DOT-Uni Reaches the Silver Milestone, Features Timeline Exhibit and Colloquium

The Central Luzon State University - Distance, Open, and Transnational University (CLSU DOT-Uni) reaches another milestone as it celebrates its silver anniversary with the theme: “The Digital University and the Future of Higher Education in the Philippines and Beyond” on August 29, 2022. National Heroes’ Day falls on August 29, a public holiday, when the Central Luzon State University Open University (CLSU-OU) was formally created through CLSU Board of Regents Resolution No. 50-97. CLSU-OU was rebranded as CLSU DOT-Uni under Board Resolution 16-2018, with the inclusion of transnational as its new facet. Hence, the anniversary was commemorated the next day, August 30, featuring two major events: the DOT-Uni Exhibit and the Curricular Program Colloquium. The DOT-Uni Exhibit sheds light on CLSU Open University’s progressive milestones through its rich historical timeline. DOTUni Dean Dr. Elaida R. Fiegalan in cooperation with Mr. Joey Fernando and Ms. Ma. Celia M. Fernando as exhibition chairpersons who worked with the Anniversary Production Team and the DOTUni Staff, showcases “the Horizon 2030” – an aspiration of DOTUni to accomplish a future-ready learning ecosystem, accreditation of degree programs, more expansive network and stronger linkages, adoption of 5Cs in digital curation of multimedia learning materials, the embodiment of life-long learning, and responsive curriculum. On the otherhand, the Curricular Program Colloquium has a two-fold purpose: to become an avenue presenting curriculum program information of different degree programs and to provide an opportunity to engage with an external evaluator – outsourcing to achieve a good mix of program knowledge in creating local lesson recipes. The Curricular Program Colloquium features the presentation of the ongoing evaluation of the Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) and Program Outcomes (POs) by the DOT-Uni Instructional Materials Review Committee, which is part of the rigid monitoring required for Open and Distance Learning (ODL).

The Instructional Materials Review Committee is spearheaded by the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) focal person Dr. Emil F. Ubaldo, in collaboration with the DOT-Uni Dean Dr. Elaida R. Fiegalan, College of Education Dean Dr. Regidor G. Gaboy, Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics Dr. Joel M. Torres, Associate Professor of Social Sciences Dr. Leslie Anne L. Liwanag, and Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics Dr. Joan C. Ravago. The said committee targets to finalize curriculum program information to produce high-quality modular course packs, which are part of the DOTUni Lecture Series in 2023. In partnership with an external evaluator Dr. N. Varaprasad, a Principal Consultant of the Singapore Education Consulting Group, graced the colloquium and served as the guest speaker of the event, establishing a sustainable collaboration for more developed and updated curricular programs. “One of the trends in the external environment is that we have a rise of the gig economy, it is when people decide not to work for companies [or institutions] . . .they work for themselves,” he said during his keynote address. “Dr. Varaprasad has been dedicated to the field of education and leadership for 40 years and has made many significant contributions to public service and education in Singapore” (Keynote Speakers’ Bionote, SEAMEO International Conference 2018).

This productive celebration is part of DOTUNi’s initiatives to support the mission and vision of the university to provide world-class education and effective research and extension. This culmination signals more innovative activities from the DOT-Uni in its quest for excellence.

OTHER NEWS

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Benchmarking, A Semantic birthing Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) Network Building

From the words of the wise, freedom from ignorance begins from one’s recognition of his own. The growing recognition of every Higher Education Institution’s own limitation was originally the driving force behind the concept of benchmarking and for sometimes will remain its staple. However, as the practice is continuously proving to earn rewarding returns, both to the host and the visiting party, it semantically transcends into the higher and noble plane of camaraderie until such time that majority of the HEIs in the country has been bridged, interconnected, co-existing and healthily learning from one another. The dual gains of benchmarking are undeniably manifested in the cordial exchanges of ideas aimed at raising the bar of excellence but more than that, the implied gestures that both the host and the hosted mutually receive the “you got my back” assurance is certainly the winning point of the practice. From the vantage point of a visiting HEI, benchmarking is on the narrative of measuring the quality of its own construct/s by comparing it with other else’s possessing accepted standard/s. It equates that the criterion of the hosting institution is the visiting party’s point of reference in setting its own. On the other hand, it inspires the host to out-best no one but themselves. Raising the bar of excellence becomes a mutual objective minus the intention of outshining one another. Voicing out admiration for specific feats found worth-heralding from each other is gradually becoming the norm and pleasure of both. The benchmarking experience once actualized yield more than the anticipated gains. It is a practice that weave the knit among HEIs towards a stronger and unified national HEI congregation that celebrates differences yet respects boundaries. The recent visit of the delegation from Bulacan State University (BulSU) headed by Dr. Ruben E. Borja II, Professor, together with seven BulSu faculty members to the Central Luzon State University particulary at the Distance, Open and Transnational University (DOT-Uni) on February 16 2023 is an affirmation of the winning formula of benchmarking. The exchange of ideas, comparing of notes and getting to know each team member are part and parcel of the benchmarking activity. In between giggles and contagious laughter, the learnings were well-noted but the promise and the anticipation of fruitful linkages sealed with new bonds of friendship and camaraderie brought about by having similar institutional functions lighted up each other’s ardor for excellence. ERFiegalan, MCMFernando.

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CLSU DOT-Uni 25th Year Founding Anniversary

The Digital University and the Future of Higher Education in the Philippines and Beyond

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C-Bol Pre-Workshop: Dotuni Spearheads Workshop On Blended Online Learning For A Future-Ready University

While the pandemic became one of the biggest challenges in Philippine State Universities and Colleges’ history, it also gave birth to the beauty of blended online learning (BOL) – a fusion of face-to-face and online modalities. Following the theme “Reimagining the University of the Future: Design and Innovation in the Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Learning Resources in CLSU,” the Distance, Open, and Transnational University (DOTUni) spearheaded the Central Luzon State University Blended Online Learning Workshop. Attended by over 100 participants across colleges and offices of the university, the CBOL Workshop aims to equip CLSU educators in planning a blended, online, or open (BOL) environment. CBOL is a collaborative initiative of DOTUni faculty members who participated and were inspired by the University of the Philippines Open University’s Sustainable Institutional Building for Open Learning (SIBOL) Program. As emphasized by the Acting Dean of DOTUni, Dr. Elaida Fiegalan: “Curricular reform of our degree programs will have to begin from the information in our respective programs…” The topics covered in this pre-workshop include: · Benchmarking OBE experience from an ASEAN neighbor; · Reviewing program objectives and outcomes; · Exploring best practices in OERS; · Utilizing online resources at the university; · Discovering the use of similarity reports; · Learning some instructional strategies and appropriate assessments. Among the notable speakers of the event is Prof. Ts. Dr. Alina Binti Shamsuddin and Prof. Madya Ir. Ts. Dr. Tan Lai Wai of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Dr. Leslie Anne L. Liwanag, Dr. Emil Ubaldo, Dr. Joel Torres, Dr. Regidor Gaboy, Mr. Joey Fernando, Dr. Joan Ravago, and Dr. Elmar Villota. The CBOL Workshop hopes to help germinate the seedlings of an emerging blended, online learning ecosystem in the university.