Mapúa u wins phl’s first digital readiness gold award at Wharton-qs reimagine educ.
MAPÚA University’s “ÚO x” or “Ubiquitous Online Experience” program recently captured the Gold Award for Digital Readiness from the prestigious Wharton-qs Reimagine Education Awards 2022.
It was the first time a Philippine higher education institution (HEI) has received a top-category award in the global contest, which honors groundbreaking approaches on digital learning, hikes student-learning outcomes and improve student employability.
According to a statement, the achievement attests to the technological and engineering school’s pioneering and innovative approach toward education, and a validation of Philippine HEIS’ capabilities and innovativeness. It also demonstrates digital education’s flexibility and effectiveness in ensuring the continuous learning in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, or “VUCA” world.
Mapúa ÚO x is a full, online asynchronous program that enables undergraduate and graduate students to pursue their education despite geographic, social, economic, and time constraints.
Its asynchronous classes, which include lectures, laboratory and field courses are delivered via a dedicated platform: the “Cardinal EDGE,” or “Education in a Digital and Global Environment,” so students can access all learning tools, resources, and coursework at their convenience.
ÚO x is the product of seven years of development and two online learning program precursors: “Digital Days,” which delivered synchronous online lectures to about 2,300 students in about 100 classes; and Digital Rush, online undergraduate courses held from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to help students evade Manila rush-hour traffic. Their early conduct made Mapúa first in the country to conduct simultaneous online classes at scale to address local and context-specific needs.
“We have demonstrated that technology infrastructure is only secondary to the primary goal of addressing educational problems that beset students and teachers,” said Dr. Edward Jay M. Quinto, director of the university’s Center for Teaching and Learning-outcome-based Education. “Mapúa ÚO x programs address difficult learning contexts: slow Internet connection, worsening traffic situations, geographic boundaries in this archipelagic country, and stressful travel experiences, in order to engender access, equity, and quality of education in the Philippines.”
At present ÚO x offers nine graduate and six undergraduate programs in engineering and information technology. Students receive the same high-quality education provided in traditional face-to-face classes through a 100-percent online, asynchronous learning modality.
“Digitalization allowed the university to be future-proof, most notably by being one of the most pandemic-ready universities in the country…it was able to continue [delivering] high-quality education with the least disruption through a seamless transition into online learning modalities during the pandemic,” explained Quinto.
The Wharton-qs Reimagine Education Awards 2022 is considered the “Oscars of Education.” The organization received 1,200 nominees in 18 categories, which represented 70 countries in 2022. A total of 400 judges participated in two rounds of screening, as well as a grand jury of 25 education and educational-technology experts determined the winners for each category.