THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE LEARNING DURING COVID-19

PANDEMIC AMONG JUNIOR LIBERAL ARTS STUDENTS

______________________________

A Research Report Represented to the Faculty of La Carlota

City College

______________________________

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements in the Subject ELS

199 Research

________________________________

Presented by:

Dela Vega, Rafael A. AB 3-A

Estrellanes, Reniel G. AB 3-A
Salavia, Kevin AB 3-A
Villanueva, Alvin G. AB 3-A
 1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In the present scenario of CoVID 19 the education

similar to the other field of life a seriously been

affected. The conventional way of learning at school,

colleges, and Universities has been clogged altogether both

in developed and undeveloped countries. Closures of schools

in response to the COVID-19 outbreak have brought to light a

number of challenges limiting educational access. COVID-19

is on the rise, and a large number of children, adults, and

teenagers are unable to attend schools or universities as a

result (UNESCO, 2020). The impact of school closure on

pupils' performance, according to Lah and Botelho (2012), is

ambiguous. Bridge (2020) said that, in order to minimize a

strain during the pandemic season, schools and universities

are leaning toward educational technology for student

learning.

Online learning is a type of remote learning that gives

students with an online platform to learn using current

 2

online technologies such as a smartphone, tablet, computer,

or laptop with a fast internet connection (Wan, 2020).

Because no one knows when this deadly virus will depart our

planet, educational institutions all around the world have

chosen to encourage online learning by utilizing currently

available technology tools.

The sudden shift to online learning have effects on the

students performance. School closing may also affect

students because of disruption of teacher and students’

networks, leading to poor performance. The students feeling

of being disconnected to their classmates and instructors is

also one of the problems of online learning. Shearer (2003)

wrote that "By offering a variety of topics that are

relevant to current issues in the field and allowing

students to connect the practical, in this case their

professional experience, to the theoretical, the course

content, the learners become more invested in the course

discussions and assignments, as well as their colleagues".

However, several researchers have identified Collaborative

learning as a means of improving student success in online

learning as it enhances participation, builds students’

confidence, and facilitates better understanding of course

contents.
 3

As a result, the study's goal is to examine the

effectiveness of online learning system among Junior Liberal

Arts students at La Carlota City College during the COVID-19

epidemic from S.Y. 2020-20201.

 4

Theoretical Framework

While most learning theories are founded on twentieth-

century thinking, new theories such as connectivism

(Kongrugsa et al., 2016), labeled "a learning theory for the

digital era," have developed in the twenty-first century.

Connectivism is based on the idea that Internet technologies

have opened up new avenues for people to study and share

information across networks. Learners get their information

via peer networks and the internet, and these connections

are more important than our prior knowledge (Fox, 2001). Due

to the COVID-19 outbreak and the study's goal of determining

the effectiveness of online learning among the Liberal Arts,

the theory stresses a technologically facilitated setting

that enables meaningful discourse and collaboration.

Harasim (2012) established online collaborative

learning theory (OCL) from foundations in computer-mediated

communication and networked learning during the

contemporaneous development of both constructivist learning

techniques and the Internet (Bates, 2015). OCL theory,

according to Bates (2015), is based on and integrates

cognitive development theories that focus on conversational

learning, deep learning circumstances, academic knowledge

 5

progression, and knowledge creation. Educators can use the

OCL model to help them develop an effective teaching method,

but they must also consider a few design considerations

while creating courses (Bates, 2015). Teachers can think

about things like appropriate tools, clear directions for

student online behavior, student introduction and

preparedness, explicit instructional goals, and appropriate

discussion subjects.

The social constructivism theory places the emphasis on

students rather than instructors. Students learn best when

they actively construct their own understanding through

social interaction with their peers. They are encouraged to

discover their own solutions and to try out ideas and

hypotheses. The responsibility of the instructor is to

facilitate the students' learning process around a

particular content. Instructors should design and structure

learning activities so that students can exercise their

capabilities in knowledge formation. The principle of social

constructivism promotes students' deep understanding and

creativity. These abilities are expected and should be

planned for health professional students including pharmacy

graduates. An online setting allows instructors to

consistently embed SCLE into the learning process. Online

communication can stimulate the slow thinkers and those

 6

reluctant to engage in face-to-face discussion to

participate. The asynchronous mode of online communication

provides participants with more time to think and an equal

right to share their thoughts. Meaningful and active online

discussion among students will result in an effective

knowledge sharing and cognitive development. Online

technology can also provide access to rich sources of

information and promote fruitful interaction with contents.

These features are feasible for initiating SCLE.

 7

Conceptual Framework

The study was channeled by a conceptual model applying

two frames which includes the independent variable and

dependent variable.

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the study

Effectiveness of
Online Learning

● Students Performance
● Very High ● Collaborative Skills
● High ● Learners Interaction
● Low
 8

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of

online learning among Junior Liberal Arts students.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following

questions:

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

A. Age

B. Sex

C. Civil Status

D. Place of Residence

2. What is the level of effectiveness of online class

learning?

3. What is the level of effectiveness of online

learning among junior liberal Arts students in terms

of:

A. Students Performance

B. Collaborative skills

C. Learner Interaction
 9

4. What is the effects of online learning among Junior

Liberal Arts students when taken as a whole and when

group according to:

A. Age

B. Sex

C. Civil Status

D. Place of Residence

5. Is there a significant relationship between the

level of effectiveness of online learning to student’s

performance, collaborative skills and learner

interaction?

Hypotheses of the Study

1. The demographic profile of the students positively

affects their online learning.

2. There is a significant relationship between the online

learning and student’s performance, collaborative

skills and learner interaction.

3. There is no significant relationship between the

effectiveness of online learning and student’s

performance, collaborative skills and learner

interaction.
 10

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study focuses only on determining the

effectiveness of online learning among Junior Liberal Arts

Students during the Semester SY. 2020-2021.

he 18-items questionnaire used in this paper was

anchored from 3 previous study. The students’ performance

questions was authored by Wilson et al. (1997). The

collaborative skills questionnaire was adopted from the

study entitled previous research of AlMahdawi, M. et al.

with a title "School Students’ Performance Indicators in

Distance Learning in Chemistry during the COVID-19

Pandemic".. Lastly, the items from the learner’s interaction

was taken from The Student Learning and Satisfaction in

Online Learning Environments Instrument (SLS-OLE).

This study uses descriptive research design.

Significance of the Study

This study will be beneficial to the following:

Liberal Arts students. In this research the

students will show their capacity to offer flexibility,

choice, access and mobility.

 11

Teachers. The result of the research will help

the teachers provide encouragement to think of ideas

that will give proper guidance to the students.

Future Researcher. The Future researcher also can

gain significant in this research. It may serve this as

their guidance to gather information and it may serve

them as a building blocks to have a bigger research.

School Administrators. The study may provide the

school administrator ideas and methods that can improve

this teaching method as well provide support to

teachers and students for better teaching-learning

results.

Definition of Terms

For a better understanding of the study, the following

terms will be defined conceptually and operationally.

Age. Time of life at which some particular

qualification, power, or capacity arise (Meriam

Webster).
 12

In this study, it is defined as the length of

time that a person has lived, or a thing has existed

Civil Status. Is a state of being married or not

married used of official forms to ask if a person is

married, single, divorce, or widow (Meriam Webster)?

The term civil status in this study refer to the

various alternatives for describing a person's

connection with their significant other.

Communication tools. A wide variety of

communication tools are used for external and internal

communication. These tools include mail, email,

telephones, cell phones, smartphones, computers, video

and web conferencing tools, social networking, as well

as online collaboration and productivity platforms.

Operationally, communication tools refer to

three forms of electronic communication in distance

education courses—e-mail, discussion groups, and chat

rooms.

Learning environment. Refers to the diverse

physical locations, contexts, and cultures in which

students learn.
 13

Operationally, the term learning environment

encompasses learning resources and technology, means of

teaching, modes of learning, and connections to

societal and global contexts.

Sex. It is a noun either of the major forms of

individuals that occur I many species and that are

distinguished respectively as female or male especially

on the bases of their reproductive organs and

structures (Meriam Webster).

In terms of operation, the phrases allude to the

socially built characteristics of women and men, girls

and boys.

Student Performance. It is measured using grade

point average (GPA), high school graduation rate,

annual standardized tests and college entrance exams. A

student's GPA is typically measured on a scale of zero

to four with higher GPAs representing higher grades in

the classroom.

The term student performance in this study refer

to the various alternatives for describing a person's

connection with their significant other.

 14

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The literature and studies gathered are presented in

this chapter which provide theories and guidelines in the

conduct of the study.

Online Learning

Sarikhani, Salari and Mansouri quotes Levy’s definition

of online learning as a system based on technology,

organization, and management which bestows upon the students

the ability to learn via internet and facilitates their

learning. Additionally, Zare, et al., stated that the use of

electronic technologies has led to the development of

educational opportunities and helps students develop their

skills.

According to Guragain online learning systems are the

storehouses of information, training and knowledge. He also

stated that one may find it difficult at times to learn new

ideas and that e-learning system provide the possibility for

 15

students to learn the same material repeatedly until they

are satisfied. In addition, online learning is usually a

cost-efficient way of learning for most students as they can

choose from a large range of courses and make the selection

depending on their needs. Furthermore, Guragain explained

that in the long run, online learning is usually a cheaper

option but still for the first time it might prove too

expensive for some institutions. Goyal quotes Brandon Hall’s

article that the online learners enjoy an efficiency

advantage in being able to cover the same material in

approximately half the time of a traditional class.

Moreover, online learning has a velocity advantage by being

able to reach a large number of learners in a shorter time.

In addition, Goyal postulates that the learning is mostly a

socio-cognitive activity, not every student will find online

learning suitable for his or her learning style. Agarwal and

Pandey stated that online learning is superior to

traditional learning when it comes to reduction of training

time, cost and having better effect.

Online learning has endorsed student knowledge and

improved the process of education training. Also, they

claimed that online learning is the most convenient way to

pursue a degree in higher education.

 16

Shehabat and Mahdi stated that online learning should

be an active, not passive, experience. They stated that

delivering an effective online learning module must confirm

to two major development guidelines: The first depends on a

classical principle of learning, namely, learning by doing

and the second guideline is that man early efforts at online

learning suffered a high rate of dissatisfaction from the

students. Moreover, Shehabat and Mahdi stated that making

the online learning course more social will guarantee its

acceptance and success by both students and teachers. Alday

and Pascual postulates that electronic communication has

reduced the world into a global village.

Additionally, online learning empowered both learners

and teachers thus providing opportunities for superior

learning experiences. Aforesaid, Espinosa stated that

investing on online learning will benefit both teachers and

students. Teachers can disseminate their lessons and

assignments with ease, and students can work on their

lessons at home. Also, he stated that technological advances

had greatly changed the education landscape in that teaching

is no longer confined to the traditional face-to-face

delivery of lessons.
 17

Capili and Manuel postulates that online learning is

essentially the network-enabled transfer of skills and

knowledge, refers to use electronic applications and

processes to learn. Mercado quotes Wentling’s definition of

online Learning: it is the acquisition and use of knowledge

distributed and facilitated primarily by electronic means.

Furthermore, teaching in an online course involves more than

replicating classroom strategies in a different form. MST

News stated the growing availability of the Internet to a

wider population; plus, the developments in multimedia

technologies such as better platforms and cheaper gadgets,

are the prime movers of online learning. Aforesaid, online

learning can take place anywhere other than a classroom.

It can be taken self-paced, individually or in a group,

with or without interaction from an instructor. Online

learning provides many other features which enable both the

educator and the learner to attain educational goals more

easily. In the study, maximizing the usage of online

learning tools helps the students to be more effective in

terms of scholastic skills; allowing them to be more

flexible by giving them necessary time to read, learn and to

practice their subjects that may result to a better academic

 18

performance. Withal, the resources are not limited and

accessible thus providing them more chance to explore their

subjects.

Students Performance

Student performance in a case method course may be

assessed along a variety of dimensions including class

participation, individual written work on papers and exams,

and group activities such as projects and presentations. Our

focus here is on class participation, which is integral to

the case method and often accounts for a significant portion

of a student's grade (Christensen).

Student performance is important for an institution for

the good outcomes that lead to the job performance in the

future (Kuncel et al., 2005). According to (Hijazi & Naqvi,

2006) the academic performance is not affected by age,

gender, and place of residence but they also said those who

live near to university can perform much better than others

who live far from university. According to (Hijazi & Naqvi,

2006) also weak students if group with good students will do

better in academic and it will lead students to graduate on

time. The fact is the effort from the students themselves if

 19

they want to improve their academic performance then they

will (Zajonc, 1980). Moreover, poor study habits are also

tending to delay the study (McKenzie & Schweitzer, 2001) and

it will affect the Cumulative Grade Points Average (CGPA) of

the students (Chapell et al., 2005). According to (Alimi,

Ehinola, & Alabi, 2012) said the poor rate of academic

performance also can resulted to the economy of the country.

Collaborative skills

Modern researchers agree that the goal of collaboration

is to create new insights during discussions (Henry F.,

1992). While working together, students build new

understanding by challenging others’ ideas and defending

their own. As a result, this creates a product that is

different from what any individual could produce alone. The

most important criteria for collaboration are the synthesis

of information — that is, creating a new product through the

combination of different perspectives and ideas, as well as

a more or less equal contribution from each participant

(Ingram and Hathorn 2004). Collaborative skills are

considered as both cognitive and social skills. Cognitive

skills include task regulation and knowledge building, where

as social skills include participation, perspective taking

 20

and social regulation (Plucker et al.). Their development

presupposes the use of McGrath’s Input-Processes-Outcomes

mode (Ilgen et al.). Input generally includes students’

prior knowledge, the need to do a group task and

interpersonal personal relationships. The collaboration

process then leads to output, which includes learners’ new

constructed knowledge, membership in the collaborating

group, and the satisfaction of the learning process

(Jahng,2010). Thus, students’ team work is usually analyzed

and assessed in terms of: (a) equality, or to what extent

contributions are equal; (b) participation, or how much

interaction occurs; and (c) shareness, or what portion of

ideas are shared with the whole group.

Learners Interaction

The interactions students experience in the online

environment are much different than in face-to-face courses.

For example, in the traditional classroom verbal and

nonverbal communication can close the psychological distance

between the teacher and student. Online teachers are limited

in many instances to written communications, which do not

have the benefits of voic ecues or body language (Murphy &

Rodríguez-Manzanares, 2009). What remains the same is that

 21

interaction is an essential element in all types of

educational settings, perhaps if not more so in the online

environment (Swan, 2001). The positive influence of

interaction in online learning has been documented by

educational researchers in both postsecondary (Eom et al.,

2006; Swan, 2001) and K-12 settings (Borup et al., 2013;

Cavanaugh et al., 2009). Before the explosive growth in

online learning, Moore (1989) develope da theoretical

framework for distance education interactions. Moore’s

interaction classification has been used thoroughly to

examine online learning interactions in higher education

settings. The framework identifies a three-part interaction

scheme that includes student-content, student-teacher, and

student interaction.

Student-content interaction refers to how students

interact with textbooks, instructional videos, and other

learning materials. This form of interaction tends to be

one-sided as information flows to the student from the

subject matter. Kuo et al. (2014) reported a positive

correlation between student-content interaction and student

satisfaction at the postsecondary level. There is limited

literature on K-12 studies that have investigated and foun

 22

da positive effect from student-content interaction on

student achievement in online courses.

Student-teacher interaction includes asynchronous

communication sthrough discussion boards and email as well

as synchronous communication through chat and video

conferencing (Anderson, 2003). This form of interaction is a

two-way communication between the student and teacher. Moore

(1989) believed high quality and frequency of student-

teacher interaction is required to have a successful

distance learning experience. A few online K-12 studies have

reported a positive effect between this form of interaction

and motivation (Murphy & Rodríguez-Manzanares, 2009),

attrition (Roblyer, 2006), and academic dishonesty (Watson,

2007). The post-secondary research has presented a much more

robust case related to student-teacher interaction and a

positive effect on student perceived learning and

satisfaction (Jung et al., 2002; Kuo et al., 2014). Student-

student interaction refers to communications between

students.

This form of interaction includes collaborative

learning that can help develop critical thinking skills and

more in-depth knowledge (Anderson, 2003). There is little

 23

research in online K-12 settings regarding student-student

interaction. A couple studies have documented students’

desire for interpersonal communication (Cavanaugh et al.,

2009) and that the lack of student-student interaction could

lead to higher attrition rates (Weiner, 2003). Post-

secondary research regarding student-student interaction has

reported mixed results. Some studies indicate this

interaction has little to no positive effect on student

satisfaction (Jung et al., 2002; Kuo et al., 2014) while

another study reports it helps increase achievement

(Anderson, 2003). The need for interaction will vary in each

online course depending on the types of learners, the

personality and philosophy of the teacher, and the course

design. Designers and teachers should be made aware of the

importance of interactions occurring in their courses. They

should continue to explore ways to cope with the difficulty

of communication in the online environment, increase

opportunities for content impact, and explore new ways for

students to engage with one another. Many studies have

focused on the definition and description of online

interactions such as learner-content, learner-instructor,

and learner-learner in online education (Moore, 1989).

However, there is little evidence in the K-12 literature

 24

that has focused on how high levels of interactions affect

student satisfaction.

Students Performance in Online Learning

With technological advancement, learners now want

quality programs they can access from anywhere and at any

time. Because of these demands, online education has become

a viable, alluring option to business professionals, stay-at

home-parents, and other similar populations. In addition to

flexibility and access, multiple other face value benefits,

including program choice and time efficiency, have increased

the attractiveness of distance learning (Wladis et al.,

2015).

First, prospective students want to be able to receive

a quality education without having to sacrifice work time,

family time, and travel expense. Instead of having to be at

a specific location at a specific time, online educational

students have the freedom to communicate with instructors,

address classmates, study materials, and complete

assignments from any Internet-accessible point (Richardson

and Swan, 2003). This type of flexibility grants students

much-needed mobility and, in turn, helps make the

 25

educational process more enticing. According to Lundberg et

al. (2008) “the student may prefer to take an online course

or a complete online-based degree program as online courses

offer more flexible study hours; for example, a student who

has a job could attend the virtual class watching

instructional film and streaming videos of lectures after

working hours.”

Moreover, more study time can lead to better class

performance—more chapters read, better quality papers, and

more group project time. Studies on the relationship between

study time and performance are limited; however, it is often

assumed the online student will use any surplus time to

improve grades (Bigelow, 2009). It is crucial to mention the

link between flexibility and student performance as grades

are the lone performance indicator of this research.

Second, online education also offers more program

choices. With traditional classroom study, students are

forced to take courses only at universities within feasible

driving distance or move. Web-based instruction, on the

other hand, grants students’ electronic access to multiple

universities and course offerings (Salcedo, 2010).

Therefore, students who were once limited to a few colleges

 26

within their immediate area can now access several colleges

worldwide from a single convenient location.

Third, with online teaching, students who usually don't

participate in class may now voice their opinions and

concerns. As they are not in a classroom setting, quieter

students may feel more comfortable partaking in class

dialogue without being recognized or judged. This, in turn,

may increase average class scores (Driscoll et al., 2012).

Collaborative Skills and Online Learning

The inclusion of collaborative activities in an online

course leads to positive student performance outcomes.

Collaborative group interactions facilitate active learning,

shared knowledge, and promote social interaction and a

supportive eLearning community. Collaboration also models

how to work with others in real-world situations. These

collaborative activities help train learners for the 21st-

century workplace, including learning how to share ideas,

express opinions, and manage time. While the outcomes

associated with collaborative activities are mostly

positive, there are benefits and challenges to implementing

these activities into an eLearning course (Higley, 2018).

 27

As stated by social constructivism and activity theory,

working collectively to achieve a specific goal creates an

influential learning atmosphere that helps in agile

knowledge construction (Merrienboer, 2003). The pedagogical

argument that students grasp and formulate ideas through

collective education further supports the theory and is the

basis for online collaborative learning (Puntambekar, 2006).

Several researchers have identified CL as a means of

improving student success in online learning as it enhances

participation, builds students’ confidence, and facilitates

better understanding of course contents. For example, the

article by Olakanmi quoted student D’s remarks regarding the

efficacy of online Collaborative Learning as follows: “We

were able to help each other in figuring out the online

teacher’s explanation of the rate of chemical reaction in

our group, which in a way contributed to our understanding

of the content. “This remark supports the study by Zhu, who

stated that online group learning go beyond improving

individual performance, meaning it may also enhance the

entire group performance by raising the quality of their

productivity. While Kanuka recommended the blending of

threaded discussion and collective online teamwork with case

studies to enable students to comprehend complicated

 28

problems. Jung et al. observed that undergraduate students

who participated in online collaborative lessons felt more

satisfied with their learning compared to those who did not.

In the light of these findings in the literature, one may

hypothetically state that collaborative online learning

positively affects student performance.

Learners Interaction and Online Learning

One of the challenges of online learning relates to

students feeling disconnected to their classmates and

instructor. By offering a variety of topics that are

relevant to current issues in the field and allowing

students to connect the practical, in this case their

professional experience, to the theoretical, the course

content, the learners become more invested in the course

discussions and assignments, as well as their colleagues

(Shearer, 2003). Further, instructors can make connections

with students by providing constructive feedback that

affirms how they are performing well and details ways to

improve (Muirhead, 2004). By providing students with choices

 29

or some flexibility, students have a more personalized

learning experience (Collis, 1998). In summary, “teachers

need the expertise to develop a class structure that

stimulates social interaction and affirms rigorous academic

standards while fostering independent learning skills”

(Muirhead, 2004, p. 50). Muirhead (2004) shares several

strategies to promote student interaction in online courses

including: encourage critical thinking, provide relevant and

engaging lessons, share biographical posts (instructors and

students alike), offering positive feedback about student

work, integrate stories into discussions, and allow

flexibility within the course schedule or organization. It

is important to model metacognitive skills so that students

are writing more in-depth comments and reflections in online

discussions (Muirhead, 2004). The instructor should

encourage students to consider a variety of perspectives and

research-based resources as they question their beliefs,

assumptions, and ideas (Collision, Elbaum, Haavind, &

Tinker, 2000; Muirhead, 2004). Learners should have the

appropriate time to consider the topics of discussions,

especially when critical reflection is expected, so that

they can develop their thoughts and communicate such at a

deeper level (Garrison et al., 2000). This type of

consideration and time gives students more opportunity for

 30

sustained communication with classmates (Garrison et al.,

2000). Another study found that “the course’s level of

interpersonal interaction was the most important factor in

predicting student grades; students in low-interaction

courses earned nearly one letter grade lower than students

in high-interaction courses” (Jaggars, Edgecombe, & Stacey,

2013, p. 2).

Effectiveness of Online Learning

One reason why there is so much discussion around

online learning is that there are many purported benefits

and uses of online learning. Some of the most important ones

are: its effectiveness in educating students, its use as

professional development, its cost-effectiveness to combat

the rising cost of postsecondary education, credit

equivalency at the postsecondary level, and the possibility

of providing a world class education to anyone with a

broadband connection.
 31

There are a large number of studies that find positive

statistically significant effects for student learning

outcomes in the online or hybrid format compared to the

traditional face-to-face format. Some of the positive

learning outcomes are improved learning as measured by test

scores, student engagement with the class material, improved

perception of learning and of the online format, stronger

sense of community among students, and reduction in

withdrawal or failure. From a more systematic analysis,

Navarro and Shoemaker (2000) found that student learning

outcomes for online learners were as good as or better than

traditional learners regardless of background

characteristics and that the students were greatly satisfied

with online learning. Rovai and Jordan (2004) examined the

relationship of sense of community between traditional

classroom and the blended format, and they found that

students in the blended format had a stronger sense of

community than students in the traditional format. In a

study that compares learning outcomes for students who self-

selected into the online format for a macroeconomics course,

researchers found that after correcting for sample selection

bias, test scores for the online format students were four

points higher than for the traditional format (Harmon &

Lambrinos, 2006). In a methodologically rigorous study

 32

conducted at Ithaka (Bowen & Ithaka, 2012), students were

randomly assigned to the traditional format (control) and a

hybrid interactive online learning format that met once a

week where students did most of the work online (treatment).

The researchers found that there are comparable learning

outcomes for both groups and that there was the promise of

cost savings and productivity gains over time for the hybrid

course. Furthermore, these learning improvement and cost

saving gains are expected to increase as new tools and

software for online learning are being developed and tested

continually. In a large political science course, using

mixed methods, researchers found that students using Peer

Wise—a recently created online pedagogical tool that enables

students to write, share, answer, discuss and rate multiple

choice questions with little to no input from the instructor

—had better learning outcomes and improved perceptions of

learning as well as motivation to learn (Feeley & Parris,

2012). To further develop the use and effectiveness of Peer

Wise, a study on the effect of virtual achievements, a

badge-based achievement system in Peer Wise, in a large

randomized control trial found that there was a significant

positive effect on the quantity of students’ contributions

without a corresponding loss of quality (Denny, 2013). As

online learning grows, more and more aspects of

 33

“gamification,” the use of game mechanics and virtual

achievements in non-game contexts to engage users, are being

added to the virtual environment to increase task engagement

and decrease attrition (Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, & Nacke,

2011; Huotari & Hamari, 2012; Kapp, 2012).Even though there

are positive findings for the effectiveness of online

learning, it is still unclear that this generally holds true

across studies. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education,

a team of researchers at Stanford Research Institute

International conducted a systematic search of the

literature from 1996 to 2008 and identified more than a

thousand empirical studies of online learning (Means et al.,

2010). In the meta-analysis which used stringent criteria

for selecting studies that utilized a rigorous research

design, compared online learning with the traditional

format, quantitatively measured student learning outcomes,

and provided enough information to calculate an effect size,

the researchers analyzed 45 studies and on average, they

found that students in an online format performed modestly

better than those in the traditional format. The difference

in student learning outcomes was larger in the studies where

online elements were blended with face-to-face instruction,

and these blended conditions often included additional

learning time and instructional elements not received by

 34

students in the control conditions. The variations in how

online learning was implemented did not affect student

learning outcomes significantly, but it should be noted that

there is a small number of studies for this particular

finding (N=13). The researchers concluded that the

combination of time spent, curriculum, and pedagogy in the

online format produced the observed difference in learning

outcomes, but there was no evidence that online learning is

superior as a medium for learning, which is consistent with

prior literature (Bernard et al., 2004; Clark, 1994).

In comparison to the number of positive studies, there

are many, many more studies that found null findings for the

effects of online learning. One of the most cited (1900

citations!) and well-known studies for the effects of

distance and online education on student learning outcomes

is the seminal work by Thomas Russell (1999). The author

compiled over 350 studies on distance and online education

dating back from 1928 that suggested that there is no

significant difference in the learning outcomes for the

traditional face-to-face format versus mediated instruction.

The author has continued this work by soliciting and

compiling studies on distance education in its various

formats—most of the current studies are now on online

 35

learning at http://www.nosignificantdifference.org. This

website contains one of the largest collections of studies

comparing the effects of distance and online learning versus

the traditional format. Of all the positive, mixed, null,

and negative findings on the site, about 70 percent of the

studies found no significant differences. However, one of

the most common criticisms of Russell’s work is that the

majority of the original studies have poor methodology: they

often lack control groups, random assignment, experimental

controls for confounding variables, and little to no

discussion of attrition. Subsequent meta-analyses, such as

Bernard et al. (2004) and Means et al. (2010), have used

more rigorous selection criteria. In a meta-analysis in

higher education, Bernard et al. (2004) found that overall

there was no significant difference in achievement,

attitude, and retention outcomes between distance education,

which included online education, and the traditional face-

to-fac education. However, there was significant

heterogeneity in student learning outcomes for different

activities. Separating student learning outcomes based on

synchronous and asynchronous activities, activities that

have to be done at the same time or at each person’s

convenience respectively, showed that the mean achievement

effect sizes for synchronous work were better for the

 36

traditional format, but asynchronous work favored distance

education. In other words, there are better learning

outcomes in the traditional format for activities that have

to be done simultaneously and better outcomes in the

mediated distance format for activities that can be done at

various times. Moreover, researchers also found, using

weighted multiple regression, that the methodology of the

studies accounts for most of the variations in learning

outcomes followed by pedagogy and media (Bernard et al.,

2004). Otherwise stated, the medium of distance education,

whether it is mail correspondence or the TV or the Internet,

explains the least of the variation in learning outcomes,

which supports Clark’s (1994) claim and is later confirmed

by Means et al. (2010). Other studies have also arrived at

similar conclusions. For instance, a recent systematic

review comparing the learning of clinical skills in

undergraduate nurse education between the online format and

the traditional found that there was no significant

difference between the two formats (McCutcheon, Lohan,

Traynor, & Martin, 2015). In 2005, a year after Bernard et

al. published their study, another group published an

analysis on the effectiveness of distance education. Zhao et

al. (2005) analyzed prior literature, which included the

Russell’s 1999 study among other meta-analyses and found

 37

that the overall mean effect size was close to zero, but

there was a modest size standard deviation. They then used a

rigorous methodology to trim studies with weak methodology

or ones that did not provide adequate information and

arrived at some rather interesting findings. Zhao et al.

found the presence of the Hawthorne effect where there was a

tendency to find favorable findings for distance or online

education if the researcher was also the instructor of the

course. They also found that the “right” mixture of human

and technology, i.e., hybrid or blended learning, was

particularly effective. Implications of this study are that

courses that can combine the strengths of online learning

and traditional learning are more effective than courses

that use mainly one format and it is possible that as

digital and online technologies improve and mature, they

will become more effective in helping students learn.

 38

CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A discussion of research methodology will be provided

by this chapter. A description of the basic concepts

fundamental to the research process as well as the tools and

procedures that the researchers will use to complete this

research. This chapter will cover the research design,

population and sample, sampling technique, data gathering,

 39

validity and reliability of instrument, data gathering

procedures and data analysis.

Research Design

The descriptive research design was used in this study.

The respondent’s profile on Age, Sex, and Civil status and

the number of students in school and student performances.

According to Sheilds and Rangajaran (2013), the

descriptive research design was appropriate to use in this

study since it provided a state of condition of the student

performances.

Subject and Respondents of the Study

The subject and respondents of this study were the

students in Junior Liberal Arts Department of La Carlota

City College, La Carlota, Negros Occidental. Only the

Liberal Arts students enrolled in the mentioned school are

subjected to this study.

Population and Sample size

 40

In this study, a total of 73 students from Liberal Art

department were administered to find the sample size of the

study. To compute the sample size, Slovin’s formula will be

used.

N
n=
1+ Ne2
Where: n= sample size
N= population size
e= margin of error (0.05)
n=73/1+73(0.05)2
n=73/1+73(0.0025)
n=73/1+(0.1825)
n=73/1.1825
n= 61.7
n= 62

Thus, the sample size will be 62.

Sampling Technique

The sampling technique that will be utilize in the

study is the simple random sampling specifically the lottery

method. The main benefit of the simple random sample is that

each member of the population has an equal chance of being

chosen for the study. This means that it guarantees that the

sample chosen is representative of the population and that

the sample is selected in an unbiased way. In turn, the

statistical conclusions drawn from the analysis of the

sample will be valid (Crossman, 2020). In Lottery Method of

 41

Sampling, researchers will randomly picks numbers, with each

number corresponding to a subject or item, in order to

create the sample. For the convenience of the researchers,

the first 11 number that will be chosen are the people who

will be excluded as the respondents of this study.

Data Gathering Instrument

This study utilizes a standardized survey questionnaire

to gather the needed data. This questionnaire will use to

access the respondent insight about the Effectiveness of

Online learning. The questionnaire consisted of two parts.

The first part is where the respondents state their name,

sex, age and their area of residence.

The second part of the questionnaire demonstrate the

effectiveness of online learning among Junior Liberal Arts

students, the scale will be used and responded as follows. A

five-point a Likert scale is utilize for which 5 means

strongly agree, 4 means agree, 3 means neither agree or

disagree, 2 means disagree and 1 means strongly disagree.

The “students’ performance” was measured through the scale

developed by Wilson et al. (1997). The scale consists of six

items. The questions under the collaborative skills was

 42

taken from the previous research of AlMahdawi, M. et al.

with a title "School Students’ Performance

Indicators in Distance Learning in Chemistry during the

COVID-19 Pandemic. The 6-item learner interaction questions

are taken from The Student Learning and Satisfaction in

Online Learning Environments Instrument (SLS-OLE).

Validity and Reliability of the Instrument

The main objective of the questionnaire in this

research was to obtain relevant information in the most

valid and reliable manner. Validity is understood as the

context of judging the quality or merit of a study (Gliner &

Morgan, 2000). Validity is important because it determines

what survey questions to use and helps ensure that

researchers are using questions that truly measure the

issues of importance. Reliability on the other hand

addresses the overall consistency of a research study's

measure (Marczyk et al., 2005). In this study, standardized

questionnaire used was anchored from 3 different studies;

the first one was developed from Wilson et al. (1997), the

questions under the collaborative skills was used in a study

entitled "School Students’ Performance

 43

Indicators in Distance Learning in Chemistry during the

COVID-19 Pandemic". It was validated by three experts with

their feed-back and comments on the instrument’s relevancy,

consistency, and easiness to read and understand. The

questions from learner participation was from SLS-OLE

questionnaire was piloted with a sample of students in fall

2014. Based upon the results of the pilot testing of the

instrument, several items were reworded, and additional

items were included. With this, the 18-items question used

in this paper is tested valid and reliable.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers will first secure a letter of approval

to be signed by the Dean or the College President. The

signed letter will serve as the researcher’s permission to

conduct the study inside the school premises. In gathering

data, we will ask a permission to the respondents to conduct

a survey. The researchers will distribute a uniform survey

questionnaire using online platform like messenger, Google

 44

form, Email together with the instructions and the time

limit allotted to them to complete the survey. The

researchers will then gather the answers of the respondents.

The data collected will be tabulated and summed up to

produce a score to be measured. The data collected from the

respondents will be the basis in determining the answers of

the problems posted in this study.

Data Analysis

After the data collecting, the research group tallied,

tabulated and analyzed the data gathering

Since this action research is descriptive in nature,

the data were interpreted using descriptive statistic such

us frequency counts, percentage and mean.