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.