The Utility of Video Communication Applications for Virtual Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Due to the rise of positive cases brought by the infection of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), the schools were closed down and limited the face-to-face instruction. With all that being said, our country, the Philippines has shifted from traditional face-to-face classes to online and distance education. Video-communication applications were utilized in the midst of online education, specifically during synchronous classes. Activities and other learning tasks and materials are being delivered by means of the features installed in such applications e.g., Google Meet and Zoom Cloud Meetings, therefore determining its level of utilizations is an imperative to consider. Through a descriptive-quantitative method, the researchers aimed to explore the following questions: (1) what are the features of video-communication applications were used by the teachers and students for their virtual teaching and learning, respectively?; (2) What is the level of utilization of these video-communication applications, for virtual teaching and learning along with: (a) Google Meet and (b) Zoom Cloud Meetings, and; (3) What video tutorial can be produced to improve virtual teaching and learning of mathematics? With the above mentioned method, responses were collected through Google forms from the respondents and were analyzed through statistical methods (frequency count, ranking, and weighted mean) and were interpreted descriptively. The results established that the use of camera, screen sharing, microphone, scheduling, laptop/PC, and hosting a meeting were highly utilized for virtual teaching while the use of laptop/PC, microphone, hand raising, chat box, and reminding feature were used often for virtual learning. Considering that only few features were highly utilized, the researchers therefore recommended that video tutorials shall be produced, in order for both teachers and students to create a variety of teaching and learning experiences.