Distance Learning in the Philippines

Did you know that you can avail of distance learning in the Philippines?

I wonder if it makes sense to even mention the country, since distance learning is supposed to be a borderless concept. No matter which country you are in, you can study "in" any place in the world, thanks to e-learning delivery paths (such as the internet).

You can then easily and quickly assess how good this or that distance education program is.

For example, did you know that you can now Get a college degree through distance learning in the Philippines? At the Cebu International Distance Education College, you can reap the benefits of self-paced independent learning in the areas of Business Administration, Information Technology, and Elementary/Secondary Education (BEEd/BSEd).

It's not all virtual, though.

For new enrollees, you will still need to visit the College Dean's Office for interview and testing. You'll also need to pay the enrollment and other requisite fees at the Accounting Office. Just like regular universities, you need to show your face and do the rounds of the Registrar's Office, Guidance, and other departments.

Once you get through that, however, you will be able to access CIDEC's distance learning program and eventually graduate with a college degree.

I wish, though, that the CIDEC site would provide an example of an online learning module. This way, we can gain a better feel of their ability to impart knowledge online. Will it be mostly text? How do they handle images? Are audio-visual elements integrated in the e-learning modules?

Anyway, it's inspiring to see some Philippine educational institutions go online with goals that go beyond the standard "About Us" web sites. May CIDEC's success help draw other universities online, and help create in them the drive to offer courses via the internet.

[ First posted on 01/11/2008 by Manuel Viloria ]