In its mission to provide quality K to 12 learning materials, the Department of Education (DepEd), in partnership with the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts (UP-CFA), conducted a five-day workshop for 35 DepEd visual artists and practitioners to enhance learning and teaching resources.

“We want to ensure young learners’ interest in our learning materials. We can do this by putting photographs and artwork in our textbooks,” DepEd Undersecretary for Programs and Projects Dina S. Ocampo said. Ocampo also said that DepEd aims to raise the quality of its learning materials. “Visuals are only one aspect. Ultimately, we want learning materials that do not only sustain learners’ interest to learn but also help them learn.”

DepEd Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS) Director Socorro A. Pilor emphasized the role of visuals in teaching. “Visuals are important especially among early grade students. Effective visuals help them understand and enjoy their lessons more.”

The workshop was designed to enhance participants’ skill in creating contextualized and effective illustrations for learner’s materials and teacher’s guides. It included discussion and application of practices in publishing, visual design, visual perception, and photography. The workshop ran from October 13 to 17 at UP Diliman.