Innovation on Teaching Forum

The Philippine Computer Society is a firm believer in the value of keeping educators and educational institutions abreast of developments around the world. Recently, the organization had noted that distance education, especially in the form of e-learning, appeared to have taken off in many countries. It seemed, however, that not that many institutions had adopted e-learning in the Philippines.

The Philippine Computer Society was deeply concerned with this seemingly slow development. The organization therefore decided to seek the support of sponsors in order to be able to bring an e-learning forum FREE OF CHARGE TO INVITED ATTENDEES. The Society hoped that through this forum, institutions would ultimately decide to utilize e-learning to the institution’s own advantage and that of its stakeholders.

To ensure that it was those that needed to know the facts to make the necessary decisions that were present at this forum, the PCS decided to make attendance at this forum strictly ON-INVITATION-ONLY. The three individuals invited from each institution were: the CEO/ Chairman/ President/ Rector/ COO/ Administrator (only one); the CIO/ MIS Director (only one); and the CAO/ VPAA (only one).

The exclusive event ultimately took place on February 17, 2005 at the Garcia-Balmori-Balagtas Room of the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati. Mr. Mon Ibrahim, the current President of the Philippine Computer Society, welcomed the 60 institutions represented by the 120 delegates in the audience comprised of invited distinguished individuals.

The Hon. Emmanuel C. Lallana, Commissioner of the CICT, began the day’s forum with a speech on ICT as the Center of Innovative Approaches in Education. Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela, EdD, Director of CHED’s Office of Scholarship & Student Services, discussed the Government’s Policies that Will Drive the Growth of E-Learning in Higher Education. Mr. Edwin T. Lopez, Global Marketing Manager for Asia and the Pacific of the EWTN Global Catholic Network, contributed to the contextual foundation of the day’s forum with his presentation entitled 3D: Technology, Education, and Spirituality.

Benito L. Teehankee, DBA, President of the Philippine eLearning Society (PeLS) and a distinguished professor of the De La Salle University, led those present to an appreciation of the Significance of E-Learning in Educating Filipinos Today. Dr. Teehankee is recognized as one of the pioneers in the design and implementation of e-learning in the Philippines. He is a much-respected consultant on e-learning and is frequently invited to share his knowledge and experience at international meetings and conferences.

Bernd Nordhausen, Mobile Solutions Architect of the Asia Pacific Solutions Group of Intel, extended the audience’s horizon to include The Next Wave in Mobile Computing: How Wireless Technology is Transforming Campuses Worldwide. To complement Mr. Nordhausen’s presentation and to demonstrate how education across national boundaries can and has been successfully and collaboratively delivered even within the Philippines, Zarah Grace Calimag - Gagatiga, School Librarian of the Grade School Unit of Xavier School in San Juna, Metro Manila, inspired those present with her sharing of the Xavier Experience: Telecollaboration with Edith Schule of Germany. To further prove to the audience that e-learning can indeed be implemented by institutions in the Philippines, Vicente V. Pijano III, Director and Consultant of the Department of Information and Technology of St. Scholastica’s College Manila, regaled the audience with St. Scholastica’s E-Learning Initiatives. In order to ensure that those in the audience would fully realize that successful implementation of e-learning is and would be possible even outside of Metro Manila, Jonathan F. Abasquez, PhD, President of the Central Mindanao Computer School, proudly shared with those present a New Method of Teaching Introductory Accounting: A Comparative Study of E-Learning Approach versus the Traditional Approach.

Though e-learning does indeed lend itself very well to the delivery of course content, the University of Santo Tomas wished to show that e-learning could be used to provide other services as well. Cristino A. Carbonell, an Associate Professor and the eLearning Access Program & Training Development Manager of UST spoke on Online Guidance and Counseling: The UST Experience.

The forum ended with PLDT’s Vice President for Business Solutions, Ms. Nerissa S. Ramos, assuring the audience of PLDT’s Commitment to Innovation in Teaching.

Inasmuch as delegates to the forum have indicated their delight at having been invited to and having been able to participate in the forum, the Philippine Computer Society is pleased to consider the possibility of organizing more fora in support of educational innovation and similar initiatives. The PCS sincerely appreciates the generosity of the sponsors (PLDT Business Solutions and Intel Philippines) of the forum -- the generosity of organizations and corporations who are one with PCS in its desire to play a significant contributory role in the continuous improvement of relevant education and training.