ISSUES IN LEARNING EFFECTIVENESS IN AN ICT-BASED PHILIPPINE EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT by Jay Robert H.

Famor, MBA
Learning across the world is rapidly changing and bringing about this change is the use of information and communications technology (ICT) or simply, computers, which has advanced the access to information and is providing a richer, more immediate and relevant opportunities for those who have embraced it. The use of ICT for education is revolutionizing the traditional classroom and encourages learners to progress outside of the four walls of classrooms, is more personalised and has become a powerful motivational tool. Today, the use of ICT in education is greatly helping developing countries to catch up with the education race becoming a great equalizer and providing access to ICT-based learning can help close the wide digital divide. ICT-based learning is now recognized as an effective tool in meeting the education objectives and serve previously unserved sectors. The main rationale for this is an increasingly technology-oriented and globalizing world where the use of ICT in education has become a critical factor to ensure that a countrys workforce is skilled and prepared to meet the challenges of development and global employment opportunities. Thus, as ICT becomes part of the Philippine basic education landscape, the inclusion of basic learning competencies in computers to educate our Filipino learners so that they can be globally competitive and raise their personal and national esteem, and realize a progressive life will be no less than strategic. However, because of the fast pace in technology development, in the span of less than a generation, students have gone from studying with notebooks and textbooks to laptops, netbooks and, now, iPads. But despite the prevalence of technology on campuses,

studies indicate that computers alone can't keep students from falling into the same weak study habits from days of pen and notebooks. ICT-based learning has in fact presented new issues for learners. The drop-out rates for learners who rely on ICTbased modes of delivery is not significantly lower and in some instances even higher than traditional settings. The lack of face-to-face intervention between learners and their teachers in the case of distance education learners also gives rise to motivational issues which is a major factor in drop-out rates. ICT-based learning using learning management systems and internet-based learning applications is also not exempt from the intermittent inconveniences and less than stable delivery of the technology. One of the most challenging tasks that educators are facing when using ICT in their lesson and course delivery is maintaining the learners attention and ability to be engaged. This problem is not due to the technology itself, since learners are in fact benefiting from the efficiency of ICT learning, but it is the fact that the time allotted for learning a given subject in a typical semester hasnt changed, but the amount of information that needs to be covered continues to grow. Educators and trainers are therefore now faced with a different situation, that of choosing the right amount and quality of content that learners need to cover and retain rather than to try to absorb as much information as possible. Quantity is once again not necessarily better than quality. Studies showed that learner performance are significantly better when students use more powerful strategies when studying computer materials. These involve techniques and methods of using computer and internet features and applications that allow learners to filter information better and structure their learning experiences around topics that excite them. When students are given the opportunity to pursue their own learning interests rather than what teachers tell them to, they tend to have better chances of choosing the right course major according to their interest, as well as their outside activities.

Constraints in ICT Learning in Philippine Schools

The Philippine education sector is faced with the challenge in keeping at pace with the fast moving trend of technology and information revolution around the world. Despite the efforts of various ICT-driven government agencies, a typical Filipino school still does not have enough access to computers and the internet. The high student-to-computer and student-to-peripheral ratios and the limited use of ICT to basic computer classes is confining the learning outcome to computer-related instead of a broad, generic skill such as problem solving, independent and collaborative learning, and communication.

While, lack of computers is the single biggest barriers to change, there is also lack of technical support to maintain ICT resources and lack of teacher training opportunities that are considered contributing factors together with the lack of space and the general lack of funds for operations. The following were identified as key problem areas for implementing ICT in basic education:

Teachers fear of the technology; Constraints of the annual school budgets; Maintenance of ICT resources and lack of technical staff; Limited availability of education software and courseware.

Of the above factors cited, the role of the teacher is deemed the most critical as it has been established that the role of the teacher in e-learning shifts from largely to deliver lessons to managing the learning process and maximizing learners potential and that teachers play a vital role in creating the right environment for learning and transformational change. Since ICT learning is largely asynchronous in nature and collaboration more difficult, teachers need to communicate the expectations of learning tasks to their learners better and teachers also need to function as facilitators and role models as far as using learning and collaborating strategies is concerned. Unfortunately today, many of our faculty members still believe that, when it comes to retention, it is the students responsibility to retain themselves by doing the work that is assigned in a course and achieving passing marks on tests. This is fast changing worldwide as learner-centered education and self-paced learning gains more acceptance to both learners and educators alike. The use of IT to supplement teaching and as a tool has shown positive effects on learners, but maximizing its potential is dependent on the user. What the ICT educators still needs to recognize and manage is that people learn better when there is an emotional connectionto the content or to other people. Creating this emotional connection is particularly challenging in the online classroom, where most communication is asynchronous and lacks many of the emotional cues of the faceto-face environment. That is one of the downsides of asynchronous learning. And yet, despite the limitations of asynchronous communication, an emotional connection that supports learning can still be established using proper content selection and establishing good communication habits with learners similar to what social networking has accomplished for the internet. Against this background, CIDEC is offering an alternative solution to help meet the challenge of new learners today by deliver quality distance and e-learning programs.

CIDECs Leading-edge e-Learning Environment

CIDECs ten-year experience as a pioneering ICT and distance learning school aims to help meet this changing need for both learners and educators to create a learning delivery system which fulfils the needs of learners to be effective and competitive when they enter the workforce. CIDEC believes that when it comes to making learners qualify and obtain job opportunities in the 21 st century, nothing is more important than getting quality education. CIDECs rich experience as a pioneering ICT college puts it in a unique position to help provide a solution to fulfilling the objectives of delivering an e-learning environment for basic education and tertiary courses. By building the capacity to deliver relevant elearning programs and thru partnering arrangements with satellite learning centers that want to adapt CIDECs e-learning environment, CIDEC aims to fulfil the objective providing a leading-edge e-learning environment in the Philippines. CIDECs experience in delivering self-paced learning using ICT puts it in a unique position to deliver courses online made accessible through partnerships with satellite e-learning centers nationwide. By integrating CIDECs online programs and ICT learning in a partnered satellite learning centre, ICT-based learning and learner-centred approach can be implemented rather than a technology-centered approach in order to create positive learning outcomes. Effective implementation of online courses and ICT and its adaptive role for students with evolving learning needs must be recognised and developed. ICT learning can be used seamlessly within the curriculum and students are encouraged to use technology in a multi-faceted way, to conduct research and reinforce their subjects, to present their knowledge through multimedia presentations and digital video and, finally, to submit personal and group project work for official requirement, assessment as part of academic examinations. Teaching and learning online courses using ICT at partnered satellite centres depends on a planned and well-coordinated approach, involving strong leadership at all levels. Partnered satellite centres must have access to the necessary supports and resources to fully implement ICT learning at the facility level. They require assistance in the development of e-learning plans which will support and guide student-centred learning and which accommodate change and review.

With CIDEC as a partner for building capacities and creating an e-learning culture, satellite learning centers can become centres of 21st century education and this is now possible using CIDECs experience and leadership, courseware resources and learning management technology. CIDEC recommends that all those charged with the responsibility of delivering on the e-learning future of the education system start this process with a shared vision and shared enthusiasm to actively transform schools and learning centers into 21st century e-learning environments.

Partnered e-Learning Facility Features

CIDEC provides strong leadership and vision in embedding ICT for satellite learning centres. Every CIDEC partnered satellite learning centre will strive towards effective ICT coordination and this filters down into concrete learning experiences for learners. CIDEC partnered schools and learning centres recognise ICT as a key enabling agent in assisting teaching and learning, integrating it as seamlessly as possible. Partnered satellite learning centers focus on their needs, and make good use of the supports provided to them through CIDECs distance learning management system. In addition, they avail of any expertise available in CIDEC to ensure that they have full capability for their e-learning programs. Under the CIDEC Satellite Learning Center Program, CIDEC will offer skills training to satellite learning center facilities with acceptable site facilities and qualified academic operating personnel and equipped with the following features:
>> 10 to 20 Internet-ready computer stations & printer >> liquid crystal display (LCD) projector unit >> air conditioning units for computer center >> study area >> book shelf and mini library facility

Under the partnership, CIDEC will provide the academic programs, courseware content materials, module study guides and teacher training programs to deliver basic education, degree programs and skills development courses. To ensure appropriate use of these learning center facilities, facility heads and teachers will undergo a series of training workshops on ICT integration in teaching and learning. Regular monitoring and evaluation activities will be conducted to ensure project sustainability.

CIDECs Satellite Learning Center Program will serve as venue where learners can gain quality education and life skills and competencies; develop new skills, including digital literacy. The CIDECs Satellite Learning Center Program will likewise spearhead project monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure continuous enhancement of operations and content towards building a stable model from which other learning centers to emulate and encouraged to participate in the program.

The Instructional Design Department

The partnering mechanics with prospective partner satellite learning centre facilities is anchored on a multi-faceted collaborative relationship through a sustainable and mutually-beneficial sharing of ICT resources and to promote the benefits and advantages of ICT learning. At the heart of the CIDEC Satellite Learning Center Program is CIDECs Instructional Design Department (IDD) capability which functions as a centralized instructional and learning content material developer and repository of CIDECs basic education modules and tertiary learning modules from which partnered facilities may electronically access as learning materials consisting of three elements: 1) computer-aided learning via a customized Learning Management System that includes interactive e-learning modules; 2) teacher-led instruction as aligned with the pace and need of each learner, and; 3) collaborative ICT-enhanced group activities and projects. CIDECs blended type of learning instruction is where students will have self-paced study time using computer-aided learning via interactive e-learning modules or printed module study guides, and teacher-led learning instruction (based on the current needs of the learners), and collaborative group activities and projects. The Instructional Design unit is responsible for providing CIDECs teaching departments and partnered facilities with the ability to create and develop learning courseware content materials as well as perform the necessary quality assurance function to ensure that all lesson content materials are consistent with the learning objectives and instructional requirements of each course and subject across the entire CIDEC academic system.

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

Certain success factors are essential to effectively sustain the build-up of CIDECs capacity to deliver quality e-learning programs and courses online and through partnerships with satellite learning center facilities. Foremost among these are:
>> Embedding the use of ICT and blended learning strategies from an early stage in the process of curriculum development and implementation; >> The provision of professional development in the integration of ICT and blended learning in pedagogic practice to teachers at all levels in the system; >> Mechanisms to disseminate good practice models and to support effective and innovative practices; >> Supporting strategic leadership at all levels, particularly within schools; >> Provision of sufficient interactive digital courseware content and content creation tools to engage and support learners and to empower teachers in their changing roles.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
To contribute to the realization of helping our new learners gain economic success in life and to participate in the new knowledge-based Philippine society, CIDEC is embarking on a strategic program to build capacity in delivering distance learning and blended learning academic programs and provide its expertise and know-how through partnerships with satellite learning centres offering basic education, tertiary degree courses and employable skills programs. CIDEC believes that an ICT capability building effort that focuses on being economically sustainable will lead to a powerful, learner-centric, e-learning culture with the following program focus: >> Promote and support leadership, and vision for integrating ICT and distance learning in partner satellite learning centers for all curriculum design and development; >> Meet teachers ICT professional development needs and support them in using ICT effectively in their teaching methods and skills;

>> Enable partner satellite learning centers, and their students to access complete and curriculum-relevant digital courseware content and appropriate digital tools; >> Provide internationally accredited teaching training programs and academic reward for teachers using ICT; >> Enhance or develop web portal facilities for learners and teachers to access digital content, school-based collaboration and communication; >> Support the sharing and creation of content by teachers and students; >> Forge strategic partnerships with private and government agencies and other content holders for content-sharing and creation; >> Centralise licensing requirements and purchasing arrangements for software as addition or replacement of current requirements; >> Provide access and purchasing arrangements for affordable computers, multimedia devices and peripherals to support learning for partnered schools and learning centres; >> Provide strategic and centralised purchasing arrangements for affordable, highspeed connectivity to all schools via broadband network providers; >> Establish an expert advisory on website developments and their possible deployment in partnered schools and learning centres; >> Establish a central technical support service for implementing distance learning programs and supports; >> Establish a forum which includes legitimate stakeholders from partnered satellite learning centers re program advancements, innovations and concerns; >> Provide well-documented case studies of good e-learning practices and create a venue and means of exploring and showcasing ICT innovation and generating lead models of school e-learning environments;

Notes and References: 1. Evolving Technologies in Education, Enhancing Teaching and Learning, an International Conference on Educational Technology, 9-10 September 2004, Singapore 2. ICT in Education, an e-Primer for the Information Economy and Polity, Victoria L. Tinio, www.eprimers.org, UNDP 3. Medium-Term Higher Education Development and Investment Plan, 2001-2004, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) 4. Faculty Focus, [email protected], Jen Harrington, Associate Professor, Sally Ann Moore, Nirmala Sankaran, Mr Darren Nonis, Prof. Nicola Yelland, Dr Quek Choon Lang, Mr. Tan Lye Hua, John Orlando, PhD, Steve Smith. 5. Distance Learning: Promises, Problems, and Possibilities, Doug Valentine University of Oklahoma 6. Assessing the Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education: Lessons from the Literature, Claire H. Major, University of Alabama, Betsy Palmer, University of Iowa, Academic Exchange Quarterly Spring 2001: Volume 5, Issue 1