In its third week, De La Salle Lipa’s (DLSL) Project Digital Commons or Project DCommons (PDCs) students’ edition, an online course that aims to fill the gaps of the upcoming Borderfree semester, remains to achieve its target level of student involvement, Aug. 16.
According to Glenford Prospero, the project head and the Integrated Digital and Innovative Instruction Director, the participation rate among college students is still low.
“Kasi kaunti pa din ‘yung mga students na nag-e-engage [in the project.] Though we ask our student-leaders and iba’t-iba pang offices [to promote Project DCommons],” said Prospero.
PDCs is a ‘gamified’ three-phase online learning coursework with modules, assessments, and badges to engage Lasallian partners and students with digital platforms for the upcoming Borderfree learning system.
Prospero also said that Lasallian partners and students from Nursery 1 to college are required to take the online course in order to gain better understanding of the Borderfree education.
“It’s better that our partners will be upscaling their skills in terms of how online platform, engagement, and delivery is facilitated,” Prospero said.
Prospero also mentioned that the project utilizes the functions of Microsoft Office 365 embedded in Canvas which is DLSL’s learning management system (LMS), and also engages the Lasallian partners, especially the teaching staff, with Massive Open Online Classes (MOOCs).
Eileen Jeanne Gualberto, an incoming third year communication student, expressed that as a student leader under the College of Student Activities Office (CSAO), she is aware of the project but admits its promotion is yet to be effective.
“I think the communication between the marketing team or advertising team and the students was not that effective […] Students are not as active on Canvas and [in] checking their emails during vacation,” said Gualberto.
Some students also gave feedback on their experiences with the recently-launched coursework.
An incoming second year computer science student, Fernand Angelo Orbase, shared that PDCs is an ‘open-world game tutorial’ beneficial to Lasallians, especially newcomers.
“Now that the institution is getting ready for the Borderfree learning system, lots of freshmen or shall I say ‘newbies’, will be able to utilize the ‘tutorial’ as their gateway [for] exploring the institution in a digital world,” said Orbase.
The CSO chairperson, Frances Gayle Culla, said that the coursework may be challenging for college students due to its length, but it is helpful for both new and old students.
“While having to beta test, I had [an] ‘ah, gano’n pala ‘yon, ang galing” moments, ‘di ko pa pala fully alam ang Canvas,” said Culla.
Meanwhile, students who still yet to partake in the project expressed their expectations on taking the online learning course.
Cholo Basilan, an incoming second year legal management student, expressed his hopes for the coursework to be voluntary rather than mandatory.
“Not everyone has stable internet or gadgets to do [extra] workload […] it will eventually exhaust the energy and motivation of the students,” said Basilan.
As DLSL eases into the “new normal” set-up, Prospero said that he is aware of the limitations to the Borderfree system regardless of the PDCs.
“Hindi [ito ang nag-iisang] solusyon o sagot, pero isa [ang Project PDCommons] sa napakaraming sagot,” Prospero said.
In concern to whether the institution will provide quality education or not with the implementation of the PDCs, Prospero said it is the students’ feedback which will identify that.
“Your feedback will qualify ‘yung sinasabi naming ‘quality education’ […] Expect na merong hindi mami-meet na expectations, pero very crucial ‘yung feedback n’yo sa amin,” explained Prospero.
In addition to this, Prospero hopes for students’ collaboration with teachers and the admin for the improvement of the project.
Prospero also ensured the community that the administration is giving its best efforts in forming PDCs to embrace the new system of learning and that the institution is ready to deliver once online classes start on Aug. 24.
