Online Learning Platforms as an Aid to Learners in the New Approach

of Learning Amidst of COVID-19 Pandemic

A Concept Paper
Presented to Ms. Yvette A. Landicho of
Lipa City Senior High School
Lipa City, Batangas

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Jedaah M. Balita
December 2020
Background of the Study
Today, technology became a part of the daily life of every individual in the society. From cell
phones to transportations, everything functions by means of technology. Moreover, learners of
today’s generation are also surrounded by technology. It has seen a widespread integration into
their daily life, where access to various amounts of information is now available with ease.
Students can gain and access information by just tapping away.

Development and growth of technology has seen as significant, meaningful and an

essential way to use for schools and students to function efficiently. Due to the emergence of
Corona Virus disease (SARS-CoV-2) or commonly known as COVID-19, the learning approach of
the students also changed as the entire world transformed into something new. The birth of
‘new normal’ arrived. Technology and social media became an essential source of informations
and recreation. A once leisure became a necessity. The traditional set up of face-to-face
lectures in a classroom altered. Numerous schools and universities started blended learning
approach and online classes. This global pandemic has made institutions to go from offline
mode to online mode of pedagogy. The aim of this study is to identify the effectiveness of
technology due to innovation among the students. It focused on students’ perception on
technology and how it contributes to their studies in the midst of pandemic. This will
emphasize the significance and contribution of technology such as online learning platforms to
the academic performance of the learners.

Preliminary Literature Review

Theoretical Framework

This study suggests several major points. First, the students of today are surrounded by
more technology than ever before. It is also understood that the use of technology helps
students helps them in doing school tasks, thereby increasing their skills and knowledge to
learn (Heafner, 2004). A more sophisticated use of technology in pedagogy helps teachers to be
inclusive to all levels of students (from low performance to accelerated performance) (Mulrane,
2007). Finally, integration of new technology is a multi-phase process. Recognition and use of
such a framework allows school leaders to work more effectively with educators and students
as they use technology in their studies amidst of COVID-19 pandemic as well as in the real
world.
Review of Related Literatures

The rapid developments in technology have made distance education easy

(McBrien et al., 2009). “Most of the terms such as online learning, open learning, web-based
learning, computer-mediated learning, blended learning, m-learning have in common the ability
to use a computer connected to a network, that offers the possibility to learn from anywhere,
anytime, in any rhythm, with any means” (Cojocariu et al., 2014). The COVID-19 has brought
about schools and universities closed the whole way across the world. Subsequently, teaching
has changed drastically, with the distinctive rise of online learning, whereby teaching is
embraced remotely and on computerized stages. Research recommends that online learning
has been appeared to expand maintenance of data, and take less time, which means the
progressions of coronavirus have caused may be digging in for the long haul. In this case, online
learning application stages are broadly utilized by educators in instructing and learning. The
online learning stages are likewise utilized as a strengthening apparatus to advance
autonomous learning (Sari Famularsih, 2020). Amidst this deadly virus spread such online
platforms are needed where (a) video conferencing with at least 40 to 50 students is
possible, (b) discussions with students can be done to keep classes organic, (c) internet
connections are good, (d) lectures are accessible in mobile phones also and not just
laptops, (e) possibility of watching already recorded lectures, and (f) instant feedback
from students can be achieved and assignments can be taken (Basilaia et al., 2020).

In response to significant demand, many online learning platforms are offering free
access to their services. For example, large scale student assessment can be done through
Google Forms. It can be timed, and students can get real time feedback on their responses.
Institutions using Learning Management Systems (LMS) can use advanced assessment settings
for different question types, such as shuffling the items and their options, using sequential or
free navigation etc. Also, Google Meet and Zoom meeting can be an essential aid for an online
discussion or meeting. platforms like BYJU’S, a Bangalore-based educational technology and
online tutoring firm founded in 2011, which is now the world’s most highly valued edtech
company. Tencent classroom, meanwhile, has been used extensively since mid-February after
the Chinese government instructed a quarter of a billion full-time students to resume their
studies through online platforms. This resulted in the largest “online movement” in the history
of education with approximately 730,000, or 81% of K-12 students, attending classes via the
Tencent K-12 Online School in Wuhan, China. Other companies are bolstering capabilities to
provide a one-stop shop for teachers and students. For example, Lark, a Singapore-based
collaboration suite initially developed by ByteDance as an internal tool to meet its own
exponential growth, began offering teachers and students unlimited video conferencing time,
auto-translation capabilities, real-time co-editing of project work, and smart calendar
scheduling, amongst other features. To do so quickly and in a time of crisis, Lark ramped up its
global server infrastructure and engineering capabilities to ensure reliable connectivity.

Other people believe that the unplanned and rapid move to online learning – with no
training, insufficient bandwidth, and little preparation – will result in a poor user experience
that is unconducive to sustained growth, others believe that a new hybrid model of education
will emerge, with significant benefits. But according to Wang Tao, Vice President of Tencent
Cloud and Vice President of Tencent Education, the integration of information technology in
education will be further accelerated and that online education will eventually become an
integral component of school education. Technology will not just serve as a way of leisure.
Instead, it can be a helpful tool for the students to learn despite of the challenges that the
world is facing.

Objectives of the Study

1. To identify the perception of the students on technology and how it contributes to
their studies in the midst of pandemic. This will emphasize the significance and
contribution of technology such as online platforms to the academic performance of the
learners.

2. To discover whether online learning platforms indeed an essential aid that can help
students gain knowledge knowing that the world is facing a new paradigm of living.

3. To give some suggestions and recommendations for the success and effectiveness of
online learning platforms in students’ learning during a crisis-like situation.

Abridged Methodology
The participants of this study were 35 STEM Students in the first semester A.Y. 2020-
2021 of Lipa City Senior High School. The data was gathered through online survey such as
Google Forms and virtual semi-structured interviews. The research tool used for analyzing the
data which amassed from different sources for this study is a content analysis and the method
is descriptive. This study showed that most of students considered the technology as an
effective and efficient aid in this emergency situation because of the availability of online
platforms that is indeed helpful in their studies.

Timeline
 Researching and Conducting surveys Interpretation of the
analyzing the datas and dig deep more data gathered. The
related to the topic information and conclusion about the
conducted study will
that are accessible understanding
be shown and
such as articles and about the study that
emphasized.
books. is being performed.

December 2020 January 2021 February 2021

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