RADIO-BASED

INSTRUCTION (RBI): ITS

IMPLICATIONS TO
SCRIPTWRITING
Racine L. Adlawan
Ron Jacob N. Unabia
 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the session, the participants are
expected to:
1. explain the framework behind radio-based instruction
broadcast;
2. discuss salient features of radio-based instruction
relative to broadcasting;
3. exhibit openness and teachability to new
insights relative to radio-based instruction
broadcasting.
 IS RBI A NEW LEARNING TREND?
• Radio is a tool of mass media since the nineteenth century.
• With the growth of distance education in the last decade, radio has
emerged as one of the most effective and cost-efficient tools of
mass communication and in the teaching and learning process.
• DepED has Radio-Based Instruction (RBI) Program- an alternative
learning delivery mode using radio broadcast to deliver ALS program.
It aims to provide learning opportunities to listeners and enable them to
acquire equivalency in basic education through the broadcast of lessons.
WHAT IS RADIO-BASED INSTRUCTION?
What is school-on-the-air?
A specially designed radio program
where a subject matter is presented
systematically and in progressive
manner with the ultimate goal of
achieving desired results under a
teaching-learning situation.
 What is school-on-the-air?
Techniques employed are instructional
although broadcasts are not under
classroom conditions. Students listen in
their homes by themselves or with others.
-Felix Librero
 Characteristics of SOA
Has a set of clearly-defined behavioral objectives
Well-planned
Composed of a single definite subject matter
Subject matter is presented in a progressive manner. Topics
should be systematic and in successive order.
A cooperative project of the radio station and a cooperating
agency.
 Mechanics of SOA

Pre- Broadcast Post-

Broadcast Proper Broadcast
Activities Activities Activities
Pre-Broadcast Activities
Broadcast Proper Activities
Post-Broadcast Activities
 RATIONALE OF SOA APPROACH
Radio-
Based
Instruction

Content Literature

School-on- You Straight

Drama
the-air Approach Narration
 SAMPLE SOA FORMAT FOR A 30-MINUTE LESSON
Program Opening 1 minute
Feedback Portion 5 minutes
Review of Previous Lesson 5 minutes
Musical Break 2-3 minutes
Lecture for the Day 10 minutes
Brief Review of Previous Day’s Lesson 3 minutes
Announcement/Reminders 2 minutes
Closing (Extro) 1 minute
COMPONENTS OF
RADIO-BASED
INSTRUCTION
 FORMAT
(script and approach)

AUDIENCE
ENGAGEMENT
(motivation and learning processes) RBI LANGUAGE
(medium and conventions)

TECHNICALITY
(standards and practices)
APPROACHES TO
SCRIPT
DEVELOPMENT
 APPROACHES TO SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT
1. STRAIGHT NARRATION/TEACHER APPROACH
• Includes narration of facts and messages in a
straightforward manner
• Usually written in the third person
• Most formal and basic way of presenting the subject
matter
 APPROACHES TO SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT
2. DRAMATIC APPROACH

• Suitable to K-Grade 3
• Consists of characters depicting various roles
• Presentation has a conflict, climax or anti-
climax, and a resolution
 APPROACHES TO SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT
3. YOU APPROACH
• Audiences are addressed directly by the word “YOU”
• Employs the second person point of view
• Script is written as if the writer is talking directly to the
viewers
• Suitable to high school students
 APPROACHES TO SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT
4. DIALOG APPROACH
• Basic element conversations
5. DOCUMENTARY APPROACH
• Combination of approaches, with the use of voice clips,
sound effects to make the presentation more realistic
and credible
 APPROACHES TO SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT
6. ABSTRACT/SYMBOLIC APPROACH
• Include sounds and abstract visual.
• Ideas may not be started explicitly and audience makes
own interpretation of the information presented.
• Good for the arts, but not for scientific and technical
information.
THE LANGUAGE OF
RADIO
 LANGUAGE

THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO

1. BE CLEAR AND PRECISE.
• Choose simple words.
• Avoid a long word when a short word will do.
• Use words carefully to provide specific meanings.
• Say what you mean. Avoid beating around the bush.
 LANGUAGE

THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO

2. BE CONCISE.
• Every word used must have a purpose for being there. Replace
a series of words or phrase with one word that mean the same.
e.g. “once a week” to “weekly”
“nagpamatyag sa lawas” to “nagkasakit”
 LANGUAGE
THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO
3. BE CONCRETE
• Avoid vague and abstract words.
• Words must elicit tangible images.
e.g. two-storey building, maaliwalas na silid, lawom na
kagabhiun
 LANGUAGE

THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO

4. OBSERVE THE ONE-IDEA-ONE-SENTENCE RULE
• Avoid “overcrowding” (too many ideas in one sentence)
• The more ideas included in one sentence, the more difficult it is for the
audience to understand the information presented.
e.g. We will be experiencing a bad weather today as reported by PAG-ASA so
everyone must avoid outdoor activities and take precautionary measures to
be safe at your respective homes.
 LANGUAGE
THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO
5. USE THE ACTIVE VOICE.
• This helps in creating a smoother, readable story.
Weak: A verb, an adjective, or an adverb itself can be
modified by an adverb.
Better: An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb.
 LANGUAGE
THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO
6. PROVIDE A PHONETIC SPELLING FOR
UNFAMILIAR WORDS OR JARGON
• Illustrate/explain difficult concepts
e.g. Ang Lamesa Watershed kay usa ka “reservoir”.
(re-ser-vwa) o punduhanan o kuhaanan ug tubig
 LANGUAGE

THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO

7. REPEAT THE MESSAGE IF NECESSARY. THIS
WILL MAKE IT MORE MEMORABLE FOR THE
AUDIENCE.
e.g. Get your modules and turn to page 13.
Again, turn to page 13 of your first quarter modules.
 LANGUAGE

THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO

8. USE ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS SPARINGLY

e.g. The Department of Health (DOH) budget was cut
down….
Ang World Health Organization o W-H-O
nagmando….
 LANGUAGE
THE LANGUAGE OF RADIO
9. HANDLE FIGURES PROPERLY
• Avoid beginning sentences with a person’s age, and in general, with any
number.
• Spell out “dollar”, “cents”, “pesos”, “percent”, “kilograms”, and
“meters”
• Spell out fractions like one-half or five and a half
• Spell out numbers from one to ten and use numerals for 11
 TECHNICALITY
HOW TECHNICAL IS TECHNICALITY?
• Technicalities are the meaningful details which sets apart a
script from other scripts in existence.
• It is agreed as a standard by a certain broadcasting
organization, agency, or institutions.
• The difference between and among scripts lies mostly in its
technicalities.
 Challenges in RBI
• Availability of local community radio stations
• Availability of RBI facilitators
• RBI lesson timeslots for the learners to listen to
from their radio sets at home or wherever they may be
• Appropriate modules/exercise/worksheets/
activity sheets while learners listen at home
 Challenges in RBI
• Available canned RBI lessons. Canned lessons are
those that are recorded on CDs/flash drive for
asynchronous session. These lessons may be aired
using radio/CD players/mobile phones.
• M & E/feedbacking system on the lessons aired
either during the broadcast in a face-to-face interaction
with the learners in the CLC/school (if allowed)
 Challenges in RBI
• Memorandum of Agreement between the
SDO/School/ and local station (if required)
• Interactive/engaging RBI through creative
scriptwriters
• Learning space
• Unified airing on RBI lessons
 Modes of Transmission

1. Airing of RBI lessons in a local community radio

station
2. Broadcasting of RBI lessons through a
makeshift radio station
3. Using the canned RBI lessons
 BEST
PRACTICES IN
RBI
ALTERNATIVE
LEARNING
SYSTEM
 DESCRIPTION OF ALS-RBI BEST
PRACTICES
1. Established partnership with the stakeholders to
expand RBI.
• LGU funded annual-airing of RBI episodes
• Sponsored recording of running plugs/merchandising spot for the
program
• Extended partnerships of school and HEI’s in the development of
learning resources RBI episodes, worksheets, and session guides with the
teachers as the writers and the participants of the radio play.
 DESCRIPTION OF ALS-RBI BEST
PRACTICES
2. Interactive RBI Episodes
Live hosting of RBI broadcasts by ALS Mobile Teachers and Education
Program Specialists
• Give introduction of the RBI Episodes
• Facilitate the sharing of learning gains and insights of the learners during
the broadcast
• Wrap up the episode and invite the listeners to tune in for the next
episode
 DESCRIPTION OF ALS-RBI BEST
PRACTICES
Interactive RBI Episodes
Participation of learners during the live airing of
episodes
• Learners share their insights gained from the RBI
lesson via text message or call.
 DESCRIPTION OF ALS-RBI BEST
PRACTICES
3. Canned Episodes
Recorded RBI episodes are stored in CDs or DVD to
be played in areas which cannot be reached by radio
frequencies.
RBI episodes are saved in portable storage devices
which can be played over the mobile phones, laptops,
portable speakers, and other gadgets.
 DESCRIPTION OF ALS-RBI BEST
PRACTICES
4. Radio Plugging of ALS success stories
ALS Graduates shared testimonies to encourage
potential learners to enroll in ALS
5. Live Guesting of Program Holders
Program holders and ALS implementers guest in regular
Radio Program to advocate the ALS RBI
THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING!