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In celebration of National Science Technology Week, the Los Baños Science Community Foundation, Inc. (LBSCFI) opened the 14th SiyenSaya on 5 December 2022. The opening ceremony kicked off the science-filled celebration and the start of the Wonderama virtual exhibit. Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), graced the event with a message. The ceremony was also graced by a welcome message from Hon. Anthony F. Genuino, Mayor of the Municipality of Los Baños, Laguna. Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, LBSCFI President and UPOU Chancellor The opening ceremony officially commenced with a [...]

As part of its public service initiative, the UP Open University Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (UPOU-FICS), in partnership with the Department of Agriculture Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD), conducted a hybrid workshop in Baguio City on 24-28 October 2022.  With the theme Revisit and Magnify: Communication for Development (C4D), this workshop aims to capacitate all DA communication officers with the knowledge and skills related to C4D. More importantly, the resource speakers focused on imbibing C4D appreciation among the participants.  Development Communication experts Dr. Alexander G. Flor, Professor Emeritus and Program Chair of the UPOU Doctor of [...]

A special session entitled Presidents' Panel on the Future of Higher Education (HE) in the Philippines was held on the last day of NCODeL 2022, 25 November 2022 at 9:00 a.m. The panelists were the seven founding member universities of the Consortium of Open Distance Education Providers in the Philippines (CODEPP) which was established on 17 August 2022. These were the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Benguet State University (BSU), Cavite State University (CvSU), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Ifugao State University (IFSU), Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), and John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU). [...]

The 7th National Conference on Open and Distance eLearning (NCODeL 2022) featured Special Sessions on the second day of the conference,  24 November 2022. For Special Session on "Best Practices and Prospects of Micro-credentials, the moderators were Associate Professor Peter Sy of the Department of Philosophy of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and the Chairperson, Dr. Joane V. Serrano, Dean and Professor of Faculty of Management and Development Studies of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). The first speaker is, Ms. Chiara Finocchietti, the Deputy Director of Centro di Informazione sulla Mobilità e le Equivalenze Accademiche [...]

Special Sessions were conducted on Day 3 of National Conference in Open and Distance e-Learning (NCODeL), 25 November 202. Special Session 8 covered the NCODeL subtheme of Enhancing Education through Artificial Intelligence (AI). The first speaker, Asst. Prof. Gabriel Avelino Sampedro of UPOU, who is also the Founder and CEO of Philippine Coding Camp, discussed his paper on Reinventing Hello World: Perspectives on an AI-driven Approach to Programming. The next speaker was Dr. Vladimir Mariano, Lead Faculty, Technology and Innovation of Fulbright University Vietnam who discussed his topic on Creative AI and Its Future in Education. The presenters discussed the [...]

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) is searching for the next Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Education. The term of incumbent Dean, Dr. Ricardo T. Bagarinao, will be ending on 31 January 2023. The  Search Committee (SC) is now accepting nominations for the next Dean of FEd until 2 December 2022.  A nominee must be a Filipino citizen with distinction or outstanding academic credentials in his/her chosen field of expertise and with five (5) years of satisfactory service to the University, or equivalent experience. The nominee must have a commitment to the University and to the [...]

The third day of NCODeL 2022 presented a lot of opportunities in honing Philippine higher education through its closing ceremony held last 25 November 2022. The activity paved the way for upcoming events aiming to stir open and distance learning into newer heights in the years to come. University of the Philippines (UPOU) Chancellor Dr. Melinda dP. Bandalaria formally announced the new consortium that will push forward open and eDistance learning in the country: the Consortium of Open Distance Education Providers in the Philippines (CODEPP). The said consortium consists of eight founding members, namely: University of the Philippines Open University [...]

To provide opportunities for students and graduates to present their research studies, build connections and networks with other participants, and receive feedback and suggestions from invited panelists in the field of open and distance e-learning, the National Conference in Open and Distance e-Learning (NCODeL 2022) organized its very first student colloquium via a special session on 24 November 2022.  The student colloquium was moderated by Dr. Myra C. Almodiel, Director of the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). Serving as panelists during the session were Dr. Jean C. Saludadez, Vice-Chancellor for Finance [...]

Plenary Session 1: Moving Forward with Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL) in Southeast Asia The 7th National Conference on Open and Distance e-Learning (NCODeL) had its first plenary session with Dr. Ethel Agnes Pascua Valenzuela, the Director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) secretariat as the speaker. Her topic was Moving Forward with Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning (OFDL) in Southeast Asia. Dr. Valenzuela mentioned that OFDL refers to a type of education defined by openness and support of learning at a distance with its advantages being flexibility, accessibility, and most importantly, accessibility leading to its [...]

The National Conference on Open and Distance eLearning officially commenced on 23 November 2022. This year’s theme “Reimagining Education Futures” promotes how Open and Distance eLearning can reshape the future of education. The conference aims to cover all aspects and components of ODeL.  The Opening Ceremony kicked off in high spirits with a welcoming message from the UP President Atty. Danilo L. Concepcion, who shared his thoughts on how technology should be embraced in the learning process, how to create transformative pathways for a more resilient education, and brew passion for lifelong learning. The formal declaration of the NCODeL [...]