“Effectiveness of distance modul ar learning towards academic performance of UIS

learners”

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 Chapter I

Introduction

Distance education is broadly characterized as any form of learning experience where

the learner and the instructor are physically separated from each other.

At the time of quarantines and viral outbreaks, it would seem that modular learning as
one mode of distance education is the only visible way to continue learning at a distance.
Distance learning became a necessity for learners and educators all over the world (Ali,
2020). Students learn even if they are separated from their instructors by space and/or time
(Edge and Loegering, 2000). This kind of flexibility gives students freedom to actively
participate in learning (Guri-Rosenblit, 2005; Daniel, 2016).

But what are the problems that the students faced in distance learning? Are they can
be still gain knowledge in their lessons without their instructors? How it can positively and
negatively affect their studies? This questions pushed the researchers to study the
effectiveness of distance modular learning on the learner’s academic performance.

Background of the study

According to Wikipedia, academic achievement or academic performance is the

extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term

educational goals. It is important for the successful development of young people in society.

Students who do well in school are better able to make the transition into adulthood and to

achieve occupational and economic success. But because of economic shortcomings, modular

learning became a band aid solution to this problem.

Modular learning is a form of distance learning that employs the use of self-learning

modules. Modular instruction is a discrete, self-contained learning material, that when

prepared using common components, offers students a quick pick up on the course’s rhythm

and patterns (Henne, 2017) According to the Department of Education these self-learning

modules are based on the most essential learning competencies.

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 Self-learning modules have been shown to be effective in improving student

understanding and facilitating their learning (Abutarbush et al., 2006; Khalil, Nelson &

Kibble, 2010). However, the modular learning approach is also hanging by a thread, with so

many students, especially in public schools, it would be hard to give each one equal and

undivided attention. Teachers also struggle to reach out to all of their students but fall short

because economic and social factors stand in their way. And not everyone is privilege enough

to own an electronic gadget or to have a stable, uninterrupted internet connection or data.

These factors may affect the student’s academic performance.

Therefore, the researchers decided to determine the effectiveness of modular learning

towards the learner’s academic achievement.

Statement of the problem

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of distance modular learning on the

learner’s academic achievement in the following questions:

A. What are the problems faced by students in having modular distance learning?

B. What are the benefits gained by students in having modular distance learning?

C. How distance modular learning affects student’s performance at school?

General problem:

A. How effective modular distance learning on learner’s academic performance?

Theoretical Framework
Theory of distance education
The development of new technologies has promoted an astounding growth in distance

education., both in the number of students enrolling and in the number universities adding

education at a distance to their curriculum (Garrison,1990).

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While the application of modern technology may glamorize distance education, literature in

the field reveals a conceptually fragmented framework lacking in both theoretical foundation

and programmatic research. Without a strong base in research and theory, distance education

has struggled for recognition by the traditional academic community. Distance education has

been described by some (Garrison,1990; Hayes, 1990) as no more than a hodgepodge of ideas

and practices taken from traditional classroom settings and imposed on learners who just

happen to be separated physically from an instructor.

Theoretical Constructs

Recently, a wider range of theoretical notions has provided a richer understanding of the

learner at a distance. Four such concepts are transactional distance, interaction, learner

control, and social presence.

a. Transactional Distance

Moore’s (1990) concept of “transactional distance” encompasses the

distance that, he says, exists in all educational relationships. This distance

is determined by the amount of dialogue that occurs between the learner

and the instructor, and the amount of structure that exists in the design of

the course. Education offers a continuum of transactions from less distant,

where there is greater interaction and more structure.

Saba and Shearer (Saba & Shearer,1994) carry the concept of transactional

distance a step farther by proposing a system dynamics model to examine

the relationship between dialogue and structure in transactional distance.

b. Interaction

Moore (1989) discusses three types of interaction essential in distance

education. Learner-instructor interaction is that component of his model

that provides motivation, feedback, and dialogue between the teacher and

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 student. Learner-content interaction is the method by which students

obtain intellectual information from the material. Learner-learner

interaction is the exchange of information, ideas, and dialogue that occur

between students about the course. The concept of interaction is

fundamental to the effectiveness of distance education programs as well as

traditional ones.

c. Social Context

The social context in which distance learning takes place is emerging as a

significant area for research. Theorists are examining how the social

environment affects motivation, attitudes, teaching and learning. There is a

widespread notion that technology is culturally neutral, and can be easily

used in variety of settings. Technology-based learning activities are

frequently used without attention to the impact on the social local

environment. Computer-mediated communications attempts to reduce

patterns of discrimination by providing equality of social interaction

among participants who may be anonymous in terms of gender, race, and

physical features. However, there is evidence that the social equality factor

may not extend, for example, to participants who are not good writers but

who must communicate primarily in a text-based format (Gunawardena,

1993).

Although there has been no central theoretical framework to guide research in distance

education, there have been a number of important studies that have examined the interactions

of technologies with learning, course design, and instruction. Because of the heavy use of

technology in distance education, it is appropriate to examine its role in this context.

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

DIFFERENT PROBLEMS
FACED BY STUDENTS IN BENEFITS GAINED BY
DISTANCE MODULAR STUDENTS IN DISTANCE
LEARNING MODULAR LEARNING

GIVING SURVEY FORMS TO THE

SELECTED SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS

EFFECTIVENESS OF
DISTANCE MODULAR
LEARNING

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Significance of the study
The result of the study will be of great benefit to the following:

Students. The result will provide the students with some knowledge on how effective

modular distance learning is. It will also help them to be more responsible and more

productive when it comes on their performance at school.

Teachers. The teachers would be able to understand how effective distance modular learning

on the academic performance of their students. The given data will guide the teachers on

what to do in order to help those students that are having poor performance at school.

School. The findings will help the school to formulate some activities that will enhance and

improve the effectiveness of distance modular learning.

Department Of Education. The result of the study will help the department of education to

be aware on the effectiveness of distance modular learning on the learner’s performance at

school. DepEd may build some projects in order to help the school, the teachers, and the

students in having a good quality education.

Scope and Delimitation

The study aims to determine the effectiveness of distance modular learning on academic
performance of selected Senior High School students of Utan Integrated School. Survey
forms will be used in gathering the needed data. The period of the study is from March 2021
to April 2021.
Definition of terms:
Distance learning. Students are separated from teachers and peers. They do not have face-to-
face learning with instructors or other students.
Privilege. An advantage that only one person or group of people has.
Academic Performance. Measured by taking oral and written tests, performing
presentations, turning in homework and participating in class activities and discussions.
Teachers evaluate in the form of letter or number grades and side notes, to describe how well
a student has done.

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Effectiveness. The capability of producing a desired result or the ability to produce desired
output.
Electronic gadget. A small device or tool that is frequently novel or ingenious.
Adulthood. The period in the human lifespan in which full physical and intellectual maturity
have been attained.

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 Chapter II
Review of Related Literature

Distance education

Merriam Webster defines distance learning as a method of study where teachers and students

do not meet in a classroom but use the internet, e-mail, mail, etc., to have classes. Distance

learning does not include any in-person interaction with an instructor or study peers. Students

study at home on their own, and the learning in more individual and varies on speed and

timeline according to each individual student and their availability. Arguably, such a

dislocation is the perfect context for free-flowing thought that let us move beyond the

restricted confines of a familiar social order (Hooks, 2003) Moreover, this type of education

is a way of providing learning opportunities to every learner, whatever the circumstances

might be. This means that distance education may extend access to education through

distribution and economies of scale (Guri-Rosenbilt, 2005; Owusu-Agyeman &

Amoakohene, 2020) One may claim the main thrust of distance education is to bring

education to those who are unreachable,under-resourced, less-privileged, and inaccessible

(Biana, 2013). Taken as such, distance education reaches out to students wherever they live

or wish to study (Guri-Rosenblit, 2005) Such a form of education, however, need not to be

limited to online learning (Baggaley, 2008). Some have suggested using cell phones and

texting technology to facilitate learning (Flores, 2008). Others urge to employ television

programs, radio broadcasts, and other non-internet based media (Punzalan, 2020).

The promise of Distance Education

Many of the promises of distance learning are financial in nature. Universities hope to save

money by delivering education to students that are unable to attend classes because of time or

distance. In a 2001 article by Burton Bollag and Martha Ann Overland, they say that

developing countries are turning to state run distance education programs to take the place of

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increasing enrollments and a lack of physical building space. Places such as Beijing, Jakarta,

and South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina have all begun to use distance-

learning techniques to reach those that would by any other means be unreachable. Bollag and

Overland say countries like China are moving from elite to mass education, and that

traditional universities cannot meet the demand. China uses radio and television delivery

system to serve 1.5 million students, two-thirds of which are in a degree program.

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 Chapter III

Methodology

Introduction

This chapter will discuss the following methods used in this paper. It includes the research

design, the data collection method, research sample and sampling method, and the analysis of

the quantitative data.

Research Design

As this research purpose is to measure how effective distance modular learning on the

learner’s academic performance, the researchers decided to use quantitative research

method. According to Babbie (2010), quantitative methods highlights objective

measurement and the mathematical analysis of data that gathered through polls,

questionnaires, and surveys. Quantitative researchers focal point was in collecting

numerical data and generalizing it in a cluster of people or explain a certain phenomenon.

In addition, Matthews & Ross (2010) stated that quantitative research methods are basically

applied to the collection of data that is structured and which could be represented

numerically.

Data Collection Method

In order to achieve the goal of this research, survey forms containing questions about the

respondent’s profile, and several other aspects are being asked.

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