A Shaky Shift: AdNU’s Transition to Blended Online Learning

■ Terrence Azañes & Emilia Mari Goyena

fter almost three years following the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has declared that all higher education institutions must conduct classes with at least 50% onsite contact time, leaving fully online classes in 2022. With this came the formulation of the blended online learning (BOL) policy from CHED Memorandum 16, series of 2022.

As Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU) complies with the implementation this second semester, they aim to ensure a safe return to the physical campus and to gradually bring back students to the face-to-face setup, all while maintaining the quality of the academic performance of the university. With all these said, it begs the question: is AdNU on the right track to successfully achieving the goals of the BOL policy?

Transition

Experiencing more than two school years of distance learning and being devoid of the usual social aspect of education, the students expressed appreciation for the efforts of AdNU to transition to BOL to cater to the students’ need for interaction and collaboration. They explained that being able to communicate in person with their classmates and upperclassmen, made the adjustment easier and reduced the typical pressures of academics. Additionally, they were able to feel the essence of extracurricular activities through face-to-face socialization. All in all, the positive light of the policy shines through the strengthening of students’ sense of belonging and community.

But behind its charming façade, the transition also came with its inevitably uglier side. The interviewees expressed that the swift transition had them physically winded after long days on campus. The relatively shorter preparation time for on-site coursework added to their asynchronous workload contributes to their drained state at the end of the day. On top of that, students are burdened with financial worries for they now have multiple expenses such as travel fare, food, data for online classes in between, and school-related costs.

On the part of the instructors, they stated that the overall transition from online learning to blended learning was good and that the teachers and their respective departments had enough time to prepare for the BOL implementation for the second semester. However, there was an inconsistency in the dissemination of the said transition where some gathered the information based on hearsay, while some received a notice of memorandum from the Vice President for Higher Education (VPHE). Nonetheless, the instructors shared that they were excited about BOL and that they appreciated the efforts of the students in keeping up with their current situations.

Schedule

The new scheduling and modality system is one of the heaviest concerns coming from the students. Despite matriculation forms indicating the modality of classes, there is a pattern of inconsistency throughout many courses; the modality of subjects is still left to the discretion of instructors, thus causing confusion on the part of the students. In connection with this issue, students have to rapidly switch between online and on-site classes, which is where the chunk of the problem regarding the schedule comes in. Some schedules are designed without adequate break time for eating and resting; forcing students to rush through their breaks to make it on time to their next classes. Because of the time constraint, there is a constant struggle for students traveling between classes.

Newt, a 2nd year BS Electronics Engineering student, conveyed that they have to bike more than five kilometers to save fare and still arrive in class on time. In general, the students stated that the university needs to assess the best amount of hours for each subject, to not only avoid excess time but to also lessen the difficulties in adjusting between modalities.

Kyra, a 3rd year BS Electronics Engineering student, said that they have a hard time bringing their class materials back and forth between home and school. However, they also stated that the sympathy and consideration of some instructors significantly compensate for the challenges the students have to face to cope with the implementation. This is a two-way sentiment as the science instructor also explained that she feels for her students and does her best to accommodate everyone amidst the setup.

The instructors then highlighted the importance of sympathizing with their students and being willing to put their needs first. This means giving time allowances for traveling and providing reasonable schedules and modalities among other things. A philosophy instructor also says they encourage the concept of flexible learning as it gives them more control over the distribution of their syllabus and which topics are to be discussed on-site.

Campus & Facilities

During almost two years of online classes, it seems that AdNU has not taken much liberty in maintenance and updating of ampus facilities and equipment. Students and instructors alike expressed disappointment regarding the physical state of the university. The students in particular observed the shortage of equipment in laboratories and work rooms, as well as their lackluster quality. A stable WiFi connection is also a major concern; as students are expected to attend some of their online classes on campus, they require the means to comfortably do so. This, according to the instructors, adds to the inconvenience of the setup. The WiFi issue is interrelated too with the quality of computer laboratories, as both STEM and arts students share their difficulties with using the on-campus electronics efficiently.

“Hindi proportional ang number of students sa facilities and rooms” was a sentiment aired out by a political science student, as she mentions the overcrowding in cafeterias and the confusion behind room sharing. The interviewed philosophy instructor’s views tie back to this as well, as they explain that room sharing should not be practiced at all, because it heavily influences the syllabus flow and their schedule of classroom agenda, and more importantly, it betrays the spirit of flexibility at the end of the day. The same instructor also stated that the current state of the university is one of the more behind aspects in the setup, and its immediate improvement is vital to the success of BOL. Overall, the science instructor said that the university also ought to allocate more resources to ensure the safety aspect of the campus. Room features like overhead projectors, ceiling fans, and the campus’ vulnerability to flooding are now an urgent concern as students of all ages return to school. However, some students do appreciate the course-specific areas such as workshops and offices that allow them to work separately from public places and at the same time, interact and collaborate with their coursemates. They also mentioned that these workshops suffice for them in providing materials and space.

Recommendations

Listening to the various viewpoints of the student body and the faculty shows that AdNU still has a lot of gaps to fill if they want to better the BOL set-up. With all this said, we gathered recommendations from the interviewees on what improvements they think can make BOL more effective and efficient in the long run. More specifically, the students and instructors were clear in their hopes of having better internet connectivity campus-wide.

The philosophy instructor also mentioned physical student learning hubs that can host Ateneans during their online classes. Schedules can also be more efficient if all students are given sufficient break times while some lengthy subject class hours are trimmed off. On the matter of teacher performance, a more proactive feedback system was also suggested in order to better monitor instructors in terms of class and teaching management. Lastly, the university can launch training programs for students to encourage and hone adaptability to the BOL setup through seminars, discussions, and the like.

We can conclude from the interviews that AdNU ought to directly address students’ concerns and improve two-way communication. A general assembly for all students, faculty, and the administration was also a suggestion from the Science instructor. This should be conducted to address all concerns of the parties, and a moderator should be present to regulate the meeting.

Although some of the issues are not exclusive to the BOL policy, they play a part in the perceived difficulty of the setup and add up to the concerns regarding the student and instructor experience. These issues discussed are interrelated, thus being difficult to solve holistically, and should be taken step by step. Moving forward, AdNU needs to continuously assess the BOL setup and take more proactive measures in ensuring the Ignatian learning experience is intact and of quality.

We then revisit the main concern of this article: the university is far from attaining the goals of the BOL setup as long as they do not back up their student and faculty body with the means to reach our collective end. Both from the standpoint of students and teachers, the BOL policy has much potential as it offers flexibility and modernity in learning. But for this potential to flourish, the holes in their model need to be admitted and patched up, and the voices of the stakeholders must be heard.

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