Catanduanes State U conducts faculty training on Online learning management system

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Catanduanes State U conducts faculty training on Online learning management system

The “new normal” has taken the doorsteps of schools. So with the Catanduanes State University (CatSU), an ISO-certified public higher educational institution in Catanduanes as it prepares for the coming academic year, 2020-2021.

Insofar as enrolment and holding of classes face-to-face as would the usual way lessons were provided prior to the Covid-19 scare, measures to sustain the learning system in the University led by Dr. Minerva I. Morales, CatSU President, were drawn as early as the Luzon-wide quarantine declaration began on March 17, 2020. The initiative was a prior step while the trend obtaining developments of the virus spread continuously pose alarm to the health and safety of all.

Dr. Maria S. Tugano, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, said that based from the present scenario, the University looks at providing alternative mode of learning based from validation conducted in the eleven towns by the Management Information System (MIS) Office concerning internet capability in the province where there has been “unstable to no connectivity” at all in many areas.  Hence, full online delivery of lessons would not be that feasible, although she added as an option, that faculty members are encouraged to adapt flexible learning approaches noting further that the University could deliver the lessons on the ground through modules.

Meanwhile, to prepare for the online platform, Dr. Tugano announced that the University staged its training in the implementation of Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) which started June 22, 2020 on per batch basis across the eight Colleges until July 28, 2020.  Participants were 326 regular, temporary, contract of service, contractual and part-time faculty members from the Main Campus and its Panganiban Campus, including the Laboratory Schools.

The training designed by the University’s College of Information and Communications Technology (CICT) led by its Dean, Prof. Maria Concepcion S. Vera, was held at the CICT Computer Laboratory Rooms, the College of Engineering and the College of Industrial Technology.  Resource persons were select faculty members from CICT and the College of Education.

Dean Vera explained that the LMS can be used as a vast repository where information can be stored and tracked where anyone with a user account and password can access these online learning resources, whenever, wherever. “For self-hosted LMS, users are required to install the LMS software on their hard drive or access to the University server. Whatever is the installation option, the LMS users fall into two categories: first, online learners who use the LMS to participate in online training courses; and, second, the e-Learning faculty team who relies on the LMS platform to distribute information and update the online training content,” Dean Vera said.

As students nowadays are becoming more adept with information technology, Dean  Vera added that once students are online, they can access and download on the web the course materials and other learning resources which they could read at any time and take examinations depending on their learning progress, and so long as they are connected online.

On the other hand, soon that the LMS becomes operational, the University’s Management Information System (MIS) office is expected to support the network being its site administrator that will take charge of its maintenance.