Experiences in the Application of Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Learning Resources during the Pandemic Period

This study reflected the experiences and perspectives of Learning Resource Coordinators during the COVID-19 pandemic in the application of the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Learning Resources in the Schools Division Office, Central Luzon, Philippines. The study employed a narrative-inquiry approach to gather pertinent experiences from a group of participants. The participants were 10 Learning Resource Coordinators selected using a cluster sampling technique. The proponent used a research-made questionnaire to gather data. From the narratives of the informants, the proponent developed a unique thematic analysis. Based on the thematic analysis of the narrative inquiry, the informants revealed different perspectives and experiences, which state the different challenges met and the practical solutions in the delivery and correcting errors in the ADM Learning Resources. Based on the aforementioned findings, the proponent of this research provided some essential recommendations, in particular, an intervention program for this particular subject matter for learning resource coordinators and other significant key players of the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) implementors.


INTRODUCTION
Learning Resources (LRs) are prominent materials necessary for every learner. The use of different learning resources through printed and digitized learning resources helps the promotion of mastery of learning competencies offered by the Department of Education (DepEd). These learning resources are vital sources of information, ideas, and skills of every learner to master the competencies being offered and to be used as instruments in today's new normal in education in this time of the novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic. The current situation prompted the change in perspective of every educator to mobilize the different platforms and modalities for the education process to resume learning. According to Libbrecht (2015), learning resources were created to represent digital units of exchangeable materials that teachers and learners can pull from in order to support the learning activities. The facets of learning resources enable an exchange of practices that allow LRs to be found, adopted, and adapted.
Education setbacks because of the pandemic called for the development of locally developed materials for each region and division. Asio and Bayucca (2021) mentioned that schools were not yet ready for a distance learning scheme. The rescheduling of the school year and the shift to a mode of textual materials happened due to the physical and logistical issues caused by COVID- 19. This pandemic is a disaster which threatens not only the lives of people but other aspects of living. Thus, information, knowledge, awareness, and disaster programs should also be taken into consideration (Asio, 2021a(Asio, , 2021bAsio, 2020aAsio, , 2020bAsio, , 2020c in dealing with a disaster just like this. Teachers, acting as the most important audio-visual LR of the education milieu, should be supported by quality assured and approved LRs that will suffice the continuity of lesson's flow within the specified targeted learning competency/ies for each lesson. Teachers' ICT skills are an essential and integral component of the development of learning resources (Bayucca, 2020a). Taking this into account, public school teachers were still able to sleep and perform their religious tasks (Asio & Jimenez, 2021). The use of Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) materials (e.g., self-learning modules, learning activity sheets, activity performance worksheets, etc.) both in elementary and secondary education is utilized by the entire country to supplement the lack of resources and titles delivered by the Central Office (CO). The provision of Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs) from the original learning competencies (LCs) was mapped, identified, and analyzed by the Bureau of Curriculum Development (BCD)-Curriculum Standards Development Division in collaboration with the Assessment Curriculum and Technology Research Centre (ACTRC), to develop learners' practical and lifelong skills for learning amidst a pandemic and to eventually attain a successful life (DepEd, 2020).
The lack of learning resources from the centrally developed LRs paved the way to the utilization of locally developed LRs in every division. The presence of learning resources from the CO became the main issue of all teachers and divisions in the Central Luzon Region due to lack of preparation time and the prohibition of physical contact which caused delays and insufficiencies of the ready to print learning resources. This situation tested the adversity capacity of school heads on which a study showed an above average result (Jimenez, 2021a) Considering these constraints, different School Division Offices (SDOs) have taken the initiative to encapsulate the development of locally developed learning resources within their area. As a result of such a daring move, certain contexts of professional skills (Asio & Riego de Dios, 2018; 2019) and work ethics (Asio et al., 2019) among teachers, as well as supervisory rapport for administrators , were enhanced. The development of locally development ADM learning resources underwent critical evaluation and quality assurance processes for the LRs to be utilized. However, due to lack of time and other resources in preparing the said LRs, the quality of the said materials has been compromised. The content, language, and layout design of the LRs suffered due to the rushed evaluation procedures as the opening of classes and time frame for the reproduction phase were on their way.
The evaluation process takes the procedure of looking at the social content and guidelines of the LRs to secure the credibility of the content of the materials. Based on the current status of LRs distributed to schools, feedback mechanisms were established through the error watch report, which found that most LRs have issues with content, intellectual property rights, plagiarism, language, and layout. Although the materials went through a stringent evaluation process, a lot of errors were still found by teachers, parents, and readers. This has brought the need to concretize the evaluation process framework to better serve its mandate and purpose as to the quality of LRs to be approved and utilized by the learners.
Despite all these, learners' declining interest in literature, particularly in reading, has been an obstacle in the process of shifting to the modular approach (Sebastian, 2019). Add this to the fact that teachers are still in the process of coping with the new normal of education. Teachers are left with uncertainties about the teaching and learning process amid the pandemic (Jimenez, 2021c). Capacity building to empower the potential Learning Resource Evaluators (LREs) must be continuous participation in various evaluation workshops of the agency concerning the quality assurance process and conformance review of LRs in all subject areas.
Having considered all these, the researchers have crafted this study with the aim of giving light on the assessment of locally developed learning resources as a basis for empirical intervention programs. This paper is limited to the teachers and materials developed at the Schools Division Office in Central Luzon for the school year 2020-2021. This paper will utilize a mixed-method research design, particularly for the qualitative analysis and descriptive analysis. The survey instruments will also serve as the primary means of data gathering for the study. This research will also be used in formulating management intervention programs in assessing the ADM learning resources of the division.

Research Design
In this study, qualitative research was employed. A qualitative research, according to , entails comprehension of a phenomena experienced by a person. The researcher employed a narrative-inquiry research design in this study. According to Creswell (2014), narrative-inquiry research is a humanities-form of inquiry in which the researcher examines the lives of individuals and invites one or more of them to share their experiences. The research approach is appropriate since the study includes stories from a variety of people.

Participants of the Study
30 Learning Resource (LR) Coordinators of elementary and secondary schools in a division in Central Luzon, Philippines for the school year 2020-2021. However, using a convenience sampling technique, the researcher only chose 10 based on the backgrounds of the informants. The inclusion criteria for the informants includes a Learning Resource (LR) Coordinator for at least a year or more and currently connected with the public schools. Listed below is the brief description of the informants (see Table 1). The researchers designated their labels or codes for the confidentiality and privacy of the participants in the study. They were labelled as LRC 1-10 randomly so that the researcher would maintain their anonymity.

Data Gathering Procedure
Before the conduct of the study, the researcher sought permission from the Schools Division Superintendent of the schools division. Upon receiving the approved permit, the researcher coordinated with the school heads (SHs) through phone or through the Messenger application program for the schedule of quantitative data collection. Due to the pandemic, the researcher collected narrative reports through Google Sheets. The confidentiality of the reports assures their security with anonymity. The data will be stored in the Learning Resource Management and Development Section (LRMDS) Office for filing and official business reference, while the transfer of it is prohibited unless for legal purposes. The procedure in the data collection was strictly followed by the researcher to secure the identity of the persons involved and the secrecy of information. The open-ended questionnaire was personally made by the researcher in accordance with the problems raised in the preceding chapter. This was asked during the phone call interview. A consent form was given to the respondents asking approval to record the interviews for documentation purposes.

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
The aim of this paper is to explore the experiences of the Learning Resource Coordinators in the implementation of Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) learning resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, the researcher extracted essential information for thematic analysis and presentation as presented below.

The Significance of Learning Resources
The learning resource is an important aspect of pedagogy since it guides teachers in their teaching to make it more interesting and appropriate for their learners regardless of their levels or age groups. Thus, in general, these learning resources are like small teaching manuals that will support teachers and learners in having fruitful and significant learning experiences for every subject matter covered in the subject course. Due to the pandemic, learning resources are even more in-demand and more challenging due to different dilemmas and obstacles that teachers and learners experience. "Learning resource is essential not only in gathering materials for the learnings of learners but most importantly in preparing and creating high quality materials which are beneficial for them." (LR Coordinator 10) Looking at the many perspectives given by the informants, we can see that they all agree on one thing: learning materials are critical for instructors and students in a variety of ways. The informants highlighted numerous benefits and advantages for both instructors and learners, including a springboard for online classrooms, a form of help for teachers, and as a teaching support tool, among others. When it comes to learners, learning materials may be used to assess their requirements. It is also available at any time and from any location, and most of all, it aids learners in becoming selfsufficient in their learning and cultivates creativity. Learners' academic performance improves when they employ contextualized learning resources, particularly e-learning resources (Jimenez, 2020).
Learner sourcing is gaining traction as a viable strategy for organizing the learner community and utilizing learners' intellect as developers of learning materials (Abdi et al., 2021).

New Challenges, New Learning Resources, New Normal
Challenges always come along the way especially in every new setting and in every innovation that every individual must face or experience. Learning resource production and dissemination is not spared. However, these challenges create a new opportunity to improve the delivery and service of teachers to learners. Although the process will be quite tricky and difficult, what prevails will be the will of teachers of continued learning among learners. Education is an agent of change towards the formation of the intended projection which requires education reform to meet the obligation with the compulsive detailed of information to achieve the goals of achieving the vision and mission towards academic excellence (Abdi et al., 2021 Different obstacles were found in the shared stories of the informants that follow. Printing, manufacturing, and availability of learning resources are among the obstacles, as are time restrictions, distribution, and the ways by which students do not have the capability to acquire or obtain their learning resources. Teachers' major concern in delivering learning resources in this situation is child protection to minimize infection and other unpleasant incidents (Asio et al., 2020; Bayucca, 2020). Simultaneously, instructors made every effort to utilise and exhaust all available resources for these learning tools. School leaders have a better understanding of what is going on with their constituents and students as a result of these shared experiences and views. According to Ivi (2019), a review of digital media reveals a set of distinct characteristics that, despite their many benefits, pose significant dangers to the brain's organization and functioning, as well as the learning process. As a result, the development of digital textbooks confronts a number of obstacles that current manufacturing has yet to overcome. This means that, through digital and blended learning techniques, schools should reinvent their processes to include a new paradigm of learning modalities to reduce the problems they face while also elevating the sense of learning among instructors and students (Jimenez, 2021c).

Addressing error(s) and mistake (s) found in the learning materials
Errors and mistakes are inevitable yet solvable aspects of any learning material. The causes vary from one factor to another since there is always a human tendency to commit one. In the educational process, errors are always present no matter how meticulous a teacher can be, especially in the preparation of learning resources. There will always be one minor error that will be committed (and sometimes this is normal). However, this small error might cause a huge controversy or issue. Nevertheless, this error (or errors) should be dealt with accordingly. Based on the different standpoints that were shared by the informants of the study, there is a common thought that lingers amongst the different situations that the informants experienced: correct the mistake or error no matter how small or big it is. Of course, there is also proper protocol for reporting such errors to the head or coordinator, like an incident report for record purposes. Proper handling and assessment prior to distribution of learning resources are some steps that teachers and coordinators practice to avoid further errors in the future. Although error avoidance appears to be advantageous during learning and material growth, errorful learning followed by remedial feedback is beneficial to learning. It is advantageous when people are convinced that their errors are correct (Metcalfe, 2017). For many years, traditional printed textbooks served as a static medium for imparting knowledge to students. With the introduction of technology, numerous digital resources became available, prompting educational institutions to plan for the transition to e-books and other digital media. Printed and digital materials each have their own set of benefits and drawbacks (Al-Imamy, 2020). Based on the accounts of the informants, there were again different opinions and experiences that were seen and shared. There were different struggles that informants experienced, like teachers' limited time in the school. At the same time, the distribution of the materials is also affected. Thus, collaboration with the barangay officials necessitates such action to reach out to learners. Some informants also see this situation as an opportunity to explore other means and measures to make sure that the learning process continues no matter what. For example, the pandemic cultivated creativity and innovation among teachers so that their learning resources will have an impact on the learners even if there is a pandemic. Teachers' mental health has become an attribute of all school leaders to remain healthy (physically, socially, psychologically, and socially) as a result of the pandemic, and has been proven to have a major influence on teachers' learning resource development (Jimenez, 2021a). To make learning and teaching interesting and engaging, teachers have the option to create and develop extra activities as well as document the outcomes of sessions (McLeod, 2020). This suggests that in the face of a pandemic, instructors must be knowledgeable of a wide range of issues.

Improvements and innovations on Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) of Learning Resources
Suggestions and recommendations for improvement in any form or way are important aspects of improvement, especially in the ADM learning resources. In this way, these resources will adapt constantly and appropriately to the changing tides of time and situations where it is necessary to conform. Although it may instill challenges along the way, nevertheless, our teachers and learners will always find time and opportunities that will guide them to success, no matter how difficult the situation is. The same goes to the institution and the heads that will supervise such innovative ideas and concepts. "We can further improve it since there are some AS that have contents that are repeated lesson and has same activities on it". (LR Coordinator 1) "We know that the budgets were limited. As seen from the experiences shared by the LR coordinators, there are some important points, issues and concerns that were delineated from their inputs, like problems in the budgetary department. Materials were scarce during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are difficult to procure and, at the same time, do not reach areas where they are necessary. Another issue that was raised is the delayed arrival of the learning resources, which are considered very important since learners will also submit their requirements late as well, which will again hamper the teachers in checking and recording their achievements. Thus, these issues need to be dealt with accordingly. Leaders and policymakers have difficult decisions ahead to balance the budget, maintain school services, and prioritize safety amid the COVID-19. School financing is still in flux, and if the economy does not improve fast, k-12 schools may face substantial cuts (Lafortune et al., 2020). In light of the funding requirements for the procurement of learning resources, Section 3 (a) of Republic Act No. 9184, also known as "The Government Procurement Reform Act," states that "transparency in the procurement process and in the implementation of procurement contracts through wide dissemination of bid opportunities and participation of relevant non-government organizations, wherein the procurement follows the bidding process, which requires a minimum number of days, thereafter.  As can be seen from the diagram, it shows the empirical intervention program of the Learning Resource Management and Development Section (LRMDS) Division Quality Assurance Team (DQAT) in performing the evaluation process of ADM Learning Resources. This simply means that the DQAT will adapt and provide a concrete, comprehensive, and detailed process for assuring the credibility, reliability, and accountability of the LRs to be used by the learners.

CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of the qualitative analysis in the study, the researcher therefore concludes that the experiences shared by the Learning Resource Coordinators varied from one perspective to another. Based on the thematic analysis, the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM), according to the informants, is significant for them in their teaching and learning of the students. However, there were new challenges in the implementation of the ADM, such as poor internet connectivity, printing of materials, and miscommunication, to name a few. Nevertheless, the teachers still persisted and exhausted all the necessary resources and efforts so that the learning materials would reach all the learners. Also, teachers were not spared from mistakes and errors. Therefore, correcting them on time was definitely and appropriately. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about great changes in the management of learning resources for the coordinators as well as the teachers. And finally, there is always room for improvement in the implementation of ADM by every coordinator out there. The comments and suggestions create innovation and practical approaches and solutions for the coming years.

Recommendations
In the light of the conclusions drawn, the following recommendations are hereby offered by the researcher: 1) LR Coordinators, together with the School Property Custodians, should maintain a high level of proper care and storage of the ADM materials for reuse in the next school year. 2) Teachers are encouraged to make modifications (as necessary) to the ADM Learning Resources provided by the SDO to better serve their learners in different aspects and levels. 3) School heads should include strategic forecasting in the latest survey of the learning modalities to prepare for the number of materials needed to be provided for every grade level.

4) Education Program Supervisors should have constant coordination with all subject
coordinators to address the modifications, corrections, and issues concerning their subject area's ADM Learning Resources for proper dissemination and guidance. 5) Education Program Supervisors can use this study as a springboard to develop their programs and adapt this strategy for the development of learning resources anchored by higher-order thinking skills content or activity-lesson-assessment (ALA) for improved academic performance of learners.
6) Further studies to strengthen and develop the concept of ADM for future generation.