REPUBLIC Act 10650, entitled “An Act Expanding Access to Educational Services by Institutionalizing Open Distance Learning in Levels of Tertiary Education and Appropriating Funds Therefor,” otherwise known as the “Open Distance Learning Act,” approved on December 9, 2014, and which took effect on December 24, 2014. Therefore, before pandemic time, virtual instructions were already practiced to enhance skills, competencies, abilities, and possibly for values development.
Virtual classes are online learning environments where students and teachers interact remotely through digital platforms. They offer flexibility, accessibility, and personalized learning experiences.
The key features of virtual classes are: online platforms, where there is utilization of video conferencing tools, learning management systems, and online collaboration software; remote access, where learners and students can access classes from anywhere with an internet connection; flexibility, where learners will be accommodated in different schedules, learning styles, and pace; and interactive tools, where Incorporate multimedia resources, polls, quizzes, and discussion boards are to be utilized.
There are identified benefits from virtual instructions/classes: increased accessibility, personalized learning, flexibility, and cost-effective to reduce costs associated with traditional classroom settings. To address identified challenges, there is a need to ensure reliable internet connectivity and technical support; maintain student engagement and motivation; and address potential disparities in access to technology.
As a scholar of an online course at the Philippine Normal University (PNU) Manila, through a scholarship grant from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), this column writer is now in the process of preparing the needed documents for her Diploma in Post Graduate Studies.
If given the opportunity to attend the said ceremony, this would be her first time to meet her professors, staff, and her beloved classmates.
