The Makati City-based college, the Information and Communications Technology Academy (iAcademy) has ramped up its efforts to implement flexible remote learning for its students.
According to a press release, the college will host a webinar discussion for parents with school academic officials on what entails flexible remote learning and the preparations the school has done to ensure the continuous and dynamic delivery of education for its students.
iAcademy has been implementing technology-enabled learning by utilising various online platforms and tools like NEO and Google Classroom to deliver lessons. With the current health crisis and government prohibiting face-to-face classes, iAcademy has decided to roll out its new approach called Guided Online Autonomous Learning (GOAL).
According to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, when the pandemic broke, all schools and universities were forced to expedite the use of technology to deliver instruction to ensure that learning is not disrupted.
The Vice President said that for them, this was an opportunity. It will implement GOAL, which is an online distance education program designed to provide a flexible, relevant, balanced, and collaborative learning experience to the students.
The program will be learner-centred and faculty-directed. It is anchored on a holistic and adaptive approach to teaching and learning.
Flexible learning is a multi-faceted approach to learning where students are given options on how, what, when, and where they learn. It is the overarching approach behind the other methods of delivering instruction.
It factors in the learning capacity of the students and provides learning activities that are engaging, relevant, and outcome-based.
The aim is to equip students with the essential knowledge, values, and skills to prepare them for future challenges in their careers. It is faculty-directed because students are still guided, monitored, and mentored by the professors, who will continue to do regular check-ins on students to know how they are doing and how they are managing their time and workload.
The program will encourage and empower students to be independent. Flexible learning combines and expands familiar approaches to teaching and learning.
Students and professors can communicate through discussion boards, emails, or instant messaging. These tools are used for consultation and feedback.
The iAcademy’s Senior High School Principal noted that instructors and professors can effectively assess a student’s performance in a flexible learning set-up through the careful use of grading criteria and rubrics that measure learning.
The administration of exams will also be done online.
As OpenGov reported earlier, SANA OL! Online Tutorials and Classes are using social media as online learning platforms to discuss topics such as music, arts, fitness and health, life hacks, and survival tips.
Young professionals hired for this online program will present a maximum of three topics and will be compensated for each of their classes or tutorials, a press release announcing the program stated.
Other local governments have also turned to digital platforms. The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Pinamungajan, is reaching out to their constituents and to help ease both quarantine anxiety and boredom through online initiatives such as a talent contest.
