According to a joint report by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with UNESCO and the World Bank, the Philippine education system took the heaviest blow of the COVID-19 pandemic being the country with the longest pandemic-related school closure [1]. The report stated that “about two in five learners continued to experience significant disruptions to education” until February this year.
The report further pointed out that students affected by school closures are experiencing an absolute reduction in learning levels or slower progress than expected in a typical year.
As a Center of Excellence [2] in education and a pioneer of adaptive online learning in the Philippines, Far Eastern University (FEU) worked with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to train faculty members of all institutions for online learning. FEU’s faculty members are consultants of CHED and public and private schools in innovating and developing their curriculums designed to address the current needs of students in the Philippines so as to reach the global standard.
FEU Institute of Education’s Dean Harold John D. Culala said, “We take pride in being recognized as a Center of Excellence by CHED and in our commitment to uplift the country’s state of education. We want to share our best practices with other institutions, teachers, and students and help them adapt to the post-pandemic classes.”
At the height of the pandemic, FEU’s HiEd Bayanihan Training Program focused on assessment capability for online teaching and technology use, design and implementation of an online program on flexible learning options, and integration of the course content into a digital learning management system. The institution also developed learning packets for basic education that were offered online for free to facilitate learning from home.
Educating the educators
Two years after continued disrupted education, face-to-face classes have started this year wherein teachers and students face different barriers. The FEU Institute of Education (IE) continues to roll out programs to help teachers and public and private academic institutions achieve a flexible student-centered and future-ready learning and deliver high quality of education for all learners.
Since October, FEU IE has been conducting a series of webinars for public and private school teachers headed by its graduate school called the Graduate Online Academic Lecture Series. It aims to emphasize a conceptual-based approach to teaching classes and provides a step-by-step process in identifying how a curriculum can be drafted, monitored, and improved.
Held by FEU Director for Guidance and Counselling Dr. Sheila Marie G. Jocson, its most recent webinar “Embracing the Discomfort of In-Person Interaction” focused on helping teachers mentally and physically prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the physical classes, especially those who may feel unsafe and uncomfortable with physical interaction.
FEU also opened a Teaching Expo to the public as an avenue for educators to exhibit and exchange their best practices in teaching and assessment at specific levels. This also highlights the Student-Centered Teaching and Learning and Assessment depicting the adage of the FEU teaching and learning.
Meanwhile, FEU Course Refresher in Assessing and Facilitating Teaching-Learning also equipped teachers with the skills needed for face-to-face classes. This discussed student-centered learning in blended modalities, teaching principles, and the use of technology for teaching. The program was designed to provide varied experiences for the 800+ faculty members from various FEU schools.
“Amid the education crisis, we are responsible for upholding academic excellence not only of our schools, but also of all students, teachers, and institutions across the country. Now more than ever, we have to raise the bar, meet international academic standards, and ensure that no teacher and student is left behind,” said FEU President Dr. Michael M. Alba.
FEU is one of the forerunners of Canvas, an online learning management system or platform which was introduced in 2016 and is used by the world’s leading universities including Yale and Harvard. It is designed to empower both teachers and students by making an engaging learning environment with video-based learning and collaboration tools. It is also the only institution in the country that offers Doctor of Philosophy and Educational Linguistics programs and the first to offer a doctorate degree through research at the graduate level.
[1] https://www.unicef.org/reports/where-are-we-education-recovery
[2] Public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that demonstrate the highest degree level of standard in instruction, research and extension, and exhibit excellent qualities are recognized as Center of Excellence by CHED.
