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Essay: Perceptions of students towards online learning strategies during Covid-19 pandemic

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Research proposal

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the implementation of community quarantines, which mandated students to remain inside their homes for their safety. This sudden change of environment prompted students to shift from traditional to online learning. By definition, learning is the process of acquiring knowledge through undergoing experiences or studying.1 Learning can be in a traditional setting or through an online setup. Traditional learning is conducting synchronous classes in a physical learning environment that occurs at a specific time according to a set schedule.2 In addition, Stoian and his colleagues defined “face-to-face learning” as the most traditional type of learning instruction where the instructor delivers the course content and learning materials in-person to a group of students.3 Similarly, “classroom learning” is conducted at the same time and place for the students to learn.4 Meanwhile, online learning is defined as a web-based software used in distributing, tracking, and managing courses over the Internet using technology.5 Other setups of learning include hybrid or blended learning, one that utilizes face-to-face and online instruction.6 As COVID-19 continues to spread, institutions for education began to develop advancements regarding the delivery of educational materials through digital technology. For instance, the University of Santo Tomas announced in May 2020 regarding holding classes in “enhanced virtual mode,” which utilizes online and offline learning strategies to increase flexibility in providing access to the students with no internet capacity or connectivity.7

This sudden change of educational environment disrupted the teaching of educational institutions, causing them to adapt to an online-learning-type of instructional delivery.8 This mode of learning presents both benefits and barriers to the students and professors. Studies show that the ease of conducting assessments, alternative means of learning in a time of crisis, and more convenient teacher-learner communication are considered benefits of online learning.8 Online learning setup is also beneficial since most students have access to digital devices. It also helps increase learning opportunities, especially for students in geographically separated areas and those that demand more access to resources and materials for schooling. In today’s context, online learning became the primary mode of instructional delivery due to the global spread of COVID-19. On the contrary, the skills needed for digital literacy to collect, use, understand, and apply information using digital technology pose a barrier in online learning.9 In addition, a survey conducted in the Philippines8 reveals that medical students’ highest perceived barrier to online learning is adapting to the “new normal” while executing home responsibilities. Additionally, mentioned barriers include difficulty communicating with professors, limited studying space, mental health issues, internet connection speed, availability of devices, and lack of finances for basic needs.8 Moreover, another identified barrier is the limitation of rehabilitation students to practice technical skills since it was revealed that online learning helps students understand theoretical concepts but is not ideal when acquiring clinical skills.10 This identified difficulty with online learning prompted students to utilize alternative strategies for effective online learning; hence online learning strategies became widely used.

Online learning strategies, or e-learning strategies, are methods of acquiring knowledge and skills during online learning11 either through synchronous (live sessions) or asynchronous (self-paced) communication.12 Since online learning requires more autonomous control over the students’ learning, strategies are critical in achieving their success and increasing their motivation which will reflect on their achievements. There are different strategies that students utilize to help them understand their lessons better. One of which is the use of online platforms such as Zoom Video Communications for instructor-student interactions.13 In a study14, it was mentioned that these platforms “encourage deeper understanding” as the students are required to actively participate and are guided by their instructors in understanding the content. Apart from this, the breakout rooms feature of the Zoom platform helps facilitate group learning environments where students can work collaboratively and engage with their instructor.15 Another learning strategy is watching video lectures of laboratory and clinical skills demonstrations. An article mentioned that students find this helpful as they can easily rewind and go through the whole video to rewatch the skills demonstrated.16 Simulation of patient interactions17,18 and attending webinars18 are also one of the strategies utilized by students. A study18 mentioned that both of these strategies benefit students through the improved application of theoretical knowledge during examinations and virtual simulation scenarios. Given these varied strategies, it is essential to know the students’ perceptions toward each strategy for the instructors to know how to deliver lessons more efficiently.

Knowledge Gap

Since this is a relatively new topic, limited studies are discussing Filipino rehabilitation students’ perceptions of their online learning strategies. Most available journals are limited to investigating students’ perceptions of traditional versus online learning,19 comparing the students’ grades for both types of learning,20 comparing students’ knowledge gains in traditional versus e-learning,21 or the barriers to the implementation of e-learning. There are also limited studies highlighting pure online learning since most studies compare online learning with face-to-face or a traditional setting. In addition, there is a limited number of journals in the context of rehabilitation programs in the Philippines. This study aims to address these gaps by focusing on exploring the online learning strategies that the third-year University of Santo Tomas-College of Rehabilitation Sciences (UST-CRS) students utilize for learning in a purely online setup.

Objective

The researchers aim to explore the perceptions of the third-year students from the UST-CRS Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), and Sports Sciences (SpS) departments about the online learning strategies they utilize for their laboratory classes. Specifically, it will identify the students’ perceptions toward the different issues and benefits of their strategies, what strategies they deem, and the perceived factors influencing the strategies’ usefulness.

Significance

This study will allow the UST-CRS departments to maximize the identified online learning strategies in rehabilitation education for the following online academic years.22 It may also benefit professors under the different UST-CRS departments since they will be aware of what online learning strategies they can incorporate in their instructional delivery,23 to facilitate effective learning. Moreover, this study will aid the higher educational institutions (HEIs) improve their online learning systems and contribute to academic development through designing efficient online courses.24 Future researchers may also utilize the findings by conducting more in-depth research regarding the topic.25 Lastly, society will benefit by moving towards modernization and life-long learning.26

Delimitation

The scope of this study will not include the online learning strategies used by rehabilitation students from universities other than UST. It will also not cover the online learning strategies used by the first, second, and fourth-year students of the UST-CRS, and the online learning strategies used by students from other fields. Lastly, this paper will not tackle the strategies used by the students in their lecture and general education classes as the paper will heavily focus on laboratory classes.

Methodology

Study Design

This paper will use a qualitative case study design because this would allow the researchers to perform an in-depth exploration of the perceptions of third-year students regarding the online learning strategies they utilize for online learning.27

Setting

The researchers will conduct the semi-structured interviews online using the Google Meet platform. The use of online interview sessions will ensure the participants’ and researchers’ safety during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. The researchers will use Google Meet since most UST-CRS students use this platform. It also has a lower bandwidth that allows students to join the session despite having a slow connection. A study conducted by Riley and Schmidt (2015)28 stated that semi-structured interviews typically last for 30 to 60 minutes. However, the exact length of the interviews in this study will still depend on what will happen during the actual session.

The study will occur during the academic year 2021-2022, following the timeframe that the researchers will take up the course on thesis writing.

Phase 1: Ethical Considerations and Training

The researchers will conduct the study once the technical committee and ethics committee approve its implementation. In addition, the researchers will provide informed consent to the participants stating that participation is voluntary, participants are free to withdraw at any point, and that the data gathered during the discussions will be kept confidential.

Moreover, consultation with an experienced professional will be done regarding the research proposal and the proper formulation of the study guide. The identified professional had been chosen due to his credentials. He is an Associate Professor of Health Professions Education at National Teaching Training Center for the Health Professions and University of the Philippines Manila and a Short Reports Editor under Journal of Interprofessional Care.

The researchers will also receive training after approval from the Ethics Review Committee (ERC) has been received. These include training regarding the proper execution of semi-structured interviews, the appropriate implementation of thematic analysis, and proper usage of the qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti for thematic analysis. The researchers will also watch YouTube tutorials to supplement the aforementioned training.

Phase 2: Recruitment and Screening

Participants

For this study, the researchers plan on selecting bonafide third-year students of the UST-CRS under the departments of SLP, PT, OT, and SpS who have satisfied the following inclusion criteria: (1) currently enrolled for the first semester of the academic year 2021-2022,29 (2) took at least three online laboratory courses to ensure that they have experienced online laboratory learning, (3) students who have not failed courses during the previous academic years, and (4) agreed to participate in the study.29

Sampling Design

The researchers adopted the participant selection, which used purposive sampling, from a research study23 with similar objectives and methods. Following this, the researchers will utilize purposive sampling, a non-probability sampling method wherein the researchers shall choose participants depending on their suitability for the study in reference to the inclusion criteria.30 This can help ensure the validity of the gathered data since the participants know about online learning strategies and have first-hand experiences utilizing these strategies.

Sampling Procedure

The researchers will send a letter of intent to the UST-CRS College Secretary asking for permission to send the researchers’ study invite to the third-year UST-CRS students via email. The study invitation will state the purpose of the study, the role of the students and researchers, the registration form, the informed consent form (ICF), and contact information for further queries. Registration will be through google forms. It will contain a series of yes/no questions about the inclusion criteria that the participants will answer (See Appendix D). The form will immediately end if their answers do not meet the criteria, indicating that they are not qualified to participate in the study. Otherwise, those who fully meet the criteria are allowed to submit their registration form. This step is to ensure that all registered participants are qualified for the study. The researchers will then email a soft copy of the accomplished registration form and ICF to the participants. In the event that the number of qualified respondents from each department exceeds the number of participants needed by the researchers, only the first five respondents will become participants of the study.

Sample Size

According to a study conducted by Guest and Namey31 (2020), a minimum of 12 interviews is enough to hit the 95th percentile or the higher degrees of saturation. Given this, the researchers will gather 20 participants, five from each department, to join the study for the researchers to reach the point of data saturation.

Phase 3: Data Gathering Procedures

Data Gathering Tool

The researchers will collect and note the participants’ insights regarding online learning strategies using semi-structured interviews. This mode of data collection aids in gathering specific and comprehensive results, as well as an in-depth exploration of the participants’ experiences and opinions regarding the study topic.32 Moreover, they will use an interview guide (see Appendix E) to direct the flow of the session and ensure that the discussion will cover all relevant topics and areas of the study.

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