By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr.

As an adaptive measure to deliver quality education in the new normal, the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) is stepping up to establish the Integrated Engineering E-Learning and Multi-Technology Laboratory at the College of Engineering (COE) this year. 

With a Php 10.56 million fund from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), MMSU ultimately seeks to equip and upgrade laboratory facilities of its engineering degree programs.

The CHED’s funding of the MMSU project is made possible through the agency’s Institutional Development and Innovation Grants for State Universities and Colleges (SUC). 

The infrastructure will include electronics, electrical, civil e-learning, ICT and automotive e-learning packages; operating systems, network and security, and data communications laboratories consisting of diverse virtual classroom course wares; and campus-wide ArcGIS (geographic information system) licenses that allow students do their laboratory offline and online. 

In this laboratory, the e-learning materials can be easily accessible and customizable. It is also interactive and collaborative, thereby activating students’ curiosity and developing their practical skills.

This project will reduce labor expenditure in preparing assignments and checking students’ responses, and improve accuracy of learning outcomes measurements by automatic response evaluation. 

MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis said the program is a timely response to adapt with the flexible mode of instruction and to address the limitations imposed by traditional teaching delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In light of the present situation, there is a need to establish an e-learning and multi-technology laboratory in the university which will enable our faculty to deliver technical courses more attractively and effectively to students,” Dr. Agrupis expressed.

The university president explained that the use of virtual laboratories and simulation programs for courses are important to ensure that the required skills of students are developed. 

Dr. Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, college dean, said the integrated e-learning and multi-technology laboratory will serve as a shared facility of the COE’s eight courses.  

Through the project, MMSU engineering students are expected to become more industry-ready and capable of innovating and contributing to national development in the future. 

MMSU-COE offers engineering degrees in agricultural and biosystems, electronics and communications, civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, ceramic, and computer engineering. (StratCom)
 

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