The UP Open University hosted an online benchmarking for the Center for Alternative Flexible Teaching-Learning and Innovative Instruction (CAFTLII) – Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) on 5 May 2025.
Dr. Primo Garcia, Director of the UPOU Office of Public Affairs (OPA), facilitated the discussion, which was joined by Ms. Ria Valerie Cabanes, Director of the UPOU Quality Assurance Office (QAO).
The BPSU delegation, led by Dr. Lourdes Santos, CAFTLII Director, included Dr. Noeme Nocom, Head, Open Distance Education; Dr. Job Paguio, Head of Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP); Dir. Normita Lugtu, Director of Alumni Relations; and Mr. Francis Edward Blanco, Head of University Testing and Assessment. Other support staff from BPSU included Mr. John Harold Leaño and Mr. Zydnee Avelino.
They explored key areas in establishing open and distance e-learning, including microcredentials, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and curriculum design.
During the meeting, Dr. Garcia invited the BPSU team to articulate their vision for the role of Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) within their institution. BPSU shared that their journey began with the establishment of three distinct offices: ETEEAP, Open and Distance Education, and Assessment. The delegation expressed strong interest in offering microcredentials to serve diverse learners and skill demands.
The benchmarking also explored the extent of BPSU’s implementation of flexible learning during the pandemic. With their current ODeL strategy, Dr. Garcia prompted BPSU to consider their target learner profiles aside from their existing student population. BPSU admitted that identifying and understanding the needs of diverse learner groups, including those in remote locations, remains a work in progress.
BPSU raised questions regarding the legal framework for ODeL, specifically Republic Act 10650. In response, UPOU highlighted its role as mandated by RA 10650: assisting CHED and TESDA in crafting policies and technical guidelines for ODeL, offering capacity-building initiatives to higher education institutions (HEIs) and technical-vocational institutions, and developing sharable learning resources. UPOU also pointed to efforts such as the Flexible Learning Program, MOOCs, benchmarking activities, hybrid training, and the biennial International Conference on Open and Distance eLearning (ICODeL).
The UPOU Networks platform—home to a wide range of Open Educational Resources (OERs)—was introduced as a resource for institutions developing their own learning content.
Discussions on microcredentials and MOOCs surfaced questions on regulation and implementation. UPOU emphasized that while MOOCs may support microcredentialing, the latter is typically more focused, competency-based, and aligned with upskilling objectives. They also sought insights on curriculum design considerations and how to maintain academic rigor equivalent to traditional, on-campus programs.
Written by Marinel Hernandez ♦ Edited by Anna Cañas-Llamas
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