UPOU organizes 4th National Conference on Open and Distance eLearning to help democratize access to education in the country.Higher education institutions and technical and vocational institutes from different regions assembled in the 4th National Conference on Open and Distance e-Learning: Philippine Education Revolution through Open and Distance e-Learning (NCODeL 2015) held on 5-6 November 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Ortigas, Metro Manila and organized by UP Open University.
NCODeL 2015 is a response to the Republic Act 10650 (Open and Distance Learning Act), which seeks to democratize access to quality tertiary education through the adoption of open learning as an education philosophy and the use of distance education to deliver quality higher and technical education programs in the country.
In her opening remarks at the opening program, UPOU Chancellor Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso explained the importance of RA10650 to changing educational system and learning styles. According to her, the law is an opportunity to maximize what the educational environment in this digital times is offering by exploring and adopting the philosophy of openness; the flexibility of learner centeredness of distance education; and the connectivity, interactivity and constructivist nature of e-learning. She said that Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) can contribute to bringing quality higher education to all Filipinos here and abroad.
The opening program was also graced by Hon. Alberto Romulo, Former Senator and Secretary of the Department of the Foreign Affairs; Dr. Amelia A. Biglete, Director, Office of Programs and Standards Development, Commission on Higher Education (CHED); and Hon. Alfredo E. Pascual, President, University of the Philippines. In their messages, they emphasized ODeL’s importance to globalization and changing educational environment.
President Pascual, in particular, described the impact of the globalization and the rise of networked information and communication technologies which have led to led to a society where knowledge is power. He said that all of these are affecting the way educational institutions educate their people.
The first plenary were presentations on the basic concepts and subsystems of ODeL by the following experts: Dr. Patricia B. Arinto, Dean, Faculty of Education, UPOU; Dr. Kam-Cheong LI, Director, University Research Centre, The Open University of Hong Kong; and Ms. Maria Susan P. Dela Rama, Executive Director, Certification Office & Project Manager, eTESDA PMO, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Two panels of experts from the different universities were, likewise, organized to share their experiences in offering courses through ODeL. These panel discussions showed how different ODeL models – from blended to online learning – can be adopted to address the needs of different sets of learners.
On the second day, concurrent workshops were also conducted on the ODeL subsystems: Strategic Planning, Instructional Design and Course Development, Faculty Support and Development, Learner Support, Quality Assurance, and Assessment. Participants had a chance to work on exercises to enhance their understanding of the subsystems.
Quality assurance models and frameworks in ODeL were also presented on the second day by Dr. Melinda dP. Bandalaria, Dean, Faculty of Information and Communication Studies, UPOU; and Prof. Abd Karim Alias, Director, Centre for Development of Academic Excellence, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
An exhibit of UPOU products and innovations in ODeL was also shown at the venue’s upper lobby.
During the closing program, Dr. Alfonso thanked all the participants and the organizers for the success of the conference. She enjoined the participating institutions to participate in ODeL training programs to be offered by UPOU in the future. She also invited them to attend the 30th Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities, which UPOU will host in 2016.
Delivering the closing remarks was Dr. Gisela Concepcion, UP Vice President for Academic Affairs. According to her, "ODeL is increasingly recognized as a national and global strategy for development because it brings education within the grasp of every person wishing to realize his or her dreams and potential." Thus, she invited academics to embrace this challenge.
UPOU organized the conference in cooperation with CHED, TESDA, Philippine Society for Distance Learning (PSDL), and UPOU Foundation, Inc. (UPOUFI). (Eleanor P. Manipol)
