The pandemic may have barred physical education, but it had also advanced online learning
Mastery learning or, as it was first called, “learning for mastery" is an instructional method and educational philosophy, formally proposed by Benjamin Bloom in 1968. This strategy maintains that students must achieve a level of mastery in prerequisite knowledge before moving forward to learn subsequent information. If a student does not attain mastery on the test, they are given additional support in learning and reviewing the information until they pass. Only by accomplishing mastery will a student be allowed to move on to the next stage.
The health crisis has urged a lot of establishments including learning institutions to close indefinitely. The prospect of holding face-to-face classes is out of the question. It’s under the new normal that schools have no choice but to hold classes online, which presents a number of unprecedented challenges to both students and educators everywhere.
The Far Eastern University (FEU) Tech earlier this month announced that their Mastery-based Individualized Learning Enhancement System (MILES) had been ready to streamline the adjustment to a remote learning setup. It was built with the use of online learning platform Canvas.
According to FEU Tech executive director Dr. Benson Tan, he and his team have high hopes for the program, which was created based on the idea of mastery learning.
“In a regular classroom setting, a student may be pressured to keep up with their peers and may just go through the motions of learning,” explains Dr. Tan. “The MILES program can provide an alternative to that by providing a curriculum that ensures students truly understand their lessons.”
MILES is unique for of its utilization of “Mastery Network,” a framework in every course that requires students to achieve a certain level of mastery in a topic before they can study the next. The student must get a minimum score on formative assessments to demonstrate mastery, with the option to try as many times as they need.
This will then go a long way in preparing students for the summative assessments at the end of the course, a final exam that they must take once alongside other students. FEU Tech is the first local institution to formally integrate such a concept in its curriculum.
Furthermore, MILES offers individualized learning, where the curriculum and learning materials are arranged in a way that best responds to a student’s needs. Students learning with the program can take advantage of its asynchronous learning option, where they can easily access learning materials online at any point in the day. Under this setup, students can learn at their own pace.
“On top of a self-paced learning environment, our faculty is ready to lend assistance at any time,” says Dr. Tan. “Whether that means simply asking a one-off question about the lesson or even taking time to give students one-on-one tutorial sessions.”
The easy access to additional help is another prominent feature of MILES. Through Canvas’ Big Blue Button feature, learners will be able to easily consult professors on the course material. This feature is best compared to a shop that is constantly manned. For every course, faculty will be ready to answer queries as they come. At least one professor will be online from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., to ensure students fully understand their lessons.
Meanwhile, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Big Blue Button feature will also be used to provide access to various offices and departments around campus from the clerical office to the library, and even the guidance counselor. The inclusion of these facilities helps students get the most out of campus life while still staying safe at home.
MILES program was rolled out on FEU’s Tech, Diliman, and Alabang campuses in August. Enrollment for the program continues for September.
“We want as many people as possible to benefit from what MILES has to offer,” says Dr. Tan. “For students, of course, the benefit is a learning system that realizes they may be adjusting to the practice of remote learning and accommodates them accordingly. For parents, however, we want to show that they don’t have to look too hard for a comprehensive and quality education that adapts to the current circumstances.”