Module 8.

Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs)

LECTURE GUIDE

ADMs are different modalities in delivering basic education in different communities aimed at
making basic education more inclusive and flexible especially for those children who live in conflict
or disaster-prone areas, children who are in geographically isolated areas, children who are in
highly congested learning environments and those who have difficulties coping with the regular
school calendar. These are aimed at learners who are not in school and those who are at risk of
dropping out. The use of ADMs was institutionalized by the Department of Education thru DepEd
Order 54 s. 2012.

In an emergency situation, continuity of education is very important. Aside from being a life saving
intervention, continuity in education gives a sense of normalcy to children and serves a as a form
of psychosocial support for learners. However, teaching and earning during an emergency
situation could be very challenging for some reasons:

 Some teachers cannot hold classes as they have to attend to their personal and family
needs
 Books and other teaching and learning materials and facilities (i.e classrooms) cannot
cater to all learners as some of them may have been destroyed or left dysfunctional
 Some schools may have more students as families from heavily devastated areas transfer
to those less devastated one

While this situation may only be true during an emergency and will eventually normalize as the
recovery and rehabilitation happens, ADMs are very handy modalities to use to ensure that there
is continuity of learners. Currently the existing ADMs which are used during emergencies are:

1. The Modified In-School, Off-School Approach (MISOSA) is a program developed by the

Bureau of Elementary Education. MISOSA aims to: (i) solve congestion in schools with big
enrolment; (ii) address the need of children for adequate learning materials; (iii) mobilize and
strengthen community support; and (iv) improve students’ performance. MISOSA is
implemented in large classes (with more than 50 students) in Grades 4, 5 and 6 to address
the perennial problem of congestion resulting from lack of classrooms, shortage of teachers,
overpopulation, and other factors. Congested classes are subdivided into an In-School Group
with classroom and subject teachers, and an Off-School Group with a para-teacher.

Under MISOSA, classes are split into 2 groups (A and B) with half the class group being
taught by the regular teacher in the classroom and the second group taught by a para-teacher
in an alternative venue. The group with the teacher, referred to as ‘in-school’ has formal
lessons using basic textbooks and teachers’ manuals. This approach uses the conventional
mode of teaching wherein the teacher prepares a lesson plan according to the RBEC and
supplements his/her instructions with the aid of textbooks. Learning is further enhanced
through prepared activities and exercises. On the other hand, the group with the para-teacher
works independently using the modules under the supervision of the para-teacher. This is
referred to as ‘off-school’ as it utilizes alternative venues outside school but within reach for
monitoring. The off-school approach makes use of self instructional materials (SIMs) or
modules that contain lessons to be learned for the day based on the different learning areas.
Pupils can learn independently in an alternative venue other than the regular classroom under
the supervision of a para-teacher. ‘Off-school’ is done from Mondays to Thursdays; the pupils
are then re-grouped as one class on Fridays for diagnostic, enhancement and remediation
 by the regular teacher.

2. The Enhanced Instructional Management by Parents, Community and Teachers (e-IMPACT)

learning system is a technology-enhanced alternative delivery mode developed by the
SEAMEO Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH) to
address issues in accessibility and quality of education in schools usually handled by a few
teachers teaching multigrade classes.

The learning system follows a set of principles to guide implementation. Foremost is the
recognition that children are active participants in the learning process, a principle upheld
through the use of learning modules based on the RBEC. The modules serve as an
intermediary for self and group learning inside a school campus and at home. To supplement
the learning modules and to ensure active participation, older pupils from Grades 4 to 6 are
engaged as program teachers and peer group leaders. During the learning sessions, all pupils
are given the opportunity to recite and participate in the discussions.

Multiple entry and exit is encouraged; pupils are allowed to enter schooling at their most
opportune time and leave when it is most convenient. During seasonal and prolonged
absences of pupils, teachers allow the pupils to bring home a copy of the module for home
study. Family members, peers, neighbours and family ‘group’ members take turns to assist
the absent pupils to master the modules. Home visits are also conducted by the teachers to
reinforce their home studies. The absent pupils can visit their schools to take a mastery test
and take home a higher module for continuous study. The e-IMPACT principle further holds
that multiple entry and exit are provided so that anyone of school age can enroll in the school
at any time of the year. Progress of learners is tracked by their individual speed while levelling
is dictated by their mastery of modules rather than their completion of a school year. Through
this, learners are not forced beyond their personal capacities.

Group learning is the primary mode of learning delivery, thus education becomes a socializing
process and supports leadership development. The ‘family’ concept provides the venue for
pupils to be responsible for each one and be part of the learning process of every member.
Instructional management, or the delivery of instruction, is not the sole responsibility of the
teachers, but of parents and the community as well. Participation of parents in their children’s
education is encouraged. Community members with notable professions or skills—nurses,
dentists, carpenters, dressmakers, others—are invited to share their experiences by serving
as resource speakers or facilitating class projects, science experiments, technology
demonstrations for kids, and the like.

The teacher is the manager of the learning process. His/her role is to provide enrichment to
the lessons for a better and deeper understanding of concepts and to ensure that all pupils
learn in the process. During times when the older children are not teaching the younger
children, he/she is still able to have a face-to-face interaction with all of them. The transition
of a teacher from a knowledge resource to a facilitator of the learning process is one of the
outstanding features of this ADM.

Pupils are proportionately divided into ‘family groups’ consisting of 6-10 pupils per level from
Levels 1 to 6 for a total of 40-50 pupils per family. There are four modes of delivery in e-
IMPACT. Programmed Teaching is conducted by grouping pupils into ‘families’ with 40-50
members who are divided proportionately from Grades 1 to 6. The groupings are
heterogeneous (a mixture of slow, average and fast learners) and primarily composed of
siblings, neighbors and friends. The concept of the ‘family’ grouping was deemed necessary
to inculcate a sense of belonging among the members, following the cultural practice of
Filipinos where the family is the basic social group. In the programmed teaching, pupils
belonging to Levels 4, 5 and 6 (Grades 4, 5, and 6 in the conventional mode of delivery)
conduct the learning process for Levels 1, 2 and 3 (Level 6 for Level 1 pupils, Level 5 for Level
3 pupils and Level 4 for Level 2 pupils) within the ‘family’ using a set of modules and pre-
designed learning materials through the supervision of an instructional supervisor (IS),
equivalent to the classroom teacher in the conventional setting. The selected programmed
teachers, who are generally the fast learners, are trained/coached by the IS several days prior
to the actual conduct of the learning process which also makes use of learning aids. Peer
Group Learning is done in Levels 4 to 6 and supervised by a resource coordinator (RC) who
also manages 1-3 families. The remaining Level 4, 5 and 6 pupils, grouped separately,
conduct peer group learning through the supervision of an RC who is the equivalent of the
subject area teacher in the conventional set-up. Peer group leadership is rotated among the
members to lead the learning process. The peer group leaders are trained by the RC and
assist in the development of learning aids. Tutoring is conducted by either the IS, RC or by
other family members. Self-learning is done by fast-paced pupils or by pupils who have to go
on prolonged absences due to illness or the need to assist their families to gain income.

3. The Open HIghschool Program. The Open High School Program (OHSP) is an
alternative mode of secondary education that uses the distance learning principals and
strategies. It is offered to those who have completed their elementary education but are
having difficulty completing their secondary education due to work, financial constraint,
distance of schools, etc.

Schools which intend to implement OHSP will need to apply for it and will have to comply
with some requirements such as:

1. Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) addressed to the Schools Division Superintendent

(SDS), copy furnished the Regional Office and the Director of the Bureau of
Secondary Education (BSE). 


2. Undergo a capacity building program to be conducted by the BSE in preparation for

accreditation as a participating school. 


3. Make available learning facilities and equipment in the school e.g., library, computer
room, laboratory room, workshop room, gymnasium, etc. 


4. Link with the community for the students’ access to facilities like public library,
baranggay learning center, internet café, public sports facilities and those that will
help the students in their self-managed learning. 


The program is open to Filipinos who have the capacity for independent learning and are
willing to undergo self-directed learning. Aside form the usual documentary
requirements, an applicant to the OHSP need to pass th eINdependent Learning
Readiness Test and the Informal reading inventory test.

In the schoollevel, implementing the OHS requires the involvement of the school
principal, OHSP Coordinato, adviser and subject teachers. Cooperation of the LGU and
some community members are also important factor of a successful OHSP
implementation.

How shall the learner be evaluated?

1. Evaluation of learning in each subject can include written and oral tests and the
assessment of required outputs. 

2. Promotion is based on the fulfillment of requirements and mastery of at least 75% of
the competencies in each subject area. 

3. Acceleration by learning area and b year level shall be determined in highly
meritorious cases upon fulfillment of the requirements and mastery of at least 90%
of the competencies in the subject area. 
In case of acceleration, the DORP
Council, the school head, OHSP Coordinator and the teacher-adviser shall review
the learner’s updated portfolio. The following shall constitute a portfolio:

a. Initial Summary – states the total rating of the learners in the subject area

b. General essay – states the past experiences and the kind of learning for which
recognition is sought


Retention of the learner in the program is for a maximum period of six years with the
option to be mainstreamed in the regular program anytime within the period of study.

References: 


DepEd Order No. 54 Series 2012. Department of Education

Press Release, Department of Education. 29 March 2012
Evaluation of Alternative Delivery Modes, UNICEF Philippines. 2012
Resource Packs on E-Impact and MISOSA, Department of Education
Open HIghschool Program Manual. Department of Education. 2008