CATBALOGAN CITY – Samar State University (SSU) jumpstarted the In-House Trainers’ Training on Moodle-Based Learning Management System (LMS) on June 24, 2020 at the SSU Convention Center in preparation for the “new normal” mode of Higher Education due to the pandemic.
Mobilizing the Trainers
The IT experts headed by the Information Communications Technology (ICT) Director, Mr. Zaldy Jabinar, crafted the LMS together with his team. They will mobilize the chosen trainers of each department to teach the basics of the system.
The seminar was attended by 47 trainers on the first of the three-day training. These trainers include the IT Faculty and Experts, Deans and Campus Directors, Program Chairs, Focal Persons, College Clerks, and other Faculty, who will train the remaining faculty on their respective colleges.
Alongside Mr. Jabinar were Miss Sweet Mercy F.Pacolor and Mr. Nathaniel Guio Mendoza who served as speakers and facilitators of the training.
New Normal is the Better Normal
“The new normal is the better normal as we train our trainers today for the Moodle-Based Learning Management System (LMS) with the help of our IT experts,” said Dr. Marilyn D. Cardoso, Samar State University (SSU) President, on the first day of the training as she welcomes the trainers on the said event.
“Having the same mission and mandate to help the national government, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) need to closely work together with the same goal – learning everywhere, teaching beyond borders,” she added.
The better normal, as mentioned, means the students will gain learning amidst disruption.
“What we are doing now is not just only for the time being. This is now our reality,” she said.
The Great Shift to LMS-Based Moodle
Dr. Cardoso emphasized that the University will now shift in using the LMS since the pandemic forced the Higher Institutions to employ tools for remote working and learning. This has brought education technology to the mainstream.
“We will now use the LMS. We are not used to this but we took it as a challenge. We are on crossroads when it comes to teaching modalities. We are not sure if what we are doing is really efficient or effective considering the resources that our students have, weak connectivity, but what is important is we are fueled with our commitment in innovating processes of teaching and learning, with our enthusiasm to share knowledge, and the willingness to be of service to our stakeholder,” she said.
The University President was excited to share that there is already a downloadable application in Playstore that can be accessed by the faculty and students.
“We come so proudly that this is the product of our IT experts here at the University. I would like to commend the efforts of our IT experts and the members of the team. This is an indication that in SSU, we are flexible and we can easily adapt,” she added.
The professors already started using the LMS in the Graduate School, but Dr. Cardoso stressed that the LMS is still a work in progress and the University is still finding out what is effective.
Milestone Unfolded
Despite the rising cases of the coronavirus in the region, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Felisa E. Gomba, sees the silver lining beyond the clouds by focusing on its positive impact on SSU, the birth of the Learning Management System (LMS) using Moodle.
“This is a milestone for the University. This is difficult for now because we realize that COVID is in our midst, but let’s look at the positive side. Having an LMS is a positive impact in SSU,” she stated.
The Moodle will let the teachers and students explore the dimensions of flexibility, and this will not only address the current crisis but also the unexpected situations that will arise in the future.
