By DANIEL P. TAPAOAN, JR. 

The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) is leading the state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Region I and the private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ilocos Norte in conducting series of training-workshops on strengthening the online teaching capability of their faculty members. 

Approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the training project aims to extend the current technologies and best instructional practices of MMSU to other tertiary schools in the region as they embrace the flexible learning mode in the new normal. 

Conducted in five batches from October 19 to November 10 via online (webinar and self-paced), the project is under the Revised and Expanded Continuing Professional Education (RECPE) of CHED with MMSU as the lead institution in Region I. 

During the opening program on October 19, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis thanked the CHED and MMSU Board of Regents (BOR) for the rare opportunity to lead the HEIs in Ilocos region in promoting flexible learning in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. 

“This training project reflects MMSU’s commitment to its role as both the Center of Excellence (COE) in Teacher Education and Center of Development (COD) in Information Technology as we champion flexible learning in the region,” Dr. Agrupis said. 

The university president said that MMSU has invested on computer and network infrastructure, and it has also further improved its learning management system (LMS) and developed virtual instructional materials for online instruction. 

“In this training project, we deliver our best practices in flexible learning through our MMSU Virtual Learning Environment (mVLE),” she stressed, saying that turning this into an opportunity to band with other HEIs in the province and in the region magnifies Ilokano unity and harmony amid the crisis.  

The MMSU’s Information and Technology Center (ITC) has significantly developed the mVLE as the University's LMS since 2013. 

Prof. Wilben Christie R. Pagtaconan, project team leader, said the regional project seeks to train around 3,000 teachers from MMSU, University of Northern Philippines (UNP), Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College (ISPSC), North Luzon Philippines State College (NLPSC), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Pangasinan State University (PSU), and private HEIs in Ilocos Norte. 

Pagtaconan said the main topics being delivered in the training are the following: Adapting to the New Normal of HEIs; Designing Courses for Online Teaching and Learning; Developing Learning Packages for Online Teaching; Setting an Online Course using a Learning Management System; and Training on the use of ICT Tools for Teaching. 

He added that the MMSU-ITC, together with the Department of Computer Science (DCS) and the College of Teacher Education (CTE), facilitates the regional project; while faculty members from DCS, College of Industrial Technology (CIT), and the College of Engineering (COE) serve as trainers in the training sessions. (StratCom)