The College of Education has established linkages with respectable institutions in the country and abroad to effectively deliver its Project-based Learning (PBL) and Telecollaboration workshop.
This time, CED linked with the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education of the UNESCO Bangkok to undertake the “Capacity Building Workshop on Project-Based Learning and Telecollaboration.”
With its ample facilities, the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Cagayan de Oro City was selected venue for the workshop which was facilitated by the CED Information Communication Technology Team. The workshop ran for four days starting in February 15 training teachers of the Iligan City Division of the Department of Education.
Representing the UNESCO were Dr. Fengchun Miao and Mr. Benjamin Vergel De Dios, the Programme Officer and the head of its ICT in Education unit, respectively. Joining them were two other resource persons, Dr. Liyana “Janet” Pillai Binti Abdullah of the Universiti Science Malaysia and Dr. Hyeonjin Kim of Korea National University of Education.
Mr. De Dios introduced the UNESCO’s project on ICT integration in education and the funding agency, the Korean-Funds-In-Trust (KFIT). Dr. Miao talked about PBL illustrating its interconnection with two other pedagogical approaches: Inquiry Based and Problem Based Learning.
Miao explained that Telecollaboration is not an academic concept but a practical approach for interpersonal exchange, information collection and analysis, and problem solving through peer feedback, parallel and sequential survey, and simulations or social action.
Janet Abdullah provided the participants a greater perspective on PBL as she presented a model of its implementation in a school in Sandakan, Malaysia. She believes that teachers can always motivate students to initiate interesting, meaningful, and effective learning activities through PBL.
Dr. Kim shared about Technology-blended Project-based Learning. As an example, she presented an actual telecollaboration experience in Korea, adding that “Technology becomes important in education when they support learning such as the Web 2.0 tools, and even online and offline tools.”
Following their talks, the resource speakers conducted workshops to participants who were grouped into project ideas.
Joining the event were Chancellor Dr. Marcelo P. Salazar who welcomed the participants and guests and CED Dean Prof. Esmar N. Sedurifa, a member of the CED ICT team. Iligan City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Cherry Mae Limbaco showed up in the closing program to see for herself the learning experience among international mentors.
