Rebekah Bombarda FDNECON K53

Infographic Essay #1: Growth of an ASEAN Country

The Implications of E-Learning within the Tertiary Level of Education in the Southeast Asian Region

"Online learning is not the next big thing, it is the now big thing.” - Donna J. Abernathy

E-learning and COVID-19 pandemic

Certainly, the year 2020 is full of surprises! No one would’ve ever anticipated the drastic changes that were
about to come due to the occurrence of yet another pandemic in the twenty-first century. Hence, governments
worldwide are fighting a battle to contain the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread and preserve life as we
know it. As scientific experts continue to do laboratory tests to develop a vaccine that can completely eradicate the
deadly virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic, humans must now embark on a journey towards adjusting to the new
normal, which involves intermittent lockdowns and closures of various institutions, including schools and
universities.
Educational institutions, most especially those that offer tertiary education, have been one of the most
shaken sectors of the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released news that 75% of the world’s student
population are affected by school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the peak of the crisis, almost 1.6
billion children worldwide had no means to access their classrooms. If school closures were extended for too long,
not only would there be a significant potential for loss of educational opportunities, but more importantly, the loss of
human capital and a decrease in economic productivity would occur in the long run. The COVID-19 pandemic has
spared no country with its crippling socio-economic impact, and countries in the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) region are not spared from its repercussions. Thus, many colleges and universities opt for
e-learning to ensure continuous learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
E-learning, short for electronic or online learning, employs technology to conduct, enhance, and expand
educational content (Dashe & Thomson, 2020). It is designed to support individual distance learning in tertiary
education by incorporating various Information and Communication Technology (ICT) types in their learning
process. It is used for two primary reasons; to widen a student’s learning source and cope with the pressing need for
a skilled workforce (HeadFoundation, 2020). E-learning involves synchronous and asynchronous modes of learning
(Holmstrom & Pitkanen, 2012). Synchronous mode is similar to the traditional classroom setup because education is
carried out in real-time. It enables students to attend professors’ lectures simultaneously while interacting with them,
leading to more dynamic discussions. On the other hand, asynchronous learning refers to learning conducted with
discussion forums, emails, and online bulletin boards. Students get to interact with their professors over a time gap.
This mode of learning has enabled students to have the opportunity to access lifelong learning since teaching is not
tied to a physical location (Holmstrom & Pitkanen, 2012). It allows them to study regardless of their geographical
areas. The combination of both modes is the key to achieving an effective online course (Holmstrom & Pitkanen,
2012).
E-learning is proven to aid us during these challenging times because it is student-centered and offers
flexibility in terms of time and location, which indicates the marginal utility derived by students. Educators
experience marginal utility by using audio, video, and texts to teach their students during remote learning. The
principle of ​Thinking at the Margin ​is reflected in the adaptation of e-learning during the pandemic considering that
students can continue quality education without compromising their health and safety. Educators’ willingness to
devote longer times and allocate a higher budget to invest in necessary technological devices and digital training to
develop and deliver a curriculum that optimizes remote student learning has a far-reaching effect in molding
students to learn under the new normal circumstances. Hence, educators’ exceptional commitment to sustaining
quality education for their students depicts marginal benefits in practice. The marginal benefit in this situation is
every sacrifice an educator gives to ensure that no student gets left behind.

E-learning in the ASEAN Region

E-learning has been around for at least three decades (HeadFoundation, 2020) but due to the rapid
advancements of technology in the digital age and the lockdowns caused by the pandemic, implementing it on
higher educational institutions in the ASEAN is no longer an option but a necessity (Dhawan, 2020). The ASEAN
region consists of ten economically diverse member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Rebekah Bombarda FDNECON K53
Infographic Essay #1: Growth of an ASEAN Country

Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has a 50 million population with a combined GDP of $9.34
trillion, accounting for a significant share in global trade and investment (US-ASEAN Business Council, Inc., 2020).
It is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, with a projected annual growth of 6.1% in 2019-2023,
reflecting the region’s thriving economy. As of 2014, ASEAN was home to 7,000 Higher Education Institutions,
accommodating around 12 million students, contributing a massive human capital all over the world (The
International Association of Universities, 2016). However, the ASEAN’s successful integration, despite its vast
diversity between and within ASEAN member economies, relies on developing ICTs and, with it, Internet
connectivity (OECD, 2018). Given such diversity among the region, differences in the levels of Internet penetration
is inevitable. The highly-developed country of Singapore is home to one of the higher learning institutions that are
prepared to adapt to this new reality as they have already been using e-learning tools to a certain extent. However,
this is not the reality for most universities in Southeast Asia, wherein a large segment of the population still lacks
access to an Internet connection and electronic devices (HeadFoundation, 2020). Jalli (2019) states that the sudden
shift to online education has raised concerns to students and professors alike due to the extensive digital divide in
Southeast Asia. Findings made by TRPC (2017) states that countries in the ASEAN region can be separated into
three clusters depending on their Internet penetration rates. Among the countries in the region, ​Cluster 1 (Singapore,
Brunei, and Malaysia) have over 80% internet penetration​, while those who belong in Clusters 2 (Thailand,
Philippines, and Vietnam) and 3 (Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar) have less than 60% with Indonesia,
Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam have 56%, 57%, 39%, 38%, ​respectively in 2019 (Jalli, 2019). Moreover, many
people in Southeast Asia can’t afford an unlimited and stable internet connection. Thus, the major consequence of
the existing digital divide in the region is the lack of success with e-learning in many parts of Southeast Asia.
Even with these challenges brought about by the economic disparities in the ASEAN nations, ​Thinking at
the Margin ​imparts that the decision of governments in the ASEAN to upgrade Internet connectivity in the region
would entail marginal utility for students and professors alike. By increasing the allocation for better ICT
infrastructures, member states of the ASEAN would eventually solve the prevalent digital divide and earn the
marginal benefit of improving access to quality e-learning, which ultimately leads to well-rounded students
contributing to the economic prosperity of the ASEAN. In general, a well-planned e-learning system has many
opportunities for the ASEAN, considering the relatively high ownership of smartphones among the demographic
(18-29 years old) who are most likely to engage in formal education with 49% in Malaysia, 24% in the Philippines,
and 18% in Indonesia (Farley & Song, 2015). Tablet ownership and penetration in Southeast Asian urban areas are
rapidly increasing, with 47 % in Singapore, 42 % in Malaysia, 16 % in Thailand, 5 % in Indonesia, and 5 % in the
Philippines (Farley & Song, 2015). The crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sudden boom
in the usage of e-learning in higher academic institutions. Thus, requiring them to educate professors and students
about the benefits of e-learning technologies, namely, enhancing problem-solving skills, promoting critical thinking,
and adapting digital innovation among students (Dhawan, 2020). Consequently, it encourages professors to develop
innovative methods of teaching.

E-learning and Economic Growth for the ASEAN

In today's knowledge-based economy, education plays a vital role in increasing a country’s economic
productivity (Wani, 2013). In terms of ​Thinking at the Margin,​ the incremental cost brought about by increasing
Internet connectivity results in an increase in the number of highly educated individuals. In turn, they gain a
competitive edge by receiving high-skilled jobs, which increases their chances of improving their lives over those
who do not have any educational background. In addition to this, the principle, ​Trade Can Make Everyone Better Off
entails a robust exchange in goods and services within and outside the ASEAN region. With e-learning in the
ASEAN region, there is an assurance of a stable human capital level that promotes development and produces a
free-flow of skilled workforce. Indeed, this makes the migration of workers flexible and productive for both the
individual and the expansion of businesses. Furthermore, the use of e-learning in higher education, in the long run, is
far more cost-effective compared to traditional education, given the reduction in various operating costs. It is still
important to note that tertiary education would only be able to adopt e-learning with sufficient resources and
conditions fully supported by governments. If maximized, e-learning would not only be useful during this time of
crisis; it would remain as a lasting innovation for students of the present and future generations since it enables them
to become more informed and socially active citizens who significantly contribute to the national economic growth
as measured by their country’s Gross National Product (GNP) referring to the value of all finished goods and
Rebekah Bombarda FDNECON K53
Infographic Essay #1: Growth of an ASEAN Country

services owned by a country's resident over a period of time (Seth, 2020). Therefore, in relation to the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals of achieving quality education, e-learning serves as a medium to attaining
upward socioeconomic mobility.

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