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Saturday, September 25, 2004
Online classes in AMA baffle students, threaten teachers
By Aurea A. Gerundio
SOME students of the AMA Computer College are protesting a new teaching system that find them facing a computer instead of a teacher, otherwise called the webcast system.
Webcasting is said to be a process wherein the students from all the different branches of AMA nationwide would listen to one teacher doing the lecture on a particular subject through a video.
"Nabag-uhan 'mi sa webcast kay wala man mi gi-inform pud daan nga i-implement na diay. Karon lang ni nga semester nagsugod (We were taken by surprise because we were not informed that the webcast system will already be implemented. This is its first semester of implementation)," said a BA student, who was among three junior BA and Computer Science students interviewed Friday. All three requested that their names will be withheld.
The students believed webcasting is not effective as it deprives them of personally interacting with their lecturers.
"Kung may tanong po sa lecturer, bale magcha-chat lang po. Makikita naman po ang lecturer sa screen pero mukha lang po. Iba pa rin talaga kung personal na nasa harap ang teacher," said a Computer Science student.
Assistant professor Leonor Rasonabe, meanwhile, believes that the webcast system shouldn't have been implemented yet in the Davao campus because its equipment are not yet up to such high-tech system.
"I would say na ten percent lang ang quality ng education na mahatag aning webcasting. Kasi poor ang facilities na ginagamit. Hindi nga masyadong naririnig ang lecturer (This webcasting will only give ten percent of the quality of education required because the facilities being used are very poor. The students can hardly hear the lecturer's voice)," she said.
In fact, she said, some concerned faculty of AMA has raised the issue with the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) and sought the Ched's opinion on whether AMA qualifies to have a webcast system.
She said that Ched declared that only schools and universities with third level accreditation have the facilities to experiment on webcasting.
"Among the level three accredited schools and universities is the Ateneo de Davao. Ang AMA Davao campus hindi pa dapat," Rasonabe said.
Rasonabe said that the very reason for the webcast is AMA's desire to trim down the number of professors they are employing for all its branches nationwide.
Rasonabe said five professors in AMA Davao campus were, in fact, terminated already.
"Hindi na raw kasi necessary ang positions nila. The plan is gawing triple daw ang salary ng mga lecturers sa webcast. Ako nga, siguro isa na rin ako sa matatanggal kasi there is also a plan na pati mathematics subjects ituturo na through webcast. I am handling math subjects ngayon," she said.
Sun.Star tried to get the side of AMA Davao campus administrator Ernesto Rafael Robillo regarding the matter, but was not allowed to.
This reporter was not allowed to enter the campus as the security guard said a letter for the administrator has to be produced first.
An attempt to contact Robillo through telephone also proved futile as this reporter was told that Robillo was not to be disturbed because he was in a meeting.
(September 25, 2004 issue)
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