Periodical exams not expected under new blended learning method

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Periodical exams and the typical grading system will not be encouraged for the new blended and modular learning that the schools will apply for Academic Year 2020-2021.

According to the Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio, with the new modalities of learning gearing towards keeping the students or “learners” at home, the schools will have to change the way they grade the students.

San Antonio spoke at Mugstoria hosted by the Office of the Presidential Assistant of the Visayas (OPAV), on August 12, 2020 to discuss the new system of learning that parents and their children will have to adjust into come August 24, 2020, the start of the classes.

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There are three types of modalities that parents or guardians can choose for the learners: printed modules, digital modules, online learning.

So far, more than 50 percent of students in the country has chosen printed modules for learning, which would entail a student getting printed lessons and exercises from school to be done at home.

This will allow the students to reduce their exposure time because they only need to take their modules from school and submit them later at a scheduled time.

San Antonio said that 20 percent availed of online learning, which will involve online classes and digital exercises, online presentations, and submission of portfolios for the completion of the module.

While the rest of the students opted for digital modules, which would entail modules being provided to the students through flashdrive or disc, and the television and radio complemented self-learning modules, which would use broadcasting to teach the students while they answer activity sheets.

Right now, the DepEd is already preparing the various schools in the country for the start of the classes focusing on ensuring that both parents and teachers would know how to guide the students’ learning in the new normal.

The grading would be different since the students will have easier access to information through the internet or can employ the help of adults in their learning activities.

Instead of quizzes or periodical exams, the students will be asked to submit a portfolio of essays, reflection papers, or other forms of output that will prove they have processed the information taught to them.

“Eto yung pinakamagandang panahon na maturo sa mga kabataan ang halaga ng honesty. Maging honest tayo sa paggawa ng ating mga schoolworks,” said San Antonio.

(This is the best time to teach our youth the value of honesty. Let us be honest in making our schoolwork.)

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DepEd Central Visayas (DepEd-7) Regional Director Cristito Eco said that region saw a decrease of enrollees this school year with only P1.8 million enrollees, most of them are enrolled in public schools.

This is only 84 percent compared to the enrollees in 2019 which reached P2.14 million.

DepEd-7 has begun conducting dry runs on the new system focusing on printed modules as the standard and online learning for others. He said the teachers and parents have been eager to adapt to the new learning method after they participated in the dry run.

“The parents used to be apprehensive, but after the dry run they realized that the whole family can support the learner. They are excited for it,” said Eco.

In the next week, DepEd-7 will conduct a synchronized simulation of the enhanced learning modality so the parents, teachers, and the learners will have to time to get used to the new system before August 24, 2020.

Eco assured that DepEd-7 would provide assistance to the schools in the transition to this new mode of education. /dbs