It has been over a year since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak that consequently made schools, universities, and other learning institutions to leave the conventional face-to-face method of teaching and learning and adopt to other methods of delivering lessons, one of which is the use of the internet. The internet, as medium between teachers and learners, has been utilized by many schools and universities especially in the western countries to cater to online distance learners and those who have flexible time of learning. This is called hybrid learning, which is an integration of various online technologies and instructional strategies into the classroom by providing students with greater time flexibility and improved learning outcomes (Lee & Im, 2006).
The Philippines, according to The Inclusive Internet Index (2020), is among Asia’s weaker countries in advancing Internet inclusion, ranking 19th out of 26 nations in the region. Affordability levels of smartphones and mobile data are low in the global context, and mobile users are burdened by relatively slow download and upload spee. Additionally, As reported by Philippine Daily Inquirer in its November 2020 news, Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index found that the Philippines ranked 110th out of 139 countries in terms of mobile data speed, having an average of 18.49 megabits per second (Mbps) as of November 2020, compared to November 2019’s record of 17.15 Mbps. These speed tests do not represent the entire internet connection in the country as internet access and speed vary across the regions. Based on these reports alone, we can conclude that the primary use of the internet and its learning platforms in delivering lessons for all levels of learners may not be suitable.
Hence, for the Department of Education to be able to cater to the learning needs of students from kindergarten to the twelfth grade, various learning modalities have been proposed and implemented. Those areas with good internet connection may use online distance learning, others may use Television or Radio Based Instructions, while the rest may use self-learning modules.
Deped Tabuk City, to identify the right modality for learners, released Division Memorandum No. 126 on July 13, 2020 for public school district superintendents, school heads, and other interested parties to conduct a survey using the Learners Enrolment Survey Form (LESF) where the parents/guardians choose the modality suited or applicable for their children. The survey results show that Modular Distance Learning (MDL) is the modality that most of the parents and guardians preferred.
Modular Distance Learning or Self-Learning Modules based on the most essential learning competencies (MELCS) goes by many other labels including self-directed learning and self-access learning (Ranabahu and Tamala, 2006). It is an individualized method of learning where the learner is free to choose what to learn, how to learn, when to learn and where to learn. This flexibility mirrors that of blended learning without massive dependence to internet access. However, this may only be advantageous and beneficial to independent learners.
Therefore, the shift from the conventional face-to-face method of teaching and learning to Self-Learning Modules left several challenges for teachers and school heads to solve, from production of modules to its delivery to the learners, and its retrieval. Despite the trainings undertaken by teachers and school heads for them to be fully equipped in the new normal of delivering basic education, some issues were still encountered.
Additionally, according to a feature on Philippine Information Agency Website by Bryan Bagood, issues on reading and writing instruction are among the expected problems, particularly for the Kindergarten to Grade Three classes. Reading and writing are necessary in these stages, and the modules cannot guarantee in building the fundamental of the said skills.
Thus, Balong Elementary school is not free from these issues. From the commencement of the use of Self- Learning Modules until the present, the school head and the teachers received complaints from parents, guardians, and learners that said SLMs contain too many activities. Further, submitted modules were answered when answer keys were provided, and some activities were answered by the parents instead of the learners. And though schedule of distribution and retrieval of modules have been consistently followed, some modules were not answered completely, not submitted on time, and worst some were no longer submitted. On the side note, some pupils come to school to get their modules neglecting health protocols even dissemination of guidelines mandated by IATF has been reiterated.
Of these issues currently being experienced by the school head and teachers, it settles that being equipped through trainings and online seminars in the new normal is not enough, as their primary role to teach, guide, model, and mediate in the conventional classroom to the young minds specially to the struggling ones have been limited by this present pandemic. Moreover, said pandemic stole opportunities for active engagement, immediate feedback, and socio-emotional development of learners where they normally experience in the formal classroom.
As Fuming (2007) reiterated that the cultivation of learning strategies should be done in the classroom which are divided into five parts:
1) presentation, in which the teacher tells the learners the strategies they are to learn, compared to SLMs, learners must rely to their reading skills and the guidance from parents or guardians;
2) modeling of strategies, in which the teacher shows how the strategies work, compared to SLMS, this burden is delegated to parents or guardians;
3) training, where the teacher provides relevant materials to test the strategies, compared to SLMs, guidance through the use of materials is passed on to parents or guardians;
4) evaluation, where the teacher examines how well learners have mastered the new strategies compared to SLMs, learning outcomes are measured through graded tests. Summative test is given every Friday while a periodical test is administered on the ninth week of the quarter. The scores in exams will serve as the basis for further intervention;
5) Lastly, expansion, where the teacher provides more opportunities for learners to test the strategies they have learned, compared to SLMs, performance, as one of the criteria of the grading system, will be assessed through the outputs and projects required in a quarter. Though assessments are similar to the usual measurement of mastery of skills of learners in the formal education, with the lack of proper intervention done by experienced teachers, the reliability of assessment of SLMs is less likely at par with its conventional counterpart.
To bridge such gap, the Department of Education (DepEd) instructed parents and guardians to play the various roles in Modular Learning such as being Module-ator, Bundy-clock, and as Home Innovator. As a Module-ator, they act as medium in the transfer of SLMs from school/barangay halls to learners at home at the beginning of the week and submit completed SLMS by the end of the week, but this arrangement could vary based on the agreement between the parents and the school. As a Bundy-clock, they are responsible in the monitoring of their child's class schedule to meet deadlines of submission since number of activities to be tackled in every subject area are sufficient enough to cover the whole week. Failure to follow the schedule might lead to delays which could affect their performances. Finally, as a Home Innovator, parents should create a conducive learning environment for their children that invites a balanced mind ready to digest content of SLMs.
However, since livelihood of parents were also affected and that most parents of learners in Balong Elementary School are farm- laborers where some of them did not finish basic education, taking roles and responsibilities from the aforementioned may not ensure effectivity of learning outcomes. In addition to that, the parents or guardians have to work in the farm to make ends meet, thereby leaving their children alone at home or at times they go with them to help with the farm work. And so, where time is manageable, teachers do home visitation to students needing remediation or assistance observing basic health protocols.
Despite these challenges, joint effort and collaboration is being done by the school head and teachers of Balong Elementary School, parents, the community, and the Barangay officials in directing, supporting, encouraging, and motivating the young learners to guarantee the delivery of quality of education they deserve.
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