The New Normal

The global pandemic brings our community to its knees,

greatly affected our day to day life, and temporarily shut down
some of the usual operations of all Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) in the country. Notwithstanding the diverse stresses that
these trying times bring, we were not only taught on how to harness
and utilize the powerful capabilities of available platforms,
technology, and distance learning modalities; it also compelled us
to think further, assess, and develop strategies - strategies which
can lead to the improvement of teaching and learning under the
new normal which can also bridge and fill the gaps caused by the
socio-economic differences of our main stakeholders, the students.
It is evident that the New Normal is characterized by the
implementation of policies that will secure the continuous delivery
of higher education while experiencing waves of lockdowns and
series of quarantines. At the onset of the surge of the pandemic,
education institutions across the country, including _________,
took part in the implementation of policies that include the modified
forms of distance learning methods which facilitates education
activities for students to still learn while staying within the comforts
of their homes.
Assessment of the situation and taking into account the
differences of our students’ respective socio-economic status has
been part in the development of distance learning options and
creation of flexible learning platforms which allow less fortunate
students who have no internet connection or have intermittent
connectivity in completing their course requirements throughout the
academic year.
Distance Education
The Philippine Government, through the Commission on
Higher Education, gives guidance on the deployment of available
flexible learning and other alternative modes of delivery quality
tertiary education in lieu of the on-campus or the traditional face-to-
face learning.
We cannot deny the fact that the shift in the mode of teaching
and learning from the traditional face-to-face to distance education
raised numerous concerns along the way. Setbacks such as
availability of necessary devices, weak and intermittent internet
connection that can result to digital divide, lack of environment that
is conducive for students to learn at home, and effectiveness of
lectures delivered through different platforms challenged the
delivery of higher education. Likewise, some faculty members might
have experienced problems in transitioning to online classes since
some of them have had to learn new skills and modify their
respective syllabi.
On the bright side, we can all agree that together, we can
overcome all these hurdles. It should always be construed that
distance education must not only be confined to online learning;
instead, it must be considered as an opportunity for us to develop
and implement an approach that engages diversified methods and
focuses on the design and delivery of academic programs and
learning interventions that accommodate our students’ individual
needs, which can eventually boost their enthusiasm to continue
learning and freedom to actively participate. The promotion and
practice of distance education is a sensitive response to the
constraints that our community is currently experiencing and is a
measure in securing our students’ health and welfare against the
threat of COVID-19.
Today, distance education is a necessity and treating it as the
new norm in the delivery of Higher Education presupposes the
active collaboration. Active collaboration plays a crucial role in the
formulation, development and implementation of relevant policies
and strategies; and in ensuring that both the teaching and non-
teaching staff are trained and capacitated.