CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter covers the review of related literature and studies from theses,

journals, and internet sources, contributing to a better understanding and broader

perspective on the present investigation. This study generally focuses on the online

learning experiences of the elementary education students of Carlos Hilado Memorial

State College. This chapter contains local and foreign literature and readings from

different websites, articles, or other research writings and studies that assist to better

and improved learning in the development of the new mode of learning.

Philippine Education Amidst the COVID Pandemic

The government decided to suspend classes at all levels in Metro Manila amidst

the pandemic which eventually led to classes in other cities and regions in the

Philippines. Several decisions were made, including extending community quarantine

for how many months in different parts of the country. Despite the imposition of health

protocols and safety measures, the death toll continues to rise. Accordingly, there was a

delay in the opening of classes for school-year 2020-2021. Students and teachers shall

adopt alternative learning modalities for continuity of learning, including modular

learning with technology-mediated instruction. Department of Education Official

Statement last June 8, 2020, mentioned that the department is already preparing for the

updates of their new policies based on their Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan

(BE-LCP) in line with the current situation. It was also stated that teachers are being

trained in providing the lessons through newer platforms (Briones, L, 2020). On June
19, 2020, the Department of Education released the DepEd Order 12, s.2020 with a

title, "Adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan for School Year 2020-

2021", which covers one of the essential things that this order wants to achieve which is

the practice of different alternatives in delivering quality education. One of them is

through online learning. The majority of the schools in the Philippines are now using

online curriculum as the mode of learning in the past months, especially tertiary level as

the government still prohibits mass gathering.

APEC Schools or Affordable Private Education Center Schools (2020) explained

that the sudden change in the educational system's modality has somewhat caused

confusion and a challenge to many students since online learning was not practiced or

imposed in most schools in the country. It cannot be denied that there are different

difficulties the students face regarding the online learning mode (Marcial et al., 2015).

Online learning during the period of pandemic

prompting teachers to quickly transition to an online method of instruction. Many

academic institutions that were previously reluctant to change their old teaching

strategies now have no choice but to incorporate online teaching–learning in its entirety

(Dhawan, 2020). A number of institutions, colleges, and universities have begun to

phase out in-person teaching. Learning opportunities will suffer as a result of the current

level of social isolation. Institutions of higher learning are desperate to find solutions to

this difficult situation. Professors are currently offering lecture through a variety of

platforms. Professors are utilizing online educational platforms, video conferencing

software, and social media to teach their lectures (Aguilera-Hermida, 2020). Professors
can use online educational platforms like Google Classroom to distribute notes and

multimedia resources related to their courses with students. Using online educational

platforms, students can submit assignments and professors can keep track of their

students' progress. Videoconferencing platforms such as Google Meet, Zoom, and

Microsoft Teams help in delivering online classes and discussion sessions.

Factors to students’ Online Learning Experiences

Among the things that might have influence students’ experiences in online

learning, the following have been found as factors that affect these experiences:

Social Interaction Issue. Mohammad Archi Maulyda (2020) expresses that having

this online learning is a challenge for him as a professor at the University of Mataram.

Together with his students, they are barely interacting with each other online. As a

result, students did not perform well and got low scores on their tests. This is somewhat

the same situation with Fawaz Yaseen Abdullah, a professor from the University of

Mosul (2020). All those students actively engaged in the discussion and still could not

easily understand the topic being discussed. Abdullah added that his online learning

experience is more of a negative experience. Scenarios like these show that online

education is not as easy as we might think it could be. These are considered social

interaction issues in online learning, with factors such as a lack of collaboration between

fellow students and instructors, as well as a lack of communication during a discussion

(Marcial et al., 2015). One main reason students could not perform well in an online

learning class is that some students could not independently work the tasks instructed

by instructors, as explained by Grace Veridiano, a teacher from the Department of

Education Philippines (2020). She added that students needed a face-to-face

than relying on the audio-visual materials given to them online based on her experience.

Students' conditions will vary in the classroom, ranging from those who are engaged in

reacting to the instructor or lecturer to others who are quite passive in teaching and

learning activities (Husaini, 2019). Despite possessing full cognitive capacities, children

cannot be considered entire persons if they lack emotional and psychomotor

intelligence (Haryadi & Aripin, 2015). Communication and the classroom environment

might have an impact on why kids are so passive in class (Al-Mahrooqi, Denman, & Al-

Hasani, 2017).

Access to the Internet and Cost of Material Resource. Aside from the issues

regarding social interaction, internet accessibility and the availability of technological

resources are possible hindrances to many students in the Philippines regarding

attending online classes, especially those who belong to low-income families. Few

weeks after the start of classes last August 2020 for tertiary level in the Philippines,

many students vented out their frustrations through social media and called for an

"academic freeze" (Ong Ki, 2020). This explains how complex the online learning setup

is for students, even to those who have access to and material resources, and how

much more difficult it is for students who cannot afford to have access to the internet

using their cellphone loads or mobile data, or students who lack the technological or

material resources required. These issues include under the accessibility to the internet

in online learning highlighting the causes like students find it expensive or too expensive

to access the internet and the unavailability of the gadgets needed (Marcial et al., 2015)

or the material resource is inappropriate for the online learning curriculum such as
keypad phones or the old models of cellphones. The insufficiency of resources needed

in the online environment may result in students' poor performance and could eventually

lead to a loss of interest of students to attend online classes (Reyes-Chua et al., 2020).

Technical Skills of Students and Instructors. Another major problem of

students and instructors in an online learning environment is technical skills. Technical

skills are needed to address the technical problems efficiently, if ever, that the students

and instructors will encounter whether they are doing tasks online or offline. Some

factors of technical skills include the deficiency in software skills, unawareness of how

to use online learning tools, etc. (Muilenburg and Berge, 2005 as cited by Marcial,

2015). The challenge, as mentioned earlier, and factors significantly limit student

passion for learning, inevitably producing imbalances in distance education

development and negatively impacting higher education (Mo, Hsieh, Lin, et al., 2021). In

addition to their research, Mo, Hsieh, Lin, et al. (2021) claimed that a lack of these

abilities would lead to a lack of knowledge about ICT as well as inadequate content

development, all of which have inhibited the mainstream acceptance of online learning.

These factors must be evaluated and improved because they contribute to a desirable

outcome in online learning, such as knowing how to resolve sudden and unexpected

problems during online class, which leads to students actively participating in

discussions, receiving high quiz scores, and performing well in activities, among other

things. Also, the appropriateness of online learning tools being used in teaching is

essential (Onyima & Daniil, 2017). This will determine whether the instructor is effective

and capable of handling online classes.

acquired from the Department of Education's study performed in April 2020, roughly 9%

of the over 670,000 teachers polled had had experience with distant learning or online

learning, according to Hootsuite Media Inc. (2020). Mo, Hsieh, Lin, et al. (2021)

emphasized in their study that the deployment of online teaching is hampered by

teachers' skill shortage. Teachers are under-informed, with some sticking to only one

technique of instruction. This shows a negative impact on the implementation of the

online learning curriculum in our educational system. Teachers who do not have

experience when it comes to teaching online will spend time learning the tools needed

in giving instructions and guiding the students on how to access and use those tools

(APEC schools, 2020).

Benefits

Accessibility. Accessing class materials and submitting work brought

convenience now that everything is available online. It is up to the student when and

where this occurs, as long as assignment deadlines are met. In their study, Bczek,

Zagaczyk-Bczek, Szpringer, et al. (2021) stressed that accessibility and availability

of materials regardless of location and time contribute to students' and teachers'

effectiveness with online learning. The convenience with which students may access

study resources is one of the primary reasons why they prefer e-learning. This helps

students to easily acquire knowledge, resulting in a positive attitude toward it (Khan,

2021).

Material Resource. Blau & Shamir-Inbal (2017) and Blau, Shamir-Inbal, & Avdiel

(2020) stressed in their study that technology can facilitate the creation of new
knowledge through a variety of pedagogical approaches and a diverse set of

learning tools. This can help participants improve social and collaborative skills as

well as personal ties. Furthermore, the use of online classes during the Covid 19

epidemic has been an excellent way to teach and allow students to learn how to use

technology as part of their curriculum for their module, practice, and intervention

skills (Mallillin, Mendoza, Mallillin, et al., 2020).

Instructional Process. Rather than providing content purely from the teachers'

perspective, online teaching and learning should strive to meet the needs and

expectations of the students (Paudel, P., 2021). According to Duraku and Hoxha

(2020), teachers' attitudes about teaching methods have been proven to influence

technology integration in the classroom. They are also likely to play a crucial role in

the successful implementation of online learning.

Conduct of Assessment. The learning outcomes of modules in higher

education programs are specific. These findings reveal the learning levels that

students require to achieve specific educational objectives (Al-Shammari, 2011). As

a result, both in terms of assisting the learning process and quantifying the degree of

learning, assessment objectives are intrinsically linked to learning outcomes.

Assessment serves critical functions in higher education, according to Archer (2017)

and Capsim (2020), which Guangul cited, Suhail et al. (2020). These functions

include facilitating learning, implementing accountability, and providing certification,

progress, and transfer. Hence, teachers must be emphatic and considerate in this

aspect in order for students to achieve.

students' development, according to e-student.org (2019). As Pappas, C published

in eLearning Industry (2019), pacing lets learners perform well because they can

spend more time focusing on difficult items than having a time limit like in a

classroom setting. Self-paced learning is effective and efficient because it improves

memory and enables learners to use their time according to their convenience. It lets

fast learners absorb a lot in a short period while letting slow learners understand

concepts clearly without pressure (Patterson, J., 2015) as cited by Tamm, S.,

(2019). The learner is a social and active person who is actively involved in his or

her own education (Haddiuoi, 2020). They may interact with their professors,

classmates, and study materials from the comfort of their own homes through online

learning.

Academic Performance of Students. As noted by Onwuegbuzie and Jiao

(2000), as referenced by Dunn and Rakes (2010), students who participate in face-

to-face learning do not fare as well academically as those who attend traditional

classes (Solomon and Rothblum, 1984). Furthermore, students enrolled in Online

Learning surpassed traditional learning students in terms of academic achievement.

(Holley, D., 2012, cited in Mothibi, G., 2015). Many school institutions also want to

implement this type of learning modality because it provides an efficient way for

students to learn in a faster way anytime and anywhere. However, this is not the

case in most educational institutions, primarily in the Philippines, because of the said

factors such as no access to the internet, unavailability of material resources, lack of

clear directions from instructors, etc. (Marcial, D et al., 2015). In the teaching and
 learning process, students' confidence is vital. It's because it has an indirect impact

on everything in pupils' minds, including cognitive, affective, and psychomotor

functions (Husaini, 2019).

Drawback

Accessibility. Due to a shortage of technology and resources, students have

struggled to do their assignments outside school (Hall, 2020). Due to a shortage of

technology and resources, students have struggled to do their assignments outside

school (Hall, 2020). There is still an opportunity gap rather than an achievement gap

in accessing this rich and powerful educational system (Carmichael, 2020).

Material Resource. The number of people who use gadgets increases

considerably every year. A growing number of students throughout the world cannot

imagine their education without the help of modern technology (Bayanova, 2019).

Inadequate internet connections, power supply, and a lack of cellphones and other

technologies hinder educational opportunities for children in distant areas

(Chatterjee, 2020).

Instructional Process. In an online-only environment, technical challenges are

sure to arise (Friedman, 2020). During an online course, technical issues may arise.

These events are frequently unexpected, and both pupils and teachers are

unprepared for them which results to problem in giving instructions online.

Conduct of Assessment. The demand for all communication mediated by

technology is a direct outcome of students and teachers being physically separated.

The assessment of student learning is one area that demands specific attention.
 This includes how instructors assess both formatively and summatively student

progress, how they distribute graded tasks across an entire course, the problems of

providing meaningful feedback, and the techniques they try to solve these concerns.

Asynchronous technologies like email, discussion boards, blogs, and wikis were

used to communicate among participants in the online classes studied for this study.

The impact of late posting is one issue that arises from the asynchronous nature of

the online conversation. If some students wait until Saturday to begin a debate that

lasts from Monday to Sunday, they may miss out on the opportunity to participate

fully (Kearns, 2012).

Mental Health. The impact of using technology is that it affects their social and,

most significantly, their emotional health. Most studies have found negative impacts

on this area of health. This kind of setup may impact student technology in that it

affects their socie and can cause undue stress because some parents cannot

support what is needed outside the classroom setting. This can affect a student's

techno, such as those who expect to have technology tools and internet access but

parents cannot provide for their academic needs (Halupa, C., 2016).

A. Coping with Difficulties

Self-Motivation. Motivation is defined as the learner's eagerness to learn

(Martin, A., 2020). Purdue University Global (2017) stated that it is essential for

learners to have discipline because they are in charge of their education. Martin, A.

(2020) added that self-regulation is essential for learners and instructors in online

learning, such as setting deadlines for activities to avoid workloads to pile up. It was
 also highlighted that motivation influenced learners' performance positively and on

how they participate in an online class (Giesbers, Rienties, Tempelaar & Gijselaers,

2014 as cited by Brooker, A., Corrin, L. et al., 2018)

Time Management. In online learning, time management is critical to the

effectiveness of the educational process; it organizes and arranges how to split time

between certain activities. Good time management enables us to work smarter and

get more done in less time, even when time is tight and high pressures. Students

need to show commitment and determination by having time management skills

such as prioritizing, organizing, strategic planning, and problem-solving. To

maximize their time management efficiency in online learning, they should prioritize

their tasks wisely, plan, manage distractions, avoid multi-tasking and eliminate half

work (Foltynek, T. and Motycka, A., 2009). Time Management also helps students

assess themselves and how it affects their behavior in managing their time in their

studies in online learning (Khan, M. and Nasrulla, S., 2015).

Synthesis

Online learning is essential in the current situation of the educational system

around the world. It offered many benefits in the educational system, especially in terms

of efficiency. Furthermore, it exposes students and instructors to many opportunities

they can get and learn online. However, it has drawbacks that hinder many students

from joining online classes and other instructors from providing and conduct certain

learning materials such as having problems accessing the internet, lack of material

resource, problem in internet connection affecting the instructional process as well as

the conduct of assessment. In having online classes, it is essential to make sure that
student's learning process will not hinder because of technology. Internet stability and

availability of technological devices are needed online because, in the first place, these

are the ones that enable students and instructors to enter or connect to the online

platform. Online learning also requires students and instructors to be aware and

knowledgeable in using different online tools and software. Thus, making the technical

skills an essential quality needed to be mastered by the students and instructors. As the

current situation in the Philippines is still not subsiding, the Department of Education

faces many challenges when it comes to the different problems of the students and

instructors encountered in online learning.

Understanding students' experiences in online learning have suggestions on the

viability of teaching strategies, but unfortunately, not all students have positive

experiences in online learning. The benefit of flexibility in online courses, on the other

hand, cannot be stressed because it is a significant reason why students are drawn to

online learning. Online learning permits students to work simultaneously and in a place

appropriate to their learning needs.

References:

Dhawan, S. (2020, June). Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19 Crisis -
Shivangi Dhawan, 2020. SAGE Journals.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0047239520934018.

Aguilera-Hermida, A. P. (2020, September 9). College students' use and acceptance of