Kortext has forged an exciting relationship with the Philippines to help the country in its mission to transform higher education and make flexible learning possible for all its students.
Working with C&E Adaptive Learning Solutions (C&E ALS), who are themselves in partnership with the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation, provides an opportunity for higher education institutions in the region to roll out Kortext’s suite of digital solutions to improve university efficiency and positively impact student engagement – whatever their mode of study.
The sudden and widespread pivot to online and distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic instigated some major EdTech developments in the region, including the use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) and digital content for learning. Kortext is the newest addition, recommended by C&E ALS to provide an economically viable, futureproof and scalable learning ecosystem manageable by students, librarians and academics.
The platform provides universities in the Philippines with a gateway to over 2 million eBooks and learning materials from 4,650 publishers alongside a host of other features like smart study tools and customisable accessibility options. Institutions can access international content and contribute to a repository for local publications.
The partnership was announced during a webinar on ‘Future-Forward Libraries and Flexible Learning’, hosted by National Teachers College Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Edizon Fermin and attended by Philippine librarians, information specialists and educators.
During the webinar, Dr. Fermin highlighted the importance of change in the Higher Education sector, saying:
“UNESCO has boldly declared that everyone will need an extra 101 days of learning by the year 2022. And that’s just around the corner.
“This means, the more we are able to develop mechanisms and structures that will allow all of us to learn more robustly and as agile as possible, then we are more capable of coping with what we will label as ‘the new normal’.”
In another webinar in May, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman, Prospero de Vera III, said:
“From now on, flexible learning will be the norm. There is no going back to the traditional, full-packed, face-to-face classroom.”
The promotion of Kortext across the region is a positive step for the Philippines, especially in light of CHED’s recent announcement that only fully vaccinated students can join limited face-to-face classes at Philippine institutions.
Dr Fermin also highlighted the need for institutions to “promote learner control and customisability”, saying that, “the belief is that a more controllable amount of learning is necessary to sustain their engagement and if they are unable to select content that will be manageable for a certain time during the entire stretch of the learning process, the learners will likely stray away and will not concentrate given the many distractions available to them.”
As the country makes a more permanent move to flexible learning in all its guises, access to interactive, digital content will need to be a fundamental part of any HE institution’s student engagement strategy, and with seamless integration into Learning Management Systems – and a standalone app – Kortext fully supports this.
Another key challenge facing Filipino students is internet connectivity, with only 63% of the Philippines’ adult population connected to the internet compared to the UK’s figure of 96.6%3. Kortext’s offline access is therefore a significant advantage, enabling students to study anytime, anywhere and sync their study activity when they’re next online.
With Kortext at their fingertips, Philippine institutions will be able to positively influence and measure student engagement with course content and make sure that their students have access to essential learning materials at the right time.
A representative from C&E ALS said:
“As a premier provider of e-learning and e-business solutions in the Philippines, C&E Adaptive Learning Solutions continues its commitment to quality education and professional excellence by partnering with internationally-acclaimed Education Technology leaders to provide the best solutions for academic and professional markets.
“Through a partnership with Kortext, C&E ALS aims to equip Filipino students with digital learning resources from esteemed international content and information providers, enhance their learning experience leading to improved learning outcomes.”
Richard Horton, Commercial Director, Kortext, said:
“We are incredibly pleased to be partnering with C&E ALS – a leading and renowned supplier in the Philippines. Our extensive experience around the world puts us in a great position to support Philippine universities with their digital transformation and demonstrate how engagement data can revolutionise teaching and learning. We’re looking forward to building some close and lasting relationships.”
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