These days, people talk about distance learning, blended learning, Internet-based virtual classes, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Messenger Room, Viber Chatroom and many more. All these, because the usual face-to-face method of teaching and learning in the classroom does not seem desirable in these times of the pandemic.
With all these talk about virtual classes, parents have expressed much concern about things like not having appropriate gadgets, costly data bills, slow or no internet connection, no laptop, tablet, cellphone and other related problems. Lately someone said that transistor radios may be valuable for the teaching and learning process in the rural areas. Another bright guy has suggested that government should use the frequency of the network that was recently killed for delivering distance education lessons.
Come to think of it, all these concerns are all about delivery modes or delivery systems, which is, of course, one fundamental element of teaching and learning. Other than the delivery mode, I believe what is more fundamental is the content and the expected learning outcomes. The other is the corresponding evaluation or assessment standards and procedures that will measure learning progress leading to a judgment that the desired level of competence has been achieved. In fact, for me, these two are the more important considerations in any teaching and learning process.
In the technical vocational education and training system, promulgated training standards referred to as training regulations map out the competencies associated with a particular job or trade that become the basis of WHAT to teach. These training regulations also define the facilities, tools and equipment required to enable trainees to acquire the defined competencies which become the basis of HOW to teach. In addition, the same training regulations prescribe the assessment procedures and evidences that will indicate whether the desired level of competence has been acquired, thus becoming the basis for WHAT to test.
Since the technical vocational education and training system is regarded as an open system, HOW to teach or the delivery mode becomes a secondary area of concern. What remains as the primary and fundamental concern is WHAT to teach or the expected learning outcomes. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how or where one is trained or by whom. What really matters is that the competencies prescribed in the training regulations are properly acquired and such competencies can be adequately demonstrated at the time of evaluation or assessment.
Taking off from that perspective, it should go without saying that the Department of Education must have laid out all the desired learning outcomes at every level of the basic education system. Such learning outcomes become the paramount guide for teachers, students, parents, tutors and anyone involved in the education of young people at the kindergarten level up to the K to 12 grades.
No matter how lessons will be delivered or how teaching will be done, the ultimate result should be the achievement of the desired learning outcomes.
I still remember that even before I was enrolled in first grade, I knew how to read and how to write, thanks to my mother and a faded blackboard. I am puzzled no end to hear that these days there are Grade 5 students who still cannot read, or if ever they can, they do it in syllables and in lip reading mode. For me, this is a clear indication that reading competencies at the lower grades were not achieved. It is even worse if these were not adequately taught in the classroom or at home.
The same can be said of the disciplines in higher education. Of course, there is word that the Commission on Higher Education has promulgated the outcome-based education (OBE) standards some years ago. As such, colleges and universities should now have appropriate guidance on WHAT to teach to students in various disciplines, especially in the professions.
I would presume that the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has designed its board examinations in accordance with the OBEs defined in the CHED standards, the WHAT to test. It seems that colleges and universities are even required to conduct pre-board examinations for their graduates to ensure their readiness to take and pass the board exams.
Again, HOW to teach these outcomes as prescribed in CHED’s Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) will depend entirely on the higher education institutions. I suppose CHED has developed the appropriate learning materials for each discipline on the basis of the OBEs. If so, it becomes the responsibility of the higher education institution (HEI) to design its own delivery and assessment mechanisms to ensure that the desired learning outcomes are achieved by the students.
As a parent, I would be most interested to know these desired outcomes and how to effectively measure them and track the progress of my children’s learning. I will leave HOW learning is done to my own “diskarte.”
YouCanDoIt 