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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has successfully forced global shutdown of educational

activities, and this has resulted in tremendous crisis-response migration of universities

with online learning serving as the only safe educational platform (Tupas and Laguda,

2020).

However, there is an issue on the unpreparedness of the educational systems in the

Philippines to facilitate a conducive online learning environment especially for skill-

based courses in the healthcare field due to the lack of necessary gadgets, poor

infrastructures for connectivity, network and power inaccessibility and unavailability

issues, and poor digital skills. Online learning is only conducive to learners that have

access to a broadband connection at home that is fast enough to support online learning.

While network operators have mainly been successful to maintain services and efficiently

utilise pre-existing capacity during phases of lockdown, there are still geographical areas

and population groups that are underserved, especially in rural and remote areas and

among low-income groups (OECD, 2020).

There are some factors such as lack of attention and participation, economic

restraints, and built-in resistance among faculty and institutions to the threat of

competition brought by virtual learning that must be addressed (Anderson, 2004).

Certainly, school administrators could not proceed in resuming classes since

government authorities prohibited the convergence of people and strictly imposing social
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or physical distancing. The foregoing situation leads the school administrators to resort to

another mode of course delivery in lieu of a classroom setting. They explore online

platforms as an alternative method of classroom instruction. The idea is to utilize

available online applications or platforms that will be used by teachers to reach out

students in order to continue their classes. Hence, the birth of online learning during the

time of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines came into being.

The term “online learning” has been described by researchers as broad and

encompassing learning modality that uses technology. However, some offered a working

definition of online learning such that of Howlett’s definition which refers to “the use of

electronic technology and media to deliver, support, and enhance both learning and

teaching and involves communication between learners and teachers utilizing online

content (Baticulon, 2020).

Despite these given doubts and concerns, school administrators still pursue

distance or online education as the “new normal” in our educational system. This effort is

geared towards incorporation of online education as mode of delivery of course content

and activities. The trend is making it a norm for today and beyond.

In particular, one school as subject of this study is Andres Bonifacio College

(ABC) in Dipolog City. This school opts to utilize online learning method to resume its

classes. It conducts online meeting with students in Zoom and Google Meet. This mode

of learning also applies to a skill-based course which is nursing.

In this study, the researchers endeavor to determine the level of effectiveness of

online learning among the chosen sample of nursing students. This study will present the
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four most common hurdles to online learning that will be used to measure its

effectiveness. These learning hurdles formulated from related literature and studies

include concerns on individual, institutional, community, and academic compliance.

Respondents will rate their corresponding responses provided in a survey questionnaire.

The responses will show the effectiveness of online learning by showing the readiness of

the students and their academic compliance.

Theoretical Framework

There have been theories of online learning formulated by researchers. It

presented the complexities on how effective online learning must be accomplished by

considering different lenses in creating virtual environments.

Anderson (2004) describes online learning as a subset of learning in general and

thus issues on how learners learn are also relevant in an online context. He cited the

works of Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (1999) regarding the “new science of learning”

which provides evidence on how important the convergence of four overlapping lenses in

framing an effective learning environment. The proponents argue that effective learning

focuses on four lenses: learner centered, knowledge centered, assessment centered,

and community centered.

First, he states that learner-centered context is not solely focused on the student

but also considers the needs of the teacher, institution and the society or even a group of

students that provide support to the subject student. He stated that this is more accurately

labeled as “learning centered” instead of “learner centered.” Understanding the

proposition of Bransford et.al., Anderson posits that teachers must understand the pre-
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existing knowledge of the students. He stated further that “the learning environment

respects and accommodates the particular attributes, especially the language and

particular forms of expression, that the learner uses to interpret and build knowledge.” At

the same vein, online learning offers challenges to teachers since “the tools and

opportunities for discovering students’ preconceptions and cultural perspectives are often

limited by bandwidth constraints that limit the view of body language and paralinguistic

clues.” Some researchers found that these limitations also affect negatively the efficacy

of communication.

Second, he states that online learning is neither advantages nor disadvantages on

knowledge-centered learning. This statement is accordance to the justification that the

internet “provides expanded opportunities for students to plunge ever deeper into

knowledge resources, thus affording a near limitless means for students to grow their

knowledge, to find their own way around the knowledge of the discipline, and to benefit

from its expression in thousands of formats and contexts.” However, a skillful online

teacher must still guide the students despite these overwhelming resources. The teacher

must limit and lead the students to where they can “grow their knowledge and discipline-

centered discoveries.”

Third, he deals on an assessment centered online environment. This focuses on

assessment based on formative evaluation with the intention “to motivate, inform, and

provide feedback to both learners and teachers.” It is said that assessment must be aligned

to the subject content, cognitive process being assessed and the results itself. Baxter,

Elder, and Glaser (1996), as cited by Anderson, stated in their findings that “competent
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students should be able to provide coherent explanations, generate plans for problem

solution, implement solution strategies, and monitor and adjust their activities.”

Lastly, the community-centered perspective includes “the critical social

component of learning” in designing an online learning. He cited the works of Vygotsky

(1978) on social recognition as consideration in understanding and encouraging students

to work collaboratively in creating new knowledge under the context of online learning.

This concept was further expanded into what is known as community inquiry espoused

by Lipman (1991) and the ideas of community practice of Wenger (2001) highlighting

the support and challenge of each member of the community towards “effective and

relevant knowledge construction.” Also cited is the work of Wilson (2001) where it

describes the students in online learning “as having a shared sense of belonging, trust,

expectation of learning, and commitment to participate and to contribute to the

community.”

As the world continuous to embrace technology, the education in the present

times has evolved from traditional face to face method to online learning. This sudden

switch of modality must have an effective learning material as these are important for the

success of every learner.

Mohamed Alley (2009) stressed out that different terminologies have been used

for online learning, which makes it difficult to develop a generic definition. Terms

commonly used for online learning include e-learning, Internet learning, distributed

learning, networked learning, tele-learning, virtual learning, computer-assisted learning,

web-based learning, and distance learning. All of these terms imply that the learner is at a

distance from the tutor or instructor, that the learner uses some form of technology
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(usually a computer) to access the learning materials, that the learner uses technology to

interact with the tutor or instructor and with other learners, and that some form of support

is provided to learners. This study will use the term online learning throughout as the

respondents are taking their instructions on online context. Online learning allows

participants to collapse time and space (Cole, 2000); however, he stated that the learning

materials must be designed properly to engage the learner and promote learning. The

delivery method allows for flexibility of access, from anywhere and usually anytime, but

the learning must use sound instructional design principles.

Alley presents the different schools of thought on learning and suggests how these

different schools of thought can be used to develop effective online materials: namely

behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist schools of thought. The behaviorist school

of thought, influenced by Thorndike (1913), Pavlov (1927), and Skinner (1974),

postulates that learning is a change in observable behaviour caused by external stimuli in

the environment (Skinner, 1974). Behaviorists claim that observable behaviour indicates

whether or not the learner has learned something, and not what is going on in the

learner’s head. In response, some educators claim that not all learning is observable and

there is more to learning than a change in behaviour. As a result, there has been a shift

away from behaviorist to cognitive learning theories. Cognitive psychology claims that

learning involves the use of memory, motivation, and thinking, and that reflection plays

an important part in learning. Cognitive theorists see learning as an internal process, and

contend that the amount learned depends on the processing capacity of the learner, the

amount of effort expended during the learning process, the depth of the processing (Craik

& Lockhart, 1972; Craik & Tulving, 1975), and the learner’s existing knowledge
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structure (Ausubel, 1974). Recently, there has been a move towards constructivism.

Constructivist theorists claim that learners interpret the information and the world

according to their personal reality, that they learn by observation, processing, and

interpretation, and then personalize the information into personal knowledge (Cooper,

1993; Wilson, 1997).

Under a close analysis of the behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist schools of

thought, many overlaps in the ideas and principles become apparent. The design of online

learning materials can include principles from all three schools of thought. According to

Ertmer and Newby (1993), the three schools of thought can, in fact, be used as a

taxonomy for learning. Behaviorists’ strategies can be used to teach the what (facts);

cognitive strategies can be used to teach the how (processes and principles); and

constructivist strategies can be used to teach the why (higher-level thinking that promotes

personal meaning, and situated and contextual learning). Behaviorist, cognitivist, and

constructivist theories have contributed in different ways to the design of online

materials, and they will continue to be used to develop learning materials for online

learning.

Siemens’ (2017) Connectivism, is a theory which states that new learning

opportunities are shaped through the use of Internet technologies and how people acquire

and share various information from across the Web and amidst their own. This theory

suits for this study as we are living in this digital age, where individuals learn and work in

a networked environment. It also identifies learning as a process occurring in vague

environments with relation to different elements and not entirely under someone’s

control. It is presented as the new learning theory for the digital age and has four key
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principles integrated by chaos, network, complexity, and self-organization. In

connectivist learning, an instructor will provide information and questions to the student

as needed, to allow sufficient support on the student’s part for learning and sharing

among themselves. They are also motivated to study and acquire information on their

own through the internet and present what they discover.

Considering the foregoing theories, the researchers intend to create a simplified

formulation in order to test the effectiveness of online learning. They come up with four

areas of concern which include individual, institutional, community and academic

compliance.

The individual concern will comprise questions on the part of students regarding

their readiness, hurdles, preconceptions and attributes in relation to online learning. On

the other hand, the institutional concern will focus on the school administrators and

teachers as regards their preparedness, expertise, and capability to go online. The third

concern on community will cover struggles faced by the students such as restrictions to

go outside because of quarantine measures and the distractions in their homes while

studying online. The last concern on academic compliance will cater questions about

assessment on how fast or low or either the students finish or comply their assignment

and activities in a given time. It will also delve on their level of understanding or

retention of course content given to them online.

Conceptual Framework

In this study the perceived effectiveness of online learning by first- and second-

year nursing students will be determined.

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Perceived effectiveness of online learning pertains to the student’s perspectives

about how effective this particular learning modality is in delivering the necessary

knowledge of the course towards them.

It is broken down in terms of the identified four core concerns of online learning

which includes the individual concern, relating to the students’ readiness, hurdles,

preconceptions and attributes in relation to online learning; the institutional concern,

focusing on how prepared school administrators and instructors are for delivering online

education; community concern, relating to the struggles of students due to restrictions in

going outside; academic compliance, concerning how fast and efficient can students

submit their assignments and activities.

The association between the demographic profile and the perceived effectiveness

of online learning will be explored. Significant differences of the effectiveness of online

learning in all of its four concerns will be analyzed in terms of biological sex and year

level.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Perceived Effectiveness of
Socio-demographic Profile Online Learning in terms of:
1. Biological Sex  Individual
2. Year Level  Institutional
 Community
 Academic Compliance

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the Study

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The figure above shows the flow of the variables of the study. In this comparative

research the categories of respondents in terms of biological sex and year level will serve

as the independent or grouping variables. Meanwhile, the perceived effectiveness of

online learning, as captured by the indicators so stated will serve as the dependent

variables.

Statement of the Problem

The focus of the study is to determine the level of perceived effectiveness of online

learning among the first year and second year nursing students of ABC, Dipolog City,

using indicators culled from the literature.

The study endeavours to answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. Biological Sex

b. Year Levels?

2. What is the level of perceived effectiveness of online learning among respondents in

terms of the following areas:

a. Individual?

b. Institutional?

c. Community?

d. Academic Compliance?

3. Is there a significant difference perceived individual effectiveness when respondents

are grouped by:

a. Biological Sex?

b. Year Levels?
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4. Is there a significant difference in perceived institutional effectiveness when

respondents are grouped by:

a. Biological Sex?

b. Year Levels?

5. Is there a significant difference in perceived community effectiveness when

respondents are grouped by:

a. Biological Sex?

b. Year Levels?

6. Is there a significant difference in perceived effectiveness in terms of academic

compliance when respondents are grouped by:

a. Biological Sex?

b. Year Levels?

Hypothesis

Statement of the Problem numbers 1 and 2 are hypothesis-free. For the

succeeding statements, the following are the null hypotheses:

Ho1:

a. There is no significant difference in perceived individual effectiveness

when respondents are grouped by biological sex.

b. There is no significant difference in perceived individual effectiveness

when respondents are grouped by year level.

Ho2:
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a. There is no significant difference in perceived institutional

effectiveness when respondents are grouped by biological sex.

b. There is no significant difference in perceived institutional

effectiveness when respondents are grouped by year level.

Ho3:

a. There is no significant difference in perceived community

effectiveness when respondents are grouped by biological sex.

b. There is no significant difference in perceived community

effectiveness when respondents are grouped by year level.

Ho4:

a. There is no significant difference in perceived effectiveness in terms of

academic compliance when respondents are grouped by biological sex.

b. There is no significant difference in perceived effectiveness in terms of

academic compliance when respondents are grouped by year level.

Significance of the Study

The rationale of why the researchers choose to study the concept of Online

Learning is to determine the level of its perceived effectiveness among nursing students

in ABC. It is important to be implemented since this study will utilize applications that

can be used to continue classes even if face to face classes are prohibited due to the

pandemic.

It is beneficial not only to for the students but also for the following:
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The School Administrators. This humble work is undertaken to supplement or

provide a research-based inputs regarding online learning that may be helpful in the

advancement of school management, clinical leadership, and teaching-evaluation

approach. It also aims to foster new ways of enhancing knowledge, skills and attitude,

thus preparing globally-competitive nurses in the future.

The Dean of College of Nursing. The outcome of this study is hoped to provide a

recommendation to address the gaps, issues and challenges of an online learning. The

conclusion in this endeavor may also help the Dean to improve the modes of learning

among nursing students. Data gathered may also be helpful for collaboration among

faculty in order to improve or modify the nursing education curriculum in relation to the

new normal classes.

The Clinical Instructor. The results of the study may help the clinical instructors

evaluate the quality of education rendered to the nursing students in terms of academic

performance, attitude and skills acquired in relation to online learning. Results may also

be helpful in their teaching-learning and evaluating strategies in enhancing knowledge,

skills and attitude of nursing students.

The Students. This study may provide information regarding what learning

modality is easier and effective. This may also be helpful in assessing the what factors

that affect their academic performance in an online context of education.

The Future Researchers. This may serve as springboard for more

comprehensive studies on online learning that will enrich our understanding on this
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modality and perhaps improve the present virtual environment. This study hopes to

provide additional material to the undertaking of a future researcher.

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Scope and Delimitations

This study focuses on a fully online learning environment as experienced by the

respondents in their school using Zoom or Google Meet as online classroom platforms. It

will test the effectiveness of online learning through a set of questions grouped according

to four areas such as individual, institutional, community and academic compliance.

It is limited to the first year and second year nursing students of ABC in Dipolog

City as respondents in this research. Third students are excluded since 13 of the 25

students are researchers of this academic endeavor. The remaining 12 are also doing

another research topic and it may not reflect a good sample of the third-year population.

In order to avoid bias to this study, the researchers decided to exclude themselves and the

remaining third year students.

Moreover, online learning is the backbone of this study. It will not delve to

discuss in detail the traditional method of learning. All data and results gathered would

reflect that of online learning modality.

Lastly, the respondents are students of first semester of School Year 2020-2021

where the COVID-19 pandemic is full-blown. As of this writing, there are already

recorded cases of this disease in Dipolog City. Questions will be sent to them

electronically and their responses will be sent back to the researchers through email or

messenger.
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Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined for the purpose of this study for easy understanding, to

wit:

Traditional face-to-face method is a method of learning that is commonly used

during normal days when teacher and students are engaging in a classroom activity.

There is physical presence of a teacher and students for learning purposes.

Online learning is an education that takes place over the internet. Often referred

to as e learning. It consists of portable modular learning packets (hard and soft

copies) and online learning, where courses are delivered at home.

Blended Learning uses the method of having class online with the help of the

clinical instructors and supplemented by giving hard copy materials and notes for

study purpose. It is a combination of both modular and online learning.

Perceived Learning is defined as the changes in the learner's perceptions of skill

and knowledge levels before and after the learning experience. It is an important key

of success or failure of any new innovation or in teaching and learning environments.

Perceived Effectiveness talks about the measure of the performance of a given

method of teaching through the use of questionnaires. It is based on how high or low

the perceived learning of the respondents is.

Biological Sex refers to the structure and functional characteristics of the

respondents of the study. It is the respondent’s given label at birth.

Year Level refers to the grade level or year of attendance of the students or

respondents in the study.

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Individual Concern comprises questions on the part of the respondents regarding

their readiness, hurdles, preconceptions and attributes in relation to online learning.

Institutional Concern focuses on the school administrators and teachers as

regards their preparedness, expertise, and capability to go online.

Community Concern covers struggles faced by the respondents such as

restrictions to go outside because of quarantine measures and the distractions in their

homes while studying online.

Academic Compliance caters the questions about assessment on how fast or low

or either the respondents finish or comply their assignment and activities in a given

time. It will also delve on their level of understanding or retention of course content

given to them online.

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Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

This Chapter deals with the discussion on related literature on online learning

both locally and abroad. Related studies conducted in the Philippines and those

undertaken by foreign researchers are also presented here in a proper order and sequence.

Literature

Online Learning Worldwide

Anderson (2004) describes online learning as a subset of all distance education

which has regard to providing quality education in a flexible time and space. He cited

John Dewey stating that as early as 1916 on the value of interaction that must be present

also in a virtual environment. Interaction is considered as one important component in

educational process on how the students transform the information passed to them by the

teachers into their personal application. He further cited Bates (1991) that interactivity

must be considered as the primary criterion for choosing what media for educational

delivery.

Marcial et. al. (2015) recounted the development of the early online learning

worldwide. Accordingly, distance education history has a span of almost two centuries

and further developed into four generations.

The first generation is from 1850s to 1960 when there was one technology and

consisted of print, radio, and television. These media where used in distance learning. In

the years 1960 to 1985, the second generation emerged and utilized multiple technologies

but without computers yet. Distance learning was made through audiocassettes,

television, fax and print. Meanwhile, the third generation from 1985 to 1995 used
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multiple technologies including computers and computer networking. While the fourth

generation or the current generation combines media but also “incorporates high-

bandwidth computer technologies including; desktop videoconferencing, two-way

interactive real-time audio and video, web-based media” among others. They further

noted that despite this distance learning advances, the growing integration of online

education was noted in 2010 in the United States where a considerable number of

postsecondary students enrolled at least one course in online learning.

Development of Online Learning in the Philippines

Online learning is not new to the Philippines as there are few universities who

utilized distance education as mode of course delivery. Perhaps, there are some studies

conducted regarding distance education.

In the study conducted by Bandalaria (2007), she noted that the distance

education in the Philippines has undergone four major generations. The first generation

was credited to the efforts of the Farmers’ School-on-the-Air (FSA). The FSA was aired

through a radio station featuring farming tips and community development which was

aired for around six months and approximately catered 150 students scattered in the

province of Iloilo. Moreover, the second generation started when universities begun to

offer distance education which provide print-based instructional materials and later on

supplemented by a face-to-face tutorials given by a university-trained tutor.

For the third generation, distance education converged several key factors such as

“a) growing need for flexible learning, anytime, anywhere, b) increased availability and

access to new ICT, and 3) the growing demand of geographically dispersed professional
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groups seeking to flexible and lifelong learning opportunities.” Instructional contents

were delivered in print-based formats and it will be supplemented with lesson

components in convenient and/or video formats. The fourth generation is viewed as the

“empowered phase” where the terms e-learning, m-learning, and u-learning were used.

Teachers used ICTs that enhanced their skills and students have more control of their

learning environment as to where, when, or sometimes what they learn. Teachers and

students are now flexible in shaping and structuring their learning/teaching environment.

Pros and Cons of Online Learning

Anderson (2004) states that the decreased opportunity for interaction between a

teacher and learners may affect process assessment. But if this interaction will be

enhanced in an online learning context, it will provide an opportunity to “create

assessment activities that are project and workplace based, that are constructed

collaboratively, that benefit from peer review, and that are infused with both the

opportunity and the requirement of self-assessment.”

Markova et.al. (2017) cited factors that will affect quality education of medical

field students. For instance, motivation as a factor “is not enough to increase the

satisfaction and learning abilities of the students when conducted with e-learning

methods. They explained that just by having a positive attitude and motivation, the

students still face numerical challenges in their online courses. These challenges involved

little to no self-management and the absence of supervision from the instructor’s part, and

minimal interaction which resulted to the feeling of isolation. All of these contributed to

the decrease in satisfaction of the e-learners.” They further suggested to create an

effective design of course content delivery, high quality activities and programs fitting to
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an online learning environment. These can be attained through comprehensive training of

the faculty that “involves the use of technology and adaptive teaching methods” suitable

to online learners. By considering all factors, students are assured of quality education

which at the same time increases their satisfaction.

Bali & Liu (2018) noted that their study indicates that traditional learning

referring to face-to-face method is still better in terms of social presence, social

interaction, and satisfaction. However, it is still noteworthy that respondents still choose

online learning because of efficient cost, convenience and ease of time to physically

attend a class. They can instead focus on their studies at their own phase. They also found

the capability of universities today to shift to blended learning or distance learning.

However, Anderson (2004) states that despite the fact that online learning is

capable of creating learning communities, there are some factors attributed such as “lack

of attention and participation, economic restraints, and an in-built resistance among many

faculty and institutions to the threatening competition from virtual learning environments.

Some researchers also cited “the lack of ‘placedness’ and the complications of anonymity

attenuate different components of community when the community is located in virtual

space.” It is cited as a challenge in creating and sustaining these communities because of

the differences in time and place. There is lack of placedness and synchronicity which is

said to be more important than the absence of body language and social presence.

Studies

Effectiveness of Online Learning

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A study conducted by Bettinger and Loeb (2017) in DeVry University

comprising of 230,000 students in over 750 courses, posits that students from online

courses have significantly worse performances compared to students in traditional in-

person courses, taking a course online causes a reduction of students grades by an

average of 0.44 points in a traditional 4 point grading scale, this negative impact is

particularly concentrated as well over students who have the lowest performances,

causing a 0.5 point decrease in the grades of the students whose prior GPA was below

average.

Furthermore, there is substantial evidence that their experiences during these

online courses have a negative impact in their future classes and increases their likelihood

of dropping out of college all together. They further state that this negative impact by

online classes is due to the asynchronous interactions between students and between

student and professor while attempting to replicate traditional in-person classes making it

difficult for students to keep up.

Pei & Wu (2019) stated that the use of online learning has vastly increased since

2012, as evidenced by the thriving of massive open online courses (MOOCs). However,

evaluating the effectiveness of online and offline teaching remains difficult. Evaluations

have failed to reach consistent conclusions, resulting in complex decisions when selecting

a teaching method for medical education. They recognized several factors that constitute

as barriers to online learning such as administrative issues, social interaction, academic

skills, technical skills, learner motivation, time and support for studies, technical

problems, cost and access to the internet. Other factors could result in low-quality online

learning, for example an ineffective design and arrangement of multimedia materials.

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These factors are currently happening in the learning process of many students

specifically in the medical field. Students are struggling due to lack of gadgets to use and

the internet connection is not guaranteed and it lacks interactive knowledge building

among instructors and students. They suggested that online learning worked as well as

offline learning, but it didn’t imply that online learning is an effective teaching method

for every student in every learning context.

Moreover, Anderson (2004) stated that educational activities can be presented and

accomplished through online learning “using some combination of online community

activities and computer-supported independent-study activities.” He suggested the tracing

of interactions expected by the leaners as basis for a model of interactions provided to

them to ensure that a proper mixture of student, teacher, and content interactions is

aligned for every learning outcome. He concluded that the “challenge for teachers and

course developers working in an online learning context is to construct a learning

environment that is simultaneously learning centered, content centered, community

centered, and assessment centered.”

Chang (1999) has described a new instrument in which can assess the student

perceptions of core aspects of the Web based learning environment, a very similar

concept towards online learning, named the The Web based Learning Environment

Instrument (WEBLEI). The WEBLEI contains four scales; Scale 1 evaluates

emancipatory activities which evaluates the online student’s autonomy, convenience, and

efficiency in using their time and resources. Scale 2 is name Co-participatory Activities

which evaluates how the online students can collaborate on activities of the online and

offline community. Scale 3 named Qualia, evaluates the student’s enjoyment, success,
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frustration, confidence, and accomplishments towards online learning. Scale 4 termed

Information structure and design activities which evaluates the structure and organization

of materials being used for online leaning such as its aesthetics and accuracy.

The researchers of the study will incorporate the WEBLEI into the research

instrument since the availability of this instrument will allow researchers to evaluate the

use of the Web/Online as a learning environment.

Necessity of Going Online amidst the Pandemic

Dhawan (2020), made an comprehensive and meaningful discussion the necessity

of pursuing online learning amidst the pandemic which also be vital as future of the

normal course delivery. He cited the work of Singh & Thurman (2019) recognizing the

significant role of online learning that will “make the teaching–learning process more

student-centered, more innovative, and even more flexible.” Furthermore, he discussed

the value of both synchronous and asynchronous, to wit:

The synchronous learning environment is structured in the sense that

students attend live lectures, there are real-time interactions between educators
and learners, and there is a possibility of instant feedback, whereas
asynchronous learning environments are not properly structured. In such a
learning environment, learning content is not available in the form of live
lectures or classes; it is available at different learning systems and forums.
Instant feedback and immediate response are not possible under such an
environment (Littlefield, 2018).

Furthermore, he noted the importance of online platforms that can be used during

this pandemic by citing the enumerations made by Basilaia et al. (2020) that are needed

such “(a) video conferencing with at least 40 to 50 students is possible, (b) discussions
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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 take.”

According to Dhawan (2020), flexibility is much needed in this time of pandemic

in order to keep our pace. There are a lot of solutions that will make us move on despite

the challenges and resistance will not help improve our education. He stated his

discussion in this wise:

Resistance to change will not help any educational unit across the world.
They will be judged on their pace to adapt to the changes in such a short
period and their ability to maintain the quality. The reputation of educational
units is on stake and under scrutiny. How well they behave and how well they
maintain their quality of education amidst this crisis shows their adapting
capabilities. The shift from face-to-face lectures to online classes is the only
possible solution. Indeed, academic institutions would not be able to transform
all of their college curricula into and online resource overnight. Distance,
scale, and personalized teaching and learning are the three biggest challenges
for online teaching. Innovative solutions by institutions can only help us deal
with this pandemic (Liguori & Winkler, 2020).

The foregoing literature and studies impel this research to determine the level of

effectiveness of online learning among the students who have been in a current

experience. It will give an idea on how student really undertake their present situation in

the context of online classroom. This study attempts to consider four areas that will look

into the factors that will affect the online learning experience of the students.
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In particular, the factors will delve into individual, institutional and community

concerns as well as academic compliance of first year and second year nursing students

of ABC, Dipolog City. Their responses will determine the effectiveness of online

learning.

Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The study is a quantitative research that aims to use a descriptive research design,

a type of non-experimental research. This design is the most appropriate since the current

study tackles primarily an analysis of the perceived effectiveness of online learning

among the first year and second year Nursing students of Andres Bonifacio College

(ABC).

In terms of objectives, the study is comparative in nature because it intends to

look into the differences across demographic factors in the levels of perceived

effectiveness of online learning. Meanwhile, in terms of time, it is cross-sectional in the

sense that the demographic variables serve as cross-sections along which levels of

perceived effectiveness of online learning can be comparatively described.

This research uses the survey method because it intends to evince patterns in

perceived online effectiveness that can be generalized to the entire population of interest.

Locale of the Study

 27

The locale of this study is within the premises of ABC. The campus has an area of

15 hectares, which is located in College Park, Miputak, Dipolog City. ABC is a private,

non-sectarian college founded in 1940 with the aim of being a center of excellence in

instruction, research, technology, extension, athletics, and the arts. It is located about 9.6

kilometers from downtown Dipolog, known as the “Gateway to Western Mindanao”

through the Western Nautical Highway and has also been called as the “Bottled Sardines

Capital of the Philippines”. It is also 1.2 kilometers away from Dipolog Sunset

Boulevard, which is a popular city attraction. The campus is accessible by land

transportation.

The study will be conducted in Nursing Department at the 4th floor of Science and

Technology (ST) building. The building is located more or less 318 meters away from the

main entrance (Gate 1) and about 109.54 meters away from Gate 4.

Research Respondents

The researchers considered as respondents the first- and second-year nursing

students of the ABC comprising of 127 members, male and female. The first-year nursing

students’ population is 100, and 27 for the second year. The study will be limited only to

students who are willing and have enough capabilities to answer the questionnaires

provided by the researchers. All nursing students of ABC with the exception of the third-

year students, are selected as the total number of participants due to the limitation in

terms of the population and the number of respondents available.

Table 1. Population of Level 1 and Level 2 Nursing Students of Andres Bonifacio

College

Level 1 Nursing Students 100

 28

Level 2 Nursing Students 27

Total: 127

Sampling Method

The researchers first determined the sample size using Slovin’s Formula and

ascertained the sample size to be 96 students.

The study aims to use a stratified random sampling, a probability random

sampling method. The researchers will select 76 respondents from the level 1 nursing

students and 20 respondents from the level 2 nursing students. We will place the names

of the level 1 and level 2 nursing students in separate bowls, and pick 76 random names

from the bowl with the level 1 nursing student’s names and 20 random names from the

bowl with the level 2 nursing student’s names.

This sampling method is the most efficient and appropriate in selecting

respondents for this study because the researchers will try to determine the differences of

the perceived effectiveness of online learning among different year levels and since there

is a huge difference between the population size of the level 1 and level 2 nursing

students, this sampling method will ensure that each year level will be represented

appropriately. The location upon which the samples would be selected come from the

Science and Technology Building, 4th floor of the school. The researchers will then send

e-mails to the respondents with the link for an online questionnaire which is a google

form where they can answer.

It will then be preserved in a google drive of the researchers online prior to analysis.

Documentation of the sampling will be done through taking screenshots and photographs

of the entire process.

 29

Research Instrument

An online survey questionnaire is chosen as data collection instrument. The

questionnaire utilizes a 4-point Likert Scale. A Likert Scale is a type of ordinal scale in

which the respondents are asked to indicate the degree to which they agree or disagree

with the ideas expressed by the indicator.

The scale contains 4 options of rating, with each option having a specific unit

weight of 1-4. The lowest weight starts with 1 indicating that the respondent “Strongly

Disagrees” with the item, followed by 2 indicating that the respondent “Disagrees” with

the given item, then 3 which indicates that the respondent “Agrees” with the item

presented and the highest weight is 4 which indicates that the respondent “Strongly

Agrees” with the item indicated by the researchers. Furthermore, the questions will be

divided into 4 areas specifically to assess the effectiveness of each area, the areas are;

Individual, Institutional, Community, and Academic. This is done so the researchers can

determine the effectiveness of online learning in each area of concern.

Questionnaire Construction

1. The researchers of the study accessed Google Scholar to find a research study

about the effectiveness of online learning.

2. The researchers ascertained that this was a reliable source and an expert material.

3. The researchers modified the research instrument used by the study to better fit

the data collection of the current study.

4. The researchers went through the research questions and questionnaire carefully

to ascertain the appropriateness and adequacy of the instrument. Furthermore, the

 30

questionnaire was reviewed by the research adviser and an expert in the field of

quantitative research.

5. Having validated the questionnaire, a pilot testing will be carried out on the

instrument using 30 nursing students in Dipolog Medical Center College

Foundation Incorporated (DMCCFI) campus which is not the research locale

where the actual research will be conducted.

6. An item analysis of the items was conducted to assess the quality of the

questionnaire.

7. Upon deciding on which items will be reconstructed, retained, or removed, the

researchers then finalized the final questionnaire to be administered to the actual

respondents of the study.

Data Collection

1. An approval letter will be submitted to the Dean of ABC School of Nursing and

to the Nursing Clinical Instructors to affirm this research. Once approved, the

researcher will start the data gathering.

2. The data gathering process will be conducted between the months of March to

April 2021. The data collection method to be used will be online questionnaires,

the researchers will send a list of planned questions through an online platform,

Gmail.

3. The researchers will first orient the respondents about the motive and the

procedure of the study. It will then be sent to the chosen respondents of the study

which are the Level I and II nursing students of ABC. The respondents may
 31

decline to participate in the study if they choose to, prior to the sending of the

online questionnaire.

4. In giving the informed consent, the respondents will be given a full disclosure of

the study about the purpose, procedure, potential benefits, risks, as well as the

privacy and confidentiality. The selected respondents will be given enough time

about 30 – 60 minutes, to answer the survey questionnaires for them not to be

tense, but to concentrate to eliminate the threat to the internal validity. Since the

data is through online survey the researcher will efficiently receive the answered

questionnaire after the respondents will click the “submit” button.

5. The researcher will then collect the answered questionnaire and store it in google

drive to interpret it sooner. Questions and clarifications of the respondents will

be answered appropriately.

6. The researchers will provide their contact information for further clarifications

and inquiries. If the respondents wish to withdraw their participation, they will

be given the right to do so without being penalized. The researchers will see to it

that the informant’s right to privacy and confidentiality will be upheld.

Data Analysis

Statistical Treatment

Basic descriptive statistics will be used to analyze the perceived

effectiveness of online learning based on the responses of the first- and second-year

nursing Students of ABC about the effectiveness of online learning. 

Scores were obtained using online questionnaires sent via google forms to

determine the effectiveness of online learning of the respondents.

 32

The weighted mean score will be used to answer the second question of this study as

stated in the statement of the problem.

Formula: Weighted mean (WM) = Σ(w*x) / Σw

Where:

 x = mean

 Σ = summation

 w = the weights

Table 2. Weighted Mean and Verbal Interpretation

Unit Weight Weighted Mean Interval Verbal Interpretation

5 (Strongly Agree) 4.51 – 5 Very Effective

4 (Agree) 3.51 – 4.50 Effective

3 (Agree/Disagree 2.51 – 3.50 Inconsistent Effectiveness

Sometimes)

2 (Disagree) 1.51 – 2.50 Ineffective

1 (Strongly Disagree) 0.51 – 1.50 Very Ineffective

For comparing levels of perceived effectiveness across biological sex and year level

the independent sample t-test tool will be utilized it will test whether there the responses

of the respondents are significantly different when the data are classified according to

gender and year level.

Formula:
 33

Whereby:
 34

Ethical Consideration

Written consent forms will be provided to all the chosen respondents of the study,

which they will then sign in agreement to the conditions of participating in the study. The

respondents will be given a full disclosure of the study about the purpose, procedure,

potential benefits, risks, as well as the privacy and confidentiality. The researchers will

then send feedback on the results of the study towards the participants.
 35

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Retrieved ssssssssssOctober 23, 2020, from https://ustpaul.ca/upload-

ssssssssssfiles/DistanceEducation/TOWARDS_A_THEORY_OF_ONLINE_LEARNINs

ssssssssssG.pdf.

Bali, S. & Liu, MC (2018). Students’ perceptions toward online learning and face-to-

face sssssssssssslearning courses. Journal of Physics.

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%23p%3DssGslkZFhgMJ

Baticulon, Ronnie E. (2020), Barriers to online learning in the time of COVID-19: A

ssssssssssssnational survey of medical students in the Philppines, Department of

Anatomy, ssssssssssssUniversity of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines,

sssssssssssshttps://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.16.20155747.

Bettinger, E., & Loeb, S. (2017). Promises and pitfalls of online education. Evidence

sssssssssssSpeaks Reports, 2(15), 1-4.Retrieved

sssssssssssfrom:http://www.k12accountability.org/resources/OnlineEducation/Promises_s

sssssssssssand_Pitfalls_of_Online_Ed.pdf

Bandalaria, Melinda (2007), Impact of ICTs on Open and Distance Learning in a

aaaaaaaaaDeveloping Country Setting: The Philippine experience, International Review

of aaaaaaaaaResearch in Open and Distance Learning, Vol. 8, No. 1, ISSN: 1492-2831.

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Chang, V. (1999). Evaluating the effectiveness of online learning using a new web based

ccccccclearning instrument. Proceedings Western Australian Institute for Educational

ccccccccResearch Forum 1999. http://www.waier.org.au/forums/1999/chang.html

Dhawan, S. (2020, Winter). Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19

Crisis. aaaaaaaaaJournal of Educational Technology

aaaaaaaaaSystems. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0047239520934018?

fbaaaaaaaaaclid=IwAR0W9TCHTSE6Xax81q2MovBBBgKrZr1KLT8CQU_kYSlczHw

xQaaaaaaaaajM6wPuNLkY

Marcial, Dave E., Caballero, Rey Dennis B., Rendal, Jeambe B., & Patrimonio, Gereo A.,

aaaaaaaa(2015) “I am Offline”: Measuring Barriers to Open Online Learning in the

aaaaaaaPhilippines, ISSN Online: 2076-8184. Information Technologies and Learning

aaaaaaaaTools, TOM 45, No. 1.

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Distance Learning. Retrieved October 24, 2020, from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042817300435

Pei, L. & Wu, H. (2019). Does online learning work better than offline learning in

dddddundergraduate medical education? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

dddddPublished by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Retrieved

dddddfrom https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6758693/#!po=73.8095

Siemens, G. (2017). Connectivism. Retrieved February 07, 2021, from

https://lidtfoundations.pressbooks.com/chapter/connectivism-a-learning-theory-for-

the-digital-age/
 37

ANDRES BONIFACIO COLLEGE

School of Nursing
College Park, Dipolog City

March 3, 2021
DR. SHIRLEY G. BELLINO
Chairperson, Ethics Review Committee

Dear Ma’am:
Greetings for a pleasant day!
We, the Level III Nursing Students of Andres Bonifacio College, are conducting
our research study titled “PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE
LEARNING AMONG FIRST YEAR AND SECOND YEAR NURSING
STUDENTS OF ANDRES BONIFACIO COLLEGE” as requirement for Nursing
Research 325. We would like to ask for your expert opinion in terms of the ethical
standards to be observed in the conduct of our research.

Attached herewith is a copy of our research paper for your review. We truly look
forward to receiving your advice, it would greatly help progress our study.

Sincerely Yours,

CHARMINE B. SON
Group II Representative

Noted by:
 38

MRS. JULYN MARIE A. GALLARDO, R.N., M.N.

Clinical Instructor

ANDRES BONIFACIO COLLEGE

School of Nursing
College Park, Dipolog City

March 6, 2021
ATTY. ALBERT T. CONCHA JR.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
School President/Chancelor
DMC College Foundation Inc.

Dear Sir:
Greeting for a pleasant day!
We, the Level III Nursing Students of Andres Bonifacio College, are conducting
our research study entitled “PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE
LEARNING AMONG FIRST YEAR AND SECOND YEAR NURSING
STUDENTS OF ANDRES BONIFACIO COLLEGE.” For our research study, we
would like to ask your approval for us to conduct a pilot study of at least 30 students from
your school this coming February 24, 2021, Wednesday 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Rest assured that the data we will gather will remain absolutely confidential and
to be used for academic purposes only. Your approval to conduct the study will be greatly
appreciated.
Sincerely Yours,
CHARMINE B. SON
Group II Representative

Noted by:
MR. RAFFY SANCHEZ MRS. JULYN MARIE A. GALLARDO, R.N., M.N.
Nursing Research Adviser Clinical Instructor

MRS. JOWILLENE PEARL J. TABANAO, R.N., M.N.

 39

Clinical Instructor
PRECY NELIA C. GILAGA, R.N., M.N.

Dean, School of Nursing

INFORMED CONSENT (ONLINE SURVEY)

This online survey is being distributed in support of a research projects being

conducted by the Level III Nursing Students of Andres Bonifacio College in partial
fulfilment of the requirements in NCM 311 – Nursing Research at Andres Bonifacio
College. This survey is estimated to take approximately 10-30 minutes to complete.

Title of the Research Project: Creating Virtual Classroom amidst the Pandemic: An
Analysis on the Effectiveness of Online Learning among First Year and Second Year
Nursing Students of Andres Bonifacio College, Dipolog City

Principal Investigators: Cabanban, Marielle O., Casanes, Sheril S., Casiong, Jay Ann
Mae P., Dela Pina, Necille B., Laolao, Roselle Mae C., Legados, Thrizsa Cathlyn Ashley
M., Macoto, Arnold James C., Mejias, Meville Joyce L., Nayre, Liza Marie L., Oxinio
Jr., Joseph I., Son, Charmine B. , Tacder, Rabin Roy V., Tomado, Darmi Nicole C.

Voluntary Participation, Benefits and Risks:

Your participation in this research project is completely voluntary. You have the
right to withdraw from the research study at any time. To have your responses included,
please click the “submit” button at the end of the survey. You should ask the principal
investigators listed above if you have any questions about the research study. Answering
this questionnaire gives you an opportunity to share your opinion and take part in a study
that may change how online classes are conducted, and there are no risks in answering
the questionnaire but it will take a small moment of your time. Please review this form
carefully and ask any questions about the study before you agree to participate.
 40

I, ______ (Participant’s name), understand that I am being asked to participate in a

survey questionnaire activity that forms part of the Level III Nursing Students of Andres
Bonifacio College research project. It is my understanding that this survey questionnaire
has been designed to gather the information about the effectiveness of online learning in
my year level and course. Andres Bonifacio College
School of Nursing
College Park, Miputak, Dipolog City

Online Survey Questionnaire

Dear Respondents,

We, Level III Nursing students, would like to ask you to participate in our study
regarding online learning. This study is part of the requirements of our Research class.
Rest assured that all your responses will be processed with utmost confidentiality.

Yours respectfully,

Level III Nursing Students

x----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------/

PART I. Instruction: Read the following statements below and rate the extent to which
each statement applies to you. Encircle the option of your choice.
Please note that there is NO right or wrong answers and we are
interested in your own thoughts and opinions. Also, please do NOT
spend so much time on each statement. Kindly indicate the answer
the first comes to mind, using the indicators below.

1 2 3 4 5

VERY MUCH
LIKE ME
 41

NOT AT ALL SOMEWHAT NEITHER SOMEWHAT

LIKE ME NOT LIKE LIKE OR LIKE ME
No Statements 1 2 3 4 5
ME UNLIKE ME
.
1 As a whole, teachers of online classes facilitate the discussions well. 1 2 3 4 5
2 As a whole, the environment for online learning is unfriendly for me. 1 2 3 4 5
3 By sharing our materials, my classmates and I learn in online classes. 1 2 3 4 5
4 Classroom instruction is better than online teaching in my view. 1 2 3 4 5
5 Despite the pandemic, I can submit my school requirements on time. 1 2 3 4 5
6 Even if there is quarantine, my online learning experience is smooth. 1 2 3 4 5
7 For me, complying with requirements is smooth in the online 1 2 3 4 5
platform.
8 For me, the pandemic is too bothersome for learning. 1 2 3 4 5
9 For me, the school administration is prepared to deliver online 1 2 3 4 5
classes.
10 For me, the school administrators lack support for online learning. 1 2 3 4 5
11 For me, the school is not ready to switch to the online modality. 1 2 3 4 5
12 For me, understanding concepts discussed online is more difficult. 1 2 3 4 5
13 I actively participate in online classes. 1 2 3 4 5
14 I am too distracted to be able to learn online. 1 2 3 4 5
15 I can handle online learning well despite the pandemic situation. 1 2 3 4 5
16 I can properly deal with the distractions in online learning. 1 2 3 4 5
17 I can remember the concepts imparted online as well as in the 1 2 3 4 5
classroom.
18 I can understand the lessons taught in the online platform well. 1 2 3 4 5
19 I CANNOT manage my assignments and activities in my online 1 2 3 4 5
classes.
20 I do NOT like to work with my classmates in online classes. 1 2 3 4 5
21 I have a good internet connection where I come from. 1 2 3 4 5
22 I have no access to good internet connection at home. 1 2 3 4 5
23 I keep the materials I have researched on to my own self. 1 2 3 4 5
24 I notice that our teachers find it difficult to use the online technology. 1 2 3 4 5
25 I observe that our teachers have a hard time dealing with online 1 2 3 4 5
learning.
26 I seek out solutions to problems in online classes in my own. 1 2 3 4 5
27 I think our school administrators give enough support to online 1 2 3 4 5
learning.
28 In general, I avoid sharing my opinions during online classes. 1 2 3 4 5
29 In the online platform, I find it hard to comply with requirements. 1 2 3 4 5
30 It is too much a hassle for me to share my ideas during online classes. 1 2 3 4 5
31 My assignments and activities in online classes are manageable. 1 2 3 4 5
32 My home environment is suitable for online learning. 1 2 3 4 5
33 My learning in online classes is in collaboration with my peers. 1 2 3 4 5
34 Our online teachers know how to navigate the online platform. 1 2 3 4 5
35 The challenges in online classes are too much for me to handle. 1 2 3 4 5
 42

36 The pandemic makes it too hard to concentrate on online learning. 1 2 3 4 5

37 The pandemic makes timely submission of requirements hard for me. 1 2 3 4 5
38 The situation in my home is not conducive for online learning. 1 2 3 4 5
39 The teachers provide the environment to promote learning online. 1 2 3 4 5
40 When I have an idea, I share it during online discussion. 1 2 3 4 5

Part II. Instruction: Please indicate the necessary information by putting a check on the
appropriate space.

Year Level: ( ) 1st Year ( ) 2nd Year

Biological Sex: ( ) Male ( ) Female

- THANK YOU -

Nothing Follows
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