Two years after studying his medical technology courses at home, 21-year-old Ken Angelo Javier sighs in relief and pressure as he steps inside Saint Louis University (SLU). For him, the time has come to experience the real terror of “college life” and to also assess if his distanced learning experience is effective for his designated course.
In a Laging Handa briefing, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Prospero De Vera III says that 313 higher educational institutes have already started offering face-to-face classes nationwide. 100% classroom capacity has also been allowed for areas under Alert Level 1.
SLU, even already under Alert Level 1, only allows 50% of its students to attend their onsite learning while the rest attend through virtual learning platforms.
With the university’s triage as his first checkpoint, Javier fills up his identification form. After getting his temperature checked, the masked student patiently waits for the health worker’s nod as an approval before he can roam around the campus. Finally, when he reaches outside his designated classroom, he puts on his own personal protective equipment (PPE) like a soldier wearing his uniform for a battle after a long hiatus.
“It’s a very very big adjustment,” Javier says, sharing his struggles on switching from online learning. “Alam mo ‘yung kahit gaano mo kaalam ‘yung theories and concepts sa paggamit ng microscope, ‘yung steps nabasa mo, prepared ka, pero noong nahawakan mo na, medyo shushunga-shunga ka pa sa una.”
“Dati, kaya mong i-search ‘yung mga bagay-bagay lalo na kapag may mga activities or quizzes,” he adds. “Pero sa face-to-face, you need to face it with just your stocked knowledge o kung ano man ‘yong na-review mo.”
Studies show that undergraduate student nurses from Egypt, Nepal and the Philippines have reported negative perceptions to their online learning experiences. The inability to acquire practical knowledge and demonstrations is found to be the reason for the students’ low academic satisfaction. For most health-science students, online learning is not the most beneficial way to secure their needed knowledge for their future jobs, especially that clinical and technical skills—skills that a health-science student must have—can best be learned in clinical placements and laboratories.
Roxanne Canonoy, a student nurse from University of Pangasinan (UPANG), shares another struggle in switching to face-to-face classes. Now, she no longer has the chance to watch her favorite k-dramas late at night. Her k-drama leisure is substituted with sleep so she can wake up earlier to get to school on time the next day.
“Sa online, paggising mo, diretsong phone or laptop kaagad. Pero ngayon, back to normal na. Kailangan mas maagang magising,” she says.
Despite the declining number of COVID cases in the country, Canonoy still experiences anxiety whenever she rides a jeepney when travelling to her university.
“Wala na talagang social distancing ‘pag sasakay,” she says. “May social distancing nga sa school pero when it comes to transportations kapag uuwi or papasok, wala.”
Filipinos always rely on public transportations so when the government eased restrictions for areas under Alert Level 1, the capacity for active or public transportation finally went back to 100 percent.
Inside the jeepney, Canonoy and her fellow passengers can once again hear the voice of the jeepney conductor with his unending chant, “Oh, isa pa! Isa pa!”
Innovative teaching style
Far Eastern University (FEU) Nursing Health Assessment professor Victoriano Battad says that most of his students are eager to attend their face-to-face classes.
“Maybe it’s because they want to see each other or experience again the traditional way of learning,” Battad says.
For Professor Battad, the classroom set-up is more suitable for his student nurses to achieve quality education because he can directly transmit the lessons to his students with or without internet connection and gadgets. With this set-up, he hopes that his students can also observe practical demonstrations and ask questions right away during discussions so they can learn more.
“It’s a sad reality but I noticed that some of my students are striving not because for learning but for the sake of completing requirements so my teaching style has to be innovative,” Battad shares.
Benefits of face-to-face classes
While she acknowledges the risks of the pandemic and the adjustments she has to encounter, Canonoy shares her relief upon the return of their face-to-face classes.
“Ang dami kasing disadvantages ng online class kapag nursing student. Imagine, ang pasyente namin most of the time is teddy bear and everything is improvised. Ngayong face-to-face, actual na naming nakikita yung dine-demonstrate ng clinical instructors namin and actual equipment na rin ang gamit.”
Javier also mentions how face-to-face classes benefit his learning processes and information retention for his skill-based course. He laments how hard it is to perform practical procedures without proper orientation and guidance from a skilled professional.
“Ang hirap na haharapin mo lahat ng concepts na ‘yon nang mag-isa,” Javier says as he talks about his experience on collecting blood from a vein. “Dati, tapos na kami sa part ng venipuncture pero hindi ko pa alam kumuha kasi wala akong gamit. Pero noong nandito na ako, kayang-kaya naman pala.”
Although pressure sinks unto him, Javier points out how his well-driven peers motivate him to do his best. Group studies help him stay on track when it comes to learning his lessons—something he didn’t observe during his online learning process before.
Finally experiencing college life with face-to-face classes, Javier acknowledges his privilege from the other medical technology students who are still enduring online classes inside their homes.
“They’re missing out a lot,” he says.
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