THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) XI is looking to implement the “Blended Learning 4.1” to eliminate class interruptions, an official from Department of Education (DepEd) XI said.
Maria Ines Asuncion, newly installed regional director DepEd XI, said the Blended Learning 4.1 is an adaptable educational model designed to keep students learning regardless of weather or external disruptions.
The initiative will be imported from a framework pioneered in the Caraga Region XIII where Asuncion was previously assigned. She said the program introduces a flexible, modified school week designed to foster self-paced learning.
“We actually found that it is very effective because the students will just report four days in school,” she said.
Under the proposed system, students will only report physically to campus, attending face-to-face classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, and taking a synchronous or asynchronous “off-day” on Wednesdays, and returning on Thursdays and Fridays to present their academic outputs.
Asuncion told the media this framework relies on the distribution of highly secured, specialized tablets to students for continued learning, which are fully offline-capable and pre-loaded with comprehensive learning materials.
“We just loaded all the learning materials on a tablet, and they can actually access the learning, the content of the learning materials, wherever they go. Whether it is in a high-tech area or in a low-tech area, they can still continue their learning,” she stressed.
The devices are also outfitted with strict security features, including anti-theft protocols and hard restrictions that completely block online games and unauthorized downloads.
The official emphasized that the rollout will be progressive, targeting independent learners who already demonstrate capabilities in reading comprehension and mathematical computations.
While the program’s iteration in Caraga focused on Grade 9 students, DepEd XI intends to pilot the project from Grade 6 to Grade 9.
“We are targeting that there will be no more suspension of classes because they have their own gadgets in their hands,” the official stated.
The official said the proposal is still in the conceptualization stage, but to fund the logistics for the tablet distribution, DepEd Davao region will propose the program to the central office and request support from the local government units.
