THE PROS AND CONS OF MODULAR DISTANCE LEARNING

GERMA M. SANTIAGO

The sudden shift of the approach in education is spearheaded by the outbreak of the Covid-19 across the globe. Different educational institutions have to implement different methods to still continue the education of the students. In the Philippines, the Department of Education (DepEd) had implemented distance learning all over the country. One of this is the modular distance learning where students are given learning materials by their teachers which they need to return after they read and answer the questions in the module. Although there are a lot of inconveniences which the new learning modality has brought, it also has its advantages which help the students to learn from their home. Initially, the modular learning is helpful for the students that cannot afford online classes or does not have the finance to buy or have gadgets and internet in their home. Because of this, they will not fall behind their peers which can apply for online learning and can still continue their education. Time is another exceptional strength of the modular distance learning because it lets the students have their own time and pace to learn the self-learning modules which are required to be returned after a week. Consequently, it helps the students to manage their time well in doing the modules. Also, it can fortify the relationship between the parents and their children because of the increased bonding they can get in helping their child to answer the module.

The modular distance learning can be helpful for the students but it also has its downsides. First, students do not learn anything while using this type of modality. Even during the face-to-face classes, some students struggle to understand the lesson given to them. And with this sudden change in the learning environment, it is not surprising that many students also face difficulty to grasp the lesson. This can be a result of having no teachers or even parents to guide or help them in their module. Second, some students just copy their answers from their classmates. A lot of students nowadays are born with the technology that they use it to their advantage. Third, parents are the ones who answer the modules of their children. Sometimes, parents can be a bit too greedy for their children’s grades to get high that they tend to answer the questions in the modules themselves. Finally, some students do not even read the modules given to them. Some students just slack off and this can be a cause of a distracting environment they are in.

-oOoThe author is Teacher III at Iba Elementary School Iba, Hagonoy Bulacan