a framework for 21st century teaching and learning

7/24/2019 A Framework for 21st Century Teaching and Learning

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A Framework for 21stCentury Teaching and Research in Public Higher

Education

Fiorello ! Abenes" Ph!#!

Faculty and $nstitutional #e%elo&ment 'anager" ()A$# )tride

Abstract

Developing a comprehensive framework for 21st century learning requires more

than just identifying specic skills, content knowledge, expertise and literacies. he

! to 12 program, implemented "y the #hilippine Department of $ducation starting

in 2%1&, seeks to achieve mastery of key su"jects and themes including world

languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, history,

government and civics. 'ut what and how a"out higher education( )hat

adjustments should higher education make to "ecome purveyors of 21st century

teaching and learning and accommodate these more mature, more highly

educated high school students entering their *niversities starting in 2%1+( n

addition to revamping 'accalaureate and -raduate level curricula, what systems

must "e created to help students and faculty master the multi

dimensional requirements of 21st /entury learning and teaching( *0D 0D$

o3ers innovative programs, including direct industry engagement, manpower

development, and university governance that can capacitate *niversities tackle

the challenges of 21st /entury teaching and learning. 4owever, one often wondersif these programs would "e more e3ective if it is delivered under a di3erent

structure of pu"lic higher education in the #hilippines. hree concrete

recommendations are discussed in this paper.

Fiorello ! Abenes" Ph#5aculty and nstitutional Development 6anager, *0D 0D$

#rofessor $meritus, /al#oly #omona *niversity, / 718&+

5ormer *0 5ul"right 5ellow and D90 'alik0cientist

Dr. 5iorello "enes is a professional animal scientist, teacher, scholar, consultant andentrepreneur with over :% years of diversied work experience in private industry,

agricultural extension, university teaching, and research in the *nited 0tates, /anada and

the #hilippines. 4e trained in the areas of nimal ndustries, nimal 'reeding, ;utrition

and #hysiology at the *niversity of /onnecticut. n the #hilippines, he worked for the *;

59 Dairy raining and esearch nstitute at the *niversity of the #hilippines


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faculty of /alifornia 0tate #olytechnic *niversity #omona in

17+8 and was awarded early tenure and jump promotion to

full professor in 1771.

4e was a 2%%+, 2%1% and 2%1? D90 'alik0cientist

awardee, attached to the #hilippine /ara"ao /enter as

@isiting 0cientist, at the /entral =uAon 0tate *niversity as@isiting #rofessor and at 6ariano 6arcos 0tate *niversity as

djunct #rofessor and esearch 0cientist. n 2%%7, despite

the fact that he is not an $ngineer, he was appointed

$ngineering esearch and Development for echnology

5ellow at the *niversity of the #hilippines. 4e was granted *.0. 5ul"right

5ellowships in 2%%+ and 2%1:. 4is research at 660* and /=0* focused on the production

of ethanol from "iomass. Dr. "enes joined *0D 0D$ as 5aculty and nstitutional

Development 6anager in Bune, 2%1C.

#hilippine 5ramework for 21st /entury eaching and esearch in #u"lic 4igher $ducation

5iorello '. "enes, #h.D.

welcome this opportunity to speak at this conference "ecause the -9= of the 0D$

program 0cience echnology esearch and nnovation for Development is to strengthen

the science, technology, research and innovation capacity in #hilippine higher education.

)ith the focus of this conference on developing esearch /apa"ilities in #hilippine

*niversities, do not think can nd a "etter pulpit to expound some ideas on how the

#hilippines can stand shoulder to shoulder with other 0$; neigh"ors ndonesia,

6alaysia, 0ingapore, and hailand. 'runei, /am"odia, =aos, 6yanmar


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paper, let me speak to the su"ject at handE )hat should "e the 5ramework for the 21 st

/entury eaching, esearch and =earning in the #hilippines.

he ! to12 #rogram will "egin implementation in less than a year. his is a sunamilike,

lifechanger to all 5ilipinosE students who now have to devote 2 more years of high school

"efore entering collegeF parents who have to spend more money for their childrenGs

educationF high school teachers who must now prepare for more advanced instructionF

college and university instructors and professors who will "e on forced leave for the next 2

to : years F they will "e the same *niversity professionals who will have to deal with, at

least theoretically, "etter prepared students starting 2%1+.

t this point we can all look at this scenario as a pro"lem of incalcula"le magnitudeE we

can join protests, le for restraining orders to stop its implementation 9 we can look

at it as an 9##9*;H.

t is an opportunity for 4igher $ducation to take a more serious look at what *niversity

$ducation should "e post ! to 12. o say that the e3ect of the ! to 12 is simply to reduce

the num"er of -eneral $ducation units required to complete a college degree and

*niversities need only to add more units to supplant them, would "e a great disservice to

all that have "een a3ected "y the ! to 12 program. *niversities and /4$D specially,

should instead use this 2 to : year window as the opportunity for serious discernment and

make an equally signicant life, and careerchanging decisions to reform higher education

in the #hilippines.

*nfortunately, within the higher educational system of the #hilippines today, we can

"arely count in one hand those schools that are truly world class. 9ne of my friends in the

academe, descri"es the higher educational system of the #hilippines as #rivate colleges

and universities num"ering in the thousands that are owned "y "ig "usiness for prot, and0*/Is num"ering in the hundreds that are controlled "y

politicians for what else( o advance their own #olitical agenda. dou"t if there is a single

#resident of a #u"lic *niversity today that had not "een anointed "y the -overnor of the

#rovince where the *niversity is located. #lease note, said ;;9;$D, not appointed.

$ven so, this is not the "est scenario for developing worldclass #u"lic *niversities, if may

say so.

5or 4igher $ducation nstitutions, there needs to "e a 5ramework, a 6aster #lan that

transcends the challenges of glo"aliAation in education and meet the needs of 21stcentury

teaching, research and learning. )hat we need, is a 5ramework for 4igher $ducation,

especially for 0tate *niversities and /olleges that transcends the challenges ofglo"aliAation in education, one that can make us truly competitive with our 0$;

neigh"ors. =et me now share with you specic recommendations on how we can do this.

)E*'E+TAT$,+ ,F P(-$C H$*HER E#(CAT$,+

5irst, we need a segmentation of #u"lic 4igher $ducationE segmentation in 5*;/9;0,

=9/9;0, and 0*D$; uptake.


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)e need 5unction 0egmentationE *niversities that would, "ut only if they could, o3erE

'accalaureate to #hDF 'accalaureate to 6astersF echnical $ducation and ssociate

Degrees.

)e also need =ocation 0egmentationE egional, #rovincial and =ocal.

=astly, we also need 0egmentation in student *ptake.

here must "e a *niversity of the #hilippines 0ystem that will have Dilimantype campuses

in all egions of the #hilippines. here are currently 18 egions in the #hilippines so there

will "e 18 *niversity of the #hilippine campuses o3ering a comprehensive ! to #hD

programs. he ! to 12 are la"oratory schools including magnet high schools for the arts

and sciences. 0ince there are really only two *# campuses that are truly comprehensive,

some of the "est performing 0tate *niversities will "e converted to "ecome part of the *#

0ystem. 5or example, 60* can "ecome he *# ;orthern 6indanao .

here must "e a #hilippine 0tate *niversity 0ystem, where universities under this system

are located at each and every province. here are +1 #rovinces hence there will "e +1

#hilippine 0tate *niversities. #hilippine 0tate *niversity loiloF #hilippine 0tate *niversity

;ueva $cijaF #hilippine 0tate *niversity loilo with main campus in loilo /ity, or #hilippine

0tate *niversity /apiA with the main campus in oxas /ity, etc. he #hilippine 0tate

*niversities will o3er ! to 6asteral degrees only. he ! to 12 "eing. schools with

specialiAed programs also in arts and sciences.

nd then there will "e a #hilippine /ommunity /olleges 0ystem located in every one of

the 1:: /ities in the #hilippines. 0o there can "e an loilo /ommunity /ollegeF /a"anatuan

/ommunity /ollege, 6akati /ommunity /ollege. hese community colleges will host

$0D and o3er vocational courses that are geared towards employment in localindustries. here can "e as many /ommunity /olleges as the -overnment and politicians

can "ear. heir clientele is any"ody who has a desire to learn from literacy, to

citiAenship, to cooking classes, massage therapy, etc. $xcept for the college courses, there

should not "e any prior educational qualications required. 5or *niversity"ound students,

/ommunity /olleges will also serve as the "ridge for underprepared students to the :year

universities and colleges.

)e need 2:2 #u"lic *niversities and /ommunity colleges to do thisF according to the

/4$D we"site, there are 0ix hundred fty six pu"lic 4$s. )e already have more

than we needK

he 0tudent 0egmentation #lan would place all college"ound high school graduates into

three categories, and to make it possi"le for a student to move from the "ottom category

to the top.

he top 12.CL of high school graduates could attend the *niversity of the

#hilippines 0ystem

he top ??.?L could attend one of the #hilippine 0tate *niversities, and


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$veryone else could go to one of the #hilippine /ommunity /olleges.

5or mo"ility, community college graduates will have the opportunity to transfer to one of

the *#s or #0*s to nish their "achelorGs degree, if their grades are good enough, 2.C or

"etter.

Hou might ask at this point. 4mmm, this is goodE s this original thinking( he answer is

;9. his is the same model of the /alifornia 6aster #lan for 4igher $ducation that has

"een in place since 17&%, CC years ago and still in place today. t is the most widely

praised educational system in the worldK

f we could just get this structure right in the #hilippines, the reforms needed in the "est

)H teaching, research and learning could take place will fall into place.

RE)TR(CT(R$+* P(-$C (+$.ER)$T/ CAREER TRAC0)

mong the 0$; countries, sadly, the #hilippines lag in research outputs and is in the

lower rungs of the ladder. here is also a x to this if we institutionaliAe university

professional career tracks.

9ne of the most common comments hear why the #hilippines lag in research outputs is

the lack of manpower of esearchers. Muestions have "een raised a"out whether the lack

of a strong research culture in #hilippine *niversities, leaves students ill prepared for the

most demanding aspects of science and technology innovation. 5aculty who can do

research complain, they do not have enough time when saddled with course loads and

cannot "e NdownloadedO even when they do funded research. heir course loads are the

same as those who just teach.

his pro"lem can "e solved "y creating two tracks of faculty employmentE 9ne, a $;*$ /! 0H0$6 wherein faculty are given & years to prove themselves capa"le of

scholarly work while teaching. t the end of & years, they will "e awarded enure or

permanent appointment. rack 2, is =$/*$04#0. his track is for those who only wish

to teachF they will "e on contract and will never achieve tenure. 'ecause all they will "e

doing is each, they can a"sor" the deloaded teaching units of those in a tenure track

position they can "e made to teach as many as 2: units a semester or more. )hy,

"ecause they canK f they only have one or two preparations one for 6)5 classes and

another for 4 classes, it is not so onerous.

RE)TR(CT(R$+* F$+A+C$A- A$# A+# )CH,-AR)H$P) $+ *RA#(ATE E#(CAT$,+

he lack of researchers can also "e addressed "y eliminating scholarships in graduate

school and converting them to -raduate ssistantships. n the *0, scholarships are rare.

6ost graduate students are working halftime, : hours a day, as -raduate ssistants.

D90 awards graduate scholarships under the ccelerated 0cience and echnology 4uman

esource Development #rogram and $ngineering esearch and Development

for echnology #rogram. n 2%1:, the program supported a total of 1,17+ 60 and

2?C #hD scholars monitored "y 0$ through the ;ational 0cience /onsortium and


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D90 /ouncils such as #/D, #/4D and #/$$D. he $D program supported a

total of &C8 60 and 127 #hD scholars. hat is a total of 2,217 researchers that can "e

tapped for esearch. *nfortunately, they are not expected to work, just take classes until

they are ready to conduct their thesis or dissertations. f each one can "e assigned to the

most unproductive professors at the *niversity, we can easily have an additional :,:2+

researchers.

his will happen "ecause what else would an unproductive professor do with a research

employee around( 4e will have to do research along with his or her studentK f am the

#resident of the *# system will just tell D90, sorry, we will no longer accept scholars,

"ut you can give us money for graduate assistantships and we will produce "etter

graduates who are well trained in "oth theory and practice of their disciplinesK

)(''AR/

)hat would it take to make these happen( clearly segmented 4igher $ducational

0ystem coupled with a segmented student admission system. wo tracks of academic

careers a enure track and a =ecturership track. new paradigm in training graduate

students as -raduate ssistants instead of 0cholars.

he /ommission for 4igher $ducation, #residents of 0tate *niversities, #oliticians and even

students have the luxury of mulling these ideas for the next two years. t is an

unprecedented opportunity to discern and to change. hope that we can muster the

courage to make a seismic change that is as great and meaningful as the change we did

for the ! to 12 program.

have faith that we can do this. have faith in the indomita"le spirit of 5ilipinos to survive,

and survive we must in the face of -lo"aliAation and the 0$; integration. 6y

experience working with fellow 5ilipinos in the *0 is completely opposite to what amwitness among my colleagues in the academia. "road, we are some of the most

productive, most intelligent, most am"itious. )hen we return to our own country, we seem

to die in the vine. #erhaps "ecause, as one once told me =iving is hard in the #hilippines

"ut =5$ itself is $asy. $ven our paupers look "etter than the paupers in other countries.

hank you, 6araming 0alamat #oK

a framework for 21st century teaching and learning

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