NH: 2nd SAMAHAN Townhall Conversation titled “Going Online Together.” The said meeting is held via Zoom with Fr. Joel Tabora, SJ, Ms. Gina Montalan, PhD, and Fr. Ulysses Cabayao, SJ, as panelists.

SAMAHAN President Renz Allan Lacorte acknowledges the need for a 2nd Townhall Conversation to address the various concerns regarding online classes.

Academic Vice President, Dr. Gina Montalan, emphasizes the importance of having the right mindset to understand online education.

Montalan points out the importance of learning schedule in online classes and how teachers and students can learn together with a "synchronous" online mode of education.

Montalan: "We value the individual learning pace of students. We cannot force students to learn complicated topics if the student cannot take the prerequisite topics."

Montalan emphasizes the importance of formative assessments in helping teachers determine the readiness of students in terms of completing the final assessment of their respective courses.

2nd year Environmental Science student, Francis Rodrigo, asks if teachers are obliged to meet students once a week.

Montalan: "It is required for a teacher to meet his/her students once a week. It is a mechanism for teachers to really monitor his/her students' learning progress."

Samantha Cayona asks what are the plans of the university for classes that rely on laboratory works, and what are the plans of the university if face to face learning will not be possible in the near future.

Sir Renante Pilapil: "We acknowledge the need for laboratory activities for certain students. We are already planning our mechanism in addressing the need for laboratory classes. We have also discussed that face-to-face learning is really not possible for now."

Montalan: "We know that activities like laboratory works, are necessary to be finished on campus. We are giving considerations in that certain learning field in computing the final grade of the students."

Hanna Marie Yarso asks how can students respond to teachers that are selling certain PDF files that are necessary for answering particular quizzes and assessments.

Montalan: "To sell material to students is a big no in our handbook and regulations. Materials should be freely given to students and should be always available for access."

Gwyneth Vasquez asks about a statement in Fr. Tabora's blog, and the concrete plans that AdDU has right now in terms of being an "open university."

Tabora: "We hope that there can be a full array of courses that can be fully available online. These courses will then constitute our goal of being an 'open university'."

Fr. Ulysses Cabayao: "To be successful in being an "open university", teachers should be trained in teaching and giving instruction with technology and be knowledgeable enough in navigating through this online mode of learning."

Lacorte asks about the possibility of summative assessments piling up during the end of the course.

Montalan: "There are already courses that we have decided to require performance-based requirements. We are going to spread the schedule in conducting the final assessment of different subjects; teachers are going to plan ahead their inputs to avoid conflict in schedule."

Montalan: "We have agreed that we are going to schedule the summative final assessment and be spread out in 1 whole academic year. The teacher is not going to provide a one-time summative assessment. The teacher will provide a schedule every month."

Lacorte asks on how can students appreciate formative assessments if they are not graded in the first place.

Montalan: "The teacher has to understand and explain the role of formative assessment in online education. Assessments should be considered as a mechanism for teachers to gather data as to how ready the students are to take the summative assessments."

Montalan: "The appreciation of students in answering formative assessments relies on how the teacher is utilizing the results he/she gets from that [formative test], to develop the learning and understanding of the students."

Fr. Ulysses Cabayao: "Online learning places a responsibility on a student in terms of how he or she can pace himself."

RR Lopez shares about the struggle of having teachers that are having "mood-swings" in their classes, and the challenge of balancing certain tasks and assessments that are continuously present in online classes.

Montalan points out the changes in the distribution of loads to teachers and students. One possibility stated is the good distribution of loads of the students in one semester, as it affects the learning approach of the teacher.

Dr. Casumpa: "The kind of formative assessment we give is very crucial. We have to get our teachers to understand the very crucial role of Formative Assessment. We can give training to our teachers on this."

Cabayao: "Our faculty is making sure that you get a good education and many of us have different interpretations of what good education is. Our administration is doing its best to make this learning effective and more helpful for everyone."

Nikka Grace, a first-year elementary education student, asks about the issue of having a stable internet connection in participating in online classes.

Fr Tabora: "Connectivity is an issue that is beyond the reach of Ateneo de Davao alone. We are working together to advocate for greater connectivity. Connectivity will become more difficult when actual school learning starts."

Patricia Calanza asks about the university's plan in pressuring the government to put a specific action in the "internet democracy" issue.

Tabora: "We need to have a dialogue with different officials and people from the government, and take action with the cooperation and help of industries of technology."

Tabora: "We have to be able to increase the connectivity in Mindanao this year; it needs political will. To get the political will, we have to talk to various government agencies to give us the connectivity we need in our online classes."

Carl Maglinte asks on how can students address teachers who are constantly giving numerous activities without giving consideration in their students' resources and time.

Pilapil "The year level coordinators can help you if you have concerns. They can relay the concern to the respective people and offices that are needed for your concern."

Karlo Torreon asks if synchronous "work-out sessions" are allowed in online classes.

Montalan: "We need to go back to the learning outcomes when it comes to determining the modalities of teaching in online class. So yes, it is possible. As to what extent in different contexts? That decision depends now on the part of your teacher."

Kacey Lebrun asks about how the university will prevent "academic fraud", and how the school will address students who are planning to drop-out.

Cabayao: "We just hope that teachers will always keep track of their students. We are hoping that they will continue to ask updates from their students with regards to their situation."

Cabayao: "As a Jesuit university, we are concerned with our students. We are still adjusting with this form of learning with the pandemic that is happening, but we all care for our students."

Ivy Braga shares that teachers should be more considerate in giving students timed quizzes and assessments.

Montalan points out that the admin and coordinators will conduct a meeting to address such concerns with academic approach and consideration.

Fr. Cabayao asks students to give their own suggestions on how can online classes be improved and how other concerns can be properly addressed.

Fr. Tabora: "I think the quality of this dialogue is different from the dialogue we had [before]. The dialogue before is about whether having online classes or not, but now we are addressing concerns on how we can improve in handling this online form of learning."

Tabora: "We do yearn for a time where we can use our classrooms again; where we can use our Martin Hall, where we can dance, sing, and worship together."

Fr. Tabora: "We're called to make the best out of this situation. Don't give up, just continue learning. In order to do that, we must dwell on the questions: 'Why am I learning?' 'Why am I enrolled in AdDU?' 'Why is it a privilege to learn in a higher education today?'"

Tabora: "The students have a say on when they want to take the summative assessments."

Tabora: "If these problems continue, mental health problems can happen. We should not pressure our students. We don't want our students to give up."

Tabora: "Students, allow yourselves to continue learning, because you understand the importance of it. You enrolled this year because you saw the importance of education. You didn't enroll to give up, you enrolled to learn."

Tabora: "The ball is with the students and you don't have to finish everything in one sem or one year. We will always be able to recover with what we didn't learn this year. What is important is that we continue to learn."

Tabora: "Formative assessments are not to be graded. If we do not understand this, we are going to pressure our students into giving up. Teachers must understand that the students must not be pressured. If they want to postpone, let them postpone it."