NAVIGATING STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES IN ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE LEARNING MODALITY
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Globus An International Journal of Management & IT
A Refereed Research Journal
Vol 13 / No 1 / Jul-Dec 2021 ISSN: 0975-721X
NAVIGATING STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES IN ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE
LEARNING MODALITY
*
Abel V. Alvarez, Jr.
Paper Received: 29.06.2021 / Paper Accepted: 03.08.2021 / Paper Published: 11.08.2021
Corresponding Author: Abel V. Alvarez, Jr.; Email: aalvarez@feu.edu.ph; doi:10.46360/globus.mgt.120212001
Abstract Introduction
Background and objective: The Philippine In the Philippines, the National Service Training
education system requires higher education Program (NSTP) is a mandated course for all higher
students to enroll six units of National Service education programs before the student graduates.
Training Program (NSTP) course as mandated The Republic Act 9163 emphasizes that Filipino
by the Republic Act 9163. Specifically, the youth in all higher education institutions in the
NSTP 2 course serves as the culmination where country have to undergo either military, literacy,
students have to immerse themselves in the civic welfare training, or similar undertakings in
community. However, the pandemic situation service for the country [3]. Meanwhile, the NSTP
in the country resulted in temporary closures of course that is being offered in the chosen locality of
schools, thus, higher education institutions this research focuses on civic welfare training
resorted to other means of teaching and services. Primarily, the NSTP 2 course aims to
learning delivery, such as asynchronous online prepare its students towards disaster preparedness
learning modality. This study, therefore, aims and awareness through undergoing series of
to deeply understand the lived experiences of community services. However, given the present
ten selected NSTP 2 students in an situation in the Philippines where strict health
asynchronous online learning approach. protocols are still in place due to COVID-19, the
Methods and Findings: A qualitative research institution is still implementing emergency remote
method, particularly a phenomenological teaching and learning [2], [5], [6]. Thus, instead of
research design, was utilized by the researcher the usual community immersion for NSTP 2 course,
to interview ten purposively selected NSTP 2 the NSTP department rethinks delivering the course
students. Guided by the semi-structured through an asynchronous online learning modality.
interview questionnaires, three themes were
revealed in this study: learning autonomously, Previous studies showed that the asynchronous way
reflective learning engagement, and feeling of of teaching and learning supports students’
helplessness and alone. Interestingly, the developing independent learning skills [13], [14],
findings highlighted that learning the NSTP [15], [18]. The students also learn the process of
course in an asynchronous online learning regulating their pacing in which self-responsibility
modality developed their sense of over the course is being developed. The openness of
responsibility and reflective thinking skills as time and accessibility of the learning materials
the participants learned the process of facilitates the student’s capability to balance and
navigating the pace of their learning. grasp the learning concepts according to their
Meanwhile, there were also cases of a feeling pacing.
of loneliness or isolation since there was
limited to poor facilitator-student and student- Conversely, some challenges must be observed
student interactions. when implementing asynchronous online learning
Conclusion: This study is a good attempt to modality such as the feeling of limited to no
understand the learning journey of selected interaction with other students which sometimes
NSTP 2 students under the asynchronous online results in dropping out of class [15]. The emotional
learning modality. Nevertheless, this will feeling of being lonely since student’s interactions
provide institutional policymakers to revisit the are usually limited to the content materials, hence,
course, hence, ensuring to maintain the positive the course facilitators have the responsibility to
feedback from the students and addressing the provide caring assistance to students considering the
areas that need to be improved. dystopian description of the present society [1], [4],
[6], [19].
Keywords: Asynchronous, Emergency Remote
Education, National Service Training Program, On this note, the researcher sees the importance of
Online Learning. listening to the experiences that NSTP 2 students
lived through considering the implementation of
emergency remote education in the country.
*Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines.
1Therefore, this study intends to examine the lived sense of defining our own learning as
experiences of NSTP 2 students in asynchronous well.” (P1)
online learning modality.
“AOL [asynchronous online learning]
Methodology works the best for me because I can
Since this study aimed to understand the lived do things at my own pace.” (P2)
experiences of ten selected NSTP 2 students in a
particular university located in Manila, Philippines, “I could utilize and read every
the researcher employed a qualitative research learning material at my own pace. I
method specifically a phenomenological research really had a good experience since I
design. In this way, it provided the researcher the can manage my own pacing in
opportunity to examine the individual experiences accomplishing the NSTP 2 modules.”
through reconnecting on their viewpoints, (P4)
perspectives, and insights which helped to facilitate
a deeper understanding of the journey they lived Additionally, some of the participants defined their
through [9], [11]. experiences as a pathway for self-improving as they
engaged in learning at their own pace. P3 and P5, for
In addition, the use of individual interviews served instance, benefitted in learning independently
as a pathway for immersive penetration of the through enhancing P3’s research capability in a way
participants’ experiences [8], [11], [17], thus, that the essential learning concepts were thoroughly
allowing the researcher to picture out the situation identified and analyzed.
they had gone through in the context of
asynchronous learning modality. The ten selected “It helped me to hone my research
students of NSTP 2 were virtually interviewed skills as I go through to our modules
considering the strict implementation of quarantine about Go-Bag, Hazard mapping, and
protocols imposed by the Philippine government. evacuation plan. It taught me to define
the important concepts that I should
The researcher also utilized a semi-structured look into for every topic or concept of
interview questionnaire to elicit a free flow of the module.” (P3)
information from the participants which helped the
researcher to gather rich and thick information that “I have had a good experience with
was beneficial for the findings of this study [9], [16]. the course, assessments, and syllabus
The data were analyzed using Giorgi and Giorgi’s of NSTP 2. I learned a lot of things,
descriptive phenomenological psychological honestly. It provided me the learning
analysis. From the chunks of codes, the researcher opportunity to identify on my own the
categorized and refined the codes to come up with a concepts that I must dig and search on
set of themes. my own so I could easily define the
important details or concepts of the
Findings topic. The AOL [asynchronous online
There were three themes revealed after the data were learning] modality helped me to
transcribed. The first theme talks about learning process my research capability as I
autonomously. While it seemed that learning in a devoted my time for learning at my
time of uncertainties presented various challenges, own pace.” (P5)
this theme described the idea of developing
students’ capability to regulate their learning Moreover, the theme of reflective learning
process. It pertained to students who became engagement presents the notion of learning the
independent learners in an asynchronous mode of process of engaging in reflective thinking. This
teaching and learning environment so they could means that as the participants go through the process
define and identify their own learning goals and of AOL modality, they have learned to assess and
experiences in navigating the course modules. For evaluate their learning and familiarize themselves
instance, P1, P2, and P4 narrated that they had a with the areas that they think they must learn or they
good experience learning independently and must improve so they could, later, apply the
navigating the NSTP 2 modules anytime, anywhere. learnings to the real-world context. Some of the
To wit: participants, for example, shared that their
experiences in accomplishing the NSTP 2 modules
“It was good that NSTP 2 was AOL were engaging as they provided them to reconnect
[asynchronous online learning] and reflect on the realities they experienced.
because I was the one who manages
my time. I felt that, as a college “The whole experience was so
student, it is important to develop our enlightening. It further enhanced not
2only my knowledge but also helped While P9 expressed disappointment about the way
me to open my eyes to the realities of the NSTP 2 course was being implemented. P9
disasters that we are now expected that since NSTP 2 course is a community
experiencing. The modules helped me immersion activity, it would somehow have some
to think and become proactive sort of interactivity or collaboration between
especially in times of disasters.” (P8) learners and the course facilitator.
“We were taught to become active “It was disappointing since we are
members of our community by only required to complete the
engaging in activities related to our assessments. The NSTP 2 course does
respective communities. It also made not reach my expectations. We were
me realize that youths have a vital role just answering the modules and doing
to play. We must be knowledgeable various activities, but I can't blame the
about what is happening in our situation that we are facing today. I
community. The NSTP 2 course is an am just expecting that there would be
eye-opener to the roles that we have collaborative activities among us.”
to play especially in situations like a (P9)
disaster.” (P10)
Discussion
The statements expressed by P8 and P10 were also The themes that were revealed present the learning
supported by P7 where he shared that the NSTP 2 journey of selected NSTP 2 students in navigating
course helped him to think reflectively and act their remote civic welfare training service course. It
proactively as he learned about the importance of cannot be denied that students are experiencing
disaster preparedness and awareness. P7 narrated: different levels of adjustments just to learn the
process of adapting to the current context of
“My experiences in NSTP 2 under emergency remote teaching and learning.
AOL are both fun and informative. I Interestingly, the findings from this study showed
enjoyed drafting and making essays. I that some of the participants have learned to develop
have gained knowledge that I can their sense of learning autonomously.
surely apply in real-life situations. I
have learned where to go and what to The transactional distance that exists between the
do in case of emergency or disaster teacher and students created a gap; thus, it was
and I was also able to learn what substituted by highly learning content materials to
things to bring and not to bring when ensure to have meaningful learning experiences
evacuating.” (P7) [15]. This makes the participants more decisive in
understanding the learning concepts as they learned
Lastly, it was revealed that the theme of a feeling of to process the learning materials at their own pace.
helplessness and alone were felt by some of the Throughout the pacing of the asynchronous
participants. Looking at the AOL modality where modality of learning, it paved the way to expose the
the students are given the autonomy to navigate their learners to stand on their own and define their
learning process, however, some students struggled learning, hence, allowing them to hone their self-
in this type of teaching and learning process in this responsibility over the learning materials [13], [14],
time of uncertainty. This reflects students’ emotions [18].
about the course that they cannot process their
learning journey without the full support of their Furthermore, in a time of uncertainties, a ray of hope
course facilitator and classmates. For instance, P6 has been seen. Even if the course was delivered in a
felt that the course is not engaging since there was full asynchronous modality, it was interesting to
no interaction at all in the online class platform. understand that the participants have learned to
digest and process reflectively the essential learning
“My NSTP experience was not that concepts. In this way, the development of reflective
enjoyable. Basically, it was not learning engagement serves as a mobilizer for
enjoyable because not like the NSTP students to rethink the learning contents which
course before where we were able to helped to reflect on the things they have observed
build friendships and experiences and experienced. This also shows that learning
with others, but in AOL NSTP 2 asynchronously is not a hindrance for students to
course, I cannot interact with my learning to become reflective thinkers [18]. It also
classmates and friends. I feel being makes sense that regardless of the modality, the need
isolated and just doing the modules to ensure proper facilitation of learning is necessary
for compliance.” (P6) to guide the students to the path of learning they
wanted to be [4].
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