In June 2019, the DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction issued DepEd Memorandum 00181 (DM-CI-00181) mandating the “National Orientation of the Adoption of the Blended Learning Model for TPD: Roll Out of the ELLN Digital for K to 3 Teachers.” The memorandum designated the Bureau for Learning Delivery (BLD) as responsible for the activity and its outputs. 

The national orientation was delivered in 3 island cluster workshops (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao) from July to August 2019. The workshops afforded the opportunity to test and validate the workshop tools and the process. Each of the 3 island cluster workshops ran for 5 days (inclusive of 1 day for participants’ arrival and registration and half a day for departure). Over the course of the 3 cluster workshops, the agenda and activities were iterated based on observations and debriefing by the FIT-ED and DepEd teams. The workshop agenda was developed to model how the participants were expected to carry out each step in the process of planning, preparation and implementation of ELLN Digital Cycle 1 in their respective regions, divisions and schools.

 Participants were presented with a thorough overview of the program, its goals for teacher professional development, and target schedule as it rolls out in their respective regions and divisions. In order to ensure proper implementation, participants were also trained in the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) tool, which will allow administrators to chart and support the progress of teachers in their respective schools and divisions. Division implementation planning, plenary discussions, accreditation process, and sharing of divisions’ ICT plans were also part of the workshops.

DepED’s national teacher professional development (TPD) programs use the face-to-face train-the-trainer model where participants, upon their return to stations are tasked to cascade their learning to colleagues at the region and division level, and on down to school-level implementers and teachers. (DepEd Order No. 11, s. 2019) 

The BLD invited FIT-ED in its capacity as TPD@Scale Coalition - Philippines team as experts to help deliver and facilitate the island cluster workshops. In support of the DepEd process for scaling ELLN Digital nationally, FIT-ED/TPD@Scale Coalition-Philippines team introduced the concepts of adaptive learning and improvement science at the cluster workshops.

In its capacity as the Secretariat for the TPD@Scale Coalition, FIT-ED took learnings from partners such as the Brookings Institute in applying evidence-based research methods to enable quality improvement in education systems. FIT-ED then developed tools to assess readiness for ELLN Digital and track the progress of implementation. The cluster workshops provided an opportunity for DepED ELLN Digital region and division implementers to validate the tools and process drafted by FIT-ED.

The final scaling process and tools package was released in September 2019, shared by the Department of Education’s Bureau of Learning Delivery via Google Drive to all workshop participants and designated people responsible for ELLN Digital implementation in the field units.