21 June 2022

Charles Fajardo, Reagan Ricafort, & Anna Lyza Felipe

RMIT University - Vietnam

Subject: Notification of Acceptance of Abstract

Dear Mr. Fajardo, Mr. Ricafort, & Ms. Felipe:

Greetings!
We are pleased to inform you that your abstract entitled, “BEYOND BORDERS: LEARNING AND
TEACHING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC TOWARD THE NEW NORMAL,” has been
accepted for paper presentation in the International Conference on Educational Foundations
2022, which will be held via Zoom on 15–17 July 2021. (Please find after this letter a copy of
your approved abstract.)
Your presentation time would be 25 minutes long including the Question and Answer portion.
Your final presentation schedule (date and time) will be sent to you on or before 11 July 2022.
Please confirm your presentation by sending an email to edfd_upced.upd@up.edu.ph on or
before 9 July 2022.
We would like to note that all presenters must register individually for the conference through
https://bit.ly/edfdconf2022register. The registration fee is PhP500.00 per author/presenter.
The registration fee may be deposited through the following bank details:
For Peso Payment
Account Name: Research and Development Foundation of the College of Education, Inc.
Peso Account Number: 108670005517
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM
Bank Name: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK (PNB)
Branch: UP Campus

To confirm your registration, email your proof of payment to edfd_upced.upd@up.edu.ph with

the subject “REG_Presenter_<Your Surname and First Name>”.
You may check the UP College of Education-Educational Foundations Area FB Page for further
updates and conference-related matters: https://www.facebook.com/upcededfd.
Please contact us at edfd_upced.upd@up.edu.ph for any inquiries.
We look forward to your presentation.

Sincerely,

Maricris B. Acido-Muega, PhD

Conference co-chair

Maria Vanessa Lusung-Oyzon, PhD

Conference co-chair
BEYOND BORDERS: LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
TOWARD THE NEW NORMAL
Charles Fajardo, Reagan Ricafort, & Anna Lyza Felipe

COVID-19 presented a challenge not only to the learners but also to the educators. It has
dramatically shifted pedagogical practices to involve virtual learning to ensure continuity in
education despite the limitations posed by this pandemic which drastically hindered social and
physical interactions, threatening the effectiveness of traditional teaching approaches. This
study was conducted to understand and learn from the experiences of select higher education
practitioners in developing and delivering effective online courses in the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic, which necessitated radical changes in teaching and learning approaches. Ten (10)
educators from Vietnam and the Philippines were interviewed and were requested to provide
insights, experiences, and practices relating to the research question: “What are experimental
approaches the interviewed educators utilize to develop engaging approaches for online
learning delivery?”. The study used qualitative data and focused on reflexive thematic analysis
to share their stories and provide reflections to help interpret their experiences, both positive
and negative, in navigating the challenges of the drastic shift to online learning which was
necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings showed various approaches and varied
responses and results stemming from different limitations (institutional support, facilities, and
enabling infrastructure). Communication challenges, adjustment time, and familiarity with tools
remain key deterrents for effective online teaching and learning. With the ever-present threat
of COVID-19 and the path towards a “New Normal”, it is clear that adopting new teaching
practices are crucial to effectively mitigate challenges and ensure continuity in learning.