After COVID-19 emerged in early 2020, the students had two choices
to pick: online classes or modular, but this is not the case for some schools
that only have the option of modular learning. Since the pandemic has been showing no
signs of abating and it is not the fault of the teachers nor the students, the
modular learning modality is unlikely to succeed. The plan was already flawed
from the start. Modular learning was the temporary measure to these economic
shortcomings. However, they overlooked the fact that every student's family
life is different.
Modular learning primarily relies on the More Knowledgeable Others
(MKOs) capacities, which refers to someone who has a better understanding or a
higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, also
known as the adult figures in these students' homes. The module relies on their
knowledge and patience to teach the student whatever concept they don't
understand. In most middle-class dwellings where at least one person has access
to the internet, this might not pose much of a problem. Additionally, at least
one person in middle-class families has attended college to access education
and resources. This may not be the case for lower-income families where both
parents are absent, trying to make ends meet, and no one has gone to college
because of poverty. Modular learning might not work at all. Lessons are limited
to what has written on paper.
With the current approach, DepEd has for its teachers and students,
the chances of anyone genuinely learning anything are slim. To begin with,
modules are not intended to replace teachers. Without a knowledgeable person
nearby who can explain confusing or complicated concepts written in the module,
the student will not fully understand. Second, there are limited examples. The
modules aren't perfect in and of themselves. They vary in each school, and
their content is determined by the teachers who created them. Because of a
well-explained module, some students may have no trouble understanding their
lectures, but others may not be so fortunate. With insufficient guidance, the level of learning varies. Third, students are being left in the dark.
Those who don't have access to electronic gadgets and the internet may not even
know who their classmates are for this school year. The sole point of contact
impoverished kids had with their lecturers is through the modules. Social ties
can't establish between students and teachers. Furthermore, feedback is
missing. After the modules are answered and given to the teacher, students must
only be concerned about following and answering the modules. Feedback on what you learned and
if your responses are correct are little to none. The modular method, therefore,
makes the student and the teacher into an endless stream of paperwork without knowing
the effectiveness of this strategy.
There are a lot even more difficulties worrying about modular
learning, but these are the most prevalent. Both the students as well as the
teachers are at a disadvantage. The quality of education, nonetheless, hard it
is to confess, might have dropped. But we can't blame anyone since we're still
in a pandemic. Learning is complex when doing on your very own.
It's difficult, but at least we
tried, and despite all of our difficulties, we've managed to cope with the
current circumstance. The most important lesson students learned from this
modular learning is that it is not the grades they receive from the modules
that matter because, in the end, students learned how to cope with life's
challenges and learned so many lessons that this pandemic had brought us, not
just academically but in life and that no one can take away until we grow
old. Let us not forget that it is not the papers or the scores that
define a student, but rather how we apply our lessons taken from this modular learning experience. This pandemic gave us invaluable life lessons that
we will all reflect on in the coming years.
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