Partnership makes online study work
For education to work in an online environment, teachers and students must be able to interact in a way that’s similar to the face-to-face experience
As a model for partnerships among telecommunications firms and educational institutions for the implementation of the blended mode of education propagated by the Department of Education (DepEd), Asia Pacific College (APC) and National University (NU) partnered with Globe Telecom.
Unit Globe Business will offer free connectivity solutions through SchoolSURF Plans, Home Prepaid WiFi kits and Load Up to enrollees.
“For education to work in an online environment, teachers and students must be able to interact in a way that’s similar to the face-to-face experience. Our collaboration with Globe Business will bring learning innovations and other opportunities to ensure flexible engagements,” NU President Renato Carlos Ermita Jr. said.
Slow Internet connections for many Filipino households pose a challenge for distance learning, which is by far the safest alternative to in-school classes.
Not from parents’ pockets
“By democratizing access to education, every student will have equal opportunity for continuous learning in a connected environment, and eventually, equal opportunity in finding their place in the workforce,” shared APC president Dr. Tata Medado.
At no extra cost to students and their parents, the connectivity solution from Globe shall be available to all students of APC and NU. They will simply need to plug and play the Globe Home Prepaid WiFi modem supplied by the schools. APC and NU’s information technology (IT) Resources teams will disburse data under the SchoolSURF plan to the prepaid SIMs installed in each device using the Globe Load Up platform.
With School SURF, users can access digital learning apps such as GSuite, Office356, Coursehero and Blackboard. They may also use virtual communication platforms such as Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Viber and Whatsapp to assist in online classes and school administration tasks.