Knowledge of Faculty Members in Higher Education on Flexible Learning during the COVID19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study generally examined the knowledge of faculty members along flexible learning. Specifically, it investigated the personal and instructional profile of the respondents and their level of knowledge on flexible learning along the five (5) dimensions namely: time, content of the course, entry requirements, instructional approaches and resources, and delivery and logistics. The researcher utilized mixed research design and the study was conducted in the eight (8) campuses of Cagayan State University.  There were 217 respondents in the study and 15 study participants. The profile of the respondents revealed that majority are female, aged 31-40, holders of instructor position, master’s degree graduates and come from Andrews campus. As regards instructional profile, a greater proportion of the respondents used Facebook Messenger for discussion, CSU LENS for examination platform and laptops as gadgets. Moreover, the respondents are connected to WiFi, and they used a combination of synchronous and asynchronous delivery for instruction. Also, they spent Php 1,000.00 -Php 3,000.00 per month for internet connection. Notably, the respondents have average level of knowledge on the dimensions of flexible learning. Interestingly, there is no significant difference on the knowledge of the respondents on flexible learning based on their personal profile. Irrespective of sex, age, academic rank, educational attainment, campus, length of service and field of specialization, they have similar level of knowledge on flexible learning. On the other hand, delivery of instruction and monthly expenses to connectivity do not explain differences in the knowledge on flexible learning. The overall knowledge on flexible learning of the respondents is not also significantly associated to platform for discussion, platform for examination, devices/gadgets used, and internet connection. it is concluded that the faculty members of Cagayan State University (CSU) have moderate knowledge on flexible learning. Thus, much is desired to enhance their competence in flexible learning through formal training and other forms of capability building.