THE DOMINANT CHALLENGES and ITS IMPACT TO LEARNERS UNDER THE ONLINE

DISTANCE LEARNING MODALITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1– THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Rationale of the Study
Theoretical-Conceptual Framework
Statement of the Problem
Significance of the Study
Definition of Terms

CHAPTER 2 – REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Review of Related Literature and Studies

CHAPTER 3 – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Method
Research Subjects and Respondents
Research Environment
Research Instrument
Data Gathering Procedures

BIBLIOGRAPHY

REFERENCE

CURRICULUM VITAE
 Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Scope

Abstract

The globalization flow of changing is becoming faster and faster. One of the important changings
that affect the modern world of higher education is disruptive technology, especially online learning. In
fact, online learning has been offered both formal ways and informal ways. General public can use online
learning by paying money or non-paying money. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to
investigate the advantages and disadvantages of online learning as well as to examine the opportunities
and challenges faced by the higher education institutions. This study utilized qualitative method. The
population of the study included many staff and faculty members from many different universities who
were involved with various form of online learning programs. The sample group were about 30 staff and
faculty members who were willing to be in focus group and subject to an in-depth interview. The
interview protocol consisted of four general domains: listening, gramma, comprehension, and vocabulary.
The findings of the study revealed that online learning programs were becoming a significant part of
higher education learning and training. However, the success rate of learning online without close
monitoring were very low. The advantages included low cost, flexible time, and mass audiences, whereas,
the disadvantages included low success rate, easily distracts, and no class interaction.

THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This research is anchored on the Connectivism Learning Theory by George Siemens.

Connectivism is a relatively new learning theory that suggests students should combine thoughts,
theories, and general information in a useful manner. It accepts that technology is a major part of the
learning process and that our constant connectedness gives us opportunities to make choices about our
learning. It also promotes group collaboration and discussion, allowing for different viewpoints and
perspectives when it comes to decision-making, problem-solving, and making sense of information.
Connectivism promotes learning that happens outside of an individual, such as through social media,
online networks, blogs, or information databases (Siemens, 2004). This theoretical framework will serve
as our guide to discover the challenges in online distance learning and its corresponding impact.

Statement of the Problem

During the implementation of Online Distance Learning Modality, many challenges are
encountered by teachers and learners, concerns and issues are raised. With these challenges, the most
affected party are the learners especially their learning. This proposed research aspires to explore more
which of the challenges are dominant and what are the impacts to learners. And how these dominant
challenges affect the online distance learning of the students of the learning delivery.

Significance of the Study

 This research study will contribute to a society for this has significance in responding the
challenges and negative impacts of Online Distance Learning Modality. This research study will also
provide relevant information to the school, teachers, and the Department of Education to make
improvements, adjustments of online distance learning modality.

Definition of Terms

Modality - is the way or mode in which something exists or is done.

Dominant - is to be control.

Mediated - intervene between people in a dispute in order to bring about an agreement or reconciliation.

Synchronous - as with participants logged in at an appointed time for a live lecture or discussion.

Asynchronous - able to be completed independently according to a person’s own self-paced schedule.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Online learning is education that takes place over the Internet (Stern,2007). Distance learning
describes any learning that happens without the students being physically present in the lesson
(viewsonic.com, 2020). The type of instruction that is mediated via the internet. Instruction may be
synchronous or asynchronous and various technologies can be used to mediate the process. (Dabbagh and
Bannan-Ritland, 2005). In Friedman’s (2020) article stated that “Models of distance education have
evolved over decades, just in time to collide with modern pedagogies in which communication,
interaction, student engagement, and active learning are of critical importance.” As educational
institutions face new normal in learning modalities, we still have same concern and that is quality of
education for the betterment of the learners. As long as possible, online distance learning caters
communications and interactions between teachers and learners.

There are similar recent studies centered on the problem of online distance learning: Rotas,
Cahapay (2020) the content analysis revealed the categories of difficulties in remote learning: unstable
internet connectivity; inadequate learning resources; electric power interruptions; vague learning
contents; overloaded lesson activities; limited teacher scaffolds; poor peer communication; conflict with
home responsibilities; poor learning environment; financial related problems; physical health
compromises; and mental health struggles. The strong point of this study showcases the challenges faced
by the teachers and learners using this learning modality.

A study by Dubey (2020) used sentiment analysis techniques such as subjectivity and polarity to examine
sentiments of tweets across various countries. The researcher further conducted emotion analysis of
tweets from each country. The results of the study revealed that whilst majority of the world population
are taking a positive and optimistic approach in fighting the virus, there were also fear, anger, sadness,
disgust, and surprise.

Further, Sharma et al. (2020) in their study designed a dashboard to track misinformation on
Twitter platform by collecting streaming data using Twitter API. The dashboard helped the researchers
analyse social media discussions on COVID-19 related topics and the quality of information shared on the
platform. The analysis provided user accounts and the misinformation spread across countries. The
researchers further analysed public sentiments over countries on preventive measures such as social
distancing and working from home.

Similarly, Abd-Alrazaq et al. (2020) analysed data collected from Twitter platform by performing word
frequencies, and topic modelling using Latent Dirichlet Allocation to identify major topics of discussion.
In the quest to analyse early changes in Twitter activities, and sentiment about the COVID-19 epidemic,
Medford et al. (2020) extracted data from Twitter using hashtags related to COVID-19. Using infection
preventive measures, vaccination, and racial prejudice as related keywords, the authors identified
emotional valence and prevalent emotions. They further performed topic modelling to identify the various
topics of discussion over time.

Further, the authors in Dickinson and Hu (2015) predicted a sentiment value using stock related
tweets from Twitter platform. They demonstrated a correlation between the sentiment and the trends of a
company's stock price in a real time streaming environment. The study also revealed significant
correlations between price and sentiment for various individual companies. Whilst there are several
sentiment analysis studies conducted using data extracted from Twitter on various related topics there is
little to no research on public sentiments about online learning leveraging on Twitter platform, hence this
study would be the first of its kind to examine public sentiments about online learning during the current
COVID-19 pandemic using machine learning techniques.

Research Method

In order to identify the dominant challenges of the online distance modality, a qualitative research
methodology is to be used for this proposed research study. Face to face and/or online interviews and
providing questionnaires to the research participants will be conducted to gain insights of the challenges
and to analyze them one by one. Before conducting these methods, we will ask permission to film the
interview, and we will be taking notes too.

Research Subjects and Respondents

The Grade 7 learners with a maximum of 31 students, 16 girls and 15 boys with the age of 12-13 years
old of Richmindale Philippine School Inc. are the target for this study. The school applies online distance
learning from school year 2019 until present. The online classes that was made before is shallow than the
online classes that is made by now.

Research Environment

The research will be conducted in Richmindale Philippine School Inc., Guiwanon, Poblacion
Compostela, Cebu. The research will be conducted within the Grade 7 students with a maximum of 31
students, 16 girls and 15 boys with the age 12-13 years old and teachers of the said school.

Research Instruments

In this research study, the following are the research instruments to be used:

a. questionnaires: these will be given and answered by the respondents, a minimum of 20 minutes is the
expected time frame in answering.
b. face to face interviews of the research respondents. Before conducting the interview, consent will be
asked to the respondents to film the entire interview. Also, note-taking will be done too by the
researchers. Responses gathered from the interview are helpful in extracting insights to provide clear
evidences in the research study.

Data Gathering Procedure

The school officials of Richmindale Philippine School Inc., including the principal and registrar staff will
be informed about the research to be conducted through a formal written letter. Upon approval, the
researchers will secure a complete list of the students enrolled in the Grade 7 for the school year 2021-
2022.

In the first phase of the study, the researcher will conduct a survey on what gadgets the students
are using in their online distance class, if they have internet connection or no, if their learning
environment is conducive for learning or no, or if they are comfortable with the set-up of the class for this
school year 2021-2022.

On the following day the students will give their answers to the questions the researchers handed
them through Google Slides.

The following day, interviews on the respondents will be conducted.

Results and Discussion

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 JEO The Journal Educators Online – Friedman & Friedman

https://www.thejeo.com/archive/2013_10_1/friedman_friedman
 https://depedpampanga.com/2021/03/10/depeds-first-modular-distance-learning/
 https://www.questionpro.com/blog/distance-learning-survey-questions-for-students/

REFERENCE

 Siemens (2004)

 Stern (2007)

 viewsonic.com (2020)

 Dabbagh and Bannan-Ritland (2005).

 Friedman’s (2020)

 Rotas, Cahapay (2020)