THE Department of Education (DepEd) Cordillera sees the use of offline teaching modules as the most viable of the blended learning systems applicable to the region.
Pilot testing for the new learning delivery modalities in select schools in Baguio City, Benguet Province and other parts of the region was done by DepEd, as it initially assessed the offline module as the more favorable system for Cordilleras.
Georaloy Palao-ay, public information officer of the DepEd, said that the dry run or pilot testing of the blended approach started last week. It started with the preparation of the learning packets, the orientation of parents, the learners and the demo teachers.
"What we observed was that mostly for the Cordillera Region was an offline module,” Palao-ay said.
The offline module of learning consists of the use of learning instructional content materials uploaded on USBs, CDs and printed worksheet materials, which learners can use over and over depending on what the subjects require.
“Some division started with the radio just like in Benguet over an AM radio station transmitting in Baguio City. The simulation of radio and television is more of supplementing the module because it’s very difficult to make a schedule for the learners. So at their own time, they can repeat whatever is broadcast on television or radio having the same content with that of the offline module,” the information officer stated.
The said pilot testing is part of DepEd’s learning continuity plan, which once conducted, the teachers would retrieve the accomplishments of the students for the education experts to give feedback and evaluation to come up with improvement mechanisms.
“After retrieving the initial results of the simulation this week, education experts will now assess and determine what gaps have to be improved so that from those learnings. They can improve more their learning continuity plans, which is progressive," Paao-ay explained.
"We plan as we go and what is important in our pilot testing is that at least we already have a birds eye view of what will happen, which is better rather than nothing,” he explained.
On the application of the online system particularly for Baguio City, DepEd-Cordillera noticed the problem of internet connection.
Palao-ay said that for Baguio City, one pilot school was located in Happy Hollow barangay, which is far from an internet connection. Its problem concerned more about the delivery of the learning module.
He assured that the Philippine Army was now tasked to deliver and retrieve the learning material.
In contrast, a pilot school located in Cresencia Village in Guisad Valley, which had a strong internet signal, already tried the online system.
"We will see what the result of the system would be to know what the gap is but basically what we are seeing is the system of collecting. Our central office is partnering with DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) and we will be waiting what our central office would advise us,” Palao-ay added.