Title 1: Socio-emotional and Behavioral Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic among Nursing

Students

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the socio-emotional and behavioral effects of

COVID19 pandemic among nursing students. Specifically, it aims to answer the following sub-

problems:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1. Age

1.2. Gender

1.3. Sexual Preference

1. 4. Year in College

1.5. Marital status

1.5. Religion

2. What are the effects of COVID-19 pandemic among nursing students in terms of:

2.1. Mental Health aspect

2.2. Social aspect

2.3. Emotional aspect

2.4. Behavioral aspect

3. Is there a significant difference between the respondents when grouped according to

profile?

4. Is there a significant difference between the effects of COVID-19 pandemic among

nursing students when grouped according to social, emotional, and behavioral aspects?
 5. What effective Development program can be proposed based from the findings of the

study?

Articles

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new strain of

coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan,

China, in December 2019. On 30 January 2020, the Philippine Department of Health reported

the first case of COVID-19 in the country with a 38-year-old female Chinese national. On 7

March, the first local transmission of COVID-19 was confirmed. WHO is working closely with

the Department of Health in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak (World Health Organization,

May 2020).

COVID-19 social isolation measures have had a profound impact on the psychological

and mental well-being of individuals across society. Many of the anticipated consequences of

isolation measures are themselves key risk factors for mental health issues including suicide,

self-harm, substance misuse, and domestic and child abuse. Social interaction has been widely

interlinked with psychological well-being, social opportunities and employment; thereby

restriction of these measures are suggested to be profoundly distressing to those experiencing

strict isolation. Previous epidemics have induced widespread fear, loneliness and psychological

sequelae; COVID-19 is inducing similar effects. It has been reported that over 4000 arrests for

domestic abuse offences have been made in the United Kingdom (UK) since the 9th of March,

equating to roughly 100 a day; highlighting the potentially fatal impact of social isolation

policies. The rise in domestic abuse cases are alarming and bring to light concerns surrounding
the collateral psychological and mental health impacts of social isolation during the COVID-19

pandemic (Lapp, July 2020).

Coronaviruses are a large family of enveloped, non-segmented, single-stranded, positive-

sense RNA viruses that circulate among animals including camels, cats, and bats. Coronaviruses

derive their name from their electron microscopic image, which resembles a crown – or corona.

Six strains of coronavirus have infected humans, four of which are together responsible for about

one-third of common colds. In the past two decades, there have been three global coronavirus

outbreaks (1). Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), caused by a coronavirus termed

SARS-CoV, started in 2003 in Guangdong, China, and spread to many countries in southeast

Asia, North America, Europe, and South Africa. Bats are the natural hosts of SARS-CoV; its

intermediate hosts are palm civets and raccoon dogs. Early cases of SARS were linked to human

and animal contact at live game markets. Transmission occurred person-to-person through

droplets produced by coughing or sneezing, via personal contact, and by touching contaminated

surfaces. In SARS, peak viral shedding occurs approximately 10 days after the onset of illness,

when many patients are hospitalized, which explains why health care professionals have a

particularly high risk of becoming infected. SARS-CoV has a R0 of 4, meaning that each infected

person spreads the disease to an average of four others, and a case fatality rate of 9.5 percent.

Although the virus infected 8,069 persons and caused 774 deaths, the last known case of SARS

was detected in September 2003 (Surgs, 2020).

Medical students have faced an enormous disruption to their lives and studies as a result

of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are volunteering in the NHS, and those in their final years
have foregone electives and graduated early in order to take up interim foundation doctor roles.

These are unprecedented times for all in the medical profession but the impact on students is

likely to be particularly significant (Medical Science Division, May 2020).

The first obstacle is the digital divide. According to the UN’s International

Telecommunications Union, before the COVID-19 outbreak only 47% of the population of

developing countries used the Internet - compared to 86% of the population of developed

countries. As pointed out by the Chair in Culture of Peace and Education at the Universidad

Técnica Particular de Loja (Ecuador) “at least 60% of the student population has been affected

by the pandemic, as many do not have the means or the instruments to access online teaching.

Given that COVID-19 is having a vast impact on students, timely responses are needed.” When

it comes to the digital divide, “the socio-economic situation of the students and their families is

an aggravating factor”, observes the Chair in Democratic Citizenship and Cultural Freedom in

the University La Rioja (Spain). Indeed, students in economic distress are more likely to have

poor or no internet access - because they cannot afford the cost of a laptop/computer or the

internet connection or because they live in regions or neighbourhoods with low connectivity. For

instance, according to the UNESCO Chair in Population, Migrations and Development at the

Sapienza University of Rome, in Italy about 25% of families do not have a broadband connection

and among them 20.6% are in Trentino – in the north - and 35.7% in Calabria – in the south of

Italy. These digital and economic divides, combined with a protracted lockdown, will result in

affected students lagging further behind (Unesco, 2020).

We are witnessing massive behavior change at a scale and speed that we’ve never seen

before, sparked by fear, proselytized by social media, encouraged by government. Such change
includes frequent handwashing, working from home and discouraging bad behavior such as toilet

paper hoarding (Accenture, 2020).

COVID‐19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as

confirmed cases approach 200 000 patients with what will exceed 8000 deaths across over 160

countries1. After the initial description in Wuhan and China, Italy was hit first in Europe and the

impact has been immense2. The virus spread very rapidly such that 2 weeks from the first cases

diagnosed 1000 patients tested positive. One week later the number of positive cases exceeded

4600, reaching over 30 000 patients and 2500 deaths on the 18 March 2020. The region of

Lombardy was the most profoundly affected, with local institutions forced to reset the entire

healthcare system to face the challenges, while the Italian government ordered a nationwide

lockdown4. Other nations followed, for example, Spain declared the state of emergency on 14

March and announced similar measures to be taken (A. Spinnel & G. Pellino, 2020).

(Nikolaou, 2020) By participating in groups, children develop the ability to work with

people who have the same responsibilities and the same rights and develop initiatives (Bourdieu

1986). The feeling that they are taking responsibility for actions especially strengthens the

feeling that they are controlling the situation and gaining calm. This is especially important for

children, when they feel involved in school activities, when they participate with daily social

contacts in discussions about common problems such as exams (Nikolaou, 2009; Hadjichristou,

2020). When students operate in a framework of friendship based on common desires and

interests, they shape their self-image and rely on the driving force of values and deeper beliefs

with which they make their choices, prioritize their goals, set goals and seek and find ways to
make them happen with confidence and consistency (Hadjichristou, 2020: 4 et seq.; Moolenaar

et al. 2009: 13-17).

Effective regulation of emotions is crucial to reducing negative emotions and enhancing

well-being both within and outside work. In a study of 260 employed students, Diefendorff,

Richard, and Yang (2008) found that employed young adults utilize several emotion regulation

strategies to manage their negative emotions, including: a) seeking and reaching out to others to

make them feel good; b) keeping oneself busy/working on other things; c) engaging in enjoyable

activities to improve one's mood; and d) attempting to solve a problem (Restubog, et. al., June

2020).

Being isolated for many months with no exposure may result in the development of social

anxiety in the post Covid era as teenagers. Fear of failure before cancellation of exams that

teenagers who spent more hours on social media experienced psychological distress. ‘Facebook

depression’ were introduced referring to mental health problems associated with the

increased use of virtual social platforms. However, during lockdown social media has

been viewed as the ‘saving grace’ for teenagers isolation period as it allows students to stay

connected despite the social Interestingly, as per our survey although there has been an

increase in the use of social media during lockdown, students feel demotivated, not only does

this face interaction is necessary in order to maintain good mental health, but also demonstrates

that social media does not provide us with the same experiences that faceto facing these

formative years, studies revealed that fewer facetoface interactions may hamper the

development of many students, leading to a surge of lasting mental health problems such

as social anxiety (Hemant, L.K., June 2020).

References

Accenture (2020). Covid-19: 5 New human truths that experiences need to address. How

organizations should respond to the never normal. Retrieved from

https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/Thought-Leadership-Assets/PDF-3/Accenture-

COVID-19-New-Human-Truths-That-Experiences-Need-To-Address-v2.pdf

Fred Plapp (July 2020). The Covid 19 Pandemic: A summary

https://thepathologist.com/subspecialties/the-covid-19-pandemic-a-summary

Hemant, L.K. (July 2020). Changing Trends of Social Interaction during the Pandemic and Its
Effects on Mental Health – A Student’s Perspective. Retrieved from
https://www.journalajess.com/index.php/AJESS/article/view/30247

Medical Science Division (May 2020)The Social and Medical Impact of Covid 19 among the
Medical Students. University of Oxford. Retrieved from
https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/news/the-social-and-psychological-impact-of-covid-19-on-
medical-students

Nicoulao, (May 2020). The Effects on the Socio-Emotional State of Students in the National
Exams in Greece from the Covid-19 Pandemic - Pilot Research
Retrieved from http://journals.euser.org/files/articles/ejed_v3_i2_20/Nikolaou.pdf

Restubog, et. al. (June 2020). Taking control amidst the chaos: Emotion regulation during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001879120300658

Spinnel, A. & Pellino, G. (March 2020). COVID‐19 pandemic: perspectives on an unfolding

crisis. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7228411/

Surg, J. (2020).Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental well-being amongst individuals

in society- A letter to the editor on “The socio-economic implications of the
 coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic: A review”. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7198428/

Unesco (July 2020). Universities tackle the impact of COVID-19 on disadvantaged

students. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/news/universities-tackle-impact-covid-19-
disadvantaged-students

World Health Organization (May 2020). Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the Philippines.
Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/philippines/emergencies/covid-19-in-the-philippines
Title 2: Challenges Encountered by Nursing Home’s Staff with Family Neglected
Elderly Residents

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to understand the challenges encountered by nursing
home’s staff with family neglected elderly residents
. Specifically, it aims to answer the following sub-problems:
1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:
1.1. Age
1.2. Gender
1.3. Educational Attainment
1.4. Civil Status
2. What are the challenges encountered by nursing home’s staff in terms of:
2.1. Physical Health aspect
2.2. Mental Health aspect
2.3. Social Aspect
3. Is there a significant difference between the respondents when grouped according to
profile?
4. Is there a significant difference between the effects of the challenges of the nursing
home’s staffwhen grouped according to physical, mental, and social aspects?
5. What effective Development program can be proposed based from the findings of the
study?

Article
 A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people.
[1]
 Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF), long-term care

facilities, old people's homes,[2] care homes, rest homes, convalescent homes or convalescent

care. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to indicate whether the institutions are

public or private, and whether they provide mostly assisted living, or nursing

care and emergency medical care. Nursing homes are used by people who do not need to be in a

hospital, but cannot be cared for at home. The nursing home facility nurses have the

responsibilities of caring for the patients' medical needs and also the responsibility of being in

charge of other employees, depending on their ranks. Most nursing homes have nursing aides

and skilled nurses on hand 24 hours a day.While nearly 1 in 10 residents age 75 to 84 stays in a

nursing home for five or more years, nearly 3 in 10 residents in that age group stay less than 100

days, the maximum duration covered by Medicare, according to the American Association for

Long-Term Care Insurance. Some nursing homes also provide short-term rehabilitative stays

following surgery, illness, or injury. Services may include physical therapy, occupational

therapy, or speech-language therapy. Nursing homes also offer other services, such as planned

activities and daily housekeeping. Nursing homes may offer memory care services, often

called dementia care (Wikepedia, n.d.)

A nursing home is a place for people who don't need to be in a hospital but can't be cared

for at home. Most nursing homes have nursing aides and skilled nurses on hand 24 hours a day.

Some nursing homes are set up like a hospital. The staff provides medical care, as well as

physical, speech and occupational therapy. There might be a nurses' station on each floor. Other

nursing homes try to be more like home. They try to have a neighborhood feel. Often, they don't
have a fixed day-to-day schedule, and kitchens might be open to residents. Staff members are

encouraged to develop relationships with residents. Some nursing homes have special care units

for people with serious memory problems such as Alzheimer's disease. Some will let couples live

together. Nursing homes are not only for older adults, but for anyone who requires 24-hour care

(Medline plus, n.d.).

(NCBI, n.d.). Nursing home residents and the primary missions of nursing homes vary, as

well as the way in which variations affect how specific quality-of-care measures should be

interpreted. At the risk of oversimplification, there are three types of residents: (1) those that use

the facilities for recovery and rehabilitation following an acute hospital stay; (2) the terminally

ill; and (3) persons with multiple chronic conditions and cognitive and functional impairments

who are expected to stay in nursing facilities for the rest of their lives. The second and third

types of patients have been predominant in past years. In the last decade or so, the number of

residents in the first category has grown appreciably (Spence and Weiner, 1990).

These are commonly reported types of neglect received by Adult Protective Services

agencies: 1)Physical neglect: includes failing to attend to a person’s medical, hygienic, nutrition

and dietary needs, such as dispensing medications, changing bandages, bathing, grooming,

dressing, or failure to provide ample food to maintain health. 2) Emotional neglect: includes

causing emotional pain, distress or anguish by ignoring, belittling or infantilizing the needs of

adults. This includes neglecting or discounting the emotional well being of others, as well as

actions to isolate adults from visits or contact by family and friends. 3) Abandonment: involves

deserting the caregiving needs of an individual while neglecting to arrange sufficient care and

support for the duration of the absence. 4) Financial neglect: involves disregarding a person’s
financial obligations such as failing to pay rent or mortgage, medical insurance or invoices,

utility and garbage bills, property taxes and assessments. 5) Self-neglect: involves seniors or

adults with disabilities who fail to meet their own essential physical, psychological or social

needs, which threatens their health, safety and well-being. This includes failure to provide

adequate food, clothing, shelter and health care for one’s own needs. You can learn more about

self-neglect here (NAPSA, n.d.)

The difficulties homecare workers experienced could lead to higher levels of

psychological exhaustion and physical fatigue, as noted in other studies. 12,25,27 The isolating

nature of working in a client's home, while providing some welcome autonomy, exacerbated the

difficulties frequently associated with working with clients with dementia. Using creative

solutions to provide person-centred care while balancing the needs of the client for personal care

(such as help with washing or eating) was the implicit strategy adopted by homecare workers to

address this dilemma (Soino, H. & Valmaki, M., 2002).

Nursing home residents are at high risk for infection, serious illness, and death from

COVID-19. Testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in respiratory specimens

can detect current infections (referred to here as viral testing) among residents in nursing homes.

Viral testing of residents in nursing homes, with authorized nucleic acid or antigen detection

assays, is an important addition to other infection prevention and control (IPC) recommendations

aimed at preventing SARS-CoV-2 from entering nursing homes, detecting cases quickly, and

stopping transmission.  This guideline is based on currently available information about COVID-
19 and will be refined and updated as more information becomes available (Center for Disease

Control and Prevention, 2020).

In the study of Shinan-Altman and colleagues (13) it was found that the perception staff

have of AD acts may influence levels of staff burnout. Qualitative interviews with staff (social

workers and nurses) caring for elderly people with dementia suggested that workers experience

EE and DP, in part because of the reductions in ability to communicate in advanced AD, and

decreases in PA as a result of these negative feelings, as well as seeing continued deterioration in

patients (e.g., failure to recognise previously known others) (13). Others have suggested that

staff who have low levels of burnout (assessed here as perceptions of fulfillment and satisfaction

with the caring role) were more likely to have positive evaluations of patients and the frequency

of problematic behaviour displayed by residents did not influence this. Burnout can also

reportedly be associated with staff perceptions of a particular type of illness. For example,

Shinan-Altman et al. in their study of nurses and social workers noted that negative connotations

of AD correlated with a number of facets of burnout. For example, perceiving AD as caused by

psychological attributes (e.g., ‘stress or worry’) risk factors (e.g., heredity, diet) accident or

chance (e.g. ‘chance or bad luck’) or who held beliefs about a lack of control of the disease (e.g.,

‘There is very little that can be done to improve AD’) had higher levels of EE and DP. Those

who held negative emotional illness representations (e.g., ‘AD makes me feel angry’) had higher

EE, DP and lower PA. Further, a direct association was observed between specific cognitive

illness representations (the way in which individuals perceive illness) and different burnout

facets: Perceiving AD as attributable to risk factors was negatively associated with EE, whilst

believing AD to have a cyclical timeframe was associated with lower levels of PA (Harrard &

Sulla, 2018).
 Compassion fatigue and grief are the unrecognized downside to working in the nursing

home industry. When sufferers are overburdened by emotions, they want to escape from work,

end up feeling isolated from coworkers and unable to participate in the daily give-and-take of the

job. A recently published study in the Archives of Internal Medicine by Leeat Granek found that

half the oncology doctors reported feelings of failure, self-doubt, sadness and powerlessness as a

result of grief from their jobs. A third talked about guilt, loss of sleep, even crying. Left

untreated, symptoms can lead to emotional outbursts, substance abuse and even clinical

depression as well as medical and legal problems (Smith, 2012)

Home nurses also face major social challenges, such as lack of a desirable social status, a

change in the power position of the family in their home and social security. These findings are

also consistent with those of other studies.13,18,32 A study showed that lack of security is highly

associated with depression in home care workers.33 Another study shows that the lack of home

nurses’ safety can reduce the quality of care. For example, the period of care may be shortened.

(Fatemi, N.L. et al., 2019).

The impact of work stress on health outcomes has been studied since the development of

Karasek’s demand-control-support model (Karasek & Theorell, 1990). The model emphasized

that employees who experience high job demands, low job control, and low social support are

considered to be in a high-strain job, which is associated with an increased risk of physical and

mental illnesses (Bonde, 2008; Stansfeld & Candy, 2006). Since then, considerable attention has

been paid not only to the physical hazards of work, but also to the psychosocial characteristics of

the work environment (Stansfeld & Candy, 2006)

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (July 2020). Testing Guidelines for Nursing Homes.

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/nursing-homes-

testing.html

Fatemi, N. L. et.al. (2019). Perceived Challenges Faced by Nurses in Home Health Care Setting:

A Qualitative Study. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6456761/#:~:text=Home%20nurses%20

also%20face%20major,with%20those%20of%20other%20studies.

Harrard, R. & Sulla, F. (2018). Factors associated with and impact of burnout in nursing and

residential home care workers for the elderly. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502144/

Medline plus (n.d.) Nursing homes. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/nursinghomes.html

NAPSA (n.d.). What is Neglect? Retrieved from https://www.napsa-now.org/get-

informed/what-is-neglect/
NCBI (n.d.) Nursing Staff in Hospitals and Nursing Homes: Is It Adequate? Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232673/

Smith, P. (June 2012). Nursing home employees often suffer from compassion fatigue.

Retrieved from https://www.mcknights.com/blogs/guest-columns/nursing-home-

employees-often-suffer-from-compassion-fatigue/

Soino, H. & Valmaki, M. (2002). Challenges faced by employees in the home care of elderly

people. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11536018_Challenges_faced_by_employees_in

_the_home_care_of_elderly_people

Wikepedia (n.d.) Nursing homes. Retrieved fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursing_home

Zhang, Y. et.al. (2016). Working Conditions and Mental Health of Nursing Staff in Nursing

Homes Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5886762/

Title 3: New Normal Learning Modalities as Experienced by the Nursing
Students: Challenges and Opportunities

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the new normal learning modalities as
experienced by the nursing students and to understand its challenges and opportunities.
Specifically, it aims to answer the following sub-problems:
1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:
1.1. Age
1.2. Gender
1.3. Civil Status
2. To determine the level of understanding on the following new learning modalities as
perceived by the nursing students based on their experience:
2.1. Modular
2.2. Television-based
2.3. Radio-based instruction
2.4. Blended
2.5. Online

3. What are the challenges encountered by the nursing students in the new normal
learning modalities in terms of:
3.1. Physical aspect
3.2. Mental health aspect
3.2. Emotional aspect
 3.3. Social aspect

4. What are the opportunities available for the nursing students in the new learning
modalities in terms of:
4.1. Knowledge
4.2. Skills
4.3. Attitude
4.4. Habits
5. What effective Development program can be proposed based from the findings of the
study?

Article

Flexible Learning is the appropriate design and delivery of programs, courses, and

learning interventions that address these kinds of situations in the new normal. Flexible learning

involves the use of digital and non-digital technology. Flexible learning allows time flexibility. It

commonly uses the delivery methods of distance education.The main objective of flexible

learning is to provide learners with most flexibility on the learning content, schedules, access,

and innovative assessment, making use of digital and non-digital tools.  In this pandemic period,

flexible learning aims to decongest classrooms or to reduce the number of students who go to the

classroom at one time. This is to promote physical distancing and to protect the health of the

students.Schools have the discretion to decide what most viable form of flexible learning and

teaching they will utilize. This will be based on their capability and their existing situation. They

may utilize in teacher-learner engagement or communication short message service (SMS),

electronic mail (email), chat, instant messaging, and other means of communication convenient,
appropriate, and available to ensure personalized, effective, efficient, andtimely mentoring and

feedback mechanisms (Casiple, 2020).

If students were exposed to COVID-19 while in a clinical setting, they risked not only

their health but that of their family. We also considered that students could face the financial

burden of being quarantined without an income. Additionally, as a post-licensure program, if

students were exposed, they would be unable to return to work, adding further strain to the health

system. Students expressed concern about what an interruption in their nursing education would

mean for their future careers as Registered Nurses. Many students in clinical placements were in

their final focus clinical practicum, and thus close to successfully completing their program.

Some learners were only one or two courses away from completion of their Bachelor of Nursing

degree (Dewart et al., 2020).

In the blended/distance learning modalities, DepEd will utilize online learning resources

such as its learning portal, called “DepEd Commons.” The DepEd said it will also continue to

pursue various distance learning delivery modalities, one of which is online learning. For those

without Internet connectivity or gadgets at home, the DepEd said preparations are also currently

underway to implement home-based learning through TV, radio, online and printed modules.

The agency is tapping private partners and local government units to assist them in this

challenging implementation of School Year 2020-2021 (Uy, 2020).

Technology has become an integral part of teaching and instructing students. It allows

them to develop critical thinking skills, learn new concepts and creatively express their own

ideas. Technology also enables educators to accommodate the three main learning styles: visual,

auditory and kinesthetic.Even teachers who prefer a traditional lecture teaching style can use a

few technological tools to supplement the material. If the teacher has access to a computer,
laptop, project, or iPad, then these tools can meet the specific needs of each type of learner.

eachers can use technology to produce visual aids to help these students understand the lesson.

For example, teachers can create a PowerPoint that outlines key points and includes pictures or

diagrams. This simple practice helps visual learners focus and understand the material better

(Emma, 2018).

However, the challenge of technology access still remains for public school

students. Other factors such as home environment (conduciveness to learning), learner

attitudes toward home learning, and technology competence can affect learner

outcomes and the effective use of Blended Learning. Learning at home also requires

parent participation and support. Education’s new normal will not just be about

operating in an environment that secures the health of students; nor will it be about

completely transitioning to online modalities. Instead, it should be about using

technology to increase efficiency in areas with the capacity to do so, while

empowering learners and communities to create positive learning environments in

which the student can grow. It should not sacrifice quality but continue to provide

equal opportunities, most especially to the marginalized and vulnerable sectors. It is

not a one-size-fits-all solution, but one that is dependent on the needs of each learning

community (Jorge, 2020).

Blended learning is not wholly new. Philippine universities, such as the University of the

Philippines Open University, have used blended learning. In the new normal, all schools will
have blended or purely on-line courses. Training in using teaching and learning platforms will be

available for both teachers and students. DepEd, CHEd and the Technical Education and Skills

Development Authority have issued and will continue to issue notices much like the March 22,

2020 notice of India’s secretary of HE sent to India’s HEIs. The said notice suggested to the

teaching and research academics “to utilize this lockdown period for various academic activities

including (a) on-line content development, online teaching and online evaluation, (b) prepare

lesson plan and develop instructional materials and (c) carry on research, write articles and

prepare innovative questions or question bank, etc.” Furthermore, that teachers and students

effectively utilize “the University Grants Commission’s [array of] e-learning platforms,” which

include massive open online courses, the Consortium for Educational Communication-University

Grants Commission, YouTube channel, National Digital Library,

Shodhganga.<https://www.iitm.ac.in/sites/default/files /covid19_circulars -registrar0.pdf>

(Shodhganga is a digital repository platform of 260,000 Indian electronic theses and dissertations

for research students to deposit their PhD theses and make them available to the entire scholarly

community in open access (Tumapon, 2020).

By the same token, students need to build up a character of interdependence, discipline

and responsibility. Along the same lines, the current learning-from-home practices should gear

parents to be a beacon of these character values instead of extended academic tutors for their

children. Education experts and researchers have long lamented that one-size-fits-all curriculum

does not work for all learners. Unfortunately, this discourse within scholarly forums does not

seep through the classroom walls and fails to influence the what of the education system. In the

name of efficiency and system for the masses, the education enterprise found it impossible to
meet such diversified needs of the learners. Small-scale initiatives have emerged to customize

learning in the forms of homeschooling, elitist schools and alternative schools. While their

success stories should be applauded, scaling up the best practices intended for the privileged few

to serve the 44 plus million is a utopian endeavor. The school disruption has compelled all

education stakeholders to accept the fact that what matters is not the completion of the written

curriculum coverage but the recognition of students’ diverse needs and the discovery of

possibilities to meet those needs through resources other than the teachers themselves. The

teachers’ primary task is now to guide students to seek those possibilities. This new normal will

hopefully drive education authorities to design a sustainable framework for a needs-based

curriculum and provide a repertoire of learning modules. Multiple types of literacy and

modalities required to survive and contribute to the 21st century should be included in this

curriculum. With a renewed understanding of the why, who and what of education, the how is a

matter of technicality. As Friedrich Nietzsche said: “If you understand the why, you can endure

any how.” The learning-from-home isolation cannot continue forever. Children and youths need

physical interaction with their peers as part of their learning processes. After all that teachers and

students have gone through during this disruption, the new normal should be blended learning.

Even if there is no postponement of the start of the academic year in the green zones, rotation

models of blended learning can be a way to maintain social distancing in school, especially when

classrooms are too cramped. Despite its promises, Clayton Christensen (2008) warns that

effective technology integration requires a focus on pedagogy and practice, rather than an

emphasis on technology and tools. He found that, although teachers integrated technology into

their classrooms, the technology did not necessarily lead to student-centered learning processes.

One caveat in this new normal is that teachers often use technology to perpetuate existing
teacher-centered pedagogy rather than using technology to shift themselves and their teaching to

student-centered pedagogy (Lie, 2020).

The main advantage of asynchronous online learning is that it allows students to

participate in high quality learning situations when distance and schedule make on-ground

learning difficult-to-impossible. Students can participate in classes from anywhere in the world,

provided they have a computer and Internet connection. In addition, the online format allows

physically challenged students (and teachers) more freedom to participate in class. Participants

access the Virtual Classroom through their computers instead of having to “go to class”

physically. The Virtual Classroom is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Time

efficiency is another strength brought by the online learning format. Asynchronous

communication through online conferencing programs allows the professional juggling work,

family, and study schedules to participate in class discussions. There is no question about doing

the work; just do it at the times that are more convenient. Students can access their courses at any

time of day or night. Further, they have continuous access to lectures, course materials, and class

discussions. This is particularly convenient for those who may need to reread a lecture or take

more time to reflect on some material before moving on. The online format allows a dynamic

interaction between the instructor and students and among the students themselves. Resources

and ideas are shared, and continuous synergy will be generated through the learning process.

Each individual can contribute to the course discussions and comments on the work of others.

The synergy that exists in the student-centered Virtual Classroom is one of the most unique and

vital traits that the online learning format possesses (Ion Professional E-learning Programs,

2020).
 “The correct term that should be used is not online learning but flexible learning,” he

added. He said flexible learning is more encompassing than online learning, which requires

connectivity and full use of technology, particularly the Internet.He noted that flexible learning is

a broader term that focuses on the design and delivery of programs, courses, and learning

interventions that address learners' unique needs in terms of pace, place, process, and products of

learning. It does not necessarily require connectivity.“Many higher education institutions have

been doing online learning before the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine). Many others have

started using flexible learning before and during ECQ. And many are shifting to flexible learning

in preparation for the opening of classes,” he said.“The intention is to move higher education to

flexible learning,” he added (Cervantes, 2020).

The coronavirus pandemic has seen the introduction of novel methods of delivering

education to medical students. Lectures have rapidly been developed to be delivered online as

webinars using various platforms such as Zoom, with such technologically enhanced approaches

already being proven to have high levels of engagement with medical students [2]. With

international students making up 19.6% of the total student population [3], and many having

returned to their native homes during the coronavirus outbreak, online teaching platforms are

beneficial due to their worldwide accessibility, ensuring that all medical students regardless of

their current location are able to access webinars as they happen or can be recorded for later use.

Thus far, our experience of online webinars that have included key clinical conditions, case

studies and examination questions have been well received, with a regular number of medical

student attendees engaging in these lessons throughout these unprecedented times (Sandhu & de

Wolf, 2020).
 References

Casiple, R. (2020). Flexible learning and other innovative learning modalities. Retrieved from

https://dailyguardian.com.ph/flexible-learning-and-other-innovative-learning-modalities/

Cervantes, F. M. (2020). Ched pushes for flexible learning for HEIs in August. Retrieved from

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1101519

Dewart, G. et al. (2020). Nursing education in a pandemic: Academic challenges in response to

COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7263267/

Emma (2020). How to Use Technology for Different Learning Styles? Retrieved from

https://learnsafe.com/how-to-use-technology-for-different-learning-styles/

Ion Professional E-learning Programs. (2020). Strengths and weaknesses of online

learning. Retrieved from https://www.uis.edu/ion/resources/tutorials/online-education-

overview/strengths-and-weaknesses/

Jorge, C. (2020). Philippine Education and the New Normal. Retrieved from

https://opinion.inquirer.net/129286/ph-education-and-the-new-normal
Lie, A. (2020). The new normal in education. Retrieved from

https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2020/06/20/the-new-normal-in-education.html

Sandhu, P. & de Wolf, M. (2020). The impact of covid-19 on the undergraduate medical

curriculum. Retrieved from

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10872981.2020.1764740

Tumapon, T. T. (2020). Education and the New Normal. Retrieved from

https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/06/04/campus-press/education-and-the-new-

normal/729288/#:~:text=In%20the%20new%20normal%2C%20all,for%20both%20teach

ers%20and%20students.&text=Because%20of%20the%20Covid%2D19,learning%20onli

ne.%E2%80%9D%20%3Cwww.

Uy, E. (2020). Will blended/distance learning or ‘GOAL’ be the new normal in education?

Retrieved from https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/06/27/will-blended-distance-learning-

or-goal-be-the-new-normal-in-education/
Blended learning forces us to consider thecharacteristics of digital
technology, in gen-
eral, and information communication technologies (ICTs), more
specifically. Floridi
(2014) suggests an answer proffered by Alan Turing: that digital ICTs
can process in-
formation on their own, in some sense just as humans and
otherbiological life. ICTs
can also communicate information to each other, without human
intervention, butas
linked processes designed by humans. We have evolved tothe point
where humans are
not always “in the loop” of technology, but should be “on the
loop” (Floridi 2014, p.
30), designing and adapting the process. We perceive our world more
and more in in-
formational terms, and not primarily as physical entities (Floridi
2008). Increasingly,
the educational world is dominated by information andour economies
rest primarily
on that asset. So our world is also blended, and it is blended so
muchthat we hardly
see the individual components of the blend any longer. Floridi (2014)
argues that the
world has become an “infosphere” (like biosphere) where we live as
“inforgs.” What is
real for us is shifting from the physical and unchangeable to those
things with wh
analyt