DepEd vows to address errors in self-learning modules
As it starts with the second quarter for school year 2020-2021, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that it will continue to address issues in self-learning modules (SLMs) currently being used by students in the basic education system under the distance learning set-up.
While there were issues with the SLMs in terms of their content during the first quarter, DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio told the Manila Bulletin that “we addressed them and made sure that further materials would be quality assured.”
Due to the ongoing health situation in the country brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, DepEd is implementing distance learning as a major component of learning delivery to 22.7 million students who enrolled in public schools this school year.
Under distance learning, multiple learning modalities are being used depending on the choice and capacity of students. These learning modes include modular (offline and print), online learning, TV and/or radio-based instruction and blended learning which is a combination of two or more modalities.
While learning modalities may differ among students, DepEd said that the SLMs is considered as the “backbone” of distance learning. Since the SY 2020-2021 started in October, DepEd has been receiving reports found in the SLMs and other learning materials - both printed and educational videos shown in the DepEd TV.
Some of these errors - which have become viral because many netizens pointed them out - were found in locally-developed modules, unknown sources; and Central Office (CO)-quality assured SLMs. The types of error reported and verified by DepEd include factual errors; computational errors; format (font/illustration) errors, printing errors (color)/sorting of pages and spelling/punctuation; typographical errors; and error on grammar/syntax.
According to Information and Communications Technology Service Director Abram Abanil, DepEd has also “recorded 6 or 7 out of 1,060 episodes aired” in DepEd TV which were corrected as soon as possible.
To monitor and address the errors in SLMs, San Antonio said that the “DepEd Error Watch” was launched “for easier tracking of the errors since most of them are from our field offices.”
When it comes to the printing of SLMs, San Antonio said that as of Dec. 29 the second quarter of the current school year would have 893 total most essential learning competencies (MELCs) throughout. “While there would be around 708 self-learning modules (SLMs) that are expected to be produced,” he added.
San Antonio explained that among the total SLMs being quality assured by composite team of central office and regional learning resource evaluators, a total of “468 of them are ready for printing while 80 of them are for the final layout, 66 are currently for final checking of the specialist, 58 are undergoing a review of the revised version by the assigned specialist, 23 are on the major revision status care of the assigned regions, and 13 are now in the conformance review stage.”
As part of its efforts to ensure the quality of SLMs, the DepEd Bureau of Learning Resources will also conduct the orientation on the submission and evaluation of SLMs for Quarters 3 and 4 of SY 2020-2021 tomorrow, Jan. 13.
The orientation will be conducted virtually and open to interested publishers, book printers, individual authors, and other stakeholders in the publishing industry.