By Lemuel Karl Tadios
Geared towards building a future-proof curriculum and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, Samar State University (SSU) faculty representatives from various disciplines submit their syllabi for panel review and critiquing as they presented their outputs during the 4th day of the University-wide Annual Faculty Development Training, August 5 (21) at various venues within the university premises.
Spearheading the workshop, Dr. Felisa E. Gomba, Vice-President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), emphasized that the course learning outcomes (CLOs) and the learning plan reflected in the course syllabi should match the needs of the industry, thereby ensuring that relevant skills are developed and demonstrated by the learners. Realignment of the program to the teaching and learning activities must always be considered, she added.
A panel of evaluators composed of Dr. Esteban Malindog Jr, Dean of the Graduate School; Dr. Redentor Palencia, Executive Assistant and faculty of the Graduate School; Dr. Alex Cardoso, Focal Person for Quality Assurance of the College of Industrial Technology; and Dr. Felisa E. Gomba, VPAA, critiqued the syllabi presented and shared important findings such as: (1) outcomes should be measurable and words used should be easily understood by the learners, (2) Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) must be lessened and focused on the most essential learning competencies, (3) availability of technological resources of students in the learning activities must be considered, and (4) references used must be updated, among others.
Among the faculty presenters from various disciplines were Dr. Nathalie Ann Acosta, Mr. Aigie Gabane, Mr. Jeff Harold Uy, Mr. Jake Boy Carbonquillo, Mr. Alejandro Cabago, Cynthia Honrales, Jose Jake Uy, Ms. Glory Grace Godin, Ms. Maria Lyme Correche, and Ms. Mary Jess Calades, for Purposive Communication, Science, Technology & Society, Art Appreciation, Professional Education, Kontekstwalisadong Komunikasyon sa Filipino, Mathematics in the Modern World, Understanding the Self, The Contemporary World, Readings in Philippine History, and Information Technology, respectively.
Following the full implementation of the university of the flexible learning modality, the training is aimed to prepare the faculty for the opening of the academic year 2021-2022 and equip learners to become future-proof graduates. The term “future-proof” as commonly used in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries, refers to the ability to remain updated and valuable in the distant future – the same concept that applies to quality assurance of instructional delivery in the context of SSU.