Will blended/distance learning or ‘GOAL’ be the new normal in education?

By Ed Uy | June 27, 2020

WHEN I was a student, the start of the school year was a lot like Christmas for me and my siblings (minus the toys and the noche buena), because it was the only other time when we had reason to buy new shoes, uniforms, bags (Khumbmela!) and lots of school supplies.

Those were simpler times. We were happy with Cattleya or Corona notebooks and Pilot pens, and if you had a Trapper Keeper, one of those refillable binder notebooks, or were using Staedtler/Faber Castell pencils instead of Mongol #2, you were already the envy of your classmates.

Now, in addition to skyrocketing tuition fees and those expensive school supplies, students also “need” a smartphone, tablet or laptop, and prepaid cards for their call and data loads—on top of their daily allowances.

So I can just imagine how hard it must be for parents to send a child, let alone several kids to school—something that’s about to become even more complicated and problematic because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As President Duterte himself has said that he won’t be allow students to go back to school until it is safe or a vaccine becomes available, the Department of Education has developed the Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) and schools are directed to implement blended/distance learning modalities where lessons will be delivered to the students in their homes.

In the blended/distance learning modalities, DepEd will utilize online learning resources such as its learning portal, called “DepEd Commons.” The DepEd said it will also continue to pursue various distance learning delivery modalities, one of which is online learning.

For those without Internet connectivity or gadgets at home, the DepEd said preparations are also currently underway to implement home-based learning through TV, radio, online and printed modules. The agency is tapping private partners and local government units to assist them in this challenging implementation of School Year 2020-2021. As of the third week of June, the total number of enrollees has reached 12,768,466 nationwide (12,319,956 in public schools and 439,520 for private schools) for Kindergarten to Grade 12 in both formal and informal education systems.

Teachers nationwide, on the other hand, are getting free online trainings provided by Gabay Guro, PLDT’s flagship educational program through its “Learning Never Stops” campaign. As of May 30, Gabay Guro has led 13 e-learning sessions on Facebook with over 300,000 views to date.

The online training videos uploaded on the Gabay Guro Facebook Page are all for free. These videos are available for replay which allows teachers to learn at their own pace.

Topics of the live training and recorded webcasts include life learnings from the quarantine, virtual teaching 101, flipping the classroom, improving students’ reading and comprehension, as well as teachers’ mindset improvement in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

My nephew has already enrolled and is about to start school next week, although how exactly that will happen remains a mystery to all of us.

 

iACADEMY SETS GOAL

 

UNLIKE many schools who are just trying to attempt distance learning for the first time, Makati-based school iAcademy has already been implementing technology-enabled learning by utilizing various online platforms and tools like NEO and Google Classroom to deliver lessons even before the pandemic began.

With the current global health crisis and government pronouncements prohibiting conduct of face-to-face classes, iAcademy has decided to roll out its new approach, called GOAL, or Guided Online Autonomous Learning.

iAcademy has ramped up its efforts in fully implementing flexible remote learning for its students to ease its transition to what might become the new normal for educational institutions.

Earlier this month, the school gathered hundreds of parents for a webinar wherein school academic officials and parents had a meaningful discussion about flexible remote learning, and the preparations the school has done to ensure the continuous and dynamic delivery of education for its students.

Cecilia Sy, iAcademy’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, said, “When the pandemic broke, all schools and universities were forced to expedite the use of technology to deliver instruction to ensure that learning is not disrupted. For us, we saw this challenge as an opportunity to step up our game. iAcademy will implement the online distance learning program GOAL, which is designed to provide a flexible, relevant, balanced and collaborative learning experience to our students.

Learning sessions will be conducted either synchronously and asynchronously.

Synchronous learning is conducting learning sessions where students and professors interact and collaborate in real time. This can be done either through face-to-face classes or through remote or distance learning enabled by technology. This set-up allows immediate feedback because it facilitates the exchange of ideas and information in real time.

In asynchronous learning, professors and students collaborate but not in real time. The professors provide offline learning materials or resources that students study or work on in their own time. This includes tutorial videos, recorded lectures and demonstrations, modules, learning guides and other reading materials. Students and professors communicate through discussion boards, emails, or instant messaging. These tools are used for consultation and feedback.

Asynchronous learning has its benefits because in this format, students develop self-discipline and a sense of ownership of their learning because they are given some autonomy on how to pace themselves. It allows them to spend more time on challenging lessons and work toward mastery. Students can still collaborate with their teachers and classmates through chat boxes and discussion boards.

Jake Aragon, iAcademy’s Senior High School Principal, assured parents and students alike that the delivery of quality education is possible even through flexible remote learning.

Next week we’ll talk about more about how quality education can still be achieved through iAcademy’s GOAL program.