Difficulties in Remote Learning: Voices of Philippine University Students in the Wake of COVID-19 Crisis
Main Article Content
Abstract
Most educational systems across the world have migrated to remote learning modality as a measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This phenomenon is causing a lot of difficulties especially as voiced out by students in the context of developing countries. This paper attempts to describe the difficulties in remote learning of university students in the Philippines in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Following a mainly qualitative research design, this study surveyed a pool of purposively and conveniently selected students currently enrolled in a tertiary institution. The result of the content analysis revealed the following 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. Based on the result, cogent recommendations are discussed at the end of the study.
Article Details
How to Cite
Rotas, E., & Cahapay, M. (2020). Difficulties in Remote Learning: Voices of Philippine University Students in the Wake of COVID-19 Crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(2), 147-158. Retrieved from https://asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/504
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The work published in AjDE is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence (CC-BY).
References
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Alvarez, A. V. (2020). The phenomenon of learning at a distance through emergency remote teaching amidst the pandemic crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 144-153. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3881529
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Andrews, D., Nonnecke, B., & Preece, J. (2003). Electronic survey methodology: A case study in reaching hard to involve Internet Users. International Journal of Human- Computer Interaction, 16(2), 185-210. https://doi.org/ 10.1207/s15327590ijhc1602_04
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Bozkurt, A. & Sharma, R. C. (2020). Emergency remote teaching in a time of global crisis due to CoronaVirus pandemic. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3778083
Burgess, S. & Sievertsen, H. H. (2020, April 01). Schools, skills, and learning: The impact of COVID-19 on education. Retrieved from https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-education
Castillo, J. (2020). Distance learning? Don’t Take Power Availability for Granted. Retrieved from https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/25/distance-learning-dont-take-power-availability-for-granted/
Chang, C. L. & Fang, M. (2020). E-Learning and Online Instructions of Higher Education during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Epidemic. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1574, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1574/1/012166
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Coleman, R. K. N. (2011). Assessing the Adoption of e-Learning in Ghanaian Universities: Case of some Ghanaian Universities. Retrieved from http://ltu.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:1018665/FULLTEXT03.pdf
Dhawan, S. (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology, 49(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018
Entsie, B., (2020). 10 Ghanaian students talk about the experience of e-learning. Retrieved from https://www.pulse.com.gh/lifestyle/10-ghanaian-students-talk-about-the-experience-of-e-learning/zfm19w5
Gaur, R., Mudgal, S. K., Dharni, I. T., Sharma, R. & Suyal, N. (2020). Barriers encountered during online classes among undergraduate nursing students during COVID-19 pandemic in India. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 8(10), 3687-3693. http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20204252
Gummesson, E. (1991). Qualitative Methods in Management Research. London: SAGE.
Henaku, E. A., (2020). COVID-19 online learning experience of college students: The case of Ghana. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Advanced Technology, 1(2), 54-62. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342586709
Jupp, V. (2006). The SAGE Dictionary of Social Research Methods. London: SAGE.
Kerres, M. (2020). Against all odds: Education in Germany coping with Covid-19. Postdigital Science and Education, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00130-7
Mateo, J. (2020, October 5). As Classes Open, ‘Learning Crisis’ Highlighted with Millions of Students Left Behind. Retrieved from https://www.onenews.ph/as-classes-open-learning-crisis-highlighted-with-millions-of-students-left-behind
Matswetu, V. S., Munakandafa, W., Munodawafa, V. & Mandoga, E. (2020). Science student teachers’ challenges and coping strategies in an open and distance learning environment in Zimbabwe. Makarere Journal of Higher Education, 4(2), 125-137. https://doi.org/10.4314/majohe.v4i2.1
Poncian, P. (2017). The impact of home environment on students' academic achievement in Tanzanian secondary schools: A case of Geita Town Council. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/480
Rajkumar R. P. (2020). COVID-19 and mental health: A review of the existing literature. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 52, 102066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102066
Saavedra, J. (2020). Educational challenges and opportunities of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/educational-challenges-and-opportunities-covid-19-pandemic
Sarvestani, M. S., Mohammadi, M., Afshin, J. & Raeisy, J. (2019). Students’ experiences of e-Learning challenges: A phenomenological study. Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences, 10(3), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.30476/IJVLMS.2019.45841
Santos, A. P. (2020, October 6). In the Philippines, distance learning reveals the digital divide. Retrieved from https://eu.boell.org/en/2020/10/06/philippines-distance-learning-reveals-digital-divide
Sarwar, H., Akhtar, H., Naeem, M. M., Khan, J. A., Waraich, K., Shabbir, S., Hasan, A., & Khurshid, Z. (2020). Self-reported effectiveness of e-Learning classes during COVID-19 pandemic: A nation-wide survey of Pakistani undergraduate dentistry students. European Journal of Dentistry, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1717000
Subedi, S., Nayaju, S., Subedi, S., Shah, S. K. & Shah, J. M. (2020). Impact of e-Learning during COVID-19 pandemic among nursing students and teachers of Nepal. International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research, 5(3), 68-76. https://ijshr.com/IJSHR_Vol.5_Issue.3_July2020/IJSHR0012.pdf
Sundarasen, S., Chinna, K., Kamaludin, K., Nurunnabi, M., Baloch, G. M., Khoshaim, H. B., Hossain, S. F. A. & Sukayt, A (2020). Psychological impact of COVID-19 and lockdown among university students in Malaysia: Implications and policy recommendations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), 6206. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176206
Tandon R. (2020). COVID-19 and mental health: Preserving humanity, maintaining sanity, and promoting health. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 51, 102256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102256
UNESCO (2020, May 29). The socio-cultural implications of COVID-19. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/news/socio-cultural-implications-covid-19
Verawardina, U., Asnur, L., Lubis, A. L., Hendriyani, Y., Ramadhani, D., Dewi, I. P., Darni, R., Betri, T., Susanti, W. & Sriwahyuni, T. (2020). Reviewing online learning facing the Covid-19 outbreak. Talent Development & Excellence, 12. https://www.iratde.com/index.php/jtde/article/view/281
Wang, C., Cheng Z., Yue, X-G. & McAleer, M. (2020). Risk management of COVID-19 by universities in China. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13 (2), 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm13020036
Wisconsin (2020, May 7). The online learning experience – a WIUC international student perspective. Retrieved from https://wiuc-ghana.edu.gh/the-online-learning-experience-a-wiuc-international-student-perspective/
Adle, C. (2020, April 01). COVID-19 and the Poverty Pandemic. Retrieved from https://philippines.oxfam.org/latest/blogs/covid-19-and-poverty-pandemic
Adnan, M., Anwar, K. (2020). Online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Students' perspectives. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 2(1), 45-51. http://www.doi.org/10.33902/JPSP. 2020261309
AlAteeq, D. A., Alijhani, S. & AlEesa, D. (2020). Perceived stress among students in virtual classrooms during the COVID-19 outbreak in KSA. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 15(5), 398-403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2020.07.004
Alvarez, A. V. (2020). The phenomenon of learning at a distance through emergency remote teaching amidst the pandemic crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 144-153. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3881529
Amadora, M. G. (2020, September 18). Common Problems that Occur During Online Classes. Retrieved from https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/18/common-problems-that-occur-during-online-classes/
Amali, I., Bello, M., & Adeoye, G. (2018). Influence of domestic works on female students’ academic performance in upper-basic schools in Kwara State, Nigeria. Journal of Education in Developing Areas, 26(1), 196-202. https://journalsplace.org/index.php/JEDA/article/view/44
Andrews, D., Nonnecke, B., & Preece, J. (2003). Electronic survey methodology: A case study in reaching hard to involve Internet Users. International Journal of Human- Computer Interaction, 16(2), 185-210. https://doi.org/ 10.1207/s15327590ijhc1602_04
Arinto, P. B. (2016). Issues and challenges in open and distance e-Learning: Perspectives from the Philippines. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 17(2), 162-180. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i2.1913
Baloran, E. (2020). Knowledge, attitudes, anxiety, and coping strategies of students during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 25(8), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2020.1769300
Bao, W. (2020). COVID‐19 and online teaching in higher education: A case study of Peking University. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(2), 113-115. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.191
Baticulon, R. E., Alberto, N. R., Baron, M. B., Mabulay, R. E., Rizada, L. G., Sy, J. J., Tiu, C. J., Clarion, C. A. & Reyes, J. C. (2020). Barriers to online learning in the time of COVID-19: A national survey of medical students in the Philippines. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.16.20155747
Burgess, S., & Sievertsen, H. H. (2020, April 1). Schools, skills, and learning: The impact of COVID-19 on education. https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-education
Bozkurt, A. & Sharma, R. C. (2020). Emergency remote teaching in a time of global crisis due to CoronaVirus pandemic. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3778083
Burgess, S. & Sievertsen, H. H. (2020, April 01). Schools, skills, and learning: The impact of COVID-19 on education. Retrieved from https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-education
Castillo, J. (2020). Distance learning? Don’t Take Power Availability for Granted. Retrieved from https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/25/distance-learning-dont-take-power-availability-for-granted/
Chang, C. L. & Fang, M. (2020). E-Learning and Online Instructions of Higher Education during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Epidemic. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1574, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1574/1/012166
Chen, T., Peng, L., Yin, X., Rong, J., Yang, J. & Cong, G. (2020). Analysis of user satisfaction with online education platforms in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare, 8(3), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8030200
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Coleman, R. K. N. (2011). Assessing the Adoption of e-Learning in Ghanaian Universities: Case of some Ghanaian Universities. Retrieved from http://ltu.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:1018665/FULLTEXT03.pdf
Dhawan, S. (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology, 49(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018
Entsie, B., (2020). 10 Ghanaian students talk about the experience of e-learning. Retrieved from https://www.pulse.com.gh/lifestyle/10-ghanaian-students-talk-about-the-experience-of-e-learning/zfm19w5
Gaur, R., Mudgal, S. K., Dharni, I. T., Sharma, R. & Suyal, N. (2020). Barriers encountered during online classes among undergraduate nursing students during COVID-19 pandemic in India. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 8(10), 3687-3693. http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20204252
Gummesson, E. (1991). Qualitative Methods in Management Research. London: SAGE.
Henaku, E. A., (2020). COVID-19 online learning experience of college students: The case of Ghana. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Advanced Technology, 1(2), 54-62. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342586709
Jupp, V. (2006). The SAGE Dictionary of Social Research Methods. London: SAGE.
Kerres, M. (2020). Against all odds: Education in Germany coping with Covid-19. Postdigital Science and Education, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00130-7
Mateo, J. (2020, October 5). As Classes Open, ‘Learning Crisis’ Highlighted with Millions of Students Left Behind. Retrieved from https://www.onenews.ph/as-classes-open-learning-crisis-highlighted-with-millions-of-students-left-behind
Matswetu, V. S., Munakandafa, W., Munodawafa, V. & Mandoga, E. (2020). Science student teachers’ challenges and coping strategies in an open and distance learning environment in Zimbabwe. Makarere Journal of Higher Education, 4(2), 125-137. https://doi.org/10.4314/majohe.v4i2.1
Poncian, P. (2017). The impact of home environment on students' academic achievement in Tanzanian secondary schools: A case of Geita Town Council. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/480
Rajkumar R. P. (2020). COVID-19 and mental health: A review of the existing literature. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 52, 102066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102066
Saavedra, J. (2020). Educational challenges and opportunities of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/educational-challenges-and-opportunities-covid-19-pandemic
Sarvestani, M. S., Mohammadi, M., Afshin, J. & Raeisy, J. (2019). Students’ experiences of e-Learning challenges: A phenomenological study. Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences, 10(3), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.30476/IJVLMS.2019.45841
Santos, A. P. (2020, October 6). In the Philippines, distance learning reveals the digital divide. Retrieved from https://eu.boell.org/en/2020/10/06/philippines-distance-learning-reveals-digital-divide
Sarwar, H., Akhtar, H., Naeem, M. M., Khan, J. A., Waraich, K., Shabbir, S., Hasan, A., & Khurshid, Z. (2020). Self-reported effectiveness of e-Learning classes during COVID-19 pandemic: A nation-wide survey of Pakistani undergraduate dentistry students. European Journal of Dentistry, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1717000
Subedi, S., Nayaju, S., Subedi, S., Shah, S. K. & Shah, J. M. (2020). Impact of e-Learning during COVID-19 pandemic among nursing students and teachers of Nepal. International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research, 5(3), 68-76. https://ijshr.com/IJSHR_Vol.5_Issue.3_July2020/IJSHR0012.pdf
Sundarasen, S., Chinna, K., Kamaludin, K., Nurunnabi, M., Baloch, G. M., Khoshaim, H. B., Hossain, S. F. A. & Sukayt, A (2020). Psychological impact of COVID-19 and lockdown among university students in Malaysia: Implications and policy recommendations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), 6206. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176206
Tandon R. (2020). COVID-19 and mental health: Preserving humanity, maintaining sanity, and promoting health. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 51, 102256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102256
UNESCO (2020, May 29). The socio-cultural implications of COVID-19. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/news/socio-cultural-implications-covid-19
Verawardina, U., Asnur, L., Lubis, A. L., Hendriyani, Y., Ramadhani, D., Dewi, I. P., Darni, R., Betri, T., Susanti, W. & Sriwahyuni, T. (2020). Reviewing online learning facing the Covid-19 outbreak. Talent Development & Excellence, 12. https://www.iratde.com/index.php/jtde/article/view/281
Wang, C., Cheng Z., Yue, X-G. & McAleer, M. (2020). Risk management of COVID-19 by universities in China. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13 (2), 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm13020036
Wisconsin (2020, May 7). The online learning experience – a WIUC international student perspective. Retrieved from https://wiuc-ghana.edu.gh/the-online-learning-experience-a-wiuc-international-student-perspective/