CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Blended learning is characterized as a formal teaching program that’s made up of in-

person classroom time as well as a person thinking about an online utilizing e-learning

computer program. It may be a sort of multichannel strategy that consolidates tutor-led

exercises, pictures, video, advanced assignments and face-to-face discussion (Rosell, 2020).

Traditional face-to-face teaching is also prevalent in higher education. It is teacher-

centred because teachers are the ones who provide information and students are the ones who

receive it. The chalk in the teacher's hand has increasingly been replaced by a laser pointer

with remote control as technology progresses, but the student's position as the audience has

remained largely unchanged. Faculty lecturing in a classroom environment, students

listening, taking notes, asking questions, and receiving answers have been the backbone of

traditional academic education since time immemorial (Armstrong-Mensah, 2020).

Traditional teaching methods are becoming increasingly difficult to adapt to the

advancements of the new era, and their performance is difficult to ensure. Distance education

has evolved from an "anywhere" to an "anytime" education delivery method in concept and

practice, despite being a more expensive option for education in terms of setup. This

generation of high school and college students are digital natives who have experienced life

in an ever-changing digital and Internet age. The acquisition of hardware such as a computer,

mobile device (cellular phones), or camera, some form of listening device, video

conferencing software such as Zoom or Google Meet, and stable internet connectivity with a

speed of about 56K (56,000) or greater are all specific educational criteria for successful

distance learning (Armstrong-Mensah, 2020). It's not easy to get them to learn in a traditional
learning environment. It is indeed challenging to make distance learning work for all

students. Even if the best resources are in place, it would be difficult to imitate the in-person

learning experience online without equitable access by all students to the tools, appropriate

preparation time and training for faculty, and the implementation of existing curricula or the

development of brand-new course syllabi (Ramsey-White, 2020). First, students can now

more easily obtain information and knowledge through the Internet. Students can now attend

lectures and learn from the comfort of their own homes by simply pressing a few buttons on

their screen to listen live or asynchronously to a professor thousands of miles away, interact

with the professor, and solve problems without ever needing to set foot in a classroom

(Ramsey-White, 2020). Students who are dissatisfied with the lecture, the content, the

medium of teaching, or even the accent of the mother tongue in the lecture can lead to

students not listening, sleeping in class, or skipping classes. Second, For students, electronic

devices have become an essential piece of technology. Excessive smartphone usage causes

students to become classroom phubbers, impacting their concentration and capacity to learn

in class.

As an outcome, some questions regarding distance learning have emerged, such as

whether it offers the same quality as learning in a classroom and whether it facilitates

students in having consumed information as effectively as learning in a classroom. While

these questions are important, there are other important concerns that institutions of higher

learning must consider, such as how to assist students without compromising their academic

integrity (Armstrong-Mensah, 2020). The imbalance in access to technology and the internet

is particularly pronounced among minorities. While some schools have been able to provide

digital equipment to students in need, some including ICPS, have not been able to adequately

provide this service and are worried that the pandemic will broaden the digital divide among

students, adversely affecting their education (Self-Brown, 2020).

 Phoenix Aralinks is a holistic ad tech program to keep learning going with features for

synchronous and asynchronous learning while building student and teacher interaction. The

Aralinks Learning Management System is home to a comprehensive course framework

aligned with adapting a K-12 curriculum. It has an ever-growing repository of standards-

based interactive resources.

In this respect, the current study will focus on examining the use of Aralinks as an LMS

at Immaculate Conception Parochial School (ICPS). Since the researchers, are current senior

high students at ICPS, Aralinks has become a part of students’ daily lives. It has also a

dominant role in the learning process. Our study aims to explore the students’ experiences

and perceptions of the role of Aralinks in a sense of understanding how they use it for

learning activities.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study aims to categorize and analyze the existing knowledge of the blended

learning has a disadvantage on students since this way of teaching includes online

educational materials and chances for interaction through online with traditional methods,

which means that it integrates physical presence and technology or digital media, as a

technique to help both teachers and students to connect by the help of different platforms like

email. However, due to COVID-19, people should be at home. Students and teachers tend to

lose their communication because of a lack of resources; this will negatively impact when

students and teachers have to engage virtually.

Specifically, it will attempt to answer the following questions:

1. What are the advantages of incorporating the Aralinks Learning Management System

into a blended learning program?

 2. How do the students use Aralinks Learning Management System to support their

Blended learning?

3. How do the students perceive and describe their experiences in taking Blended

Learning Program, through Aralinks Learning Management System?

4. What are the challenges being encountered by students on using Aralinks Learning

Management System?

1.3 Significance of the Study

This research will be focusing on explaining Students' Lived Experiences with taking

Blended Learning. Moreover, the result of the study will be beneficial to the following:

For the students. They may be able to change their study habits and handle their schoolwork

more effectively.

For the teachers. The result of the study will help them to understand and adjust to their

students’ struggles.

For the guidance staff. The findings will aid them in providing support to students who are

having difficulty with blended learning.

For the parents. The result of the study will help respondents’ parents to know what lived

experiences their children are facing and help them to overcome and change things in order to

make things better for their children.

For local government. The study will give them awareness regarding students’ different

experiences. They would be able to comprehend what students are going through.
For future researchers. The findings of the study will serve as reference material and a

guide for future researchers who wish to conduct the same experimental study or any study

related to Students' Lived Experiences with taking the Blended Learning program.

1.4 Scope and Delimitations

Since it is impossible to cover all aspects of the chosen subject in a short period of time,

the scope would have to be limited to a small part of the objective for a set period of time. In

this research, ten senior high students from Immaculate Conception Parochial School will be

a perfect coverage group to observe and study for 30 days. This research will be design to

have a thorough knowledge of the experiences of students. This study will be conducted with

a limited amount of resources and a time framework.

1.5 Definition of Terms

The following are some terminologies that are specifically defined and used for clarity

and a common frame of reference.

1. Aralinks. Promotes 21st century learning through the dynamic and effective synthesis

of pedagogy, technology, and learning spaces.

2. Aralinks Learning Management System. A valuable platform for asynchronous

conversations, gallery walks, and online forums in online academic settings.

3. Blended Learning. A fully online curriculum with all learning done online and at a

distance and no face-to-face component.

4. Collaborative Learning (CL). An educational approach to educating and learning

that includes bunches of learners working together to complete a task.

5. E-Learning. A learning system with the help of electronic resources; utilize to

approach the educational curriculum outside the traditional classroom.

6. Learning. To acquire knowledge through study, experiences, or by being taught.

7. Learning Management System (LMS). is a platform or application that allows users

to monitor, develop, manage, and deliver educational content to students.

8. Students’ Lived Experiences. A representation and understanding of a researcher or

research subject's human experiences, choices, and options and how those factors

influence one's perception of knowledge.