There are two sides to the coin. Connecting this to real life circumstances, this always tells us that in a certain case, there is always a positive and negative perspective and it may be a challenge or an opportunity. The same is true of our current condition in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Let us try to look at these problems in terms of teaching and learning resources and the assessment of learning.
Teaching and Learning Resources
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, DepEd ensures continuity of education by distance learning. In a survey conducted during the enrolment period, parents tend to have printed modules as their children's learning methods. As a consequence, there is a need for the replication of teaching and learning materials, in particular modules and learning activity sheets, for each student.
During the planning of teaching and learning materials, teachers consider these tasks to be opportunities because they are interested as authors and even editors. Their writing skills are being developed and they contribute something to teaching and learning materials for the benefit of other teachers and students. They are starting to prepare these materials before classes begin.
At present, the planning of teaching and learning materials is now considered a difficulty for teachers since they do not have the time to finish the module on its target date. Apart from that, there are a number of problems related to the content of the modules. Teachers' experience of being crushed by other people. This is also apparent in the community chats of parents who often complain about the quality of the modules.
Apart from that, teachers often face difficulties in terms of the printing materials required to complete the 1:1 module ratio for each student. The budget of the MOOE school is not enough to finance the printing materials required. As a result, teachers are asking the school's stakeholders for support. Local Government Units (LGUs) offer assistance to schools by supplying them with paper bonds, printers, and even electronic inks. Schools often attract the attention of parents who have the capacity to sponsor a modular non-print in order to reduce the pressure that teachers are facing.
Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic is both a threat and an opportunity in terms of teaching and learning opportunities. Both schools have access to the supplementary learning resources they need. In recent years, these materials have also been used in the delivery of their lessons, even in times of calamity. However, during the health crisis, teachers and learners experience the use of these learning materials. Apart from that, these materials act as an additional property of the school where they can reuse their students, choosing to stay at home while practicing their lessons.
Assessment of Learning
DepEd releases the interim guidance for the evaluation of student results during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the released document, the student grading bases are focused on written works and performance tasks. It is noted that during the time of the health crisis, there is no provision for teachers to plan for and administer quarterly examinations.
Different schools set up their own frameworks for evaluating the success of learners. Some schools provide the learners with weekly assessment and performance tasks. These are largely focused on the quality of the weekly lessons. These evaluation methods are put in the student learning packets where they are given one week to do so. The school shall set up an assessment committee to look into the preparation of these assessment methods. Likewise, consistency ensures the contents of these materials to ensure that they are consistent with the goals of the lesson.
Other schools tend to wait for the announcements made by higher authorities concerning the timetable for offering these evaluation resources to the students. This usually occurs when there are issues with the release of modules and the weekly learning activity sheets. In order to cover-up, the schools are releasing summative assessments and evaluation assignments for this reason.
There is a significant difficulty in the evaluation of learning, since the materials are taken home by the parents. Schools have little assurance as to who reacted to the evaluation tools; this is where the honesty and integrity of parents and students is checked. Some parents tend to work on evaluation methods to ensure that their children get high scores. However, there are parents who do not care about the numerical values of grades because they are more focused on the qualities that children learn from their lessons and activities. Teachers hope that the true success of the students will be expressed in the different activities they carry out.