INNOTECH pilot tests ALS LAC resources on MT4T in three regions

INNOTECH completed the try-out of a set of Learning Action Cell (LAC) resources on Mobile Technology for Teachers (MT4T) in three sites last March 2021. The try-out of the LAC resources was part of the development of LAC session guides for ALS implementers in the country under the project Technical Support for DepEd Alternative Learning System 2.0 (TS-ALS 2.0), in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) ALS Task Force and with funding support from UNICEF Philippines.

(Related article: INNOTECH, DepEd, UNICEF conduct writeshop to develop ALS LAC session guides)

Three sites were selected for the try-out sessions – Region IV-B (Mindoro Oriental), Region X (Iligan City), and Region XII (Cotabato Province) – to validate the usefulness of the two LAC session guides and gather recommendations on how to further improve these resources. To help prepare the regions, the Center organized a program on 22 March 2021 to brief all concerned ALS personnel on the tryout process and provide guidelines in conducting the LAC sessions using the developed materials. The program was participated in by District ALS Coordinators, Education Program Specialists for ALS, ALS Key Trainers, and ALS Mobile Teachers from the pilot sites, along with representatives from the DepEd ALS Task Force, INNOTECH, and UNICEF Philippines.

The “LAC Resource Package on MT4T and Its Digital Citizenship Resources” is a two-part series that aim to retool ALS teachers with the concepts and skills on digital technology and digital citizenship using MT4T resources. It is designed for ALS with many of the examples contextualized for ALS setting.

Each pilot site had a whole day to conduct two LAC sessions using the “LAC Resource Package on MT4T and Its Digital Citizenship Resources.” Following the LAC sessions, both LAC facilitators and participants accomplished evaluation forms to share feedback on the resources in terms of appropriateness and relevance of the LAC topics, the learning design, and the presentation slides, which were also part of the LAC resource package, as well as get their overall experience during the LAC sessions. Two of the pilot sites — Iligan City and Cotabato Province — were able to conduct limited face-to-face LAC sessions, while Mindoro Oriental had to reschedule and conduct online LAC sessions.

Based on the result of the field try-outs, the ALS LAC resources on MT4T received fairly high ratings from the LAC facilitators and the LAC participants, particularly for its learning design and presentation slides. However, the time allotment to cover all the topics and activities per LAC session guide might need to be revisited. The feedback and suggestions collected from the field were processed by the Center and recommendations for the refinement of the LAC materials were discussed with the ALS Task Force.

The agreements reached among the tripartite partners were then used by SEAMEO INNOTECH to undertake the polishing of the ALS LAC resources prior to its nationwide rollout in July 2021.