IF it’s still impossible to hold face-to-face classes due to the pandemic, an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) has underscored the need to harness technology as part of education’s new normal.
“We need to master distance learning now, making all the necessary improvements and perfecting our processes for the DepEd Commons, DepEd TV, DepEd Radio, the DepEd Learning Management System, the DepEd Mobile App, and others,” Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del B. Pascua said.
If there are no face-to-face classes, Pascua stressed, “then we have to devise all means to reach out to our learners and to bring basic education to them.”
“We have to educate, by all means, we have to teach by all means, and our learners have to learn by all means,” Pascua added during the first-ever Asia Pacific Public Sector Digital Summit recently. Pascua was joined by Alvin Ong, Chief Information Officer of the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore in the panel chaired by Anthony Salcito, Vice President for Worldwide Education of Microsoft Corp.
Pascua also emphasized the importance of the Public Education Network (PEN), which will fast-track the digital connectivity of all public schools and DepEd offices nationwide.
“With this network, schools will become connectivity hubs for all the households around it so that contents are made available to every learner in the community even without internet bandwidth,” he said. “If this connectivity is reinforced by internet bandwith availability, then it is a big leap forward.”
Pascua also hinted at a future DepEd project, which aims to update and pattern DepEd TV after streaming services to allow learners to study their learning materials at their own pace.
“Those who need more time and repetition can easily review and go back to all the lessons, while those who learn in a faster pace can access new lessons and other lessons outside of their grade levels,” Pascua pointed out.
Meanwhile, in terms of re-imagining education in the new normal, Pascua shared that he advocates for the continuation of online and broadcast learning platforms post-pandemic since classroom shortage remains an issue in the country.
“With that kind of interface, our education curriculum can adapt to the needs of the entire nation and even the world. Then, our basic education becomes relevant and liberating for it serves what our nation needs and what our world needs,” Pascua explained.