Raising Awareness on Effective Use of EdTech
ILC Diliman in TEC July 2017
Through the different ILC programs and services, the teaching staff are able to understand the purpose and benefits of the effective use of edtech, as well as their roles in the student’s learning experience. ILC Diliman also provides the teaching staff with different online resources through its website. ILC Diliman continually offers training and capacity-building activities which highlight the use of UVLê as a learning management system. For such initiatives to have deeper content and be sustainable, ILC Diliman aims to carry out a grassroots approach (targeted and focused groups) in the planning and delivery of its training and seminar-workshops. ILC Diliman continues to promote collaboration among peers, providing support and sharing contents and/or working on common activities. ILC Diliman also participates in the Teaching Effectiveness Course (TEC), introducing to the teaching staff strategies for interactive learning.
To benchmark and/or assess the use of UVLê, ILC Diliman conducted an in-depth analysis (through an API study) of the use of UVLê to be able to recommend actionable items for the promotion of UVLê and/or use of education technologies (or edtech) in general. ILC Diliman also conducted a project (through an API study) to develop and/or improve review materials and assessment tools in UVLê, and to promote effective use of edtech through online and peer teaching. ILC Diliman also actively participated in the improvement and/or effective use of UVLê in the delivery of some courses.
ILC Diliman also identifies partners and/or collaborators and aims to provide venues to promote edtech and advance teaching and learning. ILC Diliman also aims to initiate its PALS (peer assisted learning spaces) program under TEDS to provide support among teaching staff for content and/or teaching materials production.
SYMPOSIA AND RESOURCES
Some of the learning objects available in the ILC website
A symposium on modernizing pedagogy through edtech and blended learning was held. The symposium provided a venue to present examples and best practices in modernizing pedagogy, highlighting the use of edtech and effective teaching and learning strategies. Also, through its website, ILC Diliman provides learning materials on edtech, including learning objects, podcasts, vodcasts, and online resources about next generation (or 21st century) learners, virtual learning spaces, teaching and presentation tools, and course design, among others.
Push for Blended Learning and Teaching
Upgrading the UVLê Training program
ILC Diliman continues to promote blended learning and teaching through the effective use of education technologies (or edtech).
As the office recognizes the challenges of effective use of edtech and of differing teaching and learning styles, the UVLê training program was further improved. The contents were finetuned and its coverage was increased, allowing for flexibility and addressing the different aspects/stages of learning UVLê and/or the interest/needs of the teaching/learning community. The training materials and resources were upgraded, which now highlight UVLê’s functions, features and potentials/benefits as aid/complement in teaching and learning.
Instructional plans and modules for trainers were also developed, providing venues for implementation and continuous improvement of training strategies. To encourage participation and in recognition of the different levels of expertise in the use of UVLê among teachers, ILC Diliman developed 3 modules, namely, Basics of Teaching with UVLê, Basics of Teaching with UVLê 2, and UVLêvel Up! ILC Diliman has also enhanced its training module for the Teaching Effectiveness Course (TEC) conducted by the Office for the Advancement of Teaching (OAT), as well as its UVLê presentation for road shows. ILC also conducts training on online and blended learning.
UVLê TRAINING MODULES
Basics of Teaching with UVLê, participants are expected to be able to understand the benefits and potentials of LMS (and edtech in general) for interactive learning, to learn the basics of UVLê to level expectations (on the purposes of LMS) and prepare teachers for basic implementation, and to learn guidelines and best practices for UVLê integration. The module covers introduction on use of LMS and the blended learning design, motivation on the need to address the needs of 21st century learners, basics of creating an UVLê course page (logging in, requesting a course, basic navigation, enrolment settings, course information and format/layout, basic uses of blocks, putting contents, and basic activities.
Basics of Teaching with UVLê 2 covers steps and best practices on enhancing course pages through use of blocks and monitoring tools, augmenting communication channels through forum activities and chat/messaging facilities, and evaluating students through online activities such as assignment submissions and quizzes. Topics include creating an assignment activity, setting feedback types, managing a question bank, creating question items, setting up a quiz activity, managing feedback and assessment options, creating polls, and setting up forums.
UVLêvel Up! Is a series of short workshops and/or meet-ups that aims to engage experienced/interested users to relatively advanced and/or specialized features of UVLê. Each session is designed independently of each other and is contained to a specific topic, i.e., to address varying interests on and needs for advanced features. Such approach provides a sustainable training framework and materials for seasoned, experienced, and advanced UVLê users. It also encourages innovation and helps identify potential UVLê leaders or edtech champions and blended course designers. Topics include (but are not limited to) creation and implementation of quizzes, groups and groupings for activities and course management, grading and grade book management, games for formative assessment, advance collaborative tools, and feedback activity and survey forms.
UVLê and Blended Learning materials for Road Shows
UVLê Roadshow at CMC
ILC Diliman also does road shows to promote LMS (UVLê specifically), edtech, interactive learning and blended teaching/learning strategies. For such presentations, ILC Diliman discusses the importance of addressing the needs of 21st century learners by aligning the program, course and topic objectives to cover most (if not all) of the 21st century skills. The value of course design and re-design is also emphasized, as well as the value of technology vis-à-vis pedagogy vis-à-vis content. The advantages of effective use of edtech such as an LMS is highlighted. The enhanced, redefined and/or expanded role of teachers as designers and facilitators of learning is also stressed out.