Assessment of Effectiveness of Online Classes on Selected First-year College Students

A Research Paper presented to the

College Department of San Sebastian College

– Recoletos, Manila

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the

Degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Major in Legal Management

Carandang, Liezel O.

Cristobal, June Mikhail Joseph

Medina, Jericho

2021
 Chapter 1

Introduction

Online class is the new mode of learning due to the pandemic. It is conducted over the

internet, smartphones, laptop or computer. We think that it is easy, comfortable, better and

flexible because we can easily learn in that new learning mode. But somehow, many students

complain that online classes are not that accessible. It is generally self-educating and not fit to

the others who are not used to it. Students sometimes complain that they didn’t understand

correctly what the professor discussed. Moreover, at the end of the day they always try to learn.

The online class has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of online class is that

you can study anytime you want. You can wear anything you want. It is convenient and flexible.

You won’t commute when you go to school/university. That's why it also helps you when it

comes to finances. The disadvantages of it is, you can procrastinate easily, it requires you to be

responsible for your own learning, it also requires you to find your own path to learn and lastly,

it requires you to be an active learner. There are probably more advantages and disadvantages in

online class, the point here is some students are not capable of it.

Furthermore, more students want to get back on face-to-face learning mode. Face-to-face

classes are a two way interaction, while online classes don't include a live instructor. They say

that it is the best and better than online class. You will be able to concentrate harder, with less

distractions than if you were at home. The most familiar way is the traditional classroom setting,
you may feel more comfortable and learn easily. Online classes might deliver video content.

However, it is a one way interaction.

According to Nguyen, T. (2015), The internet has enabled online learning, many

researchers and educators are involved in using online learning to enhance and improve student

learning outcomes while trying to overcome resource constraints. There is strong evidence that

online learning is at least as effective as traditional learning. Based on the study of Sona, V. &

Ashish, M. (2021), The findings of the study shows pedagogy, teaching style and teaching

effectiveness have a significant impact on academic behavior of online classes with the first

online teachers. Moreover, one of the challenges that students may face is keeping motivated.

Given that, unlike face-to-face learning, students have the option of attending or not attending

lectures, experts believe finding motivation to start coursework can be tough (Friedman, 2020).

As students faced obstacles in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, the study determined

how they affected their online learning experience and the solutions they took to overcome these

challenges. According to this study, the students' largest obstacle was related to their academic

setting at home, whereas technology literacy and proficiency were their least challenging. The

findings demonstrated that the pandemic has a significant impact on the quality of the learning

experience and the mental health of the students (Barot, et. al 2021). Given that students have

less direct interaction with others, reduced school expenditures, and can manage their time well,

we can claim that this style of learning is somehow useful in surviving this pandemic.

Nonetheless, not all Filipino students believe that this learning mode is as useful as it is for a

few.
Objectives

The general objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of online classes on selected first

year college, this adheres to meet the following:

 To determine the impacts of online classes on academic performance of first year

students

 To understand the perception of students on online class as alternative mode of learning

 To identify the difficulty faced by the student during online classes

 To classify the advantages and disadvantages of online classes

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:
1.1 Name
1.2 Age
1.3 Gender
1.4 Bachelor’s Degree
2. Student Behavior:

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

Online classes motivates me more to

participate In class.
 I am more eager to learn during online
class session.

I am more organized in managing my

time in completing tasks, assignments,
and/or activities.

I am able to freely ask questions during

online class as compared to traditional
learning.

I am more encouraged to share my ideas

to the class.

Online class encourages me more to be

sociable with my classmates

Acquisition of Knowledge:
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
Agree Disagree
Lessons or class discussions are easy to

understand during online classes.

I am able to apply the things I learn on par

with traditional learning.

I can answer activities, and assignment

with ease.

I have more opportunities to reflect on

what I have learned in online courses

My professors are helpful during remote

learning

My online experience has increased my

 opportunity to access and use information

I can manage my own learning better in

online courses

Response time from teachers and assistants

is quicker in online courses

Academic Performance:
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
Agree Disagree
I have the possibility to be a Dean’s Lister

I have a decent grade or a good class

standing

I am actively participating in class

I am satisfied with the e-learning approach

Because of online courses, I am more

likely to get a degree/ (pass the)

Assessment of my academic progress is

more accurate in online courses

I can more easily monitor my academic

progress in online courses

Hypothesis

The selected first - year college students have a significant effect on the effectiveness of

online classes.
Significance of the Study

The study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of online classes on Selected First -

Year College Students in San Sebastian College - Recoletos Manila (SSCR). Moreover, the

findings of this study can be significant and will be of great benefit to the following:

San Sebastian College - Recoletos Manila (SSCR). The study will help them in what actions

they will do for the students. This will be spread in a broader span so that more people will be

informed about the effectiveness of online classes. 

Students. This study is beneficial to the students and the result will provide some knowledge on

how effective online class is. 

Professors. They will benefit from this study from the findings and recommendations. 

The Researchers. In this study, the researcher might also gain a lot of value from it. They would

know the effectiveness of online classes.

Future Researchers. To future researchers, they can use the study to finalize the topic related to

this topic or problem. This may serve as one of their related studies in the Philippines. That could

be added to the college library, for them to have access to what studies they are fulfilling.

Theoretical Framework
For an efficient and effective measure of this study, the researchers employ the models of

assessment of effectiveness of online learning.

Figure 1. Anderson’s Online Learning Model. Reprinted with permission by Anderson, T.

(2011).

The theory and practice of online learning. (2nd Edition). Edmonton, AB: AU Press.

Figure 1 illustrates:

The two major human actors, learners and teachers, and their interactions with each other and

with content. Learners can of course interact directly with content that they find in multiple

formats, and especially on the Web; however, many choose to have their learning sequenced,
directed, and evaluated with the assistance of a teacher. This interaction can take place within a

community of inquiry, using a variety of Net-based synchronous and asynchronous activities…

These environments are particularly rich, and allow for the learning of social skills, the

collaborative learning of content, and the development of personal relationships among

participants. However, the community binds learners in time, forcing regular sessions or at least

group-paced learning. The second model of learning (on the right) illustrates the structured

learning tools associated with independent learning. Common tools used in this mode include

computer-assisted tutorials, drills, and simulations (Anderson, 2011, p. 61-62).

Figure 2. Community of Inquiry (Garrison, Anderson, Garrison and Archer, 2000)

The “community of inquiry” model for online learning environments developed by Garrison,

Anderson & Archer (2000) is based on the concept of three distinct “presences”: cognitive,

social, and teaching. While recognizing the overlap and relationship among the three
components, Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, and Archer (2001) advise further research on each

component. Their model supports the design of online and blended courses as active learning

environments or communities dependent on instructors and students sharing ideas, information,

and opinions. Of particular note is that “presence” is a social phenomenon and manifests itself

through interactions among students and instructors. The community of inquiry has become one

of the more popular models for online and blended courses that are designed to be highly

interactive among students and faculty using discussion boards, blogs, wikis, and

videoconferencing.

Conceptual Framework

The basis of the study about the conceptual framework is presented below. The

researcher will be using it to administer the research and help in understanding the purpose of

this study. Figure 2 shows the information that the researcher needs. The respondents will have

an online survey using a google form and the outcome will be the different strategies of each

respondent that can help a lot in the effectiveness of online classes during this pandemic.
 INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Profile of the respondents Collection of data through Assessment of

according to : the use of online survey effectiveness of Online
(google form) Classes on selected First-
Age Year College Students
Sex
Course
Gadgets used

Figure 2 Conceptual Framework

Scope and Limitations

The researchers believe that there will be several problems and limitations to which the

researchers will encounter in conducting the study for this subject.

The first delimitation of the research predicted, is the recruitment of sufficient number of

participants, or rather, participants that would take the research seriously, in regards to this,

unwilling or lazy participants will greatly influence the credibility of the study. Second to this is

the limitation of the research locale and respondents, since it is strictly on the perspective of first

year students of the San Sebastian College- Recoletos Manila Community, the research results

may or may not have the same situation needed for future researchers on the assessment of

effectiveness of online classes on different academic communities or other year levels.

Another delimitation to the study is the way in which the survey will be constructed or

will be using. The researcher will be using Google forms in gathering the data. It is possible the

survey created will be corrupted or lost.

 Despite these delimitations, the study will be worthwhile. Understanding the scope of

knowledge of effectiveness of distance education courses for first year can assist higher

education administrators in several areas including curriculum assessment and development.

Definition of Terms

Effectiveness- the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result; success.

In this study, the researchers are more focused to see if online-based learning is a successful

learning alternative in the times of pandemic.

Impact- the ability to influence, persuade, or convince others to adopt a specific course of action.

Chapter 2

Foreign Studies

● Nguyen, Tuan (2015) The Effectiveness of Online Learning: Beyond No Significant

Difference and Future Horizons

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308171318_The_Effectiveness_of_Online_Lea

rning_Beyond_No_Significant_Difference_and_Future_Horizons

- The physical " brick and mortar " classroom is starting to lose its monopoly as the

place of learning. The Internet has made online learning possible, and many

researchers and educators are interested in online learning to enhance and

improve student learning outcomes while combating the reduction in resources,

particularly in higher education. It is imperative that researchers and educators

consider the effectiveness of online learning compared to traditional face-to-face

 format and the factors that influence the effectiveness of online courses. This

study examines the evidence of the effectiveness of online learning by organizing

and summarizing the findings and challenges of online learning into positive,

negative, mixed, and null findings. Particular attention is paid to the meta-

analyses on the effectiveness of online learning, the heterogenous outcomes of

student learning and the endogenous issue of learning environment choice. Taken

as a whole, there is robust evidence to suggest online learning is generally at least

as effective as the traditional format. Moreover, this body of literature suggests

that researchers should move beyond the " no significant difference "

phenomenon and consider the next stage of online learning.

● Sona Vikas & Ashish Mathur (2021) An empirical study of student perception towards

pedagogy, teaching style and effectiveness of online classes

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-021-10793-9?fbclid=IwAR3-

SHox3oh4e6tbY1GKw0ASQ7M3AQ5GovMVQJl7mKHjYr6zmh_H8gQzfMI

With online education taking centerstage in recent times, the primary objective of this

study is to find out the student perception of online classes from teachers who had no past

experience of online teaching, with respect to their teaching effectiveness, teaching style

and pedagogy in an online classroom. This study is exploratory in nature. The findings of

the study indicate that pedagogy, teaching style and teaching effectiveness significantly

affect student perception towards online classes by first time online teachers. The role of

the teachers has changed drastically and there is a need for them to prepare themselves
 for the new normal using the suitable pedagogical tools for creating an effective online

classroom.

● Alan Sangste (2020)Insights into accounting education in a COVID-19 world

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09639284.2020.1808487

This paper presents a compilation of personal reflections from 66 contributors on the

impact of, and responses to, COVID-19 in accounting education in 45 different countries

around the world. It reveals a commonality of issues, and a variability in responses, many

positive outcomes, including the creation of opportunities to realign learning and teaching

strategies away from the comfort of traditional formats, but many more that are negative,

primarily relating to the impact on faculty and student health and well-being, and the

accompanying stress. It identifies issues that need to be addressed in the recovery and

redesign stages of the management of this crisis, and it sets a new research agenda for

studies in accounting education.

Foreign Literature

● (Kari Almendingen 2021) Student’s experiences with online teaching following COVID-

19 lockdown: A mixed methods explorative study.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250378
The sudden shift to digital teaching was challenging for students, but it appears that they adapted

quickly to the new situation. Although the concerns described by students in this study may only

be representative for the period right after campus lockdown, the study provide the student

perspective on a unique period of time in higher education.

● IndiaEducation(2020) What is online education.

https://www.indiaeducation.net/online-education/articles/what-is-online-education.html

Online education is a form of education where students use their home computers through the

internet. For many nontraditional students, among them all those who want to continue working

full time or raising families, online graduations and courses have become popular in the past

decade. Often online graduation and course programmes, some of which are conducted using

digital technologies, are provided via the online learning portal of the host university.

● Tackle Challenges of Online Classes Due to COVID-19

This article contained information regarding the most common challenges faced by college

students due to the pandemic. According to Friedman (2020), staying motivated is one of the

difficulties students might be dealing with. Given that students have a choice to whether or not

attend classes unlike face-to-face learning, finding the motivation to get started on coursework

can be difficult as experts say. Moreover, uncertainty about the future is considered as a

challenge for students since the sudden switch to online classes has caused anxiety and
confusion, as well as raised questions among students about their academic futures. Regardless

of the challenges that come with the transition to online classes, students should remember that

assistance is available.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-to-overcome-challenges-of-

online-classes-due-to-coronavirus

Local Studies

● Students’ online learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them:

The case of the Philippines

According to Barrot et al (2021), online learning challenges of college students varied in terms of

type and extent. The study identified the extent of challenges that students faced during COVID-

19 pandemic, how it impacted their online learning experience, and the strategies that they used

to overcome these challenges. As claimed in this study, the students’ greatest challenge was

connected to their academic setting at home, while their least challenge was technological

literacy and competency. The results revealed that the quality of the learning experience and

students’ mental health are the ones greatly affected by the pandemic. Furthermore, resource

management and utilization, help-seeking, technical aptitude enhancement, time management,

and learning environment control are the strategies most frequently used by the students to cope

up with the situation. Implications for classroom practice, policy-making, and future research are

discussed.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x

● AMIDST THE ONLINE LEARNING IN THE PHILIPPINES: THE PARENTAL

INVOLVEMENT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE STUDENT'S ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE

Beginning March 2020 was the time when everybody thought that the lockdown, especially the

suspension of classes, will only last a week and everything will be back to normal. However,

things turned out differently. The government recommended that students should have online

learning instead of the regular face-to-face classes until the cases of COVID-19 decrease.

Numerous factors affected the students in different ways such as the needs of technology,

financial capacity, and environment at home. According to Tus (2021), parental involvement is

one of the determinants of the academic success of the students. The study investigates the

relationship between parental involvement and students’ academic performance. Thus, the

findings of the study revealed that the parents were still in the process of developing their

involvement in school. Also, the level of academic performance showed that the mean score of

the respondents' academic performance was very satisfactory. At the end of the study, it revealed

that the students performed well in class during online learning modalities

https://iejrd.com/index.php/%20/article/view/2072/1893
 ● Problems Encountered by College Students in Online Assessment amid COVID-19

Crisis: A Case Study

Educational institutions were forced to shut down due to the increased number of Covid cases in

the Philippines. Just like most of the other countries, our government still tries to continue

education despite the current situation. This paper identifies and summarizes the problems

encountered by the students in online assessment amid the coronavirus disease crisis. According

to the study of Cahapay (2021), the findings uncovered six themes of problems encountered by

the students. These problems include incompatibility of browsers; anxiety over tracking tools;

unstable internet connection; electric power interruptions; distractions in the environment; and

unknown accessibility issues. It is then recommended in selecting the application to use for the

online proctored test, educators should consider the complexity feature of the application but

without compromising its capacity to guard assessment integrity. Furthermore, professors should

prepare alternative measures as inevitable problems might occur. In line with this, a test

orientation and test manual is a must have to keep the students guided throughout their

assessment activity.

https://www.dpublication.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/30-10340.pdf

Local Literature

● The Impact of Online Schooling to Filipino Student

As the Philippines continues to conquer COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face learning is still

prohibited by the government in most parts of the country which led to students having the ‘new

normal’ online schooling as an alternative for almost two years. This blog contained information

about the impact of online learning to students in the Philippines. We can say that this type of

learning is somehow helpful in surviving this pandemic given that students have less direct

contact with others, lower school costs, and can manage their time well. However, not all

Filipino students consider this learning situation to be as beneficial as it is for some students.

Online learning must meet the same quality requirements as regular schooling and proper

equipment, such as computers or laptops, are indeed much needed. It is more difficult than

having face-to-face learning because not all students have the capability to buy the required

technologies.

https://lookupgrade.com/en/blog/english-the-impact-of-online-schooling-to-filipino-student/

● Common Problems that Occur During Online Classes

Having online learning for almost two years already led some students to wonder how everyone

is adjusting and coping up with the problems that occur while attending their classes. According

to Amadora (2020), there are five common problems that arise during online learning. Internet

connection is considered as the number one problem students face while taking up classes given

the fact that the Philippines is an internet-challenged country. With poor internet connectivity,

sub-problems might occur such as the audio clarity of the platforms used by the professors.

Another problem is the system glitch. The application used during online classes also has its bad
days especially if a lot of students from different schools are using it at the same time.

Furthermore, outdated devices and softwares are considered a problem too. Above all, the

greatest challenge a student might face is to have a short attention span. It takes will power to

stay awake and focused. Due to the lack of interaction during online class, students tend to get

distracted easily with the environment around them such as house chores, smartphones, pets, and

deliveries.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/18/common-problems-that-occur-during-online-classes/

● Advantages and disadvantages of online classes

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, students somehow already know and have gained knowledge on

working out this online learning situation as of today. As stated by Manuel (2020), there are five

advantages and disadvantages of online learning. The advantages of the ‘new normal’ in our

country include home safety, exercise of freedom and control, no hassle going to school, learning

the values of responsibility and priority, and power of technology being utilized. On the other

hand, disadvantages include technical problems being inevitable, students tend to not go online

during class hours, lots of distractions may arise, not conforming to deadlines, and the feeling of

the situation not being natural. Whether students choose to participate in an online class, required

to do it, or made a decision not to, take note that this online learning situation should be utilized

well to permit an effective teaching strategy between the professors and learners.

https://www.noypigeeks.com/featured/advantages-disadvantages-online-classes/