modular distance learning argumentative essay

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Argumentative Essay: Online Learning and Educational Access

Conventional learning is evolving with the help of computers and online technology. New ways of learning are now available, and improved access is one of the most important benefits available. People all around the world are experiencing improved mobility as a result of the freedom and potential that online learning provides, and as academic institutions and learning organisations adopt online learning technologies and remote-access learning, formal academic education is becoming increasingly legitimate. This essay argues the contemporary benefits of online learning, and that these benefits significantly outweigh the issues, challenges and disadvantages of online learning.

Online learning is giving people new choices and newfound flexibility with their personal learning and development. Whereas before, formal academic qualifications could only be gained by participating in a full time course on site, the internet has allowed institutions to expand their reach and offer recognized courses on a contact-partial, or totally virtual, basis. Institutions can do so with relatively few extra resources, and for paid courses this constitutes excellent value, and the student benefits with greater educational access and greater flexibility to learn and get qualified even when there lots of other personal commitments to deal with.

Flexibility is certainly one of the most important benefits, but just as important is educational access. On top of the internet’s widespread presence in developed countries, the internet is becoming increasingly available in newly developed and developing countries. Even without considering the general informational exposure that the internet delivers, online academic courses and learning initiatives are becoming more aware of the needs of people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and this means that people from such backgrounds are in a much better position to learn and progress than they used to be.

The biggest argument that raises doubt over online learning is the quality of online courses in comparison to conventional courses. Are such online courses good enough for employers to take notice? The second biggest argument is the current reality that faces many people from disadvantaged backgrounds, despite the improvements made in this area in recent years – they do not have the level of basic access needed to benefit from online learning. In fact, there are numerous sources of evidence that claim disadvantaged students are not receiving anywhere near the sort of benefits that online learning institutions and promoters are trying to instigate. Currently there are many organisations, campaigns and initiatives that are working to expand access to higher education. With such high participation, it can be argued that it is only a matter of time before the benefits are truly realised, but what about the global online infrastructure?

There is another argument that is very difficult to dispel, and that is the response of different types of students to the online learning paradigm. Evidence shows that there are certain groups of students that benefit from college distance learning much more than other groups. In essence, students must be highly motivated and highly disciplined if they are to learn effectively in their own private environment.

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An Argumentative-Writing Unit for Students Doing Remote Learning

Suggestions for self-guided activities that can help students practice making claims and supporting them with evidence.

By Michael Gonchar and Katherine Schulten

Note to Teachers: Here is a PDF teacher’s guide for using this unit with students.

Whether you’re here because your school has switched to remote learning or because you just want to sharpen your argumentative skills, welcome to our first “unit” written directly to students.

Of course, we know this isn’t a full unit like one you might work on over several weeks in school, under the direction of a teacher. Instead, it’s a streamlined version of the many resources our site offers on this topic, written in a way we hope teenagers can follow, at least in part, on their own.

If you are familiar with our site, then you know we believe strongly in student voice and choice. No matter how you use the ideas below, there is a lot of flexibility. You can choose what’s most relevant, interesting and meaningful to you as you go.

Here, in three items, is what you’ll be doing. How and in what order is up to you, though we have suggested a sequence.

Using our daily writing prompts to practice making arguments , either by posting a comment on our site, or by writing just for yourself, or for classmates or for a teacher in a remote learning-management system.

We’ve been asking a question a day since 2009, so you have lots to choose from. For instance, if the question “ Should parents track their children? ” doesn’t interest you, maybe “ Do memes make the internet a better place? ” will.

Studying some argumentative “mentor texts” — that is, good published examples full of “writer’s moves” you can borrow — that were written by fellow teenagers and by adults.

Writing a polished, 450-word opinion piece to submit to our Student Editorial Contest, which ends on April 21. We’ll pick winners, runners-up and honorable mentions and publish them on The Learning Network.

Here’s how. Please let us know if you have questions by posting them here, or by writing to us at [email protected].

Step 1: Create a free account.

Before you do anything else, you should create a free account so you can comment on our writing prompts. Here’s a video that walks you through the process.

Note: If you are under 13, you cannot post a public comment on NYTimes.com. If you are 13 to 18 years old, you should ask a parent or guardian to help you register because they will need to approve the Terms of Service.

Step 2: Submit a comment.

Now you’re ready to submit your first comment.

Go to this page: Argumentative Writing Prompts .

Scroll through the list and choose any prompt that interests you. Read the prompt, think about what you want to say and click on the comment button. Enter your name and location, type in your comment and press submit. Congratulations! You submitted your first comment.

Tip 1: Your name can be just your first name — or any format your teacher gives you. Your location can be your school, your city, state or even country.

Tip 2: Your comment won’t appear right away. We have moderators who approve every comment before it publishes, so please be patient.

Step 3: Get into the routine of writing casually.

We recommend that you respond to at least one new prompt each school day. If you’re feeling inspired, do more. We’re not looking for perfect grammar or structure, we’re just looking for thoughtful engagement with the question. It’s an easy way to flex your writing muscles.

Before you respond, you might think about the point you want to make, and consider how you’ll support that opinion with either evidence from the article or from your own life experiences and observations.

For good examples, take a look at some of the student comments on this recent ethical question , or on this popular question from 2018. What responses are most interesting to you? Why?

Tip: If you write about one of our most recent prompts, your comment might be featured in our weekly roundup of great comments . We spotlight 30 to 40 students each week.

Step 4: Reply to other students.

One of the things that make our comment section special is that students from all over the world participate.

Before you comment, read what other students have written. Pay attention to both what they say and how they say it. If they make a really good point, take note. If their writing is very clear and persuasive, think about how they did that.

If someone’s comment makes an impression on you, you can submit a reply. Above is an example of that kind of conversation, from this writing prompt .

Tip: When your comment is published, you’ll receive a confirmation email. You can forward this to your teacher to prove that you submitted a comment.

Step 5: Pick an issue you want to write about.

This unit culminates in our annual Student Editorial Contest , in which you’re invited to write about something you care about, and persuade us to care about it, too.

Here’s the challenge:

Choose a topic you care about — whether it’s something we’ve addressed on The Learning Network or not — then gather evidence from sources both inside and outside The New York Times and write a concise editorial (450 words or fewer) to convince readers of your view.

In the past, students have won by taking on topics as diverse as social media and policing ; video gaming and voting ; why it’s fine to be messy and why we should all eat more bugs . Scroll through our past winners, because the list goes on and on .

Think about the topics that matter most to you, and think about why they matter to you. As you’ll see if you read some of the work of our teenage winners, not only is it OK to write this essay from a first-person (“I”) point of view, often a persuasive essay is better when the writer reveals a personal stake in the issue.

Tip: You may want to use one of the topics you’ve already written about in this unit. Or, pick something entirely new. If you’re looking for inspiration, use these two lists to scroll through hundreds of ideas:

401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Step 6: Do research.

Now that you have a topic, you’ll need to build out your position, and find evidence to support it. Our Editorial Contest requires that you use at least one Times source and one non-Times source in writing your essay. Now is your chance to broaden your “ news diet ” to find reliable sources of all kinds, and to read deeply and widely about this issue.

As you go, take notes. Find quotes from experts that strengthen your position. Seek out alternate perspectives and take them seriously. As you research, it is not uncommon for your position to become more nuanced or even change entirely once you begin to understand the big picture.

Tip: If you don’t have a subscription to The New York Times, you may hit the paywall while you’re doing your research. If you do, you can use the search bar on the Learning Network’s home page — scroll down, and you’ll find it hidden below the featured articles. All the Learning Network’s articles are free, and so are the New York Times links in those articles.

Step 7: Try some of these ‘writer’s moves.’

Now, start drafting. But as you go, you might learn from students who have come before you . What have these winners done that you admire? What lessons might these essays have for your writing?

Choose at least three of the winning essays to read, and take note of what “writer’s moves” impress you. Do they start with a great hook? Do they seamlessly weave in strong evidence? Do they deftly tackle counterarguments? Have they used interesting words or sentence structure?

For example, here is one that is written in the first person and follows a less-traditional structure: The Life-Changing Magic of Being Messy .

And here is one that is more traditional, perhaps like the argumentative essays you have written in school: Accountability-Based Testing Is Broken .

What can you learn from each of them? What strategies might you try?

Once you’ve studied several student essays, you might take a look at the Times Opinion section and find adult-written editorials or Op-Eds you admire. The more you can read and identify what works to persuade an audience, the better you’ll be at wielding those strategies.

Tip: The “writer’s moves” you identify don’t have to be big. Maybe you never realized a paragraph could begin with “For instance,” the way Alan Peng starts his second one: “For instance, as part of the process, teachers are forced to spend more and more time ‘teaching to the test,’ wasting valuable instruction time.” Or maybe you admire the short, punchy sentences Isabel Hwang uses: “Gross? Yes. Bad? Not necessarily.” Mentor texts are very personal — there are as many lessons in a good one as there are individual readers looking for them.

Step 8: Drafting your editorial.

A video made for us in 2014 by Andrew Rosenthal, who was then editor of the Times Opinion section.

If you’ve studied our previous winners, you probably realize that those essays don’t go by a set formula. Few of them follow all the “rules” of the classic five-paragraph essay, for instance. But all of them, like any good Opinion piece, do have three essential parts: a beginning (your introduction), a middle (the body) and an end (your conclusion).

Here is our contest rubric . As you compose, make sure you have done each of the things we ask, including stating a clear opinion, issuing a call to action around it and using reliable evidence to support your point of view.

Tip: Don’t forget that your editorial cannot be longer than 450 words. You might go into this contest thinking writing “short” is easier than writing “long,” but we hear from students and teachers every year that getting everything you want to say into so few words takes longer than you might think!

Step 9: Submit your editorial.

When you’re finished writing your editorial, find the appropriate submission form on the contest announcement page . Look for the heading: “How to Submit.” If you are over 16, you will use the Student Submission Form. If you are under 16, then have a teacher, parent or guardian submit your editorial using the Teacher Submission Form.

Tip: Ask someone else to read your draft before submitting it. Ask that person: “How well can you follow my argument? Do you find my evidence convincing?”

Thank you for participating.

Stay tuned. We announce winners about eight weeks after the contest ends.

If you have questions about this unit, submit a comment on this post or email us at [email protected].

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MODULAR DISTANCE LEARNING AMIDST OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

2021, IOER International Multidisciplinary Research Journal

Education is one of the relevant industries caught in the middle of this pandemic and the Philippines has millions of affected learners all over the country. Incidentally, it is necessary to safeguard the education sector through strategies that guarantee the continuous flow of learning integrating online with offline approaches. The researcher aimed to present the difficulties and experiences faced by the learners on Modular Distance Learning. A descriptive, qualitative research was conducted and used an online survey, interview, and observation as tools to gather data and to find out the problems encountered of the learners on this mode of learning. Moore's theory on Transactional Distance Learning served as the framework of analysis and the researcher analyzed the results by thematic coding. A total of 45 learners participated in the online survey and 10 learners participated on online interview. Questions in the survey elicit the situations of the learners and how they managed to study on their own in the absence of learning facilitators to guide them. The result of the survey conducted to section HUMMS 11-Kohlberg determine the accessibility and availability of the gadgets that will be used for modular distance learning, it was revealed that most of the learners' used cellphones to access FB messenger, group chat and google meet for online classes. Learners engaged themselves in understanding the concepts presented in the module as they developed a sense of responsibility in learning on their own and in accomplishing the tasks provided in the module, with limited assistance from the teacher, these learners progress on their own. Today, as the country is at the state of emergency health crisis, these SLMs for Modular Distance Learning were the most convenient, and appropriate to use for our learners to continue learning amidst of Covid-19 pandemic.

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IOER International Multidisciplinary Research Journal

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Schools' stakeholders are the most affected during this time of the pandemic. They are mostly the ones at a loss and are the ones sacrificing, may it be either academically, financially, or both. The different gathered data aimed to provide clarity on the issues and provide propositions on how to conduct the schools' organic functions, possibly during and after the pandemic. In this study, a total of 220 participants came from 44 different schools. The study employed a concurrent-triangulation research design in which an online survey was sent to the participants. Also, teachers coming from international schools and schools outside the Philippines were contacted to have them share their experiences in regards to how their schools handle the situation. Lastly, document analysis was also utilized as a data-gathering procedure.

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The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic as a massive global concern has brought unprecedented challenges in different sectors of the world. One of it is education which posed as one of the most vulnerable sectors significantly impacted by it. This phenomenon changed the mode of instructional delivery and the viewpoint of education stakeholders on the kind of learning continuity applicable to the learners amidst the looming uncertainty brought about by the health crisis. Using phenomenology, this study explored the voices of public Science school teachers regarding their instructional dilemmas to adapt in the demands of the new normal teaching and learning. Findings uncovered seven emerging emotional themes capped as HOPEFUL: Hard-working and dedicated; Optimistic amidst uncertainty; Problematic yet reflective; Evenhandedness in responsibilities; Frightened but ready; Undisruptive desire to reach; and Lifelong learner. Despite the evident uncertainties of the situation, this paper describes the experiences of the Science teachers in their response to their mission of shaping today's generation towards undisruptive education.

IOER Inernational Multidisciplinary Research Journal

IOER International Multidisciplinary Research Journal ( IIMRJ)

COVID-19 pandemic has resulted drastic changes in education. Part of it is the shift from face-to-face classes to different learning modalities which include distance learning. Since education is believed to continue despite the circumstances, teachers started to prepare for modular and online distance learning. Teaching is possible, but, has challenges as well. Hence, this phenomenological research explored the lived experiences of secondary teachers in the Division of San Pablo City in the pre-implementation of distance learning in the new normal. The participants were selected through purposive sampling and underwent one-on-one actual in-depth interview through video conference. The documented interviews were transcribed and coded. Categories were clustered; then, emerging themes were derived. Results identified three core themes related to preparation such as gathering resources and establishing practices, profiling learners, and capacity building for continuous learning and development; three core themes related to challenges such as complexity of assessment, difficulty in instructional delivery and digital divide; and five core themes related to coping mechanisms which include positive well-being, time management, openness to change, peer mentoring, and collaboration. Findings revealed that as education migrates to a New Normal, teachers make necessary preparations to equip themselves with distance learning. Though they face challenges which may hamper their work, they still manage to cope with the new normal to continue their tasks. The higher offices and school authorities should work with teachers at the pre-implementation of distance learning to address their needs in resources and training to effectively facilitate the delivery of quality education for students.

IOER International Multidisciplinary Research Journal ( IIMRJ) , Karl Joseph Sanmocte

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IOER International Multidisciplinary Research Journal ( IIMRJ) , Robin Parojenog , ROBIN C . PAROJENOG

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• Research article
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• Published: 29 October 2020

Student perspective of classroom and distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in the undergraduate dental study program Universitas Indonesia

• Lisa R. Amir 1 , 2 ,
• Ira Tanti 1 , 3 ,
• Diah Ayu Maharani 4 ,
• Yuniardini Septorini Wimardhani 5 ,
• Vera Julia 6 ,
• Benso Sulijaya 7 &
• Ria Puspitawati 1 , 2  

BMC Medical Education volume  20 , Article number:  392 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global health issue and has had a major impact on education. Consequently, half way through the second semester of the academic year 2019/2020, learning methods were delivered through distance learning (DL). We aimed to evaluate the student perspective of DL compared to classroom learning (CL) in the undergraduate dentistry study program at the Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia.

An online questionnaire was sent at the end of the semester. A total of 301 students participated in the study.

Duration of study influenced student preference. Higher number of first-year students preferred DL compared to their seniors ( p  < 0.001). Students preferred CL for group discussion, as DL resulted in more difficult communication and gave less learning satisfaction. Only 44.2% students preferred DL over CL, although they agreed that DL gave a more efficient learning method (52.6%), it provided more time to study (87.9%) and to review study materials (87.3%). Challenges during DL included external factors such as unstable internet connection, extra financial burden for the internet quota and internal factors such as time management and difficulty to focus while learning online for a longer period of time.

Despite some challenges, dental students could adapt to the new learning methods of full DL and the majorities agreed blended learning that combined classroom and distance learning can be implemented henceforth. This current COVID-19 pandemic, changes not only the utilization of technology in education but the pedagogy strategies in the future.

Peer Review reports

The World Health Organization has declared the pandemic of the novel SARS-CoV2 infection early this year and it has now become a major public health challenge worldwide [ 1 ]. The infection control and physical distancing measures are crucial to prevent the virus from further spreading and to help control the pandemic situation. The policy of compulsory physical distancing has been implemented in many countries including in Indonesia [ 2 , 3 ], resulting in nationwide school and university closures. In accordance with this policy, dental academic institutions are compelled to make appropriate and timely modification in order to continue to deliver education and to sustain the continuation of student academic progress. The teaching and learning activities were immediately shifted to a full E-learning.

E-learning is defined as learning that makes use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The incorporation of technological resources and innovative education strategies has transformed the teaching and learning processes. Previous studies have shown various e-learning and online learning tools that are effective for teaching and learning in the fields of health profession, including dentistry [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. The knowledge gain and performance of the students as a result of E-learning were shown to be equivalent to that of face to face methods [ 9 , 10 ]. Blended learning is mainly defined as the integration of classroom and distance learning to facilitate an independent, interactive and collaborative learning among students. However, to understand it in a more general perspective, blended learning approach redesign courses that are developed, scheduled and implemented through a combination of physical and virtual learning activities. It was previously reported that blended learning provides better student’s satisfaction, motivation, student engagement and performance [ 5 , 7 , 11 , 12 ]. This approach promotes active and self-directed learning and has gained acceptance in dental education as a complementary method to traditional learning.

The undergraduate curriculum of the Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia adopted Student Centered Active Learning (SCAL) using collaborative learning, question-based learning or Problem-Based Learning (PBL) since 2003. In PBL, students work in groups to construct content knowledge and develop self-directed learning skills. The activities along the steps of the chosen learning methods (group discussions, clarification sessions, the laboratory works and skills lab) were all conducted in classroom learning with online support. The university E-learning management system (LMS) was utilized to facilitate various teaching and learning activities at different academic levels in the undergraduate dental program. The organization of courses, access to resources and additional learning materials are available through LMS to support self-directed learning within an integrated PBL curriculum. During this COVID-19 pandemic, courses delivered in student-centered learning methods were immediately moved to full E-learning. In the first half of semester before the pandemic, group discussions, clarification sessions and interactive lectures were carried out in-campus classroom learning while in the second half of semester, learning activities were delivered in full distance learning employing various online meeting platforms. In order to make the format of discussion sessions stay similar as it had been conducted before the pandemic, every online session was delivered synchronously with the attendance of a facilitator in each group. Students and facilitators’ time spent on setting or accomplishing tasks was similar as in classroom learning.

Despite previous reports on the comparison of classroom and distance learning [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ], the evaluation on the student-centered active learning approaches that are delivered through blended learning methods compared to full online learning has not been widely available. The majorities of studies on distance learning method reported student perception of virtual learning modules that were integrated with classroom learning. Student feedback could provide important information for the evaluation of distance learning so as to improve future learning strategies. Therefore, the study aimed to analyze student perspective of SCAL delivered through full distance learning compared to the classroom learning in the undergraduate dentistry study program. An online questionnaire was distributed to the undergraduate dental students at the end of semester. We hypothesized students positive outcomes on the acceptance of distance learning as a new learning strategy that was implemented during COVID-19 pandemic condition.

Sampling procedures and participants

This study was performed from May to June 2020. Study participants were the first, second and third-year of undergraduate students of the dentistry study program at the Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia. The online questionnaire was given at the end of semester. They were strongly encouraged to fill out the questionnaire but their participation remained voluntary. The name and other personal information of the study participants were protected. Dental Research Ethics Committee Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia approved the study in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration (6/EA/FKGUI/VI/2020). Students were informed about the study and signed consent form.

Learning methods

Before COVID-19 pandemic, learning strategies in the dentistry academic study program (pre-clinical) at the Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia was student-centered active learning. Collaborative learning (CL) and question-based learning (QBL) approaches were mainly used in the courses of the earlier semesters such as basic oral biology and introduction of health and dental science courses for the first-year dental students. Problem-based Learning (PBL) was mainly used in the courses of the latter semesters such as clinical dental science courses for the second and third-year dental students. The group discussions of these active learning approaches and lectures for clarification were delivered in classroom learning. Each group discussion consisted of 10–13 students and was supervised by 1 facilitator/tutor. Universitas Indonesia web-based education tools (EMAS, Moodle-based learning management system) was used to support various learning activities. Students could access the syllabus, learning objectives of each studied courses as well as scenarios/list of sub-topics or questions, list of references through the EMAS system and this learning approach represents blended learning.

As the COVID-19 pandemic protocol forced the compulsory work and study from home policy, since March 17, 2020, courses with CL, QBL and PBL methods were transferred to full distance learning. Group discussions, clarification lectures and assessments were carried out using various online platforms (Microsoft Teams, Google meets, Zoom and EMAS). Practice class and skills lab courses in which the expected learning outcomes involved various psychomotor skills were either substituted with video simulation, and or live and presented the stages of work online or postponed until the university is ready to be opened for the face-to-face classroom learning.

Questionnaire

The questionnaire was developed to assess [ 1 ] the student’s perception of the distance learning method. The response options of the questionnaire items represent 4 Likert-type scales (0 = strongly disagree to 3 = strongly agree), except for questions of the most effective methods for distance learning (six options of the format of online learning) and open questions for the challenges and positive experience during distance learning. Altogether there were 22 statements in four parts: (A) general information on the student’s gender, year of study and GPA; (B) Preference; (C) Effectiveness, and; (D) Learning satisfaction.

Statistical analysis

The internal consistency reliability questionnaire was measured by Cronbach’s alpha. Descriptive statistics were computed and bivariate analyses were performed. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with the students’ preference towards distance learning. The level of statistical significance was at 0.05.

General information

A total of 301 undergraduate first-, second- and third-year dental students of the Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia participated in the study. The response rate was 84.3%. Most of the participants were female (85.1%) and it reflects the majority of our undergraduate dental students (Table  1 ). Cronbach alpha of the questionnaire was 0.880. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of each domain were above 0.8, which was considered satisfactory. No CITC value was lower than 0.30, which allowed all items to be included in the instrument.

Preference domain

The total mean preference score was 20.3 ± 5.9, ranging from 2 to 36. Majorities of students (75.1%) agreed on the importance of classroom learning interaction for group discussion. Year of study influenced student’s perception toward distance learning. First-year students have a higher preference towards distance learning compared to their seniors ( p  < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between gender or grade point average (GPA) on students’ preference of learning methods (Table 1 ). Most students (87.4%) preferred synchronized learning sessions for group discussions and clarification sessions. Moreover, 58.8% students shared their concern on the online exams results, due to potential dishonesty of students.

Effectiveness domain

Students perceived to have more learning time with the distance learning, although technical constraints still existed when doing distance learning (Table  2 ). Only 34.2% of students did not experience problems during distance learning. Data from open questions of the challenges during distance learning revealed the majority of the problems were categorized as external factors such as unstable internet connection and extra financial burden for internet quota. Other challenges related to internal factors included student readiness to the new learning method, time management and difficulties to focus while learning through the computer for a long period of time. These challenges might be contributed to the stress experienced by 35.2% students during distance learning (Table 2 ).

Learning satisfaction domain

The results of logistic regression confirmed the suitability, preferability, communication, sustainability, efficiency, satisfaction and motivation were significant factors related to the students’ preference towards distance learning (Table  3 ). Overall, efficiency has the highest odds ratio in relation to preference towards distance learning. However, 61.7% students disagreed that distance learning gave similar learning satisfaction to classroom learning.

Correlation

The correlations between each 12 variables were shown in Table  4 . Item sub-scale correlations ranged from 0.140–0.763, indicating the multidimensionality of the questionnaire scale. Strong correlation was observed between sufficient time to prepare lessons and sufficient time to review the study materials in distance learning and efficiency related to motivation. Correlations were all significant at the p  < 0.05 level.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the unprecedented universities’s facilities closure, it affected millions of students worldwide. The sudden transformation in the teaching and learning activities into virtual modalities was carried out in order to continue the academic courses while avoiding people gathering and the potential risk of the spread of infection. The present study documented the student perspective of student-centered active learning delivered through full distance learning since March 17, 2020 and compared to the classroom learning in the undergraduate dentistry study program. Full distance learning whereby group discussions were carried out synchronously through the online communication platforms is a new learning method that has not been previously implemented in our dental school. This study was the first to compare the student perceptions on both types of learning methods related to the preference, effectiveness and learning satisfaction reported during the COVID-19 pandemic condition.

The survey demonstrated 44.2% students preferred distance learning over classroom learning. This result was lower than other studies comparing online and traditional learning methods which reported higher preference toward e-learning compared to traditional classroom methods [ 5 , 13 , 14 ]. Student’s attitude and acceptance toward e-learning has been shown to be more positive and favorable. However, in these studies the virtual learning modules were integrated with classroom learning, while in the present study, the distance learning was delivered in full online. It was previously reported that full online learning offers a sense of unreality and it largely depends on the students commitment to the courses [ 15 ]. Bridges and colleagues suggested the integration of learning technologies with face-to-face teaching to support access to digital resources and to enhance the visualization [ 16 ]. Blended PBL structured similarly as traditional PBL while offering the ability to use online communication tools and online environment to share materials. These differences in the learning methods and the new learning strategy experienced by our dental students might explain the lower percentage of students preferred full distance learning observed in this study.

In this study, the preference on learning methods was influenced by the year of study. Among students who preferred distance learning, the percentage of freshman students was significantly higher than the seniors. Similarly, studies conducted by Sritongthaworn et al. (2006) and Teo at al (2011) reported that younger students tend to adapt to e-learning [ 17 , 18 ]. One of the factors that contribute to this finding might be related to the curriculum implemented at the time of this study. Senior dental students learned more clinical dental science courses which involve both theory and procedural knowledge and skills. Essentially such courses require laboratory skill sessions to enhance the understanding of the learned subjects. As the execution of dental laboratory works and practical was postponed due to the university closure, this resulted in the lack of motoric skills experiences, less chance of direct consultation with the instructors and less practical assignments that were normally served as the reinforcement to the theory class. While the curriculum of first-year dental students studied more basic dental science courses which are mostly conceptual theories so that the content knowledge acquisition could still be re-enforced by laboratory activities based on online tutorial and exercises in form of video or photographs. It is well comprehended that dental education can not be carried on the same way as medical education. The reason of this difference is that the dental students requires adequate physical setting and psychomotor skills, even since in the academic years, and that could not be replaced by distance learning strategy as being conducted during the pandemic [ 2 ].

Beside the necessary preparedness of students in distance learning methods, other factors such as personality types may influence student preference for e-learning than classroom learning [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. As the personality regulates how individuals perceive, make judgements and react in certain situations. The acceptance of students for e-learning is commonly associated with self regulation character. Self regulatory behavior includes the ability to set goals, effective time management, problem solving capacity, and awareness of time to seek advice from instructors [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. On top of self regulatory behavior, constraint of self efficacy, e-learning motivation, and high task value are other factors which strengthen the blended/online learning preference [ 21 , 22 ]. It is interesting to note that despite the lower percentage of distance learning preference observed in this study, students agreed that distance learning could motivate them to prepare the learning materials before group discussion.

Logistic regression analysis confirmed efficiency has the highest odds ratio in relation to preference towards distance learning. Moreover, students recognized there was more time to study and to review study material in distance learning. Such results are in line with previous studies which has been demonstrated that distance learning offers higher flexibility of place of study process, saving time and cost since commuting from and to campus is no longer needed [ 23 ]. Well designed distance learning gives more time for students to access more topics and unlimited information. Such advantage suits the learning process of medical and dental students in recent decades since they have to digest increased loads of new and kept updated topics [ 5 ].

Apart from its obvious advantages, distance learning also brings some disadvantages. Increased chances of distraction, complicated technology, limited social interaction, and increased difficulty to stay in contact with instructors are several conditions that might interfere with the success of distance learning [ 24 ]. The present study showed more students felt lower learning satisfaction and more difficult communication either with instructors or with peer students in doing distance learning. Internal factors challenges of student readiness to distance learning, time management and difficulty to stay focused for long online learning duration were reported. Besides the students internal factor as mentioned above, other categories of distance learning barriers were also present in the time and environment when this study was conducted. The performance of instructors in charge in the distance learning process of this study were varied in their interactive pedagogy ability, uplifting spirit, and confidence toward utilization of innovative learning. Self efficacy character is importantly demanded not only from students but also from instructors. The quality of teaching is very important in stimulating students’ satisfaction. Special attention to communicate with students is essential since lack of personal contact may affect the development of trust [ 22 , 23 ]. Peer to peer communication and interaction in a group discussion are not often feasible in the virtual learning method. The barriers associated with infra-structure were obviously also encountered by the students complaining about unstable internet connection and extra financial burden for internet quota. Moreover, stress experienced by one-third of the participants of the study might have an impact on student perspective toward learning method. Recent study also reported students concerned on the issues of economic slowdown, potential academic delay and changes in daily life and these were associated with the level of anxiety of the college student in China during this pandemic time [ 24 ].

The present study demonstrated important findings that are essential for the improvement and development of learning strategies in the future. However, this study had some limitations. First, the generalizability of the study was limited by the use of data from a single university. Second, although students were encouraged to take part in this study, their participation was voluntary. The response rate of 84.3% was below the 90% response rate that was initially targeted. The number of non-respondents may therefore have undermined the power of the study and the potential response bias can not be completely ruled out [ 25 ]. The results of the study must therefore be interpreted with caution. Third, the study focused on the preclinical students as its respondents, while the more challenging adaptation in learning strategy in dentistry during the pandemic is critically faced by the clinical students in the profession program. Forth, the questionnaire used in this study only measured student perception. It was unclear how student academic performance was affected by distance learning strategy, whether there were any difficulties encountered by students in understanding course learning outcomes, particularly for senior-year students who received clinical dental science courses and have lower preference toward distance learning. Previously, it was reported a weak correlation between the student perception of learning with the actual gain of knowledge [ 26 ]. Student perception may not reflect student understanding of course learning outcomes. Therefore, assessing the impact of distance learning on student academic performance is as crucial for the evaluation of curriculum transformation. This should be further investigated. Despite these limitations, the results of this study offer valuable information on the current perspectives of dental students with regard to full distance learning methods implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. As student acceptance of learning method play an important role in creating an effective learning environment [ 27 , 28 ]. Due to the uncertainty in this COVID-19 pandemic time, whereby the situation is still changes, it is essential to design the learning method that is most suited to current situation and to have appropriate plan once it is permissible for classroom teaching to resume its activities, taken into consideration all the necessary protocols for safety and health protection [ 29 ].

The study presented evidence that despite some challenges, undergraduate dental students could adapt to the new learning methods of distance learning and agreed on better efficiency experienced in distance learning than in classroom learning. This sudden closure of the university globally due to COVID-19 pandemic, albeit undesirable, presents an enormous opportunity for cultural transformation in the education system. As more “tech-savvy” generations enroll in higher education, dental educators need to incorporate blended learning in the curriculum, to design the best features of classroom and distance learning to improve the overall learning environment.

Availability of data and materials

All of the relevant raw data of this study will be available from Ria Puspitawati (corresponding author) for scientists who wish to use them for non-commercial purposes.

Abbreviations

Corrected Item Total Corrections

Classroom Learning

Distance Learning

E-learning management system

Problem-based Learning

Question-Based Learning

Student Centered Active Learning

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Dean Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia (Prof. Lindawati Kusdhany) for supporting study and Vice Dean of education and research Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia (Prof. Ellyza Herda) for her invaluable comments for this study.

Universitas Indonesia supported the publication of this study. Grant number for LA: #NKB-1609/UN2.RST/HKP.05.00/2020.

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LA: contributed to the study concept, study design, data analysis, data interpretation and writing the manuscript. IT: contributed to the study concept, study design, data analysis, writing the manuscript. DAM: contributed to design of study, data analysis, writing the manuscript. YW: contributed to design of study, data analysis, writing the manuscript. VJ: contributed to design of study, data analysis, writing the manuscript. BS: contributed to design of study, data analysis, writing the manuscript. RP: contributed to the study concept, study design, data analysis, data interpretation and writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Amir, L.R., Tanti, I., Maharani, D.A. et al. Student perspective of classroom and distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in the undergraduate dental study program Universitas Indonesia. BMC Med Educ 20 , 392 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02312-0

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Challenges and mechanisms of teachers in the implementation of modular distance learning in the Philippines: a phenomenological study

• Jimmy Rey O. Cabardo Hagonoy National High School, Guihing, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1219-0580
• Cristy Jean O. Cabardo Sacub National High School, Sacub, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur
• Sheila Jean O. Cabardo-Mabida Lapulabao National High School, Lapulabao, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur

COVID-19 pandemic brought so many changes in the state of education after school’s temporary closure. Educational institutions transitioned to modular distance learning from the usual face-to-face teaching which put both teachers and students less prepared, if not totally unprepared. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the challenges and mechanisms of teachers in the implementation of modular distance learning in the Philippines amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered through in-depth interview to twelve (12) teachers, six (6) were teaching in the elementary, and the other six (6) teaching in the secondary level. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the following steps: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Ethical issues were considered in the conduct of the study. Results revealed that the challenges of teachers in modular distance learning includes time-consuming, incomplete and unanswered modules, inadequate parental support, and insufficient trainings to teachers. The mechanisms utilized by teachers to overcome the challenges includes time management, regular communication to parents and students, reskilling and upskilling of teachers, and utilization of blended learning. With this, it is recommended that DepEd should continue to undertake monitoring and evaluation on the implemented modular distance learning to assess its quality and relevance on the current status of education in the country.

Author Biographies

Jimmy rey o. cabardo, hagonoy national high school, guihing, hagonoy, davao del sur.

Hagonoy National High School, Guihing, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur

Cristy Jean O. Cabardo, Sacub National High School, Sacub, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur

Sacub National High School, Sacub, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur

Sheila Jean O. Cabardo-Mabida, Lapulabao National High School, Lapulabao, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur

Lapulabao National High School, Lapulabao, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Online Vs. Traditional Classes — New Reality: Online Distance Learning in Philippines

New Reality: Online Distance Learning in Philippines

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Online learning, advantages and disadvantages of online learning, philippines and online learning.

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