Home⇛Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives⇛vol. 2 no. 10 (2024)

Lived Experiences of University Students with Limited Internet Connectivity in Online Distance Learning

Christian S. Francisco | James R. Pedrera | Mary Ann C. Madalina

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

The pandemic brought by the coronavirus has had a notable impact on people's lives. In this regard, a new educational norm was pushed as a learning continuity plan that compelled Higher Educational Institutions (HEls) to engage in Online Distance Learning (ODL). However, there were problems that university students experienced due to the sudden transition of the learning modality; specifically, students faced difficulty accessing the internet. Hence, the current study explored and described the lived experiences of university students with limited internet connectivity in the ODL through qualitative research using a descriptive phenomenological approach. An in-depth interview with the participants using a researcher-made semi-structured interview guide was utilized. The study revealed that most students with limited internet connectivity experienced problematic access to online classes and defined that a student with limited access to the internet struggled hard in adapting to the new normal education. The study also perceived looking for good space and time as the major coping strategy of the students to ease their difficulty in accessing the internet. The findings also implied that students hoped for appropriate interventions to aid their need for a stable internet connection to provide them a better chance of survival in the new normal education. The study recommended further improvement of the current system for online distance learning, instructors' attitudes toward students, and replication of the study in other educational institutions.



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