Military science 2 in the new normal: Experiences of the 247th NROTCU training staff in online learning modality

• Main Author: Bandagosa, Anna Lyn M.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2020
• Subjects: Military education; Basic training (Military education)—Web-based instruction; Web-based instruction; Military and Veterans Studies; Online and Distance Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/11416
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Coronavirus disease outbreak (COVID-19) has greatly impacted the lives of people in the world. Gatherings were prohibited, business establishments were closed down and government did not allow face to face interactions amongst educational institutions. Due to series of lockdowns, this pandemic is causing a hard time to the day to day activities of people. It affects many sectors in our society including the education sector In the Philippines, the temporary closure of schools have affected millions of learners, teachers, and staff . The disruption caused by COVID-19 crisis has driven the educational sector to online classes or e-learning classrooms. The sudden change from the traditional face to face classroom setting, educators have to shift to virtual learning immediately and use available technologies. The students and the teachers left no choice , thus; working and studying at home become the new normal. The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is one of the three components of the National Service Training Program (NSTP). It is an optional and voluntary which aims to provide military training to tertiary students to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize them for national defense preparedness. ROTC in DLSU is yearly offered and instructed by the training staff of Naval ROTC. However, in this time of the pandemic, the training staff are obliged to abruptly adjust and adopt to the new normal. This paper aims to identify the strategies of the training staff in the preparation and implementation of the Military Science 2 (MS2) through online learning, determine the challenges of conducting the MS2 through online learning, and provide recommendations on implementing ROTC through online learning. The study utilized a mixed method quantitative and qualitative approach. Online survey, interview and focus group discussion amongst training staff were conducted in gathering the data. The results of the study highlighted the strategies employed by the training staff in the preparation and implementation of the MS2 in an online mode of learning. The strategies are the following: performed actual demonstration of practical exercises and live discussion, coordination with NFO and NAVRESCOM, being considerate on the situation of the students and creating and sharing of instructional materials to the students. The use of available equipment and technology is essential in facilitating MS2 course however the major challenges that the respondents have encountered is having a slow internet and familiarity of the online learning tools. Also this paper shows that aside from providing training on online learning tools, the training staff identified the following needed support from the ROTC program namely financial, technology, and administrative assistance. Overall, this study shows the experiences of the training staff in conducting the MS2 online and will draw out essential recommendations for further improvement of the ROTC courses in a virtual setting. Keywords: MS2, Online Learning, Pandemic, ROTC, Training Staff.