After one semester of online classes, students still continue to encounter difficulties

By Danielle Raye Revelo, Denis Orellana, Lyka Culata 

Six months since classes started, the education sector is left with no choice but to grapple with the realities of remote learning forcing teachers and students to adapt with this new learning environment amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

CASSayuran have interacted with several students and have them share their struggles as they survive their way through online classes.

Students like Nicole Ibona and Hanna Rico, both English Language majors have become familiar with the struggles tied to the digital shift but are still set on continuing their schooling underscoring online learning as "the only option that enables them to move forward without delaying their goals".

They told CASSayuran that they are used to seeing home and school as separate institutions and with the current platform, they now found themselves susceptible to distractions. 

I'd still favour face-to-face learning. Sometimes I might have been doing the tasks out of compliance. Home does not feel as comforting anymore, Rico said.

However, they also commended the efforts of the professors in easing the volatilities faced with the digital shift - making the learning experience bearable to them as much as possible. Several departments have taken initiative in providing load allowances and lending of laptops in an effort to help students get by with their education.

Somehow, Philosophy student Miguela Tampos, expressed that she was still able to learn something but maintains she could have gained more knowledge if teaching was done in a traditional educational setting.

We can still engage man gihapon sa mga discussions ug maka ask pod sa prof but when it comes sa mga group activities mas nindot jud ug face to face kay mas sayon ielaborate imong idea nga gusto ipasabot nila, she said.

(We can still engage during discussions and can ask professors [questions] but when it comes to group activities, face to face [interaction] is much better since it’s easier to elaborate ideas you want people to understand).

Students are also faced with accessibility issues making the struggle derailing towards their mental well-being.

Mark Gier Marcelo, a BA Filipino student said that their family was rendered unprepared when the pandemic first hit especially on the financial aspect. Remote learning had made education difficult for him given the fact that he lacks internet connection and has no means for a gadget.

As much as I don't want to go sa mga comshop kasi risky, wala akong choice. Usahay maabtag ulan, magbrown-out tapos wala na save imong file, ang smoke sa sigarilyo inside the comshop. Usahay magdagan-dagan kay maabtag curfew… I'm also struggling mentally. Stress, anxieties, overthinking, insomnia etc. are always haunting me, Marcelo added.

(As much as I don’t want to go to computer shops because it’s risky, I had no choice. There are times where I got caught in the rain, [had to deal with] unsaved files due to power interruptions, and [had to endure] the stench of smoke inside the computer shop. Sometimes, [I have to] rush because of the curfew...)

Marcelo also sidelines as a tutor, checks modules and even enrolled himself on a TESDA course just to avail their training allowance.

On January 5, MSU-IIT with its issuance of Special Order No. 0001-IIT, S. 2021 citing the extension of various COVID-19 related policies with Iligan City still maintaining a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) classification, indefinitely extends the innovative and flexible (InFlex) modality of teaching and learning adapted by the university until further notice. 

Classes have already begun last February 15, marking the start of the second semester.