Authors: 1Loren L. Constantino, 2Rovy M. Banguis
1Graduate Studies
Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences, Mindanao State University – Buug Campus, Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines
Email: 2rovy.banguis@msubuug.edu.ph
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine the challenges of online learning at the Mindanao State University-Buug, municipality of Buug,
province of Zamboanga Sibugay. It further aimed to disclose the strategies employed by students and teachers to deal with the
challenges. Conducted this school year 2020-2021, eight students and eight teachers were purposively selected for this study. Using
qualitative study with major use of case study, the present inquiry yielded the following findings: As to students’ encountered
challenges the following themes are indicative of major problems of online learning: “Internet Connectivity is a Major Challenge”;
“Online Learning Creates a Learning Gap”; and, “Copying Answers from Classmates or Copying-pasting Answers from the Internet”.
As to strategies to beat the challenges of online learning the following themes based on the responses of the teachers were the possible
resolves: On Internet Connectivity as a Problem two thematic strategies were employed by teachers: “Use Personal Money to Buy
Load for Mobile Data, Buy Modem”; and, “Look for other Learning Options’. On the problem of Online Learning Creating a
Learning Gap a thematic strategy was developed: “Two-Way Communication May Break the Gap.” On the problem of Copying
Answers from Classmates, Copying-Pasting Answers from the Internet, two thematic strategies were emerging to address the problem:
“Google Form Solves the Problem”; and, “Letting Students Summarize and Paraphrase Copied-Pasted Answers.”
Online learning though has helped in delivering education right at the doors of the students the challenges encountered by students and
teachers based on their recent teaching and learning experience is concluded to be not so effective. Face-to-face teacher-student
engagement proves to be better.
Keywords: Challenges, online learning, internet connectivity, learning gap