Teaching and

Learning With E-
Learning in the
Philippines
Christina Gómez
Sponsored by Blackboard
24/11/16
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Manila, Philippines

The Internet might seem like something that has been around forever. How did
people live without it? How did they communicate? How did students do their
homework? Interestingly, in some remote provinces in the Philippines, the Internet
is a new discovery. There are public schools in these areas where teachers are just
starting to learn how to use Google as a search engine and slowly introducing
eLearning into their classrooms.

eLearning is not only about sophisticated platforms where teachers and students can
meet up in a digital space and interact. eLearning has to do with any learning that
uses technology to enhance the learner experience. This is what the President for
the Philippine eLearning Society, Ms. Anthea Mariano (or Thennie to her friends and
colleagues), says. PeLS is a Society that promotes substantive content, good pedagogy,
and proper use of technology for eLearning. The Society was started in 2003 by
pioneers in the academic, industry and government sector. Today it has more than
400 individual members and 20 institutional members, and PeLS’ mission is to
ensure that its members acquire the knowledge and tools they need in order to
implement the most suitable eLearning system for their institutions.

Anthea “Thennie” Mariano,

President of the Philippine eLearning Society. Photo: AFP Nana Chen.
As a first step, PeLS believes in starting with the basics by going to remote provinces
and educating public school teachers on the usage of Google and some simple
eLearning implementations. This will bring them closer towards the objective of
enhancing teaching & learning, which in turn aims to help future generations be more
prepared for the future.

PeLS also shares knowledge and experiences through annual conferences held in
different regions of the Philippines. They conduct training workshops and create case
studies through which their members share experiences in technology adoption, as
well as benefits and challenges throughout the process. To date, they have
participated in 13 national conferences and two international congresses where they
invited international presenters and delegates to speak and share. Currently, there is
no other formally-organized eLearning groups in the ASEAN region.

PeLS also has a course on Moodlerooms called “Introduction to eLearning” for its
members. An open course available to all members, additional courses are already
being planned and will eventually include more advanced topics on eLearning. As
Thennie explains, teaching eLearning through an eLearning platform is a great way
for teachers to learn because they can experience the platform as a learner. They can
see what about the platform engages them, and acquire better course design
knowledge for application in the courses they teach.

It is impossible to remove technology from the

equation today, even in the most remote of places,
because technology is making its way through every
place in the world.
Thennie adds that the Philippines is very different from some other developing
countries in how it embraces change and evolution, instead of resisting it for fear of
not understanding the technology. The country has a strong Spanish and Chinese
influence in its history, and its education system is American-influenced as well.
Thennie says she sees how people now recognise the importance of eLearning
especially in the field of education. The President of the Philippines has even passed
the “Open Distance Learning Act” (RA 10650) which seeks to institutionalise distance
learning in higher education, and also recognises it as a suitable and efficient system
that delivers quality education.

Thennie believes in lifelong learning and feels that eLearning is the best way to go. It
is impossible to remove technology from the equation today, even in the most remote
of places, because technology is making its way through every place in the world.
Even though achieving a full adoption of eLearning through all educational
institutions in the Philippines is a huge task and will take many years, Thennie is glad
that it is moving forward.

* Anthea “Thennie” Mariano, President of the Philippine eLearning Society.

E-Learning in the Philippines: Trends, Directions, and

Challenges
Dela Pena-Bandalaria, Melinda M.
International Journal on E-Learning, v8 n4 p495-510 Oct 2009
In the Philippines, the term "e-learning" is used synonymously with online learning and concerns the
online delivery of instructional content as well as associated support services to students. This article is
primarily based on experiences at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). It
showcases the development of e-learning in the country from just a supplement within once-a-month
face-to-face (FTF) sessions in a university learning center to more extensive use of a learning
management system (LMS) as a venue for academic discussions as well as learning assessments, sharing
learning resources and content, and students submissions of course requirements. Also discussed is how
the mobile phone is being used to bridge the digital divide and make the digitally excluded sectors of the
Filipino society become part of the online learning program of the university. The mechanisms being used
to ensure quality education in e-learning as well as the challenges faced by e-learning institutions are
extensively detailed. (Contains 1 figure.)
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ851849

Philippine eLearning Opens Its Doors To

The World
0
SHARES
The Philippine eLearning Society (PeLS) present the International Congress on
eLearning 2013 (ICE2013) on December 6-7, 2013.
By Christopher Pappas
December 2, 2013

International Congress on eLearning 2013 by the Philippine eLearning Society

On December 6-7, 2013, the Philippine eLearning Society will hosts the
International Congress on eLearning 2013 at the Heritage Hotel Manila, Pasay
City, Philippines. The Philippine eLearning Society (PeLS) has been the
country’s leading organization in promoting the development of eLearning
competencies through education, training and collaboration among various
stakeholders in government, industry and academe. The congress will be forum
for an international exchange of research, innovation, experiences and best
practices in eLearning.

The theme of the congress is “The eLearning Q.U.E.S.T: Harmonizing the

Elements of a Global Knowledged Society."

In the last decade, countries have focused on evolving into knowledge societies
and developments in information and communication technology (ICT) have
opened more opportunities for borderless collaboration and co-creation. In this
stage of growing interdependence and multidisciplinary perspectives, there is a
need to synergize the requisite components to nurture a global knowledge
society. This congress aims to provide a collaborative model of teaching and
learning online by determining the many elements that must be managed to
create e-learning programs and to stimulate participation across diversity.

Specifically, the congress aims to:

 review and examine the technical, pedagogical/andragogical, management

and social challenges associated with eLearning implementation and develop
a model for collaborative eLearning in the global arena;
 strengthen the convergence of technology and learning theories to form
meaningful settings for learners with different academic, industry and support
needs and to ensure quality in eLearning practice and delivery; and
 organize educators, researchers, educational technologists, instructional
designers and students in discussing the issues related to the development of
quality online education and the challenges of ensuring pedagogically sound
eLearning practices.
The keynote speakers are Dr. Grace Alfonso, Chancellor of the University of the
Philippines Open University and Dr. Ashley Tan, Head of the Centre for e-
Learning of the National Institute of Education in Singapore. The lineup of
international plenary speakers include representatives from Desire2Learn, Edu
2.0, Kocorolab, DigitalFilipino, Electude, Polytechnic University of Hongkong and
eLearningindustry.com The congress also features paper and poster
presentations as well as roundtable discussions and virtual sessions.

For more information on the congress, visit the Philippine eLearning Society

eLearning Industry is proud online media sponsor of the International Congress

on eLearning 2013 by the Philippine eLearning Society.
https://elearningindustry.com/philippine-e-learning-opens-its-doors-to-the-world
E-Learning: The next
paradigm shift in
education
posted May 12, 2013 at 12:01 am by MST News (Manila standard

In about a month, millions of Filipino students will troop back to schools. Some will be studying
more comfortably in air-conditioned rooms, complete with hi-tech learning tools such as
computers and modern methodologies. Others will not be as privileged. Still, learning takes
precedence over disparities in learning conditions. Substance over form, we say. With the
recent implementation of the K to 12 program, the country�s basic education curriculum
undergoes a major overhaul in the form of two additional years from the existing 10-year basic
education. The authority says the transition will �provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts
and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level
skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.� Moreover, the reform would make the
Philippines comparable and competitive with other countries, as the 12 years of basic schooling
had long been a global standard. But while the change is a welcome development, it may still be
considered protracted if taken in the larger context of learning, which is transforming by leaps
and bounds. The delivery of education, from pre-school to tertiary education, has changed
immensely and is continuously progressing � thanks to technology. So much so that experts
say it is inevitable, e-learning will be the next paradigm shift in education. Loosely defined as the
use of electronic media and information and communication technologies in education, e-
learning includes all forms of educational technology in learning and teaching, according to
Wikipedia. It is broadly synonymous with technology-enhanced learning, online education,
virtual learning environments, and digital educational collaboration. Essentially, e-learning builds
on the traditional, classroom learning and expands it in terms of reach, and flexibility in pace
and procedures. It may take the form of a medium, such as a multimedia instruction, a
standalone software or application. E-learning can take place anywhere other than a classroom.
It can be taken self-paced, individually or in a group, with or without interaction from an
instructor. E-learning provides many other features which enable both the educator and the
learner to attain educational goals more easily. Preschoolers utilize interactive apps in
computers and handheld devices that keep them more engaged compared to traditional
learning techniques for their age. Lessons in languages are being taught by a teacher halfway
across the globe via an online platform. Home study and distance learning programs are
facilitated largely with the use of the Internet. And notably in recent years, enrollment in online
courses have spiked considerably. Companies and institutions have turned to e-learning in
educating and training their staff. E-learning involves many types of technologies and
techniques including multimedia content, blogs, collaborative applications, and virtual learning
environments or classrooms. Students learn via downloading or accessing these audio or video
content and other online resources, participate in exercises and online discussions, and take
part in project collaborations. The growing availability of the Internet to a wider population; plus
the developments in multimedia technologies such as better platforms and cheaper gadgets,
are the prime movers of e-learning. Perhaps the biggest impact of e-learning is its capability to
substantially expand access to education, especially to post-secondary students. The
emergence of the so-called massively-open online courses (MOOCs) provides free courses
from top institutions, reaching out to millions of students worldwide. Coursera, an online-
enrollment platform, has reportedly attracted 2.7 million students to its 222 courses since it was
started last year. It said it is adding 29 universities � including universities outside U.S. � to its
current 33 partners. Other popular platforms include edX and Udacity. Aside from improved
open access to education, e-learning provides better integration for non-full-time students, and
improved interactions between students and instructors, according to a study.
http://manilastandard.net/tech/tech-news/100860/e-learning-the-next-paradigm-shift-in-
education.html

Investing in e-learning,
future
By: Tish Martinez-Castillo - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:39 AM October 30, 2011

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/16263/investing-in-e-learning-

future#ixzz5CMfMoEIw
http://opinion.inquirer.net/16263/investing-in-e-learning-future
Technology has made almost every experience virtual—from making friends and
talking with them to doing business with other people. Education has followed suit
with e-learning.
Today’s learners are tech-savvy digital natives—mobile phone toting, Internet surfing
and RPG-game playing youngsters.
Steve Jobs, Apple cofounder and former CEO, was one of the first to recognize these
digital natives. Apple content-creation tools for education—GarageBand, iMovie and
iWork as well as podcasts and apps on virtually every subject matter—are fostering
creativity and innovation in classrooms across the globe.

“The global outpouring of grief reflects Jobs’ impact on modern life. He blazed trails
in education and understood that today’s learners grasp new technologies intuitively,”
says Jose Maria T. Policarpio, executive director of education publisher Diwa
Learning Systems Inc.
Policarpio adds that tapping this intuition is key to helping students perform better
academically. “We have to remember, they learn differently and we need to adapt our
modes of teaching.”
DepEd strategy plan
The Department of Education (DepEd) put emphasis on the need to develop e-
learning via its five-year Information and Communication Technology for Education
(ICT4E) Strategy Plan. ICT4E aims to integrate ICT into every school’s curricula,
develop programs, establish infrastructure and come up with a system for evaluating
the program’s effectiveness. DepEd has also strove to strengthen its Educational
Technology Unit and conduct literacy training among teachers.
Two years ago, more than 6,600 schools participated in DepEd’s Internet
Connectivity Project. During that time, only 1,936 schools had Internet access. Today,
more than 3,127 schools are connected.
Low student-computer and teacher-computer ratios pose the biggest challenge to the
program, according to an education department report on ICT4E.
Infrastructure and teacher competencies are also areas of concern as computer literacy
is not a requirement for teacher certification and licensure. But despite all this, the
department remains optimistic about the ICT4E program, saying that “meeting
challenges by using the tools available creatively is key to effectively integrating
ICT.”

Private sector
DepEd also encourages businesses and other organizations to share their expertise. To
date, more than 10,000 teachers have undergone digital-literacy training in partnership
with the private sector. The ReImaginED Executive Training, a series of consultations
and workshops to help division and regional education administrators use the ICT4E
program, is also being implemented.
With close to 13 million elementary students and some 5.4 million high-school
students bearing the brunt of dwindling national budget allocations and with educators
leaving the country to teach abroad, the increase in private-sector support for the
country’s public-education system comes at a propitious time.
Everyone’s concern
As the country struggles to keep the deadline set by the UN-led Millennium
Development Goals program, assistance from other sectors has become vital,
according to Education Secretary Armin Luistro.
“Education isn’t an isolated concern. It is everyone’s concern,” says Luistro.
At the Technology Forum on e-Learning early this year at the Asian Institute of
Management, Batobalani Foundation Inc. (BBFI) presented its vision for deepening
public- and private-sector partnerships for education. BBFI seeks to address the lack
of textbooks and other resources for basic education.
Inexpensive
“E-learning is the easiest and most inexpensive way to transfer knowledge,” says
Batobalani Foundation chair Saturnino G. Belen Jr. “We don’t need to reinvent the
wheel to apply these technologies. For ICT especially, the private sector is in a better
position to take up these initiatives because it has the expertise. You have to have
hardware, connectivity, content and also training.”
BBFI has been pushing the e-learning agenda with various programs, foremost of
which is Genyo, an online learning-management system from Diwa Learning Systems
Inc. “We want to let people know about the success stories of e-learning,
communicate the idea to policymakers that what we would like is for them to support
our efforts in bringing e-learning to public schools,” adds Belen.
He enumerates the advantages of this partnership. “There is efficiency in cost and
effort. We avoid duplicating work and we also ensure the sustainability of projects
when the private sector is involved.”
Members of the private sector are already heavily invested in e-learning. Digital
versions of textbooks, educational magazines and television programs are now
available for basic education. e-learning portals and online management programs for
students and teachers have also been made available.
Teaching today’s learners has become more challenging because technology is fast
evolving, according to Policarpio. “Think of it this way. We are preparing them for
jobs that don’t yet exist and for technologies that haven’t been invented,” he says.
While universities in the country and abroad have integrated ICT into their curricula,
Policarpio says there’s a big difference between accessing resources over the Internet
and e-learning.
“For example, Harvard and Yale have an online portal for learning—a place where
they can share their lectures and reports online. But those are just resources anyone
can access,” says Policarpio. “e-learning goes beyond that. It melds all kinds of
academic activities with ICT.”
Accessible degrees
As more Asian professionals seek advanced degrees, the demand for institutions to
offer a wider array of courses under their distance-education programs has also
increased.
The number of open universities and institutions in Asia has grown exponentially,
with China and India leading the sector’s ranks. The availability of fast broadband
Internet in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore has also contributed to the
rapid growth of online learning in the region.
People holding full-time jobs prefer online education because it doesn’t require them
to attend classes on a physical campus.
“Many working adults simply do not have the time to attend face-to-face lectures
delivered in conventional universities,” says Wong Tat Meng, president of the Asian
Association of Open Universities. “Also, governments simply cannot build sufficient
brick-and-mortar universities fast enough to meet the huge demand for knowledge
workers needed to drive the knowledge economy.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Wong, also vice chancellor of
Malaysia’s Wawasan Open University, says that geography has become less of a
factor in pursuing a degree and that the Internet has “taken the ‘distance’ out of
distance education.”
Asia e University
The demand for better higher education has led to the establishment of the Asia e
University in 2008. Made up of 31 member-countries under the Asia Cooperation
Dialogue, the university has 3,000 students enrolled in its postgraduate, undergraduate
and executive programs.
Despite the upswing in distance education, some critics argue that online learning may
not be enough to bridge Asia’s tertiary education gap.
In “The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the
Inside Out,” authors Clayton M. Christensen and Henry J. Eyring point out that the
increase in the number of institutions offering degrees online does not guarantee the
increase in competent graduates.
National Open University
Experts also suggest that inferior Internet service in many parts of Asia discourage
potential students from getting their degrees online.
In the Philippines, House Bill No. 4883, which seeks to declare the University of the
Philippines Open University (UPOU) the national Open University of the Philippines
has reached its final reading in the House of Representatives.
Also known as the “Open Learning and Distance Education Act of 2011,” it seeks to
make distance learning more accessible to Filipinos and to institute policies that
ensure the quality of these distance-education programs.
Under HB 4883, the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority will regulate the distance-education programs
offered by secondary schools. The development of new programs will be led by
UPOU.
Other tertiary institutions in the country offering distance-learning programs include
the Philippine Women’s University (PWU), De La Salle University, Polytechnic
University of the Philippines and the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
Six characteristics
However, despite these initiatives, many are still at a loss on what e-learning and ICT
integrated education are. In 2001, Louis Bonder of the University of Amsterdam,
presented six key characteristics of e-learning:
Digitization of course materials
Delivery of the materials regardless of the learner’s location
Learner studying at his or her own pace
Information must be free-flowing
Platforms must be interactive
Learning must be collaborative
In the Philippines, a number of e-learning products and services are available. These
include libraries where students can access the Online Public Access Catalog to locate
the physical copies of the references they need, public domain reference collections
and online encyclopedias.
Online coursework
To support their open university and distance-learning programs, UP and the PWU
have made content and coursework available online. Leading IT companies such as
Microsoft, Intel and Oracle have also partnered with DepEd to provide management
tools and resources for teachers.
While many private grade schools and high schools such as Don Bosco, Lourdes
School of Mandaluyong, Hope Christian School, First Asia Institute of Technology
and Huamanities and Saint Paul University Philippines have successfully integrated
ICT into their lessons, public basic education is still lagging behind.
Changing mindset
Felix Librero of UPOU says that aside from infrastructure and teacher-training
difficulties, the most serious hurdle e-learning in the country faces is the mindset. In a
paper he presented at the Symposium on Digital Learning in Keio University, Japan,
he says that “most of our teachers, policy makers and decision makers are still steeped
in the conventional learning norm, that is teacher-centered learning.”
Librero says that “as long as they remain convinced that we should not shift to a
learner-centered (student-centered) mindset, digital learning will simply remain a
good idea and learners who’ve been used to traditional methods must be ready to take
responsibility for their learning in an ICT integrated classroom.”
(Martinez-Castillo, an Ateneo de Manila University graduate, major in European
languages, works for RubyComm-K. Austria Public Relations Consultants.)

---
Learning with the help of technology
0

BY JOHN PAUL M. ESPINOSA ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

Technological advances had greatly changed the education landscape in that teaching is no
longer confined to the traditional face-to-face delivery of lessons.

Now, students can also learn outside the classroom via the Internet. Through the convergence of
traditional and modern methods, students get to experience the best of both worlds – they can be
tutored in school and get additional lessons through the Web.

The convenience and effectiveness of e-learning had long been recognized by educational
institutions and education officials. A number of schools in the country have embraced with
enthusiasm emerging education technology in that lectures are boosted by computer-based, or
gadget-based, learning. Today, in some schools, netbooks have replaced notebooks and some
lessons are delivered electronically.

A survey conducted by Pearson Foundation in the United States found that more than six in 10
college students and high school seniors agree that they study more efficiently by using tablets.
A study conducted by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in California also showed that students using
iPads performed better in math compared to students using traditional textbooks. Another study
at Oklahoma State University found that 75 percent of students said the use of gadgets enhanced
their learning experience.

Despite the fears of parents and some teachers that gadgets may distract students, surveys and
studies have shown that generally, these technological tools are a big help in learning. The
United States had invested heavily by providing computers for students in public schools.
Reports say the federal government spends more than $3 billion a year on digital content alone.
The US has also launched a massive program to make high-speed Internet and free online
teaching resources available to remote schools. This year, more states administered tests for the
elementary and middle grades through the Internet, discarding the use of pen and paper.

The Philippines should not be left behind when it comes to applying education technology. The
ethical and responsible use of computers, tablets, cellphones and other devices can greatly
enhance the learning capability of students, for it has been shown through studies that children
(and adults for that matter) can better grasp and understand their lessons in a more relaxed
environment, without the prying (and sometimes mocking) eyes of classmates or teachers.
Emerging technologies can be powerful tools in education. The Philippines can copy the US and
slowly, as the budget of the Department of Education allows, provide schools computers, fast
Internet service, digital devices and software for the use of students. Investing on e-learning will
benefit both teachers and students. Teachers can disseminate their lessons and assignments with
ease, and students can work on their lessons at home. Little by little, the country can introduce
changes to the system by adopting a wider array of learning platforms with the use of
technology.

Thanks to technology, schools (and teachers) can tap a number of “partners” in carrying out their
mission to educate students. Audio and video lessons can be delivered to students through social
networks and webcams. Students can attend classes in e-classrooms. Teachers can send lectures
through email and, schools can issue communications the same way. And perhaps, in the near
future, tests can be administered online.

As the world continues its march to progress, there’s no escaping online education. To keep up,
the country will have to study and develop its own model of computer-based learning that will be
effective for Filipino students.

http://www.manilatimes.net/learning-with-the-help-of-technology/286384/

Abstract
In the Philippines, the term e-learning is used synonymously with online learning and
concerns the online delivery of instructional content as well as associated support
services to students. This article is primarily based on experiences at the University of
the Philippines Open University (UPOU). It showcases the development of e-learning in
the country from just a supplement within once-a-month face-to-face (FTF) sessions in
a university learning center to more extensive use of a learning management system
(LMS) as a venue for academic discussions as well as learning assessments, sharing
learning resources and content, and students submissions of course requirements. Also
discussed is how the mobile phone is being used to bridge the digital divide and make
the digitally excluded sectors of the Filipino society become part of the online learning
program of the university. The mechanisms being used to ensure quality education in e-
learning as well as the challenges faced by e-learning institutions are extensively
detailed.
Citation
M. Dela Pena-Bandalaria, M. (2009). E-Learning in the Philippines: Trends, Directions,
and Challenges. International Journal on E-Learning, 8(4), 495-510. Waynesville, NC
USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved
April 11, 2018 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/30504/.