College of Arts and Science & Education

NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE

Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

CHAPTER 1

The Problem

INTRODUCTION

Every human being has unique characteristics and perspective in life. We had

our own struggles to fight in attaining our goals. As a student, we encountered obstacles but

still determined to succeed in studies. In society, rich, poor and person with disabilities

(PWD) exist but despite of these, we survived according to our own capacity. Among the

PWD in the society, students with visual impairment also managed to study and get a degree.

According to an article in Best Colleges, in 2015, 42% of visually impaired person managed

to engage in work and there are less than 15% who earned a bachelor’s degree at an

accredited higher learning institution. It implies that physical disability is not a hindrance to

become a degree holder.

Reference

https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/college-planning-with-visual-impairments/

Statistics about VI students

VI student during pandemic(how?)

What are your observations of VI students?

Purpose of study

https://eera-ecer.de/ecer-programmes/conference/22/contribution/41339/
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

visually-impaired students in synchronous learning in selected tertiary school in

Tacurong City.

Statement of the Problem

The primary objective of this study is to understand the experiences of visually-

impaired students with synchronous learning in tertiary schools. Specifically, it aims to

answer the following questions.

1. What are the challenges experience by the participants in synchronous

learning?

2. How do they cope up with those challenges?

Significance of the study

This study was undertaken to identify the challenges and coping of visually-

impaired students in synchronous learning in selected tertiary schools in Tacurong City.

To Visually-impaired Students, conducting this research would be beneficial

to the visual Impaired Students. This study will help the visual impaired students to give
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

awareness on How they cope up with different problems that they might be able to

encountered.

To Parents, this study can be beneficial to the parents of visual Impaired

Students because it let them to know the situation of their children and can be able to

help them on how they going to deal with their children who are experiencing difficulties

with regards to their environment and education.

To Social Work Practice, Visual Impairment belongs to the PWD and it’s one of the

sectors in Social Work Practice. The result of this study can be helpful to our City

Social Welfare and Development with the support of our Local Government Unit to

come up with a programs and services for PWD, specifically those visually impaired.

Studying this specific sector will help the worker provide long-term support which will

help to improve the practices of social workers working with Person with disabilities.

To Notre Dame of Tacurong College, the finding of this study will be beneficial to

school administration, this could be the basis in identifying they would be able to understand

the challenges encountered by the visually-impaired so that they can provide appropriate

services to them.

Scope of the Study

This Study will be conducted to understand the Challenges encountered by the

visually-impaired students with synchronous learning in tertiary school. This study focuses
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

on the Visual Impaired Students. The respondents will be coming from the different

Tertiary School in Tacurong City. Therefore, there will be 6 participants that will represent

the students who are visually impaired in different tertiary school in Tacurong City. The

Span of time intended for this research study is last for the whole duration of the first and

second semester of the school year 2021-2022.

Definition of Terms

Persons with disabilities (PWDs), include those who have long-term physical, mental,

intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder

their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. (WHO,2013)

Visual impairments, refer to the loss of vision, even when a person makes use of corrective

lenses also reduced vision caused by eye diseases, accidents or eye conditions present from

birth (Agesa,2014).

Visually impaired, is a person who has a limited or total loss in the vision which interferes in

the use of the eye to perform task. This impairment if not reversible or correctible by the use

of glasses or surgery affect the academic pursuit of the child. Visual impairment includes a

child who is blind therefore cannot use vision for learning or the low vision who has

difficulty accomplishing visual tasks, but they can learn through the visual sense by the use of

various special technologies and teaching techniques. Globally, it is estimated that 2.2 billion

people of all ages may have vision impairment. Majority of the visual problems (92 percent)

are caused by uncorrected refractive error which can be easily corrected with a pair of

eyeglasses. Among those, at least one billion people suffer from moderate or severe distance
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

vision impairment or blindness that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed

(WHO, 2019).

Synchronous e-learning, is a general term used to describe forms of education, instruction,

and learning that occur at the same time, but not in the same place. The term is most

commonly applied to various forms of televisual, digital, and online learning in which

students learn from instructors, colleagues, or peers in real time, but not in person. For

example, educational video conferences, interactive webinars, chat-based online discussions,

and lectures that are broadcast at the same time they delivered would all be considered forms

of synchronous learning. (GLOSSARY OF EDUCATION REFORM,2013).

Coping, a basic process integral to adaptation and survival, depicts how people detect,

appraise, deal with, and learn from stressful encounters. (E.A. Skinner, M. Zimmer-

Gembeck, 2016).

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This Chapter contains the summary of literature relevant to the study including the

theoretical frame work.

Disability is a growing concern in developing countries like in the Philippines, the

World Bank estimated that 20% of the words people have some kind of disability. Apart

from poverty, discrimination and prejudice are the major challenges that the person with

disabilities face in their everyday life. There are different kinds of disabilities and some of
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

these are autism, mental illness, physical disability, and vision loss and blindness (Mina and

Tabuga,2011).

Two hundred eighty-five million people estimated to be visually impaired world

wild. Thirty-nine million of which are blind and two-hundred-forty-six- million have low

vision. About ninety percent (90%) of the worlds blind live in low-income setting (World

Health Organization,2014). Blindness can occur at the time of their birth, at very early age, or

at a later of life(revesz,1950). The usual causes of blindness are glaucoma, age-related

macular degeneration, corneal opacities, childhood blindness and diabetic retinopathy (World

Health Organization,2014)

Students with visual impairment still struggle with poorly designed computer

interfaces that continue to lag behind in some web design features. Gerber (2003) and Craven

and Brophy (2003) in their exposition on the challenges visually impaired students face in

using virtual learning mention that most of the adaptive technologies used by students with

visual impairment only help them to navigate the internet in a linear and serial pattern. Most

of these web pages are accessible to the visually impaired but not usable by them because of

the

interfaces. There are instances that the visually impaired is deny both access and usability due

to the web page designs which is sophisticated and include visual elements such as graphics,

hyperlinks and pop-up windows that pose challenge to them. In case the visually impaired is
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

considered at all, the web designers tend to address only accessibility issues, and ignore the

equally important usability dimension of e-learning tools’ (Leporini & Paterno 2004).

Many studies have outlined challenges students faced in the use of virtual learning

in general terms and specifically the visually impaired students. In general terms, (Sarker,

Mahmud, Islam, and Islam,2019) asserted that inadequate ICT infrastructure is a challenge

capable of hindering e-learning implementation success. Again, the challenges to

implementing its e-learning system range from inadequate ICT infrastructure, poor ICT skills

of some lecturers, inadequate funds for implementation, inadequate ICT staff, high cost of

accessibility of e-learning by nonresidential students and low motivation for lecturers to

accept and use e-learning. Other challenges students can encounter in the use of virtual

learning is the low motivation in the use of virtual learning, unavailability of electricity in

parts of the country to support their use of phones and laptops to aid in learning, the poor or

no network in parts of

the country as most of the students are resident home. These challenges apply to all including

those with disabilities.

Technological changes in the methods used to deliver course content are becoming

widespread in higher education. Computer-supported collaborative learning environments are

allowing students to experience new ideas and different perspectives, and easily share their
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

thoughts with other students (Dillon, 2008; Golden, 2006; Sullivan et al., 2011; Tabak &

Nguyen, 2013). Yet, courses that involve an online learning component or those that are fully

online or blended put different demands on the professor, many times changing his or her role

to one of a tutor facilitator (McFadzean & McKenzie, 2001; Ross & Rosenbloom, 2011) and

posing challenges regarding the design, initiation, and implementation of online course

components (Milwood & Terrell, 2005). Although computer assisted teaching and learning or

Internet based education is gaining acceptance as a supplement or an alternative to teaching

and learning in traditional classroom settings, more research is clearly needed on its

effectiveness in enhancing and supporting student learning (Lai, 2011; Nicholas & Wan,

2009; Ross & Rosenbloom, 2011).

Moodle and aims to develop a learning environment that supports the visually

impaired students of e-learning, allowing them to ask questions, discuss and share ideas

through forums and use chat rooms in real time. (Alana Da Silva Luna, Pedro Igor Barroso

Jatoba, Thiago (Viana, Felipe Pacheco,2016). Han (2013) found that regarding utilization of

video conferencing at higher education level in synchronous instruction use of videos impacts

the learners' feeling of association with their instructor. Han found that in courses that

included teacher videos, as compared to the courses that did not utilize videos, students

could overcome the feeling of being at distance from the instructor. compared to the

courses that did not utilize videos, students could overcome the feeling of being at distance

from the instructor.

 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

Virtual learning can be viewed as the use of educational technologies to design, deliver, and

manage both formal and informal learning and knowledge sharing at any time, any place.

Virtual learning is acquired via interaction with digitally delivered content, network-based

services and tutoring support often with any type of online tool and media including the

internet, intranets, extranets, simulations and games, virtual worlds, clouds, satellite

broadcasts, and web platforms (Schutt & Linegar, 2013; Pelet & Lecarte, 2013). It is carried

out through the use and integration of electronic discourses, such as email, portal,

downloadable-executable-file, face-book, social networking, web platforms, electronic

dissertations and e-portfolios, among others (Bouchard, 2011; Weller, 2010). Mobile learning

which is the ability to obtain or provide educational content on personal pocket devices such

as PDAs, smart phones and mobile phones, is also a form of virtual learning (Kharbach,

2013).

Numerous studies have contributed to improving assisted aid technology such as

screen readers, the development and the use of audiobooks, and technology that supports

individual learning by the visually impaired. Before conducting research on how the existing

technologies could enhance today’s study support service, a lead user was identified from

among the visually impaired university students that were involved in the new service

development process. (Chatcai Tangsri, Onjaree Na-Takuatoong, Peraphon

Sophatsathit,2013). digital materials can help blind and visually impaired students to

participate in e-learning and collaborative settings. The use of multimedia content enhances

the learning experience of sighted students, but new barriers arise for the visually impaired.

(Wiebke Köhlmann, 2002).

 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

Distance learning constitutes a method suitable for people with disabilities and, more

particularly, for people with a visual impairment, as it can contribute to their easier

integration into the educational and social environment. The philosophy underlying distance

learning is the creation and provision of alternative educational opportunities, as well as the

open access to these opportunities for everyone so that the ideal of open education may be

fulfilled (Lionarakis & Likourgioti, 1998, p.30). Providing educational opportunities to

everyone is linked directly with the opportunity to access education and, as a result, with the

widening of the constraints and the potentials of distance learning through the utilization of

various methods and means. Such a widening though needs to take into account people with

any kind of disability, and to investigate the ways in which these people can be involved in

distance learning (Garrison, Schardt & Kochi, 2000). Besides, this type of education is

already developed to such a level that with the utilization of ICT (Information and

communication technologies) offers innovative applications as well as alternative learning

opportunities (Lionarakis, 2004).

 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

https://www.scribd.com/document/302876693/RRLforBlindPeople-docx-docx?
fbclid=IwAR1h0m-zO5H1qWyGUo5H-
Ybfov7AcO2MxHxo10r2KVc7sQyDVBGzzG0S89I

https://www.scribd.com/document/302876693/RRLforBlindPeople-docx-docx?
fbclid=IwAR0u4OVUONnya8cDF69-n1-
eNR4B5OKoq_VZM8LWv0DeWAkPPmbR90WvdF0

http://consortiacademia.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/v10i6/a001_ijrse_final.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR3feSQkepvx9Yn4WjdUavKB8q364nWNui2c4oMRKimFFqqwg5N
J5Q2rW1U

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=synchronous
%20learning%20of%20visually-
impaired&oq=&fbclid=IwAR35_w3IjaftLoKeOgcKpuxwDHTGyYR6NrJ0E9szr
jx6nAwpLPg_FnvXwb4#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DIuPmCm-QY2MJ

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283193570_Distance_Education_For_People_With
_Visual_Impairments
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-31522-0_13?
fbclid=IwAR1uJkW8ylsJX7EtvMhDS3UogWwgf0tbdWxgbemhJwk9ndP8Kidl3
nrJAoY
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=synchronous
%20learning%20of%20visually-
impaired&oq=&fbclid=IwAR1kXPEaUSfqD_RfXvnBys-
qOBp9oCsTpT_8D93rFxVIlyKv5q1Vb_VbZ7s#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p
%3DLHEMP79qul8J
 College of Arts and Science & Education
NOTRE DAME OF TACURONG COLLEGE
Lapu-lapu St., City of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

Theoretical Framework

Resilience theory argues that it’s not the nature of adversity that is most important, but

how we deal with it. When we face adversity, misfortune, or frustration, resilience helps us

bounce back. It helps us survive, recover, and even thrive in the face and wake of misfortune,

but that’s not all there is to it. (Ledesma, 2014). This study aims to know how those

challenges affect the visually-impaired student in synchronous learning to gain a clearer

understanding of what challenges affect their studies also to determine how does the

participants cope in the challenges they encountered in synchronous learning.