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Ateneo Science Educators and Researchers in Virtual
Engagement (SERVE) 2020 Ateneo de Manila University
School of Science and Engineering
MS Science Education Program of Biology Department

Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction Students’ Academic Achievement
in A Web-Based Learning Platform

b
a
Leah Mae B. Enero , Rene Juna R. Claveria , Cornelia C. Soto c

a
Senior High School Department, Batasan Hills National High School, Department of Education, Quezon City, Philippines
b
Environmental Science Department, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City,
c
Philippines Education Department, School of Social Sciences, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines
*Corresponding Author: leibotecario@outlook.com

ABSTRACT

Second Life (SL) is an online virtual world with pedagogical applications such as digital storytelling, role-
playing, and community engagement. As a web-based learning platform, this has already gained the
attention of educators around the globe, however, this has not been explored yet in the local educational
setting. The needs and expectations for an efficient and effective transfer of learning have become a
challenge amidst today’s educational landscape transformation, this study proposes the use of SL as a
web- based learning platform in delivering blended instructions for senior high school students aging 16-17
years old. Moreover, this aims to identify the effects of using SL in the academic achievement of the
learners. This is a Quasi-experimental Research using the Non-randomized Control Group, Pre-test –
Post-test Design, with SL as the independent variable and the students’ academic achievement as the
dependent variable. The participants were from a city-funded local university involving 30 students each
with similar cognitive ability, where one group used the traditional approach, and the other used SL as a
learning platform. In this study, the computed mean difference from their pre-test and post-test is 11.70 or
64% (SL) and 1.90 or 0.1% (non-SL). Based on the level of proficiency, this showed a significantly higher
post- academic achievement of 77% for the SL Group in terms of the frequency of students at an
outstanding level. This manifests that there is a significant difference in their gain scores after the
experimental procedure. Therefore, the inclusion of the web-based learning platform in the classroom
discussion contributes to the increase in students’ achievement not to mention its high usability for both
synchronous and asynchronous learning. The delivery of blended instructions may be challenging however,
st
incorporating technology as a part of the 21 -century learning will be an advantage to both the teacher and
the students.

Keywords: academic achievement, Second Life, web-based learning platform, blended learning, synchro-
nous learning, asynchronous learning, disaster readiness and risk reduction

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