as
well, especially for those in the middle-income level who are looking
for means to supplement their formal education and buff up their
resumes to be able to go abroad. One of these learning centers is
Informatics Philippines, where they claim to provide quality diploma
courses in Information Technology (IT). In 2000, they collaborated
with an e-learning portal that tenders degree programs via the
Internet called PurpleTrain.com. Students can access either the
website of Informatics or of Purple Train for their class requirements
and lessons. They would even have classmates from outside the
country, as the portal also has collaborations in the United States,
the United Kingdom, and Australia. Although, student support
services like enrolment, tuition payment and documents submission
are facilitated via the different branches of Informatics.
“In collaboration with the National University of Singapore, De La Salle
University CREM provides faculty members the online learning system
IVLE. This is an innovative program that enhances and complements
teaching by making courses available on the Web. It allows the creation of
course calendar, discussion forum, distribution list, lecture plan, chat room,
subscription services, assignment repositories, staff homepages and a
frequently-asked question builder. Through IVLE, teachers can post lesson
plans, give and collect assignments online and provide links to relevant
web sites. Students can even take tests online which are automatically

16
 corrected by the program. IVLE was initially shared by DLSU with the
University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) in 2000.”2
For now, online learning courses are mostly being offered in
undergraduate and graduate levels, but the Philippine government
strives to create a curriculum that would integrate online learning in
the elementary and secondary levels as well`. This is because that
the students are mostly those who cannot be able to go to a
traditional school course, those who are working, married or even ill.
Through this, a student can be able to pursue his education without
pausing on his daily activities. One of the factors in enrolling in
such online courses is not only the ease of the concept of studying
via the Internet, but also the credibility of the institution offering
such courses. Because of this, it is mostly established universities
and colleges that have the infrastructure and foundation of quality
education, not to mention the financial resources that would offer
them.
One major reason why people like working professionals would
enroll in online learning is the convenience and easy access in terms
of study, making it a timesaving venture for the student. Not only is
it timesaving, but money saving too, as it reduces the amount of
travel to and fro, and instances where you would have to buy food
from outside establishments. Also, in terms of tuition, it is a less
expensive investment than you would if you enroll in a traditional
educational institution.
It is not only an advantage logistics-wise, but it is a benefit for
the student in terms of learning as well. It is claimed that students
get a more efficient learning, as there is more collaboration between
classmates in discussing the subjects and the course is more
learner-centered. This can happen more so if the course and its
materials are truly relevant to them especially in the professional
level. Online learning courses will work if there is definite quality in
its contents and support services, and are able to adapt to the
demands of ever-changing society. It is even said that those
2
http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/academics/continuing/online_courses/default.asp

17
students who are likely to drop out of courses that are traditional
would learn better and faster when going through an online course
(Business World, 1999). It is also claimed that students undergoing
online learning are more motivated to learn, and they develop more
independence, discipline and responsibility.
But of course, this cannot be possible if the foundations of
employing online learning are not established. Enrolling in an online
learning course may be cheaper than the traditional way of
schooling, but to set up the infrastructure to support the technology
and creating the simulation classroom takes a considerable amount
of money (Business World, 1999). This is true especially for the
rural areas, where problems of even the basic needs are still not
being met, and that even basic education is of poor quality, what
more for the building up of the necessary infrastructure (Trinidad,
2000). Even if the infrastructure has already been setup, technical
problems can still arise especially when accessing the actual
website or connecting into the Internet in the first place.
Online learning cannot be utilized maximally as well if the
students themselves are not ready for it. For one, students must
have a working knowledge of how to use the technology, even in the
basic level of accessing the Internet and using it. Also, as most
websites are written in English, students must be able to understand
the content and think critically in English as well, else the whole
course will be of no use to them and learning is minimal or not
occurring at all. They must also be able to express themselves
competently, especially in the written word, in order to contribute to
the discussions online.
Another major drawback to online learning is that students may not
develop the necessary social skills that are usually seen in the
traditional setting. Students used to this kind of “socializing” in the
net may not be fully comfortable meeting classmates in the flesh.
Some teachers, who have yet to be properly trained and exposed to
this kind of learning and teaching, are also tentative in using this
alternative style to learning. Although currently, they are already

18
being addressed with new programs and software, teachers are
concerned with how efficient they can monitor their students’
progress online, especially with the possibility that their work may
not be actually of their own. They may be concerned, too, when the
students are not able to ask questions or clarifications during the
course – that interaction is severely limited.
There is also a concern of how people might view online
learning as well. Narrow-mindedness can be a factor, already
dismissing online learning as an inferior way to get education. This
is due mostly from a lack of exposure and training, and moreover, a
lack of information on how online learning can benefit rather than
take away the quality of learning and knowledge. It would take an
efficient dissemination system in order to make people know the
benefits of online learning to the masses.

Abiding with the Educational Policies

In June 14, 2000, former president Ejercito Estrada passed RA 87923, or
the Electronic Commerce Act. This Act recognizes that information and
communications technology, or ICT, is vital to the development of the country and
legalizes and protects the use of it in businesses, government transactions and
even education. It provides the legal structure for the country’s involvement in e-
commerce as well.
From this, the creation of the Information Technology and E-Commerce Council
(ITECC) came about from Executive Order 18, which President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo signed last May 25, 2001. This council aimed to create what they touted
as e-Philippines, that is, a country that is globally competitive through the use of
ICT.
Executive Order 269 in January 12, 2004 was created to redefine the
vision and policies of the ITECC, which was then abolished in July 20 in the same
year through Executive Order 334. Policies and programs of ITECC were also
transferred to CICT to continue and develop them further. One of these
programs is the Philippine Research, Education and Government Information

3
Republic Act No. 8792, (2002). Retrieved August 3, 2007 from
http://www.magsaysay.com/profule/ras/ra8792.shtm.

19
Network (PREGINET), which aim to create a virtual library network among
universities, the government and the private-sector in the research and
development of Internet applications, services and technologies.

The Remarkable People on Philippine Online Education

Philippine eLearning Society (PeLS)4 was founded on July 30, 2003 in Manila
with the objective of promoting substantive content, appropriate pedagogy, and
appropriate use of technology for eLearning, guided by ongoing research
activities.

PeLS serves as a venue for : Promoting research on the effective use of

eLearning, Sharing of eLearning experiences, Developing standards of
excellence, Promoting interoperability of eLearning systems, Encouraging
collaboration in the development of substantive content, Cooperating with
international eLearning groups, and Promoting public awareness and
appreciation of the nature and uses of eLearning.

Of course, programs and further growth of online learning

cannot move on their own; several people are involved in bringing
online learning in the country and nurture it in its current state. Two
of these facilitators would be Dr. Benito Teehankee 5 and Dr. Rufino
Mananghaya. 6
Dr. Teehankee has been touted as “the” expert in online
learning in the country. He is a proficient educator for several
years, teaching before in De La Salle University and now in De La
Salle Professional Schools Graduate of Business in business and
management subjects. His avid passion for learning about new
technologies encouraged him to found the Philippine eLearning
Society (PeLS) with colleagues. PeLS is an organization that
facilitates the discussion and development of online learning in the
country for more than five years already. For this objective, they
4
http://www.elearning.ph/?page_id=2
5
Dr. Benito Teehankee profile. Retrieved 2 August 2007 from
http://www.blogger.com/profile/05969718512412631908.
6
Dr. Rufino Mananghaya profile. Retrieved 2 August 2007 from
http://www.via.com.tw/en/resources/pressroom/2006_archive/pr061124ADOC-Philippines.jsp.

20
have an annual conference that presents various papers discussing
different aspects of online learning, in special cooperation with the
CICT. In 1999, he was also the director of the Online Learning
Center in De La Salle College of St. Benilde that used the concept of
asynchronous learning, or to be able to learn at one’s own pace. Dr.
Teehankee also does business and management seminars in the
corporate world.
Dr. Mananghaya meanwhile is the current president in PeLS,
and he is also a professor in UP Los Baňos teaching in
management. With an agricultural and business management
background, he is active in employing policies and methods in
bringing ICT in the rural communities. His involvement in the
grassroots community is slowly making ICT, specifically online
learning, available to the common man. To be able to show that
public school systems can afford computers, he was able to create a
personal computer that was worth only under $100. He was also the
proponent of Eminima, a free server and client software, a
PuppyLinux-based system that enables the user to modify and
develop content that is of the best use for them without much cost.
He developed this for the use of public schools that would not rely
on the latest models of the computer, yet would have updated
content that is at par with the latest information and knowledge.
On September 2009, Manuel Pangilinan7, chairman of the Philippine
Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Smart Communications recently
inaugurated the e-learning center in San Vicente Central School in Pampanga.

7
http://www.philstar.com/article.aspx?articleid=501768

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Conclusion
Seeing the development of online learning in the country shows us
that the government does strive to improve the quality of education,
online learning is just one of the ways to do it. This shows that
despite the physical challenges and current quality of education, we
have already the means to support online learning. Even with more
or less than a decade of growth, though, we are still learning to
walk, so to speak, with using online learning. The challenge right
now is how to further improve it and make it more accessible to the
masses. With this, we still have a long way to see if online learning
would truly answer some of our issues in education. It would be
unfair to place judgement on it when it is still in its early stages. It is
recommended if a more comprehensive study of the development of
online learning can be done. It is also recommended if a
longitudinal study in the effects of learning output from students can
be looked into, to give basis to the claim that students studying via
online learning learn better than their traditional peers.
It can be said that online learning in the country is off to a
good start, though there are still a lot of things that can be
improved. It is still to early to tell if online learning can be able to
address some of the problems in our education system today, but it
is believed that with a good foundation already in place, it is only a
matter of time when online learning can be as common and perhaps
even, better than that of the traditional system of education.

The latest developments in the area of information and technology have made
the use of these advancements, for dispensing education possible beyond the
stereotype system of classrooms. Since it's a means to the end, this not only
educates the students but also makes them current on what is latest in IT. Top
accredited online universities and top accredited online colleges are doing a great

22
service which is resulting in an economically sound society with better educated
and skilled people.

These accredited online universities are using the potential of IT positively to

contribute to the educational development as well as socio-economic benefit.
They are offering various kinds of online degrees, diploma and certificate
programs to a multitude of learners which include a growing number of teens,
adults and advance education students.

Vocation education online degree programs, being offered at these top

accredited online universities and top accredited online colleges, are facilitating
and encouraging students to acquire a professional set of skills which will in the
long run increase both technical and professional opportunities.

By opting for these online degree programs of top accredited online universities
and colleges, the otherwise disadvantaged masses that can not attend regular
colleges and universities, are becoming self-sufficient. Thus these online degree
programs of various universities and colleges are producing a huge number of
well-instructed and skilled hands that will play a vital role in competent
management of both private and public sectors at all levels.

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Recommendation:

There is indeed a vital need to integrate e-learning into education and

industry because of its potential to make a huge impact on the corporate learning
field.
Presently, e-learning is already integrated in some areas in the academe and the
industry, but they are mostly confined to the Internet. Local e-learning is also
possible through the use of low-cost, high-quality, and custom-designed
development tools. This approach in e-learning was demonstrated to have
positive impact on the students’ learning. Having these realizations, the team
supports the concept to incorporate e-learning in the academe and industry. In
doing so, the team fulfills its objectives, and at the same time addresses the
learning needs and goals of the academe and industry.

“If someone is considering enrolling in an online degree program he

should not hesitate. The following is a list of the top 10 online education
myths:

Myth #1 Online Education is Easy: The fact is, most online degree
programs are identical to on-campus programs because they have to
meet certain standards to be approved for accreditation. You will receive
the same subjects, assignments, projects and class work that on-site
students receive. You will also get the same high quality education online
that is found in the traditional degree programs. Studies show that
distance learning is at least as effective as traditional on-campus learning.

Myth #2 Online Attendance is too Time Consuming: Most online degree

programs are flexible, which means you can work at your own pace from
anywhere and at a time that is most convenient to you.

Myth #3 Employers do not Accept Online Degrees: This used to vary from
one employer to another but now employers see the benefits of online

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degrees. Most employers understand the need for busy professionals to
attend a distance learning degree program to improve their qualifications
and ability to move up the career ladder. Most employers’ main concern is
that the educational institution is accredited and has a good reputation
rather than the method you use to obtain your degree.

Myth #4 On Campus Attendance is Mandatory: Online learning methods

vary from one institution to the next. Some institutions offer 100% online
degree program with no on-campus attendance. Other institutions may
offer courses as a combination of online and on-campus attendance
requirement. So before completing the application process, make sure
you know how your program is being delivered and if it will it be a problem
if you have to attend class on-campus.

Myth #5 The Instructors are not Qualified: In order to teach at a reputable

accredited university faculty members are required to have advanced
degrees in addition to some online training programs in online instruction.
Online instructors are very qualified and experts in their chosen field.

Myth #6 The Traditional Classroom is Better than Online Learning: This is

a case of “to each his own”. Online learning is designed for people who
want to continue their education but do not have the time to attend the
traditional classroom setting. Distance learning makes education more
convenient, especially for adults with families and full-time jobs. Many
people choose distance learning simply out of necessity. Not everyone can
enrol in traditional higher education due to work, commitments and
obligations so distance learning provides the flexibility to continue working
at a current job while pursuing your educational and career goals at the
same time.

Myth #7 It is Quicker to Complete your Degree On-Campus: The time

needed to complete a degree varies but it is possible to earn an online
degree much faster with accelerated programs and the amount of time
and dedication you put towards your online studies. A bachelor degree

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 usually takes four years to earn on-site, but online students can complete
the same degree in less than three years.

Myth #8 Credit Transfers are not accepted at Online Schools: Most online
universities will accept credit transfers from regionally and nationally
accredited institutions of higher learning, as long as the credits are eligible
for credit transfer and can be applied to your degree program.

Myth #9 Online Learning is not Right for Everyone: It really depends on

your learning style; online learning is very different than the traditional on-
site learning, I have to agree. Anyone can adapt to online learning, all it
takes is a bit of getting used to.

Myths #10 Online Degree Programs are Limited: Many degree programs
are now available online. Online institutions offer Associate, Bachelor’s,
Master’s and Doctorate degrees in addition to a variety of non-credit and
certificate programs.”8

8
Online Edublog.com (2009. “Top 10 Online Education Myths”, http://www.onlineedublog.com/

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