All seems to be experimental as it is a relatively new approach or way of doing things, so we expect a lot of unexpected occurrences. In the case of the Department of Education's modular distance learning using modules as the main learning resource, this is very valid.
There are already issues in the case of modules that we most particularly received from students and home tutors/parents. Although the modules have gone thorough conceptualization process, preparation, formulation and editing, are still far from perfect. And worse, errors did not escape from public scrutiny, as some went viral in social media.
But the big challenge of the modular distance learning using primarily the modules is in the aspect of reproduction. An average of twenty pages for a module in a given subject multiplied by the number of subjects in a given grade level for an average of forty five students is just unimaginable. And at present the Department of Education has no way of coming up with reproducing the modules on a massive scale, meaning reproduction to be done by an identified printing institution that is solely its line of expertise.
Right now, the teachers are printing and reproducing the modules ready for next week for the learners in a specific school. As this will not work on a long-term basis, this cycle of reproduction of learning materials has to end. Aside from draining the department's coffers, it is not environmentally friendly. Just imagine what it will be like after a month of strong paper demand. How many trees are there to cut? What will the effect on the well-being of the environment be?
It is no wonder that, in order to apply the modality, we need to calibrate what we do. The department is currently looking at using the TMHLT (Teacher-Made Learner’s Home Tasks). The TMHLT, still based on the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCS), is made by the subject teachers and more or less similar to a lesson examplar or daily lesson plan, allows teachers for more contextualization and versatility. On top of this, allowing them to condense the lesson for a week by providing at least two exercises and a condensed part for post or summative test or application. Utilizing this condensed version would only entail a maximum of three pages. It is indeed a big drop of number of pages, from 25 to 3!
Indeed, the calibration is in accordance with the "less is more" concept. What makes the lives of teachers, parents and learners bearable is reducing learning activities to the barest essentials. And yet, this does not mean that teachers can avoid finding ways to improve or maximize students ' learning experience. We will continue to explore and re-examine other ways in which learners will find their learning relevant and meaningful.
We are in a way teaching a major lesson for our students to be content with less and ultimately build a space in the heart for more love for independent learning using the much streamlined teacher-made learning resource.