The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Office of Public Affairs (OPA) Director and Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) Associate Professor, Dr. Myra Almodiel, engaged in a webinar entitled “Envisioning Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL) in Southeast Asia”. The webinar centers on understanding the impact of online learning on student motivation and offers insights into effectively supporting online learners. This was held on 30 August 2023 as a collaboration between the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).
Dr. Almodiel, with her presentation entitled, “Reimagining OFDL for Higher Education in Southeast Asia: Initiatives and Strategies in the Philippines”, shared about initiatives, practices, and strategies of OFDL in the Philippines including the various platforms and repositories developed by different intuitions in the country such as Open Educational Resources (OERs) Platforms, UPOU Networks, TVUP, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Online Program, DepEd Commons, and PHL CHED Connect. Dr. Almodiel also shared about the Open Universities and DE Providers in the Philippines and the creation of the Consortium of Open and Distance Education Providers in the Philippines (CODEPP). She also shared about the initiatives of the UP Open universities including the offering of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), MOOCs Certificate Programs, MOOCs as OERs Model, and the Webinar+MOOCs+ReAP Model especially during the pandemic as part of teh university’s mandate under Republic Act 10650 (Open Distance Learning Law) to assist relevant national agencies, higher education institutions, and technical and vocational institutions in developing their distance education programs through training, technical assistance, research, and other academic programs.
She also mentioned the forthcoming initiatives at the UPOU which include offering of Micro-credential Courses, and the launch of PHMOOCs, a platform for MOOCs designed to foster universal access to quality education, promote lifeline learning, enhance collaboration between the UP, the state universities and colleges, and other institutions of higher learning in the country.
Along with Dr. Almodiel, distinguished speakers from various Southeast Asian countries enlightened the audience with their respective topics. The lineup included International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Secretary General Ms. Torunn Gjelsvik, who presented an insightful talk on “Overview & Future Goals of OFDL.” Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) Dean of College of Interdisciplinary & Experiential Learning Prof. Cheah Horn Mun shared her presentation entitled “Online Learning: Re-Thinking Pedagogical Approach.” Furthermore, SEAMEO Secretariat Dr. Kamaleswaran Jayarajah enlightened the audience with his presentation entitled, “Moving Forward With OFDL: Key Findings.” Together, they successfully exchanged and shared insights regarding the experiences, best practices, and strategies for OFDL in Southeast Asia.
The webinar is part of joint ICDE and SEAMEO Secretariat webinar, Envisioning the Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL) in Southeast Asia which was attended by about 2,600 participants from 45 countries. More details of this webinar can be found at the ICDE FB Page.
Written by Dianne Cosinas♦ Edited by Anna Cañas-Llamas and Dr. Myra C. Almodiel
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