CHED: Biggest challenge is preparedness of faculty in adapting to new learning methods

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) — The preparedness of college and university faculty members for flexible learning is the biggest challenge seen by the head of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as the school year start amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Ang pinakamalaking problema talaga ay yung kahandaan ng mga faculty dahil maraming faculty members ang hindi gumagamit ng flexible learning dati, at ngayon ay nagka-crash course sila," Chairman Prospero De Vera said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Tuesday.

[Translation: The biggest problem is the readiness of faculty members because many of them are not used to flexible learning and now they are getting a crash course.]

De Vera said bigger universities and colleges who have been utilizing distance learning methods even before the pandemic would have little problems adjusting to the current situation, as training would not be necessary between the teachers and students.

The struggle would be for institutions, including small private universities, that do not use flexible learning since they have no capability to conduct training on their own.

"Yung pagde-design ng syllabus at saka pag-develop ng materials ay mas madali," De Vera said. "Yung kakayanan ng teachers ay meron tayong concern."

[Translation: Designing the syllabus and developing materials are easier. It's the skills of the teachers that we are concerned about.]

De Vera also recognized that extension campuses of state universities and colleges located in smaller communities have intermittent connectivity issues, which could affect how learning materials may be transmitted.

How well students adapt to these new learning systems is also a cause of concern.

"Ang challenge, sa totoo lang, ay paano mo ia-adapt yung learning delivery system...dahil iba-iba ng katangian ng estudyante," De Vera said. "Maaaring nasa relatively urban area ka, merong connectivity pero walang gadget yung mga estudyante at galing sila sa mahirap na pamilya. So hindi pwedeng gawing fully online ang delivery."

[Translation: The challenge, really, is how to adapt the learning delivery system...because students are different. They could be in a relatively urban area with connectivity, but the students have no gadgets and they come from a poor family. So the delivery cannot be fully online.]

In this case, De Vera said teaching materials and access to instructors would have to be redesigned to address these concerns.

He also said learning institutions have the freedom to adjust their methods to ensure that courses which need laboratories, practical exams, or on-the-job training are accommodated.

Watch the interview here.