Three professors from the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) have completed the flexible learning foundations virtual training conference sponsored by the Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC). 

Dr. Jahnese Asuncion of the College of Teacher Education (CTE), Dr. Jan Rich Guira of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and Dr. Byron Joseph Hallar of the College of Industrial Technology (CIT) underwent the training grant from October 14 to November 18, 2020. 

Guira and Hallar are the chiefs of the university’s student development unit and distance learning center, respectively, while Asuncion is CTE’s student affairs and services coordinator.

For eight weeks, the program enabled them to learn the foundations of flexible learning and how to transform old courses into hybrid ones. Specifically, it included the following topics: humanizing teaching and learning session; building community for student success; knowing what students know; student assessment session; curating OERs session; academic integrity session; and student engagement session.

The training conference is the first phase of the International Continuing Professional Education (ICPE) program, a five-month short training program jointly implemented by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the TIEC. 

Guira said that they will undergo the second phase of the ICPE program by January next year. Here, they are expected to cascade their learnings from the program to other SUCs in Region I. 

Also known as the ‘Continuity of Education – eLearning Philippines,’ the program seeks to develop faculty skills to transition into technology-based delivery of instruction and build up institutional leadership skills in designing high-quality online courses. 

It also seeks to rollout course shell and student orientation prototypes for widespread use and organize train-the-trainer schedule and offerings. 

The MMSU grantees were accepted to the ICPE upon submission of their re-entry plans to CHED and through the recommendation of MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis and Dr. Mee Jay A. Domingo, director of university’s external linkages and partnerships office. The ICPE program will culminate in March 2021. – Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. (StratCom)