Optimizing Classroom Instruction through Online Instructional Delivery Technique

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Presented in the foregoing table are the a-priori e-learning experiences of the respondents particularly on online learning tools. It can be said that the respondents have good background and exposure to online learning tools. Their state of being social butterflies particularly in Facebook and chat rooms is a good indication of their readiness to participate in online learning. Despite these affordances of the respondents, it was noted, however, that most of the respondents do not have sophisticated mobiles. Likewise, the respondents have poor internet connectivity especially to those who are living in the villages in the province of Quirino, Philippines.

In an interview, the respondents zeroed-in that they are just renting in the internet cafes whenever they go online. However, it was found out that some of them were maintaining a blog and familiar of using wikis. This concordance indicates further their readiness to do academic online discussions.

Table 2. Students’ Satisfaction on the Benefits of using Online Learning Tools in Classroom Learning when grouped according to Sex¹

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Presented in the foregoing table is the respondents’ satisfaction on the benefits of online learning tools when grouped according to sex. It can be noted that the respondents were generally satisfied on the benefits of OIDT. However, when the foregoing results were tested for statistical significance, it was found out that the mean group responses between the two groups of respondents were comparable.

On the other hand, emphasis is given for indicator 1. It is construed that students when exposed to asynchronous sessions of OIDT are more participative and comfortable to interact in the online discussions ^{[4, 5]}. This could be attributed to the fact that they are having an informal academic discussion with their fellows which eliminate their fear and other reservations from their professor. This concordance is expected to propel their critical thinking abilities as they have all the means to verify answers to their inquiry. They are also free to ask clarifications and further discussions, as well as additional examples, whenever necessary ^{[1, 2, 4, 5, 6]}.

In an interview with the respondents, they zeroed-in the advantage of free discussion especially during asynchronous sessions as this was made informal and colloquial within their own levels and limits as students.

Table 3. Students’ Satisfaction on the Benefits of using Online Learning Tools in Classroom Learning when grouped according to Learning Ability¹

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The respondents were generally satisfied on the benefits of OIDT when they are grouped according to learning ability. Emphasis is supplied to item 1 which states that the respondents frequently participate in the discussion as all of them had a unanimous evaluation across their learning abilities. It can be construed then that there is synergy in employing OIDT in classroom learning. This concordance is supported by Bandura in his Social Learning Theory ^[8]. He posited that the affordance of the respondents to interact in the online community draws interrelationship of observation and modeling of behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others in the learning process of an individual learner. This concordance leads to learning brought about by the sustained community of inquiry among student-learners ^{[1, 2]}.

On the other hand, the disparity between the evaluation of the average and below average groups of respondents in item 4 could be coined to the fact that learning cognition, which is based on cognitive processes, transforms the individual through imitation, modeling, and feedback which consists of environmental, individual, and other social stimulus that are believed to reshape the learning environment of the student-learner. It is claimed by various researchers that the average or the middle learners benefit the most in OIDT while the below average group will just be the observers and imitators in the learning process. The high ability group, on the other hand, tend to be passive in the process and if not mediated would become the laissez-faire of the group ^{[1, 3, 4, 6]}.

Concomitantly, the Social Learning Theory (SLT) is also influenced by a reciprocal causation: the person, behavior, and environment are influencing each other through self-efficacy and self-regulation ^[8]. Learning employs self-confidence towards learning (self-efficacy) under circumstances of an individual’s personal ideas on the appropriateness and inappropriateness of actions in improving his own behaviors (self-regulation). Self-regulation involves modeling (doing what others do both live model and symbolic models) and imitation (using another learner’s behavior as a discriminating stimulus to both vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishment). Therefore, SLT spans to both cognitive and behavioral frameworks by encompassing attention, memory, and motivation. Hence, the central role of social learning is on behavioral interpretation of modeling ^{[1, 2, 4, 5, 6]}.

The introduced OIDT segments were found to be very advantageous in optimizing classroom learning when the respondents were grouped according to sex. Moreover, there is a comparable assessment on the perceived advantages of OIDT between male and female respondents. This implies that learning is offered equivocally to both male and female learners. Hence, OIDT is responsive to the needs of student-learners across their inherent learning drive.

Table 4. The Perceived Relative Magnitude of Advantages of using Online Learning Tools in Classroom Learning when grouped According to Sex¹

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This concordance of the respondents to the realms of OIDT is stressed in the Social Development Theory of Vygotsky ^[9]. The theory posited that the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition is its central role in the process of “making meaning”. On the other hand, Lave posited that learning is unintentional and situated that happens in a process of “legitimate peripheral participation” ^[10]. Hence, it can be said that OIDT brings pedagogical advantages in meeting the needs of the technological learners of the 21^st century ^{[1, 2, 4, 5, 6]}.

Table 5. The Perceived Relative Magnitude of Advantages of using Online Learning Tools in Classroom Learning when grouped according to Learning Ability¹

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The introduced OIDT among the respondents were generally found to be very advantageous among the three learning groups in the study. Purportedly, the average group had the best evaluation when compared to their counterparts followed by the below average and the high ability group. On the other hand, there is a comparable mean between and among the responses of the respondents.

Table 6. Relationship of the Students’ A-priori Online Learning Experiences and their Perceived Magnitude of Advantages of Using Online Learning Tools

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