By Niña Christelle Sumintac, Stratcom Correspondent

MMSU achieved a remarkable milestone this year, with a record-high number of instructional material (IM) proposals totaling 104 submissions. The faculty-writers have undergone intensive training through the Innovative Materials Preparation and Enrichment Skills Seminar (IMPRESS) spearheaded by the Instructional Materials Development (IMD) unit since January 5, 2024.

As part of its commitment to academic excellence, MMSU faculty  regularly develop quality IM for  classroom use and commercialization through the IMD office of the Curriculum Development and Innovative Learning (CDIL) Directorate. With the increased number of submission this year, the IMPRESS training intensifies instructional production and improve the faculty members’ teaching competencies. 
The seminar series featured lecturers Dr. Bert Gamiao, IMD chief, and Prof. Bryan Eli Sadorra, CTE IM coordinator, who dedicated their sessions to enhancing the quality of instructional designs and materials, revisiting key phases of IM development, and guiding writers through the intricacies of IM proposal preparation.

Meanwhile, CDIL Director Ronald Candy Lasaten highlighted the significance of producing quality instructional materials at the university. “This initiative from the IMD Office is timely as education is rapidly evolving. We need quality and relevant instructional materials that respond to the needs of the changing times,” he said.

The College of Industrial Technology submitted the most IM proposals to IMD, with a total of 21 submissions. Following closely were the College of Engineering with 18 proposals, the College of Teacher Education with 16, and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development with 13. Additional contributions came from the College of Health Sciences (9), College of Computing and Information Sciences (7), College of Arts and Sciences (6), and College of Veterinary Medicine (5). The Graduate School and the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy each submitted 4 proposals, while the College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology contributed 1 proposal.

With the rise of IM developers in the university, more intensive writeshops will also be conducted to further strengthen their skills and capacity in IM production and utilization.