Process of Setting and Recognizing Standards in Online IG Learning Communications
Online learning communications among multigenerational faculty and students in higher education flow more smoothly if participants adhere to standards which guide these communications. This study adopted the systematic grounded theory design to articulate how the standards for online IG learning communications were established and recognized by participants, and how they influenced behaviors toward the said process. Data were collected from 63 participants in higher education institutions in the Philippines’ Central Luzon Region using three methods: semi-structured individual interviews, online communication analysis, and a qualitative survey. Through a three-phase analysis, a grounded theory was articulated to explain the process of how standard-setting is determined by teacher authority, and how standard-recognizing is influenced by generational distance. Findings also show that whether the standards are provided explicitly, implicitly, unconsciously, or assumed, students rely on pakikiramdam (sensing) in recognizing standards set by the faculty for communication. Findings promotes awareness of the faculty and students’ roles in the process, in order to support a safe and IG-inclusive online communication environment.
Keywords: grounded theory, intergenerational diversity, online learning, classroom standards
