by Venus R. Parmisana
Last Monday seemed no different from other Mondays except that during that first day of the school week, thirteen faculty members of the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) “navigated” (a number of them for the first time) through techie-heavy digital data to explore the world of e-learning.
As these teachers had expected, the latest setting of the Compressed Teaching Online Training at the MSU-IIT Center for e-Learning (MiCeL) through the Web 2.0 Tools was an out-of-the-ordinary experience, so to speak.
Web 2.0 Tools introduced these faculty members to e-learning activities that use the MSU-IIT Online Learning Environment or MOLE.
Anchored on the principles of distance and interactive learning, the training that hones transactional teaching skills engages teachers to be facilitators in the exchange of knowledge in the classroom. The practice takes a cue from Albert Einstein: “I never try to teach my students anything… I only try to create an environment where they can learn.”
This program using Information Technology nurtures the learning environment that closes the gap between the regimented teacher-student dichotomies. Consequently, students do not only receive information but also collaborate actively in the learning process.
The five-day course that started in February 21 should develop the Information and Communication Technology skills of these participants through the expertise of trainers from the MiCeL: Ms. Rhea Febro, Prof. Dante Dinawanao, MiCEL Director Dr. Fe Destura, Prof. Esmar Sedurifa, Prof. Fermina Salazar, and Dr. Rhodora S.N. Englis, among others.
Innovative programs that thrust the Institute to be relevant in these digital times have been encouraged by CASS Dean Prof. Nora A. Clar and Chancellor Dr. Marcelo P. Salazar.
