Isabela State University continues to lean towards the policy of the Commission on Higher Education on the adoption of Flexible Learning for 2021 and thereafter amid the continuing onslaught of COVID-19 Pandemic.
This has been a part of the University’s effort in securing academic continuity and provide innovations in the delivery of instruction in line to Smart Education practices of Education 4.0.
In doing so, ISU has launched the Flexible Teaching and Learning Modality (FTLM) as early as March 2020 when North Luzon began to feel the wave of the health crisis. The FTLM has provided means for the University to get along the disrupted Second Semester of Academic Year 2019-2020, successfully hold the first ever virtual graduation for the Batch 2019-2020, and commence with the First Semester of Academic Year 2020-2021.
The University adopts the policy of leniency in the delivery of instruction to foster vibrance and stability in the virtual set-up.
Supporting the FTLM is the establishment of Learning Resource Management Center (LRMC), which served as a versatile and sustainable learning hub designed towards the attainment of a virtual educational environment.
It also functioned as a multi-functional center for training and seminars; capacity building for faculty members, staff, and students; and housing of ICT equipment for faculty members.
The learning hub facilitates the identification of appropriate Learning Management System (LMS), a software application that is used to administer, document, track, report and deliver the learning programs, with customizable interface to suit learning experience of users.
ISU Cabagan thru Training and Competency-based Certification, Extension and Research Center (TraCCER), together with ISU Ilagan- pioneered Moodle-based LMS with names SeDi (Self-Directed) and TelEdu, respectively.
The University has also moved to digitalize the access on pre-admission and enrollment services thru the launching of Student Automated College Admission, Registration, Information and Accounting System version 1.0 (SACARIAS v1.0).
The system had its debut on the University’s first ever online pre-admission application last June 2020.
The University extended the system to Quirino State University, followed by another tech transfer engagement with Batanes State College.
The online enrollment has also been reinforced ably by another system, the Student Automated Registration, Information, and Accounting System (SARIAS)- which catered the same services for ISU Cabagan, ISU Ilagan, ISU Cauayan, and ISU Roxas.
ISU is also set to underscore Smart University project with a BOR approved funding of 68 Million pesos, where a greater portion of which has been submitted to CHED for funding support. At the same time, the University, thru BOR approval, has allotted 5 Million pesos for the purchase of e-books for a promising roll-out of an e-library system as digital reference of learners.
In addition, Isabela State University comes to introduce innovation in flexible learning thru the Cauayan City COVID-19 Care Consult or “C5”, aside from responding to the pressing concerns of COVID-19.
C5 is the first telehealth mechanism project for COVID-19 in Cagayan Valley. It has been initially developed for Cauayan City as the LGU takes on Smart City concepts in improving its medical services for COVID.
As the telehealth program aims to provide smart and convenient medical services to COVID patients, it would be tapping the services of ISU students from the allied health courses including Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Psychology, to act as frontline medical practitioners.
With this, the student-practitioners are provided with a continuing learning experience under the flexible learning scheme. This will serve as their medical immersion credited in their Related Learning Experience (RLE) in lieu of face-to-face field engagement. (JF/GZ/BJC-UMIS-CMS)
READ: ISU embraces CHED Policy on Flexible Learning | Dr. Ricmar P. Aquino, University President
Isabela State University remains a formidable and delivering higher education institution despite the challenges pinned to us by the global health crisis. We did not derail in the provision of quality higher learning which we believe is an equally essential and fundamental human need at stake in the course of this pandemic. It is then our mission, in support to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), to provide all the means necessary to serve our beloved learners with the quality education they deserve, especially so in these trying times.
Isabela State University, thus fully embraces Flexible Learning policy of CHED for 2021 and thereafter in our continuing commitment to the delivery of higher education. We have been engaging with the new normal education since March of last year, as we have launched our Flexible Teaching and Learning Modality (FTLM), which has acquainted us with the innovations needed to gear towards Smart Education Practices of Education 4.0. Our FTLM provides learning efficacy both in synchronous and asynchronous means.
From then on, we have invested in the upscaling of our IT Infrastructures, setting-up our Learning Resource Management Center (LRMC) to serve as a versatile and sustainable learning hub designed towards the attainment of a virtual educational environment. It facilitates the identification of appropriate Learning Management System (LMS)- by which SeDi (Self-Directed) and TelEducation emerged as our Moodle-based LMS. We also have digitalized the access on pre-admission and enrollment services of the University thru our Student Automated College Admission, Registration, Information and Accounting System version 1.0 (SACARIAS v1.0). This is ably supported by another system, the Student Automated Registration, Information, and Accounting System (SARIAS)- which caters the same services for ISU Cabagan, ISU Ilagan, ISU Cauayan, and ISU Roxas.
With the promising support of CHED, we are set to roll-out our Smart University project to reinforce our efforts in fully conforming to Smart Education practices. Our Board of Regents approved the 68-Million-peso funding for the said project, where a greater portion has been submitted to CHED for additional funding support. We have also allotted a 5-Million-peso funding, thru our BOR approval, for the purchase of e-books as we eye to launch our e-library system to expand digital references of our learners.
As we have come to develop the very first telehealth program in Cagayan Valley, or the Cauayan City COVID-19 Care Consult (C5), our students from the allied health courses including Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Psychology, will be provided with a continuing learning experience thru virtual medical immersion, credited to their Related Learning Experience (RLE) in lieu of face-to-face field engagement.
To further ensure the equitable learning access among our students, ISU has partnered with telecommunication industry and LGUs in the provision of financial assistance, interconnectivity, and digital devices. We have likewise capacitated our faculty members on flexible teaching approaches and development of instructional materials thru the conduct of various capacity building programs. We have provided academic ease and reflection breaks to sustain mental and emotional vibrance and stability, which were backed by the OneISU Command Center from our student leaders together with mental health services from our Students Affairs Office. At the heart of these, we have adopted the policy of leniency in the delivery of instruction to assure that no one would truly be left behind.
To much surprise, it is the same pandemic that has provided ISU with the strategic vision to spur all of these innovations as part of our noble pursuit in the continuing provision of universal access to quality and relevant education. Indeed, as what CHED Chair J. Prospero De Vera said, “there is no going back to the traditional, full-packed, face-to-face classrooms”, the Philippine higher education advances toward a new milestone of quality and inclusive education that is adaptive to any upcoming circumstances and challenges of time.
Our success on this endeavor will be determined by our willingness to become a part of this innovative change. Because at the end of it, is our ardent commitment to advance the interest and welfare of our students- no matter the odds- as we embark on their professional grooming towards becoming responsible and productive members of the society. Isabela State University thus calls for the unwavering commitment of all stakeholders- our educators, our personnel, our students and their parents, our policymakers- to join us in this noble cause on securing the continuity of quality and relevant academic access under Flexible Learning.