Search
Close this search box.

We are creating some awesome events for you. Kindly bear with us.

Education made more accessible in the Philippines through the UPOU Networks

Education made more accessible in the Philippines through the UPOU Networks

An announcement
made by the University of the Philippines
(UP) highlighted how the UPOU Networks
provided a collection of UP-created educational content online paving the way
for Philippine education in the digital age.

UP Open
University
(UPOU) Networks is a University-produced online repository of
multimedia learning materials, both open and proprietary.

UPOU Chancellor Melinda Bandalaria said,
“This is not just an index or listing of links to learning materials, which is
quite common. This is a collection of UP-created content which we are
disseminating online and sharing with everyone.”

A diverse selection of content will welcome
anyone who accesses UPOU Networks. They are:

(1)   
UPOU Live – contains events
that the University broadcasts in real time like lectures, symposia, research
presentations, and seminars.

(2)   
UPOU on Record – contains a collection
of podcasts and other audio materials.

(3)   
UPOU Commons – contains the
Open Educational Resources (OERs) under a Creative Commons license.

(4)   
UPOU Mix – contains learning
objects on numerous topics in diverse formats.

OERs have contributed to the improvement of
access to quality education, which was recognised by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) .This encapsulates the UN Sustainable
Development Goal 4 which states, “To ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

The Open
and Distance Learning Act
has recognised the efforts of UPOU in pioneering
the OER movement in the Philippines.

The Open and Distance Learning Act is the
policy of the State to expand and further democratise access to quality
tertiary education through the promotion and application of open learning as a
philosophy of access to educational services, and the use of distance education
as an appropriate, efficient and effective system of delivering quality higher
and technical educational services in the country.

UPOU Information Office Director Joanne
Serrano shared, “Not many people in the Philippines know about OERs, which is
why the University needs to work even harder for this revolutionary education
movement to take root and prosper.”

One of the main issues concerning quality
education is accessibility. UPOU embarked on a mission to widen access to its
resources with the Universal and Inclusive Accessibility Program. The objective
of the program is to adhere to UNESCO’s Guidelines on the Inclusion of Learners
with Disabilities in Open and Distance Learning.

In order to meet this guideline, UPOU
Networks should consider readability across different devices and browsers as
well as varying availability of computer peripherals.

Mr Edison Sevilla, an information systems
researcher at the UPOU Multimedia Centre, explains that readability requires
design flexibility, which means that a website conforms to the size of the
screen, may it be a computer monitor, a tablet, or a smartphone.

He adds that among other accessibility
solutions, they are also exploring text-to-speech options for those who are
visually impaired.

To further expand access to the online
repository, the UPOU Networks mobile application was recently released. “It
really needed to be user-friendly with just a few clicks or taps and fewer
swipes, etc.,” Mr Sevilla says.

The UP led open and distance education in
the country with the establishment of UPOU in 1995. Developments in technology
have improved how teaching and learning are done as well as how information is
imparted. UPOU Networks is paving the way for the Philippine education in the
digital age.

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Send this to a friend