Gabaldon Elementary School Supports Distance Learning Using Radio-Based Instructions

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most significant threats to education in history, affecting the student population. To ensure the learning never stops, several schools have switched to online-based distance education.

From its invention, the radio has played an essential part in the field of communication. The 1930s saw the advent of radio into the educational method. Following the growth of print as an instrument for the transmission of thoughts, messages, facts, and awareness, the spoken word arose as a vehicle of communication with new tonal values. Radio combines sounds and has enormous promise. It has the potential to instill ideals, arouse creativity, and expand knowledge and comprehension.

Radio broadens one's circle of acquaintance, and by communicating with his or her surroundings, does the infant learn information. Radio widens one's circle of acquaintance. With the aid of original voice and natural sounds, radio takes the world into the classroom through interpretation, narration, dramatization, and so on. It gives individuals exceptional contributions: It encourages students to become acquainted with eminent figures who have made significant contributions to society. Usually, many people's voices are not audible to a portion of the pupils. It will be a fantastic learning tool for the students.

Despite this technical gap, most schools around the country are now introducing distance education through radio-based services. The importance of instructional broadcasts on radio extends beyond the needs of pupils.

However, the establishment and use of radio as a tool for distance education pose significant obstacles, such as the absence of instructional material in audio-visual formats, inability to deliver material in sufficient quantities and consistency on time, the lack of pre-existing arrangements for instructional curriculum creation and broadcasting, the need for coordination and cooperation between education specialists and audio-visual experts in the development of instructional programs and the lack of knowledge and experience in learning monitoring and assessment.

Collaboration among broadcasters, education officials, and educators were critical to the success of radio-based educational programs. Many stations prefer to focus on their current programming due to the minimal time available to develop and produce instructional material for radio.

The key aims of the different interventions proposed during the workshop were meeting students and ensuring instructional consistency. As a result, most broadcasters developed their programming to have more interactive elements to grab learners' interest, especially the youngest ones. The programs are often intended to serve as a forum for sharing ideas and views between generations. Several examples were given during the workshop in Gabaldon Elementary School, including videos, and online quizzes.

The use of radio broadcasts as a distance learning platform is an effective way to bridge the digital gap in education and engage marginalized students. However, there are some critical issues to remember.

Many issues concerning the quality assurance of educational programs, the engagement of learners, especially the youngest ones, and the evaluation or measurement of learning outcomes have been resolved, but further commitment is needed. Furthermore, the long-term longevity of these programs is being debated.

These are the immediate fields of thought. The Department of Education contributes to generating information and data to guarantee that no one is left behind by distance education responses to the COVID-19 disease outbr eak.

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THE AUTHOR IS TEACHER III AT GABALDON CENTRAL SCHOOL