As the Covid-19 health protocols eased, Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) announced its blended learning plans for Academic Year 2022 – 2023 following the Commission on Higher Education and Department of Health joint memorandum regarding the safe reopening of higher education institutions.
In the third SAMAHAN Townhall entitled, “Paving Pathways: Blended Atenean Education Plans,” the Office of the Academic Vice President (OAVP) led the discussion on blended education setup, presenting the mechanisms on what the next A.Y. would be like.
Academic Vice President Dr. Gina L. Montalan introduced the two learning delivery models available for the enforcement of limited face-to-face classes, of which some courses are taught either fully online or blended.
For fully online, all General Education (GE) elective courses will be taught entirely online, while in blended, one GE elective out of 13 courses will be conducted in the traditional classroom set-up.
“We are preparing the 50 classrooms. We have already tested the prototype equipment to be used in blended learning. If you cannot attend on-campus classes, you may opt not to. The teacher has the flexibility to teach on-campus and off-campus,” External Vice President Jeremy Eliab said.
In case of the possibility of Covid-19 transmissions during the blended set-up, Eliab noted that they would “implement granular lockdown” and “suspend classes,” highlighting the necessity of vaccination for students to enter the campus.
Despite the plans to reopen the school for students this year, summer classes for 2022 are still under the fully online setting, helping professors and students prepare for blended instruction.
Inclusions for the blended learning system
Addressing the concern of prioritization among courses, Montalan expressed that “all programs are given equal footing in these given preparations.”
However, on-the-job training and internship plans vary per cluster. There are no plans for the School of Engineering and Architecture, unlike the Business and Management, Accountancy, and Humanities and Letters clusters. Meanwhile, the School of Education internships would still be fully online as the basic education unit is currently conducted online.
The AVP also mentioned that the list of courses allowed in the blended learning setup is ready by today, but no official announcement has been made as of writing. However, the school fees that accompany this change are yet to be finalized.
Limited face-to-face system students can access University services, such as the library, except on Alert Levels 4 and 5, but it is still bounded by the institution’s schedule.
“The limited face-to-face classes are not daily or weekly. You are not allowed to socialize or loiter on the campus. After your on-campus classes, you are to be escorted out of the campus unless you need to access the University services,” Eliab said.
Regarding blended graduation this 2022, Montalan expounded, “The council sees the need for more information from the students, [and] the council requested to gather feedback from students.”
As for the likelihood of face-to-face extracurricular activities, the AVP explained that these are still “under proposal and subject to approval,” including the annual intramurals and contact sports.
Currently, Mayor Sara Duterte has lifted all Covid-19 restrictions in E.O. No. 11 Series of 2022 in Davao City, except for the wearing of face masks, with several universities already welcoming students to their campuses.