BEAM Learning Guide System ROGER SAUNDERS 7 September 2006

The BEAM Learning Guide The BEAM Materials Development component creates Learning Guides – comprehensive teacher-resource and student-activity materials – that can be easily modified by teachers to suit their own special needs.

Introduction to BEAM Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM): Is a 6.5 year project, jointly funded by the Governments of the Philippines and Australia Aims to improve the quality of, and access to, basic education in the Southern Philippines Works with all levels of DepED

Our Objectives To develop materials: –with high quality content –with a high quality, consistent presentation –that are based on the BEC competencies –That can be easily used and modified by teachers To implement a methodology that: –is sustainable –is scalable

Content Quality Materials must be: –Congruent with the stated competencies and defined objectives –Obviously sequential, consistently structured –Accurate –Contain activities and strategies that are easily understood and achievable –Grammatically correct, and –Relevant to the user

Presentation Quality Materials must: –Be consistently branded –Have a consistent look and feel across all Learning Guides –Use attractive graphics

Sustainability Our methodology needs to: –Be used by BEAM materials writers –Be easily extended to other users e.g. teachers in schools –Reduce the reliance on the Materials Development Centers –Enforce content and presentation standards

Our Solution — The Learning Guide System The Learning Guide System is a software tool to: –assist the BEAM Subject Specialists develop teacher- resource and student-learning materials in a controlled authoring, editing and publishing environment. –allow teachers in schools to create and submit Learning Guides for publication, to be accessed and used by others. –Present a database of materials that are searchable and can be downloaded and printed locally

LeGS is an Internet-based system using the WebDAV protocol Writers are registered and provided a Username and Password, which allows them to log on to LeGS The Learning Guide System

The writer is presented with (virtual) folders and files that are unique to his/her logon. The files are template documents that provide the structural and formatting standards for the learning Guides The Learning Guide System

We use the FreeMind application to create a Mind Map of the Learning Guide, that: –Helps the writers in the planning process –Provides users a bird’s eye view of the content of the Learning guide FreeMind

When the writer has finished the first draft of the Learning Guide, it is assigned to the LeGS editor. Online Editor

Administrator’s console The System Administrator has access to a console through which (s)he can: –Add new users –Delete existing users –Maintain passwords –Change user roles

The LeGS is supported by comprehensive Online Help, providing information and advice for the writers Online Help

The Learning Guide System A true content management system: –All documents stored in one location –Documents are not lost –Only one version of any document exists –Documents are routed according to workflow rules –Fully integrated with the BEAM Quality Management System (QMS) –Supported by comprehensive online help

The LeGS into Schools Program LeGS is an Internet-Based software application: –Login is independent of location We are expanding our writing team to include teachers in schools Completed pilot programs in the three BEAM target Regions

LeGS Stage 2 Currently under development:  Further enforce workflow process rules  Build database of materials (digital library of all assets)  Accommodate other document types  Automate the production output