De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) is offering a voluntary online alternative term called Benilde Online Learning Term (BOLT) set to begin on July 1, 2020 and end on August 25, 2020 to practice physical distancing guidelines and for graduating students to complete their requirements before face-to-face classes resume. Considering the unclear date of the complete lifting of the community quarantine, enrolling in BOLT leans more on being the more reasonable action for learning for the meantime. However, there are still advantages and disadvantages in doing so.
Due to the uncertain date of lifting the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and General Community Quarantine (GCQ), DLS-CSB has taken the initiative to allow Benildeans an option to enroll up to four subjects in a specific list of courses “carefully selected for FULL ONLINE delivery” before the start of the Third Term, A.Y. 2019-2020.
In an interview with The Benildean, Vice Chancellor for Academics Geronio Ulayao said that BOLT was offered to “declog the campuses and enable us to fully implement physical distancing when classes resume.” There will be a maximum of 25 students per section for “better interaction among faculty and students in the class even in virtual mode,” he stated.
Selected professors who were deemed qualified to teach online classes were said to have a “high level of proficiency in learning,” according to BOLT 2020 FAQs. Mr. Ulayao stated that their basis on the faculty’s competence on teaching and instructional strategies are the records from BigSky that determine the “extent of the engagement of the faculty using online modalities” and other information which was “triangulated” from those records.
Who is it for?
As the name implies, Benilde Online Learning Term is to be taken online. To determine who are qualified for online learning, the College required students a score of at least 13 points in the “Self-Assessment for Online Learning Readiness)” form that assesses one’s technology access and competence, learning preferences, motivation, self-directed learning skills, and communication abilities.
The interim term is voluntary, highly recommended for students with stable and reliable internet connection, access to needed technologies and softwares required for their courses as submission of requirements and test taking will be done online.
It is unavailable for new students, as Mr. Ulayao states that “frosh and transferees will only be accepted when face-to-face classes resume in September.”
Weighing out the pros and cons
Prior to BOLT, Benildeans have pre-enrolled for the next term. Mr. Ulayao said that these “pre-enrolled courses have been archived and will be retrieved in time for the September term.” For non-graduating enrollees, the BOLT becomes an opportunity to reduce the number of courses for the incoming regular terms, take prerequisite courses, or graduate earlier.
Based on the BOLT 2020 FAQs, it was emphasized that the term allowed a “high degree of flexibility.” Majority of the classes are said to be asynchronous sessions, described by Mr. Ulayao as “self-paced learning,” where students can watch instructional videos, answer online classes, and submit requirements on the set schedule. However, there will also be two to four synchronous sessions or pre-scheduled real-time sessions where the faculty and students must be virtually present at the same time.
With courses offered for a lower price and shorter timeframe, this could prove to be advantageous for the student if the course taken is more on readings and lectures rather than application-basis; this is mostly applicable for General Education courses.
However, as the “Self-Assessment for Online Learning Readiness” form had mentioned, BOLT is not for those who have poor internet connection and those who lack working gadgets such as laptops and cellphones. Enrolling in the term might do more harm than good if the students lack the necessary equipment.
On another note, since this is the first time that BOLT will be implemented due to the extraordinary circumstances, there is still a risk that the interim will not be as effective as face-to-face classes. It is vital for the student to gauge whether this is a risk they are willing to take.
To enroll or not to enroll?
As long as there is no clear announcement when the Community Quarantine will be lifted and for the formal resumption of face-to-face classes, enrolling in BOLT may be the best course of action for those who have the capacity and liberty to study their program’s courses for the meantime.
