UPOU ICTDO Participates in MoodleMoot Philippines 2023

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), led by Chancellor Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, joined this year’s MoodleMoot Philippines at the Century Park Hotel, Manila on 5-7 July 2023.

Along with Dr. Bandalaria were members of the Information and Communication Technology Development Office (ICTDO): Dr. Reinald Adrian D. Pugoy, ICTDO Director; Mr. Eriberto E. Roxas Jr., Senior Systems Administrator; Mr. Melvir Nathaniel S. Paras, Junior ICT Associate; Mr. Renz Jemil G. Magsino, Junior ICT Associate; and Mr. Dan Zakai Pulmano, Helpdesk Associate.

Dr. Reinald Adrian D. Pugoy delivered his talk, “Navigating the Pre- and Post-AI Landscape: Insights into the Needs of the UPOU MyPortal Platform Users”. Dr. Pugoy explained the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) has been at the forefront of online & distance education in the country and the region, conducting all its classes in a fully online format. With the recent technological advancements, he discussed the findings of his investigation on the usability and innovation aspects of MyPortal, the learning management system of UPOU formal degree program students. It includes the evaluation of the usability status of MyPortal to determine how end-users discern them and identify areas for improvement. It likewise delves into the end-users expectations for innovation in the context of artificial intelligence (AI), with the latter gaining prominence in integrating it with education.

As an active participant, the UPOU ICTDO seized the opportunity to showcase its innovative projects and initiatives aimed at enhancing the online learning experience for students. The ICTDO team presented a series of sessions and workshops that highlighted their expertise and success stories in deploying Moodle-based solutions. The team shared their insights and expertise, addressing the audience with their thought-provoking talks:

Mr. Eriberto E. Roxas Jr. – “Kernel Panic! Addressing the System Administration Challenges of Massive Moodle Management”. Mr. Roxas further explained MODeL, the official MOOC platform of the University of the Philippines Open University, has suddenly gained popularity in the early 2023, going from a relatively small user base, to having hundreds of thousands of users in a span of two months.

Mr. Melvir Nathaniel S. Paras – “Taking Moodle Forums to the Next Level: A Plugin for Limiting Words in a Forum”  Mr. Paras introduced the word limiting plugin developed by the ICTDO. He added that Moodle is a powerful tool for online learning, but it’s not without its challenges. One of those challenges is dealing with lengthy or irrelevant posts in the forums, which can be frustrating for both students and teachers.

Mr. Renz Jemil G. Magsino – “#Unprecedented: A Registration Assistance Application for Managing Student Queries of a MOOC Platform” Mr.Magsino presented “DATAWHIZ”. Datawhiz is an application created to minimize effort when addressing ticket queries. It provides predefined message suggestions, which are created by the end user, whenever the user’s information has or hasn’t been found in two different datasets.

Mr. Dan Zakai Pulmano – “#Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone: Usability Evaluation of the 2023 UPOU Massive Open Distance eLearning Platform” During the presentation, Mr. Pulmano discussed his study focusing on the overall acceptability of the customized MODeL platform. To gather valuable feedback and insights from the platform’s users, he conducted a comprehensive usability survey. The survey aimed to delve into user satisfaction, ease of use, and the overall user experience with the MODeL platform. By analyzing the survey data, Mr. Pulmano sought to gain a deeper understanding of how the platform performs in meeting users’ needs and expectations. The study’s findings will provide valuable insights for enhancing the platform’s usability and effectiveness, ensuring it effectively caters to the diverse needs of its users.

In addition to the ICTDO staff members, UPOU officials were also at the MoodleMootPh to present their research studies. Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, UPOU Chancellor, was one of the speakers and she presented about “Dx4HEI: Articulating s Framework for the University of the Future.” In her presentation, she articulated the attributes of the University of the Future (UoF), described digital transformation (Dx) in the context of the UoF, and presented a possible framework of the UoF with Dx as the backbone. ” Dr. Jean A. Saludadez, UPOU Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and former Program Chair of the UPOU ASEAN Studies programs, also  presented  her study titled “The Academic and the Administrative Uses of Moodle: The Case of the ASEAN Studies Graduate Program.” Dr. Roberto B. Figueroa, Jr., Deputy Director of the Open and Digital Learning Unit of the UPOU Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning (CODTL), presented his study titled “Moodle and Immersive Open Pedagogies. ”

The MoodleMoot Philippines 2023 was a great opportunity for the UPOU ICTDO to share their knowledge and expertise on Moodle with other Moodle users and developers in the Philippines. It was also a chance for them to learn from other Moodle users and developers and to network with them.

As UPOU ICTDO continues to spearhead technological advancements in education, their participation at MoodleMoot Philippines 2023 serves as a testament to their commitment to excellence and innovation in the digital education landscape.

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