My name is Bryan, a student and content creator of FPR. In this blog entry, I will share with you my experiences and difficulties of being enrolled in a Flexible Learning Modality of my current affiliated institution.
Presumption
I know that I will enroll, but to be sincerely honest, when the institution’s official Facebook Page announced that this semester would have a virtual setting, I started doubting and did not set a high expectation with the system. Since I thought the institution would not incorporate a centralized system and uses the same method that previously applied prior to this semester. I will tell you it did not turn well. I enrolled in a course that has placed me on an international section, and when the school canceled the face-to-face class due to the virus, and it resumes through an online class. The course uses Facebook Messenger that I am not involved in the group created by the instructor of that specific class since I did not know any of my classmates and have not been able to accomplish the requirements, and failed.
I had a chance and was introduced and had a bit of history on learning with an academy that is solely based online. Although this academy has a shortly specified module for the course and it is purely learning on your own. I see no difference with the school is proposing at that time because it is all about you, your internet stability, and your device.
I am profoundly worried about my internet provider. I was pondering back then if my provider would be reliable and stable enough to support me comply with my requirements. Because we all know the internet and the internet provider here in the Philippines are not so friendly with the consumer, sometimes it works flawlessly. But most of the time, it is below satisfactory.
Reservation and Payment
In this institution, if you are a transferee or a student who shifts or has transferred to a different program, do not expect to have an updated portal with credited courses from your previous record. That gave us students who have that tag a problematic way to reserve a class for a semester. They started posting guides on how we, the students, will pay for this semester. The institution has written on their post that they will verify our payments within two to three working days, and it will reflect on our portal. But boy! It did not reflect a single centavo. The midterms of this semester had passed, and It is still not reflected on the portal of the students. That gives us, the student, additional frustration, and work on emailing the institution and even the department’s secretariat to verify how much the precise amount that we still owe them.
Miscellaneous
Us students are still wondering why we need to pay the entirety of the miscellaneous fee when we are not using any of the facilities of the institution. We do even compare our old registration forms to the new digitalized version of the registration form, and the amount for our miscellaneous does not have a significant change. Before paying our tuition fee for the semester, we tried our best as a student to give ourselves enlightenment and brought this concern to the management of the institution by sending them an e-mail. As of writing this blog entry, they have not yet responded regarding this matter.
Virtual rally
We start our virtual class by searching for our Facebook Group, created by the people in the Information technology department of the institution. My fellow student had started complaining about the system since we pay for an undiscounted tuition fee, and classes are set only on Facebook. Some students have actively participated in the Facebook group of a student concerned party list to voice out there concerns regarding the system. Weeks after the official start of the semester, the instructor clarified this matter of the student by disseminating information that the institution will be utilizing a new centralized system for the classes to set. Some students are still railing about the unpreparedness of the institution, by forcing the semester to start without the availability of the newly acquired platform.
The use of LMS
LMS stands for Learning management system that is used solely in making the education being automated. The concept for the learning management system emerges from e-learning. When the classes have been shifted to the platform, it goes smoothly since the acquired platform is easy to operate for students and even for the instructors. The module, quizzes have been sent to the entirety of the class, so no one can make an excuse not to have a copy of the modules.
The quizzes became a virtual nightmare for us students. Some instructors put a timer on their quizzes which we students are keeping in mind therefore we became confused about the quiz. But for the activities, we are thankful especially to a working-student like me that they always set enough time for us to work and finish it.
The experience
It is undeniably an experience for us students. Learning something that is aligned with your program and is guided by people familiar to you in the comfort of your home is in did comforting. Comforting in the sense that you can ask confidently your instructor without eyes glaring if you need to clarify and have not understood the topic. It is comforting for the students who are just boarding and are not originally from Baguio because they can share their frustration with the right people. It is comforting in the sense that you know that you are paying not because of the name of the instructor but because you know that the instructor can guide you successfully completing the course.
Conclusion
It is not a building that can teach you, not even the platform of teaching, even your instructor can not teach you if you chose not to accept the knowledge they were giving. It is solely you to decide whether you want to absorb the knowledge or just throw away. I am aware of the fact that humans have different learning styles but we are also the highest form of animals who can think, we are also the form of animals that can adapt and adopt.
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