In another episode of OPEN Talk held on 13 April 2023, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) presented ChatGPT Episode 2 that tackled the dark side and bright future of Artificial Intelligence (AI), its implications, downside especially in the educational institutions, its ethical considerations, and positive contributions. The said episode was spearheaded by notable resource speakers, namely,  Dr. Vladimir Mariano, Lead Faculty for Technology and Innovation, Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiatives (YSEALI), Fulbright University, Vietnam, and Affiliate Faculty, Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), UPOU; and, Dr. Alexander G. Flor, Professor and Former Dean, FICS UPOU.  According [...]

UP Open University (UPOU) conducted two benchmarking activities for the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) on 25 and 26 April 2023. On 25 April 2023, the UNP team led by Dr. Irene Guerrero, OIC, PIO and Special Assistant to the President, and Ms. Shareen Navarro, Director of Information Technology Infrastructure Management & Development Office (ITIMDO) were briefed about the UPOU programs and the fundamentals of a Learning Management System (LMS) by Dr. Myra C. Almodiel, Director of Office of Public Affairs, and Dr. Reinald Adrian D. Pugoy, Director of Information and Communication Technology Development Office. The meeting was conducted online, [...]

UP Open University (UPOU) welcomes visitors from Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) for a benchmarking activity today, 4 May 2023, at the UPOU Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna.  The WMSU, represented by Dr. Ma. Socorro Yvonne Ramos, Coordinating Dean of the Graduate School and Dr. Fuvie Rojas-Bayot, Director of the Distance Education/OUS, benchmarked UPOU’s open and distance learning practices, curriculum development, instructional materials, student support and assessment, administrative/organizational structure, and other ODeL strategies. The discussion was spearheaded by UPOU Chancellor, Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, and  Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning (CODTL) Director, Dr. Ricardo T. Bagarinao. [...]

The UP Open University (UPOU) featured Open Education: Historical Narrative of Institutional Challenges Encountered by UP Open University in its newest installment of the Research Conversations series held on 4 April 2023. Dr. Alexander G. Flor, Professor Emeritus, and UP Scientist from the UPOU Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) served as the resource speaker. Dr. Flor defined Open Science as a practice, process, product, and community. He shared that Open Science also often refers to open access, open educational resources, and open source, which is also synonymous with equity, diversity, inclusion, open data, and citizen science.  Dr. [...]

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (OVCFA) spearheaded the “Orientation for the New Faculty Administrators on the Finance and the Administrative Processes in the University.” This was held at the UP Clark Green City (UP CGC) on 27-28 April 2023. The orientation aimed to provide the new faculty administrators with an overview of the UPOU finance and administrative process within the QA Framework. It was also done to equip new faculty administrators with the basic knowledge to manage financial and administrative tasks effectively in support of the implementation [...]

Onsite and online participants and organizers of the UPOU External Quality Assurance (EQA) Seminar-Workshop. The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), through its Quality Assurance Office (QAO) and Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (OVCAA), conducted the External Quality Assurance (EQA) Seminar-Workshop on 24 April 2023 at the CCDL Auditorium, UPOU and via Zoom. This whole-day event assisted the UPOU Self-Assessment Report (SAR) Writing Teams in preparing for the actual conduct of EQA of their respective programs. Dr. Primo Garcia, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the vital role of [...]

The newly-elected members of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) University Student Council (USC) took their oaths on 26 April  2023, in a hybrid setup. The attendees who were present in person were at the UPOU Oblation Hall, while USC Councilors Francelle Joanne Bacud, Luna Alexandra Cañal, and Raine Tuason joined virtually via Zoom. The UPOU Commission on Elections (CoE) and University Student Council (USC) organized the event in coordination with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), Office of Public Affairs (OPA), and Multimedia Center (MC). The ceremony commenced with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem, [...]

The University of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents (BOR) has approved the establishment of the Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning (CODTL) during its 1378th Meeting held on 23 February 2023. In line with this, the UP Open University (UPOU) Multimedia Center (MC) was renamed to the Educational Media Production (EMP) as part of its reorganization under the CODTL.  With the reorganization of the office, its new set of functions now include the following: Produce educational materials for courses offered by the University based on sound design principles in partnership with the Learning Design Section and [...]