Page 175 - Open and Distance Education In Asia : Good Practice From AAOU Members

Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) 155

The UPOU became fully online in 2007 with in foreign countries. About 24% of the
all the materials digitized and processes students are based overseas in more than 60
and procedures especially those involving countries/cities.
students transformed into the digital format.
Online became the default with the analogue The mobile technology, specifically the
or offline version the option for those who mobile phone, also played a major role to
still preferred it. Because of this, UPOU can address the digital divide or exclusion at the
be considered as the first open university in time that the Internet was integrated into
the Philippines and probably among the first the DE ecosystem in the country. The mobile
in Asia to become fully online and deliver its phone can be considered as a facilitating
instruction through distance elearning. DE factor for the early success of online learning
evolved into distance elearning (DeL) with in the Philippines, it bridged the digital divide.
the main feature of distance or separation of In 2007, at the time that the UPOU became
teacher and students and eLearning implying fully online, there were already 55 million
the integration of modern ICTs into the Filipinos subscribing to mobile phone services
teaching and learning process. (Bandalaria, 2009). Mobile phone was used
to deliver short lessons and learner support
Specific to UPOU, Distance eLearning services. Using mobile phone, the teacher
not only enabled the university to accept can make announcements to the students if
geographically dispersed students within the there are new materials uploaded in the online
country but also made possible the admission course site, reminders of submission dates
to the degree programs of learners based for course requirements and examinations,
and connecting to students who are inactive
in the online course site, among others.

As evidenced by the historical account of DE
in the country, it can be concluded that the
delivery system is very much influenced by
the advancements in the information and
communication technologies including the
shift from analogue to digital. Hence, from
print and correspondence, television and
radio to online learning with the penetration
of the Internet and mobile gadgets across
socio-economic classes, the delivery of
instruction also followed the same pathway.
Beyond the influence of these ICTs, the
following can also be highlighted for the
Philippine experience.

University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU)