NAME: SANTILLAN, KYLIE ANNE B

COURSE AND SECTION: HTRM 1-1

INSTRUCTOR: MRS. BAMBI VALDEZ

TOPIC: Face-to-face classes during a pandemic

TITLE: Elevating by Leaps and Bounds
SUB-TITLE: The Philippines is Ready to Join the World in Face-to-Face Classes at the Tertiary
Level During a Pandemic.
Thesis Statement: Filipino students like myself need face-to-face classes due to physical,
mental, and social well-being.

I. Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the world have transitioned to distance
education, most of which, is planned for online learning delivery. The severe short-term
disruption is felt by many families around the world, home schooling is not only a massive shock
to parents’ productivity, but also to children’s social life and learning. Teaching is moving
online, on an untested and unprecedented scale. The Department of Education (DepEd) said on
Friday, November 12, that more schools will join the pilot run of face-to-face classes after
President Rodrigo Duterte approved the proposal. Limited face-to-face classes are now allowed
under Alert Levels 1, 2 and 3, subject to certain conditions, Resolution No. 148-G of the Inter-
Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases read.

Body 1:
Classroom physical activity can keep girls and boys equally active and has a positive effect on
students of all grade levels. It also affects student enjoyment of learning, which is an important
factor in motivating students to want to learn. Allowing students to collaborate and interact with
each other in a fun way can create conditions for them to feel safe, comfortable, accepted, and
happy. Classrooms where students feel connected to their teachers and peers can provide a
foundation for students to be more engaged, enjoy learning more, and perform better. Providing
such as physical activities in the classroom also improves students’ cognitive performance. This
includes self-regulatory processes such as planning, organization, abstract problem-solving, and
working memory. In addition, physical activity can improve students’ moods and feelings of
self-efficacy and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. The other modality, classroom
teaching, is a well-established instructional medium in which teaching style and structure have
been refined over several centuries. Face-to-face instruction has numerous benefits not found in
its online counterpart.
Body 2:
A recent study conducted in China, identified that psychosocial anguish and depression during
social isolation and quarantine are the most common mental health issues that many young
adolescents experienced during the pandemic. Psychosocial and behavioral issues such as
inattentiveness, insecurities, lack of focus and fear for queries about the Coronavirus were
developed among children and adolescence ages 3–18 during the pandemic. The paper also cited,
that children and adolescents living in areas with widespread Covid-19 cases can easily develop
serious fear and anxiety.
Body 3:
Related to the importance of direct group interaction is the community aspect of face-to-face
contact (Chen, 1997). Chen found that dialogue not only allows students to assess their learning
but also to develop a sense of community with other students; this sense of community can
alleviate the problem of isolation often reported by distance students. Kirkup & Jones (1996)
agree and state that students need dialogue with their teachers and with other students in order to
consolidate and check on their own learning. Moreover, they list the inability to offer dialogue in
the way that conventional face-to-face education does as one of three most significant
weaknesses of distance education; the inflexibility of content and study method and the isolation
and individualization of the student are cited as the remaining two weaknesses.

CONCLUSION:
In Conclusion, as a Filipino student like myself needs face-to-face classes due to physical,
mental, and social well-being. For all of the advantages online classes offer, doubts remain as to
whether or not online education can live up to its promises. While many educators have offered
various opinions of the efficacy of online classes, there is, as of yet, no definitive ruling on the
value of online learning relative to face to-face learning. Numerous factors impede progress in
our understanding. A pilot run that will cover more schools and more students, whatever its
outcome would be, would give education stakeholders a better grasp of how ready we are for
learning the Post-COVID process. Our doorway to success is now open. Let’s bounce back,
students!

REFERENCES:
Carreon, A. D., V., & Manansala, M. M. (2021, March 30). Addressing the psychosocial needs
of students attending online classes during this Covid-19 pandemic. OUP Academic.
https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/43/2/e385/6201963
Abad, M. (2021, November 17). Face-to-face classes for all degree programs to roll out in
phases. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/nation/ched-says-face-to-face-classes-all-degree-
programs-roll-out-in-phases

Kumar, A. (2021, August 19). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning in
health professional education: a mixed methods study protocol. BMC Medical Education.
https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-021-02871-w
Paul, J. (2019). A Comparative Analysis of Student Performance in an Online vs. Face-to-Face
Environmental Science Course From 2009 to 2016. Frontiers.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomp.2019.00007/full#h12