NEW NORMAL IN EDUCATION: SURVIVAL OF THE INDEPENDENT
Stephen Tracy E. Tabamo
Autonomy is one of the most important factors of self-learning. Self-learning is vital for distance education students. Learners take action toward becoming lifelong learners when they take responsibility for their own learning. So, determining autonomy of distance education has a critical importance (Firat, 2016; Jacobs, Renandya & Power, 2016).
We cannot deny the fact that we are all overwhelmed by the drastic paradigm shift in the academe. We never thought of having this kind of learning modality where there is scarce opportunity to communicate with our learners since we are compelled to avoid the face-to-face interaction to our learners for safety purposes. Indeed, autonomy is needed among our learners. They must learn on their own now since there are no teachers in front of them to assist and teach them especially to those areas where they are implementing pure modular approach.
Modular instruction is one of those teaching approaches where the students have to learn everything in the module using his own effort at his own pace. This method differs from the traditional one wherein a teacher presents the lesson and the students just listen to learn the concepts presented. To surpass the difficulties faced by the students in the traditional classroom situation, modular approach may be a good alternative since it is student-centered, self-paced, and requires no notetaking, Gonzales, (2015).
Based on the study of Padmapriya (2015), the students treated with modular approach achieved higher mean scores than those students taught through activity oriented method. The study reveals the effectiveness of self-instructional module on achievement among secondary school students and the administrators must take necessary steps to give special training to teachers in developing modular packages.
This year has become very challenging to all of us. For the parents, they have to exert effort in helping their children in answering their modules. In order to do so, they are also compelled to revisit and review the lessons of their children. If they are professionals, they just have to review what they have learned before, but if they are not, there enters a bigger problem. Much is also expected of the teachers. They have to write the modules to be used per quarter and have it evaluated by experts. They have to print and sort, distribute and retrieve, and most especially check and record. For some, teachers have nothing to do during this time of pandemic; but for those who know the reality, their tasks were multiplied compared from the past.
Above all of these, the biggest challenge lies on the children, the students. This year is definitely challenging on their part since they have to learn on their own. They have to double their effort. They have to be extra patient and hard-working. Above all, they have to be autonomous or independent learners. No matter how difficult this situation we are into is, it will surely pass too.
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The author is High School Teacher at Balanti High School of the Tarlac City
Schools Division.