A

Research on

Philippines at the Verge of Online Education

Presented to

Mrs. Pam Villapando

In Partial Fulfillment for the

Requirements in English III

By Jhon Poul S. Morales

December 17, 2009

Approved Sheet

The term paper attached here entitled Philippines at the Verge of online

Education and submitted by Jhon Poul S. Morales in partial fulfillment for English

III is hereby accepted.

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Acknowledgment

The researchers wish to express their deepest gratitude and warmest

appreciation to the following people, who, in any way have contributed and

inspired the researchers to the overall success of the undertaking:

To my subject teacher, Mrs. Pam Villapando for her guidance, approval and trust

To my class adviser, Mrs. Aileen del Rosario for her unwavering support in the

duration of my research.

To my friends who have been unselfishly extending their efforts and

understanding.

To my parents who have always been very considerate and supportive both

financially and morally.

And above all, to the Almighty God, who never cease in loving us and for the

continued guidance and protection. 

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Table of Contents

Content Page

Title ...……………………………………………………………….1

Approved Sheet ...…………………………………………………2

Acknowledgment ………………………………………………….3

Table of Contents …………………………………………………4

Statement of the Problem…………………………………………5

Importance of the Problem Story…………………………………6

Thesis Statement…………………………………………………..7

Definitions of Terms……………………………………………….9

Review of Related Literature…………………………………....10

Introduction of Online Learning in the Philippines…………….14

Brief history of Philippine Online Education…………………...15

Abiding with the Educational Policies………………………….19

The Remarkable People on Philippine Online…....................20

Education………………………………………………………….20

Conclusion………………………………………………………..22

Recommendation……….…………………………....................24

Bibliography……………………………………………………….27

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Statement of the Problem

This study sought to figure out the existence of an emerging type of

education in the Philippines that is globally competitive and gives fair chance to

those students in distant place that are equally having the right to acquire quality

and time-efficient education. It is a kind of education that will be very beneficial to

those who want to enhance their job skills but have no time for higher studies as

well as those who want a career shift but have no time for earning required

degrees from a regular college or university.

Specifically, the study aimed to know the scope of Philippine online

education, the things that brought about it, and its role to developing a breed of

new professionals that would populate the highly-technological world. Moreover,

it will also help to assess the overall status of e-learning in the country and its

stability to address the information needs of the Philippine educational system for

providing internal efficiency and effectiveness, planning and programming,

performance-based budgeting and sector performance reporting.

The researcher wishes to convey information about technologically-

supported learning in the Philippines, which includes the use of electronic media

such as the Internet, personal computers, phone bridging, audio and videotape,

video teleconferencing, satellite broadcast, mobile phones, personal digital

assistants, and other related technologies to enhance teaching and learning.

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Importance of the Problem Story

The study is important and significant because it will acquaint those

individual who are not aware of online education. Besides, it's not true that only

the technologically advanced and internet savvy can go for it. Just about

everyone can go for an online degree. You only have to choose the degree you

want to pursue and one of the top accredited online universities and colleges

which are offering these degrees. It will also open the students’ minds about the

advantages and significance of online learning. It will also help to somehow

prepare students in having a mindset that would be passive to new ideas brought

about by the modern communication-the World Wide Web.

Since the start of rapid advances in technology, the need to integrate

technological knowledge in education and industry has been recognized. In order

to address this need, the concept of e-learning has been established. E-learning

stands for ‘electronic learning,’ that is, associating the utilization of electronic

materials to learning. Today, the term e-learning has captured a wider scope from

the use of Personal Computers and the Internet to the utilization of more

advanced applications, as well as devices or tools for more effective teaching and

learning. Currently, the local academe and industry have incorporated e-learning

but most of them are confined to the Internet or are web-based. There is only a

small number of Filipinos who have an Internet connection and can avail of its

services.

Moodle, for instance has been adopted by many educational institutions

worldwide and is steadily gaining prominence in the Philippines. Among its

features are lessons, quizzes, forums and reports just to name a few. And since it

is open source, everything is customizable. There is a friendly forum for support

at the site. Going further, it may even spur some IT businesses such as

consultancy and tech support which can also offer services to international

Moodle users.

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Thesis Statement

Electronic communication has reduced the world into a global

vi l lage. The speed of information exchange between distant

locations is in real t ime. Most higher learning institutions worldwide

operate in the online environment to educate students and

professionals alike. Right now, papers and studies that look into

online learning is mostly on how the foundations for it can support

the system, and if Fil ipinos are prepared for it in the f irst place.

There is concern to improve infrastructure if online learning is to be

available to a large number of people. Currently, a lot of Fil ipinos

sti l l do not own their own phone l ines, much less even a computer in

their own homes. Consider the statistics: there is only seven

percent of more than 16 mil l ion Fil ipino households that own

personal computers, and only three out of 50 public high school

students have access to the Internet as of 2005 (Sunday Inquirer,

2007). With the majority of the population sti l l in poverty and even

under the poverty l ine, they would be more concerned with fulf i l l ing

the basic needs rather than something they view as a luxury item.

There are also plans to include the technology of the cellular mobile

technology; specif ically the smart messaging services (SMS) to

facil i tate online learning as well. This is because of the phenomenal

increase of ownership of cell phones and their services. Although,

the current use of cellular mobile technology is mostly for

entertainment and business purposes at the most.

And of course, there is still that urgent need to improve the quality of

education. The social and economic divide is still a major hindrance in getting

good education, and that education itself seems to having its part in widening that

divide as well. Contributing to this is the “brain drain” of good teachers who

immigrate to other countries to create a better quality of life for their own families,

making the public education system suffer even more. There is also the

significant lack of resources and infrastructure, where books, classrooms and

other school supplies are still not available to every public school student. Aside

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from the physical lack, there is also the curriculum where it lacks the functional

literacy need for the students to use what they’ve learned in the outside world.

Online learning is another method in which to convey education to students. This

is actually a type under distance education, a non-formal type of education that

uses different media in transferring lectures, notes, discussions to students and

the teacher.

Methodology

This paper employed the purposive or deliberate sampling of

websites of universities and learning centers that have online learning programs

as part of their curriculum. Understanding that there may already be a number of

schools that would offer this, the paper has focused on two universities and one

learning center. There is also a review of the various Executive Orders and

Memos from the government as they give the foundation to introduce online

learning in the Philippines. The method used in this study is the descriptive

design. Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data

and characteristics about the rise of online learning sites in the Philippines

ongoing increase of its customers.

Although the data description is factual, accurate and systematic, the

research cannot describe what caused a situation. Thus, descriptive research

cannot be used to create a causal relationship, where one variable affects

another. In other words, descriptive research can be said to have a low

requirement for internal validity.

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Definitions of Terms

The following terms are defined conceptually:

a. Moodle – is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a

Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment

(VLE). It is a free web application that educators can use to create

effective online learning sites.

b. History – these would be signif icant chronological events as

early as the middle 1990’s leading to present day.

c. Online learning – these are programs or courses that are uses

the Internet in the discussion and requirements of the course,

submission of students’ work and the use of support services

l ike the use of l ibrary databases, enrolment and registration.

As this is a simple chronological research, the paper wil l only

focus on:

d. Policies – these are government Executive Orders and memos

that provide foundation in allowing the use of information and

communications technology as a supplemental tool for

education, business and the l ike.

e. People – they are experts in the field of online learning; either

they have contributed greatly in introducing online learning to

the country or have played a part in the development of online

learning.

f. Institutions – aside from the government, there are schools,

colleges and universit ies that have been creating online

learning programs or are currently having one.

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Review of Related Literature

In 2003, the UNESCO had reported that the Phil ippines is part of a

group of countries with newly created policies regarding information

and communication technologies, or ICTs, and they are just starting

to apply various strategies to integrate online learning in schools.

We have come a long way after that report in 2003, but we are sti l l

shall we say, toddler stage in having online learning in the country.

Using ICTs such as the internet and supporting hardware and

software puts us in a fourth generation of distance education,

loosely categorizing it from the most prominent technology used for

delivering educational content and its support systems. This shows

us that we are already starting to institutionalize online learning, but

there are sti l l areas in great need of improvement, especially with

the support systems in bringing online learning to more students and

people who would want to experience online learning.

As the industrial era gave way to information era, employees must

now have crit ical thinking skil ls to identify process improvements,

works as a team, change processes, products, tools and more. The

average employee switches jobs many times, more than seven times

is said to be probable. The need to learn new information (in its

broadest sense) is unlikely to decrease. In this new knowledge

based economy, the gap between the existing knowledge of

employees and what is necessary to know is growing day by day.

However, with the growth of the internet, online education is

accessible to more people than ever: people in corporations, schools

and universit ies, government and other sectors profit from its

growth.

In this information age, some drivers push e-learning

technologies to the foreground. These drivers, enabling and pushing

e-learning to companies indicate that the future wil l be about

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acquiring and acting on knowledge. As creating knowledge is the

context for learning, the two wil l merge. Not only wil l companies

focus on learning management, to centralize and strategically

employ the benefits of their skil ls, they wil l also focus on their

knowledge management. In the process of converting implicit

knowledge (know-how) and experience into explicit knowledge

(knowledge that can be shared with others, diffused within groups),

new, actionable knowledge needs to be created. Marc Rosenberg

states it as fol lows: “Providing access to information that contains

the collective wisdom of the company can be a powerful adjunct to

training. So when we have a learning need

that requires instruction, we use training, and where there is a

learning need that more appropriately requires information, we can

use knowledge management.”

Information is everywhere, overwhelming us and diff icult to f ind

when we need to use it. However, what is done with information is

more and more important for organizations.

Knowledge about customers drives the product development of an

organization. Knowledge and experience differentiates one

organization from its competitors, but only if the organization is

quick enough to take the advantage. A shortage of skil led workers

Acquiring and keeping good and qualif ied people is harder than

ever. Organizations have to alter the way they look at employment,

culture and benefits. Not only wil l employees demand a clear career

development, only organizations that wil l succeed in satisfying their

employees need for knowledge wil l succeed in the growing markets.

Technology as enabler and driver of the economy No matter what

function an employee has, he or she has become in the first place a

knowledge worker. The information technology and

telecommunications which are used on a daily basis are driving the

need for e-learning and at the same time creating the means to

accomplish it.

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Although e-learning has been around for decades, it has seen

exponential growth in the last years, mainly because of the growth of

the Internet. As a short introduction we present a retrospective.

1960 - The early years: Soon after computers were invented,

psychologists and educators noted the educational potential of

computers. Early computer-based instruction development focused

on automating relatively simple notions of learning and instruction.

However, the early group of computer-based instruction

technologists split into two groups: the so-called applied scientists

(engineers) and the so-called advanced researchers.

Computer based instruction: The first group of scientists focused on

automating the simple notions of learning and instruction.

During the decades, this group continued to develop and refine their

tools, to include complex instructional constructs. However,

throughout the development phases, costs were a major obstacle to

the widespread use of computer-based instruction. Init ial ly, the

migration and adaptation of computer-based instruction, based on

mainframes to minicomputer, workstations and personal computers,

absorbed much of the energy of researchers and developers. With

each succeeding technological innovation, new capabil i t ies and

features became available to enhance the technological supported

learning process. As the tools matured and personal computer

proliferated, costs were dramatically reduced. Recent instructional

content incorporate multimedia capabil i t ies and sophisticated

authoring features. These computer-based instructions are

characterize by t ightly bound instructional content and logic.

Intell igent tutoring systems: The second group of researchers

focused on the potential of information-structure-oriented

approaches to represent human cognit ion and learning. Rooted in

the early artif icial intell igence studies of how we learn and master

skil ls, this approach led to the development of Intell igent: Tutoring

Systems (ITS). The functionalit ies of Its are distinct from the more

conventional approaches. The functionalit ies requires ITS to

generate instruction in real t ime, on demand as required by the

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individual learners. Furthermore, ITS must support dialogue or

discussion between the technology and the user. However, several

factors also hindered the development of ITS technologies. The

science of human cognit ion was relatively immature, and the

complex modeling and rule-based systems require considerable

computing power. The ITS systems are characterized by the

tendency to separate control logic from instructional content. The

advent of the World Wide Web

The Internet and the World Wide Web has reset the agenda for both

the groups of development. As the internet developed, it provided a

widely accessible communications structure built on common

standards providing easy access to information and knowledge. CBI

systems progressed from direct adaptations of CD-ROM to the

Internet to Web-based authoring systems, embracing the separation

of content and control as server-based learning management

systems emerge.

Now, moving into the 21st century, the boundaries between an

organization’s management systems seem to blur. As we l ive in a

knowledge driven economy, the human resources systems

(assessment, evaluation, career planning and development),

knowledge management systems (supported technologically by

content management systems), and learning management systems

are said to be merging into holistic intellectual capital systems

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Introduction of Online Learning in the Philippines

The advent of advancing technology has propelled l i fe on the

fast lane: trade, social systems, even the arts. The Internet, along

with the World Wide Web and hi-tech media paraphernalia also made

us to be part of the globally competit ive world, and nothing could be

more apparent in meeting this pressure than in education. With such

rampant changes, education should be equipped to deal with and

evolve as well for the sake of the learner, or he wil l suffer because

he could not cope with l i fe’s challenges because he was not

prepared properly when he was studying. And one way education

can meet the growing need to be globally competit ive is through the

use of online learning.

Online learning can be touted as an alternative delivery of

education. It is a type of teaching practice that upholds the concept

of “anytime, anywhere” kind of learning. With this, online learning is

easily accessible to the student and the teacher where they can

exchange notes, ideas and research related to the course with each

other. The Web then is the major medium to delivery instruction and

learning. Although in the 1980’s and 1990’s, electronic media l ike

print, TV, radio, and video were first used.

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Brief history of Philippine Online Education

In February 23, 1995, the University of the Phil ippines started

the Open University as its f i f th constituent university, headed then

by Chancellor Felix Librero, and currently by Dr. Grace Alfonso. It is

the f irst school to give a formal education (i.e. undergraduate and

graduate courses) in a non-tradit ional format to qualifying students.

It was the first university to offer education in such a format.

Currently, they are now implementing plans to have courses that are

fully online by February of 2008. 1

The succeeding years saw the development of the Internet and the World

Wide Web. Several projects were undertaken, specif ically the

development of business opportunit ies and information

infrastructure. They also created policies that would develop online

learning and supplement the needs in basic education, creating

programs that would also develop IT skil ls on a vocational level.

In January 12, 2004, a new organization, the Commission on

Information and Communications Technology (CICT), was created.

Another program that the Department of Education is currently

applying online learning is through the Cyber Ed project. Launched

just June of this year, i t is planned that around 90% of public

schools across the nation in the next three years wil l be hooked up

via satell i te technology in delivering educational services to

elementary and secondary students. It is hoped that students’

performance wil l signif icantly improve as it supplements the

teacher’s style of teaching, making the lessons reach more students.

1 University of the Philippines, Open University from http://www.upou.edu.ph.

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De La Salle University has also started implementing online

learning in its curriculum. Last September 2000, it was granted the

installation and use of the Integrated Virtual Learning Environment

(IVLE), the second university to be granted the l icense. The IVLE

allowed teachers and students to interact online and provided tools

and resources to supplement their learning via virtual discussions,

lectures, and even testing. This was implemented through the

efforts of the Center for Educational Multimedia. The use of IVLE

also supplements the universit ies’ strive to develop transformative

learning among the students and teachers.

Learning centers are also starting to offer online learning as

well, especially for those in the middle-income level who are looking

for means to supplement their formal education and buff up their

resumes to be able to go abroad. One of these learning centers is

Informatics Phil ippines, where they claim to provide quality diploma

courses in Information Technology (IT). In 2000, they collaborated

with an e-learning portal that tenders degree programs via the

Internet called PurpleTrain.com. Students can access either the

website of Informatics or of Purple Train for their class requirements

and lessons. They would even have classmates from outside the

country, as the portal also has collaborations in the United States,

the United Kingdom, and Australia. Although, student support

services l ike enrolment, tuit ion payment and documents submission

are facil i tated via the different branches of Informatics.

“In collaboration with the National University of Singapore, De La Salle

University CREM provides faculty members the online learning system

IVLE. This is an innovative program that enhances and complements

teaching by making courses available on the Web. It allows the creation of

course calendar, discussion forum, distribution list, lecture plan, chat room,

subscription services, assignment repositories, staff homepages and a

frequently-asked question builder. Through IVLE, teachers can post lesson

plans, give and collect assignments online and provide links to relevant

web sites. Students can even take tests online which are automatically

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corrected by the program. IVLE was initially shared by DLSU with the

University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) in 2000.”2

For now, online learning courses are mostly being offered in

undergraduate and graduate levels, but the Phil ippine government

strives to create a curriculum that would integrate online learning in

the elementary and secondary levels as well`. This is because that

the students are mostly those who cannot be able to go to a

tradit ional school course, those who are working, married or even i l l .

Through this, a student can be able to pursue his education without

pausing on his daily activit ies. One of the factors in enroll ing in

such online courses is not only the ease of the concept of studying

via the Internet, but also the credibil i ty of the institution offering

such courses. Because of this, i t is mostly established universit ies

and colleges that have the infrastructure and foundation of quality

education, not to mention the financial resources that would offer

them.

One major reason why people l ike working professionals would

enroll in online learning is the convenience and easy access in terms

of study, making it a t imesaving venture for the student. Not only is

it t imesaving, but money saving too, as it reduces the amount of

travel to and fro, and instances where you would have to buy food

from outside establishments. Also, in terms of tuit ion, i t is a less

expensive investment than you would if you enroll in a tradit ional

educational institution.

It is not only an advantage logistics-wise, but it is a benefit for

the student in terms of learning as well. It is claimed that students

get a more eff icient learning, as there is more collaboration between

classmates in discussing the subjects and the course is more

learner-centered. This can happen more so if the course and its

materials are truly relevant to them especially in the professional

level. Online learning courses wil l work if there is definite quality in

its contents and support services, and are able to adapt to the

demands of ever-changing society. It is even said that those

2 http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/academics/continuing/online_courses/default.asp

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students who are l ikely to drop out of courses that are tradit ional

would learn better and faster when going through an online course

(Business World, 1999). It is also claimed that students undergoing

online learning are more motivated to learn, and they develop more

independence, discipline and responsibil i ty.

But of course, this cannot be possible if the foundations of

employing online learning are not established. Enroll ing in an online

learning course may be cheaper than the tradit ional way of

schooling, but to set up the infrastructure to support the technology

and creating the simulation classroom takes a considerable amount

of money (Business World, 1999). This is true especially for the

rural areas, where problems of even the basic needs are sti l l not

being met, and that even basic education is of poor quality, what

more for the building up of the necessary infrastructure (Trinidad,

2000). Even if the infrastructure has already been setup, technical

problems can sti l l arise especially when accessing the actual

website or connecting into the Internet in the first place.

Online learning cannot be uti l ized maximally as well i f the

students themselves are not ready for it. For one, students must

have a working knowledge of how to use the technology, even in the

basic level of accessing the Internet and using it. Also, as most

websites are written in English, students must be able to understand

the content and think crit ically in English as well, else the whole

course wil l be of no use to them and learning is minimal or not

occurring at all. They must also be able to express themselves

competently, especially in the written word, in order to contribute to

the discussions online.

Another major drawback to online learning is that students may not

develop the necessary social skil ls that are usually seen in the

tradit ional sett ing. Students used to this kind of “socializing” in the

net may not be fully comfortable meeting classmates in the flesh.

Some teachers, who have yet to be properly trained and exposed to

this kind of learning and teaching, are also tentative in using this

alternative style to learning. Although currently, they are already

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being addressed with new programs and software, teachers are

concerned with how efficient they can monitor their students’

progress online, especially with the possibil i ty that their work may

not be actually of their own. They may be concerned, too, when the

students are not able to ask questions or clarif ications during the

course – that interaction is severely l imited.

There is also a concern of how people might view online

learning as well. Narrow-mindedness can be a factor, already

dismissing online learning as an inferior way to get education. This

is due mostly from a lack of exposure and training, and moreover, a

lack of information on how online learning can benefit rather than

take away the quality of learning and knowledge. It would take an

eff icient dissemination system in order to make people know the

benefits of online learning to the masses.

Abiding with the Educational Policies

In June 14, 2000, former president Ejercito Estrada passed RA 87923, or

the Electronic Commerce Act. This Act recognizes that information and

communications technology, or ICT, is vital to the development of the country and

legalizes and protects the use of it in businesses, government transactions and

even education. It provides the legal structure for the country’s involvement in e-

commerce as well.

From this, the creation of the Information Technology and E-Commerce Council

(ITECC) came about from Executive Order 18, which President Gloria Macapagal

Arroyo signed last May 25, 2001. This council aimed to create what they touted

as e-Philippines, that is, a country that is globally competitive through the use of

ICT.

Executive Order 269 in January 12, 2004 was created to redefine the

vision and policies of the ITECC, which was then abolished in July 20 in the same

year through Executive Order 334. Policies and programs of ITECC were also

transferred to CICT to continue and develop them further. One of these

programs is the Philippine Research, Education and Government Information

Network (PREGINET), which aim to create a virtual library network among

3 Republic Act No. 8792, (2002). Retrieved August 3, 2007 from http://www.magsaysay.com/profule/ras/ra8792.shtm.

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universities, the government and the private-sector in the research and

development of Internet applications, services and technologies.

The Remarkable People on Philippine Online Education

Philippine eLearning Society (PeLS)4 was founded on July 30, 2003 in Manila

with the objective of promoting substantive content, appropriate pedagogy, and

appropriate use of technology for eLearning, guided by ongoing research

activities.

PeLS serves as a venue for : Promoting research on the effective use of

eLearning, Sharing of eLearning experiences, Developing standards of

excellence, Promoting interoperability of eLearning systems, Encouraging

collaboration in the development of substantive content, Cooperating with

international eLearning groups, and Promoting public awareness and

appreciation of the nature and uses of eLearning.

Of course, programs and further growth of online learning

cannot move on their own; several people are involved in bringing

online learning in the country and nurture it in its current state. Two

of these facil i tators would be Dr. Benito Teehankee 5 and Dr. Rufino

Mananghaya.6

Dr. Teehankee has been touted as “the” expert in online

learning in the country. He is a proficient educator for several

years, teaching before in De La Salle University and now in De La

Salle Professional Schools Graduate of Business in business and

management subjects. His avid passion for learning about new

technologies encouraged him to found the Phil ippine eLearning

Society (PeLS) with colleagues. PeLS is an organization that

facil i tates the discussion and development of online learning in the

country for more than five years already. For this objective, they

have an annual conference that presents various papers discussing

4 http://www.elearning.ph/?page_id=25 Dr. Benito Teehankee profile. Retrieved 2 August 2007 from http://www.blogger.com/profile/05969718512412631908.6 Dr. Rufino Mananghaya profile. Retrieved 2 August 2007 from http://www.via.com.tw/en/resources/pressroom/2006_archive/pr061124ADOC-Philippines.jsp.

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different aspects of online learning, in special cooperation with the

CICT. In 1999, he was also the director of the Online Learning

Center in De La Salle College of St. Benilde that used the concept of

asynchronous learning, or to be able to learn at one’s own pace. Dr.

Teehankee also does business and management seminars in the

corporate world.

Dr. Mananghaya meanwhile is the current president in PeLS,

and he is also a professor in UP Los Baňos teaching in management.

With an agricultural and business management background, he is

active in employing policies and methods in bringing ICT in the rural

communities. His involvement in the grassroots community is slowly

making ICT, specif ically online learning, available to the common

man. To be able to show that public school systems can afford

computers, he was able to create a personal computer that was

worth only under $100. He was also the proponent of Eminima, a

free server and client software, a PuppyLinux-based system that

enables the user to modify and develop content that is of the best

use for them without much cost. He developed this for the use of

public schools that would not rely on the latest models of the

computer, yet would have updated content that is at par with the

latest information and knowledge.

On September 2009, Manuel Pangilinan7, chairman of the Philippine

Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Smart Communications recently

inaugurated the e-learning center in San Vicente Central School in Pampanga.

7 http://www.philstar.com/article.aspx?articleid=501768

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Conclusion

Seeing the development of online learning in the country shows us

that the government does strive to improve the quality of education,

online learning is just one of the ways to do it. This shows that

despite the physical challenges and current quality of education, we

have already the means to support online learning. Even with more

or less than a decade of growth, though, we are sti l l learning to

walk, so to speak, with using online learning. The challenge right

now is how to further improve it and make it more accessible to the

masses. With this, we sti l l have a long way to see if online learning

would truly answer some of our issues in education. It would be

unfair to place judgement on it when it is sti l l in its early stages. It is

recommended if a more comprehensive study of the development of

online learning can be done. It is also recommended if a

longitudinal study in the effects of learning output from students can

be looked into, to give basis to the claim that students studying via

online learning learn better than their tradit ional peers.

It can be said that online learning in the country is off to a

good start, though there are sti l l a lot of things that can be improved.

It is sti l l to early to tel l i f online learning can be able to address

some of the problems in our education system today, but it is

believed that with a good foundation already in place, it is only a

matter of t ime when online learning can be as common and perhaps

even, better than that of the tradit ional system of education.

The latest developments in the area of information and technology have made

the use of these advancements, for dispensing education possible beyond the

stereotype system of classrooms. Since it's a means to the end, this not only

educates the students but also makes them current on what is latest in IT. Top

accredited online universities and top accredited online colleges are doing a great

service which is resulting in an economically sound society with better educated

and skilled people.

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These accredited online universities are using the potential of IT positively to

contribute to the educational development as well as socio-economic benefit.

They are offering various kinds of online degrees, diploma and certificate

programs to a multitude of learners which include a growing number of teens,

adults and advance education students.

Vocation education online degree programs, being offered at these top

accredited online universities and top accredited online colleges, are facilitating

and encouraging students to acquire a professional set of skills which will in the

long run increase both technical and professional opportunities.

By opting for these online degree programs of top accredited online universities

and colleges, the otherwise disadvantaged masses that can not attend regular

colleges and universities, are becoming self-sufficient. Thus these online degree

programs of various universities and colleges are producing a huge number of

well-instructed and skilled hands that will play a vital role in competent

management of both private and public sectors at all levels.

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Recommendation:

There is indeed a vital need to integrate e-learning into education and

industry because of its potential to make a huge impact on the corporate learning

field.

Presently, e-learning is already integrated in some areas in the academe and the

industry, but they are mostly confined to the Internet. Local e-learning is also

possible through the use of low-cost, high-quality, and custom-designed

development tools. This approach in e-learning was demonstrated to have

positive impact on the students’ learning. Having these realizations, the team

supports the concept to incorporate e-learning in the academe and industry. In

doing so, the team fulfills its objectives, and at the same time addresses the

learning needs and goals of the academe and industry.

“If someone is considering enrolling in an online degree program he

should not hesitate. The following is a list of the top 10 online education

myths:

Myth #1 Online Education is Easy: The fact is, most online degree

programs are identical to on-campus programs because they have to

meet certain standards to be approved for accreditation. You will receive

the same subjects, assignments, projects and class work that on-site

students receive. You will also get the same high quality education online

that is found in the traditional degree programs. Studies show that

distance learning is at least as effective as traditional on-campus learning.

Myth #2 Online Attendance is too Time Consuming: Most online degree

programs are flexible, which means you can work at your own pace from

anywhere and at a time that is most convenient to you.

Myth #3 Employers do not Accept Online Degrees: This used to vary from

one employer to another but now employers see the benefits of online

degrees. Most employers understand the need for busy professionals to

attend a distance learning degree program to improve their qualifications

and ability to move up the career ladder. Most employers’ main concern is

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that the educational institution is accredited and has a good reputation

rather than the method you use to obtain your degree.

Myth #4 On Campus Attendance is Mandatory: Online learning methods

vary from one institution to the next. Some institutions offer 100% online

degree program with no on-campus attendance. Other institutions may

offer courses as a combination of online and on-campus attendance

requirement. So before completing the application process, make sure

you know how your program is being delivered and if it will it be a problem

if you have to attend class on-campus.

Myth #5 The Instructors are not Qualified: In order to teach at a reputable

accredited university faculty members are required to have advanced

degrees in addition to some online training programs in online instruction.

Online instructors are very qualified and experts in their chosen field.

Myth #6 The Traditional Classroom is Better than Online Learning: This is

a case of “to each his own”. Online learning is designed for people who

want to continue their education but do not have the time to attend the

traditional classroom setting. Distance learning makes education more

convenient, especially for adults with families and full-time jobs. Many

people choose distance learning simply out of necessity. Not everyone can

enrol in traditional higher education due to work, commitments and

obligations so distance learning provides the flexibility to continue working

at a current job while pursuing your educational and career goals at the

same time.

Myth #7 It is Quicker to Complete your Degree On-Campus: The time

needed to complete a degree varies but it is possible to earn an online

degree much faster with accelerated programs and the amount of time

and dedication you put towards your online studies. A bachelor degree

usually takes four years to earn on-site, but online students can complete

the same degree in less than three years.

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Myth #8 Credit Transfers are not accepted at Online Schools: Most online

universities will accept credit transfers from regionally and nationally

accredited institutions of higher learning, as long as the credits are eligible

for credit transfer and can be applied to your degree program.

Myth #9 Online Learning is not Right for Everyone: It really depends on

your learning style; online learning is very different than the traditional on-

site learning, I have to agree. Anyone can adapt to online learning, all it

takes is a bit of getting used to.

Myths #10 Online Degree Programs are Limited: Many degree programs

are now available online. Online institutions offer Associate, Bachelor’s,

Master’s and Doctorate degrees in addition to a variety of non-credit and

certificate programs.”8

Bibliography

8 Online Edublog.com (2009. “Top 10 Online Education Myths”, http://www.onlineedublog.com/

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Anderson, Cushing and Michael Brennan (2001). "E-Learning in Practice:

Proprietary Knowledge and Instructional Design": September 2001.

Ballesteros, Borres, Caccam, Galang, Pucyutan, Wong. (2002). System Software

to Philippine Council for Advanced Science & Technology Research &

Development for Wireless Applications Devices: A Project Proposal

Development: August 2002.

Ballesteros, Borres, et.al. (2003). “Real-Time Systems Development Using

Object- Oriented Real-Time Techniques (OORT)”: A Paper Presented at The

First Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Communication and

Control, Environment and Management (HNICEM) International Conference:

March 29-31, 2003, Manila, Philippines.

Guralnick, Ph.D., David A. (2001). A WhitePaper on E-learning. Kaleidoscope

Learning, “Creating High-Quality Enterprise-Wide E- Learning.

Maeroff, Gene I. (2003). A classroom of one: How online learning is changing

our schools and colleges. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Solomon, M. (2008, February 1). Importance of Online Education. Retrieved

December 13, 2009, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Importance-of-Online--

Education&id=961063

Vallado-Daroy (Ed.) Contemporary Issues in Education (pp.82-107).

Manila: The Center for the Study of Educational Administration, Philippine

Women’s University.

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