Announcement

ILC Diliman UVLê-arning the Ropes June 27, 2019 UVLê Youtube Tutorials by ILC Diliman      The practice and field of pedagogy is ever-evolving. Learning is shaped by context, and since the emergence of the internet, learners have also evolved. The current youth are referred to as “digital natives” according to Prensky (2001). His forecast was rather accurate, as I have personally seen children aged 11-12 in my workshops effortlessly creating speeches, touching away on their iPads for research (their Achelles’ heel: spotty internet connections). The world itself is transitioning with technology at the forefront of change in professional endeavors. Internet access is also becoming a norm and is even encouraged as an actual human right (UN Special Rapporteur Report, 2011). Internet Growth in the Philippines (in Millions) source: Rappler’s BrandRap (2016) This exciting tech gap was filled with multiple infrastructures. To help facilitate cashless transactions, PayPal was developed in 1999 and is currently still the top-of-mind tech in the industry. Applications such as Slack and Trello helped ease workflows in corporations. In learning, Moodle was the pioneer choice for online education.  In the University of the Philippines Diliman, we have adapted the Moodle system as UVLê; the University Virtual Learning Environment. With over 474 courses built by teachers in the past year alone, its active pool of resources caters to many types of learners. The professors and instructors involved can then adjust their content accordingly. From personalizing forums and quizzes to embedding media, UVLê is a consistent partner for learning. These widgets are just a small chunk of the UVLê The challenge, therefore, comes in the transition. The users are undoubtedly quick adaptors in the receiving end of the service. The problem is that many instructors are still learning the ropes. With new updates pouring in every year, UVLê can appear challenging. The overwhelming features can put off new teachers who want to move to the digital classroom. In line with this challenge, the Interactive Center Diliman (ILC) has launched its video series on Youtube entitled, “UVLê Self Help Videos”. The entire playlist consists of 19 exclusive videos from a quick background on interactive learning to the more advanced features of the platform. Still confused with the buttons and forms when editing?Check out Course Number 9: Basic Elements of a Course Page The best part: the entire series has recorded the step-by-step procedure for set-ups! ILC Diliman hopes that this initiative can assist and encourage new faculty to answer the challenge of digital migration for a better, more interactive, and more efficient way in handling learning outcomes in the university.  You may access the full series here! For more information, give us a call at 920-9556 or send a ticket to https://helpdetsk.ilc.upd.edu.ph/.

ILC Diliman ILC’s Top 3 New Features for Iskomunindad March 1, 2019      “Iskwiki is GONE?” I asked John Mark Roco, our Emergency Web Service Developer.  “Hindi po, Sir. In-update lang natin,” he replied. I sighed with relief. Iskwiki has been a University treasure of sorts, helping freshies know more about the college. Being an alumnus of UP Manila myself, I felt like a freshie before I took my MA here. I remember how it led me to the updated contact number of our college, and even the steps for application. The Classics: The old iskwiki page      I heard the news that the old iskwiki was lacking in updates and new tech. I’m sure you’ve seen Wikia, the fan-powered wikipedia page handled by netizens when (re)searching for your favorite anime or video game. It looked primitive a few years ago. It had sad mobile responsiveness which was bad, considering 52% of websites are accessed via mobile devices. Menus and content littered the page. It was like a gradescholler’s MySpace page in 2000s. Now, it’s an updated, highly-customizable haven for fans and fans-to-be of genres.      This royal treatment of Wikia mirrors the makeover that Iskwiki will have. Under the banner of Iskomunidad, it promises new features, improved attributes, and an overall fresh brand for timeless content.      This brings us to our first favorite feature: The Interface! A Timely, Timeless Update: Iskomunidad’s New Face      It’s like seeing your old house bathed in new paint, minus the smell. Comparing the old and new interfaces, one can already see the cleaner and more organized layout. All navigational buttons are on the left, reminiscent of Wikipedia’s UX. The minute speck that is the search bar was in the upper-right of the old page, and is now proudly sitting on top of the page. It even boasts the current number of pages we’re ready to offer to users: 3,700++ old and new content. Don’t get me started on the new background design, too.      This brings us to feature number two: Easier Creation Tools      Ever wonder why the Download pages of websites have less buttons on it? Because it tries to guide you to a specific action. Before, if you were an honest-to-goodness UP student who wished to create new pages for your college or your organization for iskwiki, you were probably a bit lost. The old interface had no quick buttons for content-makers. It’s a turnoff as far as User Interface is concerned. Now, there are two quick ways to make new pages: Clicking on the “Create your First Iskwiki Page/Article” Simply scroll down when you first open the webpage and voila! You can name your page and start editing:      Step Two: Search and Create     Using the nifty search bar above, simply search for a page. If it’s non-existent, it will prompt you to create a new page:      P.S.: You have to be logged in using your official UP LDAP Credentials (this the account you use for CRS).     See, now we are no longer lost in the pages. Speaking of being lost, we have another feature so we can be found: Google Maps Embedding.     If your org has a tambayan or your department has relocated, guide others to it using Google Maps. Simply search for the location you wish to embed in Google Maps, then click the option button (☰):     Click Share or Embed Map: Then copy the link as seen above. Your iskomunidad page can now feature this location! In summary: The new adjustments made has turned iskwiki to iskomunindad; a more feature- inclusive and user-friendly portal to share information with our collegues and peers. This will be available on March, so make sure to visit our social media page (https://www.facebook.com/ilcdiliman/) when we upload the link!