Quantifying the Impact of Severe Weather Conditions on Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo
From October to November 2020 the Philippines was struck by eight typhoons, two of which
caused widespread flooding, utilities interruptions, property destruction, and loss of life. How did
these severe weather conditions affect online learning participation of students pursuing their
undergraduate and graduate studies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? We used Causal
Impact analysis to explore September 2020 to January 2021 data collected from the Moodle
Learning Management System data of one university in the Philippines. We found that overall
student online participation was significantly negatively affected by typhoons. However, the effect
on participation in Assignments and Quizzes were not significant. These findings suggested that
students continued to invest their time and energy on activities that have a direct bearing on their
final grades.