CHAPTER II

Presentation

HARDSHIPS OF ONLINE LEARNING IN THE PH

A. Contextual Background of online classes (outline)

Online learning is the essence of using the internet, through the use of

gadgets, to learn or attend classes by using web pages, articles, or online classes. It

is often used for convenient use since it doesn’t require much than face to face meet

ups. Different articles, journals, dictionaries, etc. made by verified professionals are

often used for basis or learning material in sessions.

According to Loeb (2020), “In the online setting, students may have more

distractions and less oversight, which can reduce their motivation.” (p. 1)

Most online courses, however, particularly those serving K-12 students, have

a format much more similar to in-person courses. The teacher helps to run virtual

discussion among the students, assigns homework, and follows up with individual

students. Sometimes these courses are synchronous (teachers and students all

meet at the same time) and sometimes they are asynchronous (non-concurrent). In

both cases, the teacher is supposed to provide opportunities for students to engage

thoughtfully with subject matter, and students, in most cases, are required to interact

with each other virtually. (Loeb 2020, p.1)

1. Different Local Schools Promoting Online Classes

Despite connectivity and accessibility issues, however, teachers remain

optimistic about the upcoming school year. They continue to prepare learning
modules for their students and attend multiple webinars to learn new methods of

adapting their teaching styles to new modalities. (Rappler 2020)

Although connectivity and the accessibility of a source of internet for online

use is definitely something important for Online Learning, the students ability to study

and/or to understand concepts is also something to keep in mind.

Students who struggle in in-person classes are likely to struggle even more

online. While the research on virtual schools in K-12 education doesn’t address

these differences directly, a study of college students that I worked on with Stanford

colleagues found very little difference in learning for high-performing students in the

online and in-person settings. On the other hand, lower performing students

performed meaningfully worse in online courses than in in-person courses.

But just because students who struggle in in-person classes are even more

likely to struggle online doesn’t mean that’s inevitable. Online teachers will need to

consider the needs of less-engaged students and work to engage them. Online

courses might be made to work for these students on average, even if they have not

in the past. (Loeb 2020, p. 1)

2. Influence of Different School Related Activities to Students

Homework can affect both students’ physical and mental health. According to a

study by Stanford University, 56 per cent of students considered homework a

primary source of stress. Too much homework can result in lack of sleep,
headaches, exhaustion and weight loss. Excessive homework can also result in poor

eating habits, with families… (OxfordLearning 2020, p. 1)

After a full day of learning in class, students can become burnt out if they have

too much homework. When this happens, the child may stop completing homework

or rely on a parent to assist with homework. As a result, the benefits of homework

are lost and grades can start to slip.

Too much homework can also result in less active learning, a type of learning that

occurs in context and encourages participation. Active learning promotes the

analysis and application of class content in real world settings. Homework does not

always provide these opportunities, leading to boredom and a lack of problem-

solving skills. (OxfordLearning 2020, p. 1)

Homework, being one of the major stressors for students, may have an effect in a

student’s daily life but it doesn’t always mean in the worst way. The way students

perceive homework can be changed or moulded in a way that would at least lessen

the negative reputation that it has. The students' experience in class contributes to

how they see homework related to it. By having teachers teach in a meaningful yet

interesting way that would sway students and their outlook on the class, it would

change their usual perception of homework. Not only do they need to make the

atmosphere in the classroom better, but also make the homework reasonable.

B. Barriers to online learning

With Covid-19 — the coronavirus disease 2019 — spreading at a rapid rate, all

schools throughout the Philippines were closed with the declaration of community

quarantines in hopes of slowing the increase of cases. The Department of Education

(DepEd) eventually made the decision that the opening of the coming school year
will be on August 24. But some education officials have been looking into the use of

online platforms to start classes earlier than that date. (Kritz 2020, 1)

According to Schroeder (2020), “Worldwide, lives are stressed and strained by

COVID-19. Nowhere is that more evident than in the lives of students, staff and

faculty members engaged in the transformed role of online learning.” (p. 1)

As higher education adapts to teaching and learning at a distance, the workload

and the learning load of adopting a new delivery mode is taking a huge toll on the

lives of those in higher education. This is an immense problem that is growing

rapidly. While there are some students who are thriving through online learning, the

toll of the virus, isolation, increased workloads and other associated effects are rising

among many students, staff and faculty members. It must not be underestimated.

Every institution must address these challenges that threaten the well-being of their

constituents. (Schroeder 2020, p. 1)

Considered as adult learners, the students in higher education will be expected to

manage their time effectively and develop communication and technological skills.

They must be self-motivated, exhibit commitment and accept the flexibility that goes

with online engagements. However, these internal conditions and expectations of

students may be challenged by poor internet access, misinformation, and inadequate

institutional support. ( Larbi-Apau 2020 ,p. 1)

Students, especially those in higher grades, are expected to be able to manage

their time both at school and at home. Although many are able to do it in the past,

now that school is held online while inside their homes, responsibilities from both

school and home intertwined, making it harder for them to manage. They may be

higher grades, but they are still students and are still learning, pushing everything on
them and expecting them to do great is something that should be avoided. Rather

than expecting them to do great, help them learn and adapt to become their desired

greatness.

1. Supplies

Online schooling provides virtual classes that a student takes at home alone

or with a group, through either voice call or a video call via applications such as

Messenger, Google Zoom or Skype. Online learning requires proper equipment such

as a smartphone that can support calls or video, and a stable internet connection.

Only a fraction of public schools, however, have access to the internet, so

they will not be   able to meet the requirement of a stable connection. According to

DepEd’s ICT Service Director Aida Yuvienco in a recent interview with “GovInsider,”

“Only 26 percent of public schools are connected to the internet or are able to

connect to the internet”, and she added that nearly 5,000 public schools in remote

areas do not even have access to electricity.

83rd out of 138 countries in terms of digital readiness, according to the Department

of Science and Technology.

Also, due to poverty in the Philippines, not all families have the resources to

get the required equipment for online learning. These families simply cannot adjust

to the requirements for online schooling and will otherwise be left behind or forced to

find other methods of schooling for their children. (Kritz 2020, p. 1)

C. Sufficient resources available 

Accessibility is defined as users’ ability to use products/services, but not the

extent to which they can attain goals (usability). Designers should create output

accommodating the needs of all potential users, be they disabled (e.g., color-blind

users) or anyone facing situational barriers (e.g., being forced to multitask). While

accessibility is different from usability, it has a clear impact on the user experience

and should always be considered as part of a great user experience. Hence, it is

important that accessibility and usability of a web-based classroom are both present

in designing an alternative e-learning tool especially for the time of calamities and

other emergencies. ( Francisco 2020, p. 5)

The online classroom, or the medium used for gathering and accessing

works, should be able to accommodate the needs of the students. Not only that but it

should also be able to accommodate those with needs such as colorblind people or

those who have trouble analyzing contents. It should be an accessible place for

students to open and submit their works. It should be both accessible and usable by

students of any age and situation, making it easier to work with.

teacher to be able to interact with one another, however, not everyone is fortunate

enough to have those. Not only that but also there are only a number of students

who possess strong internet connection or powerful gadgets that they can use to tap

information while most students in the Philippines only have access to at least a

handheld device and a somewhat stable internet connection. And because of the

country’s current situation, those who use pisonet to gain access to the internet or

any other means, such as having the chance to install internet connections, is

prohibited or delayed. 

Not every household in the Philippines has access to the internet. Almost 70%

percent of the households in the Philippines have access to the internet and only

30% of those are students who have access to the internet.  Not everyone has the

chance to be connected with others through the internet, school related or not. 

Indicate sources
homework: https://www.oxfordlearning.com/how-does-homework-affect-

students/#:~:text=Homework%20can%20affect%20both%20students,headaches

%2C%20exhaustion%20and%20weight%20loss. 

Perspective study: https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-

020-02312-0 

Digital learning: https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-

trending-now/wellness-and-mental-health-2020-online-learning 

Effectiveness: https://www.edweek.org/technology/opinion-how-effective-is-online-

learning-what-the-research-does-and-doesnt-tell-us/2020/03 

The transition: https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/03/17/moving-online-

learning-from-challenge-to-opportunity.aspx on demand educational apps

Views on OL: https://www.rappler.com/moveph/video-how-students-parents-

teachers-see-education-amid-coronavirus-pandemic 

PH not ready: https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/06/11/campus-press/ph-not-ready-

for-online-schooling/730998/ 

Adoption of OL : https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?

story=20200506200743715

Internet Access: 

https://eu.boell.org/en/2020/10/06/philippines-distance-learning-reveals-digital-

divide#:~:text=Provincial%20government%20data%20indicates%20that,only

%20be%20accessed%20by%20boat. 

PDF 
Online learning: http://www.cetla.howard.edu/workshops/docs/The%20Difference

%20Between%20Emergency%20Remote%20Teaching%20and%20Online

%20Learning%20_%20EDUCAUSE%20(2).pdf 

Medical Students: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40670-021-01231-z 

Status of E-learning: http://www.jcreview.com/fulltext/197-1590731776.pdf 

Effectiveness: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED607990.pdf