UPOU Survival Tips

Taking an online course is a convenient way of pursuing a graduate degree and seeking professional advancement since it can be done anytime and anywhere.  However, as I entered the distance education program in UP Open University, I realized that it is not as easy as it may seem.  During those years, I have encountered several challenges that require a different set of strategies in order to survive this mode of learning.

 

Here are some of the ways on how I cope with the distance learning environment.  Note that these may be effective for both sighted and visually impaired students. 

1.      Always make a back up.  Make it a habit to store your files offline so that you can study even without internet connection.  Moreover, keep a copy of your requirements / outputs so that you will not lost your files in case something happens with the course site. 

2.      Always read the course guide and be mindful of the schedules.  At the start of every term, the faculty in charge provides the course guide containing the course objectives, requirements, references, calendar of activities, and the FIC’s house rules.  Always take note of the scheduled activities and plot them on your calendar in order to help you in managing your time.  As much as possible, prioritize the requirement that needs to be done the soonest. 

3.      Take notes.  Though I found this time consuming, it may still be helpful to take note of key words to easily remember the concepts while studying the reading materials.  It may also be helpful when you are composing your answers for the forum discussions or making your assignments. 

4.      Never memorize.  As I proceed with the program, I realized that memorizing would just complicate things since most of the requirements including the online discussion forums require a deeper understanding of the concepts rather than rote memorization.  In addition, reading materials were mostly journal articles and book chapters that might give you a hard time memorizing without understanding. 

5.      Reflect and internalize the lessons.  As much as possible, try to relate the lessons to your own experiences in order to fully understand the lessons.  Often times, the FIC would ask you to do reflections or projects to show them if you really understood the concepts being discussed and you are able to apply it to your own field. 

6.      Don’t read your classmates’ forum posts immediately.  Reading your classmates’ posts may have some advantages and disadvantages.  Apart from student-student and teacher-student interaction, one good thing about reading forum posts is that you’ll get to see different perspectives of the topic from different fields of specializations since the class is comprised of a variety of professionals from different fields making the discussion very engaging and enriching.  However, it might intimidate you or make you feel inadequate especially when a classmate posted an extensive discussion of the topic. 

7.      Make a draft of your forum posts.  There are some FICs who would require a certain word count in a discussion forum post e.g. 250 words per post and 150 words per comment.  I usually make a draft of my answers in a word file so that I could see the word count as I write my answers to the discussion questions.  It is also helpful when you are not so familiar with the features of MOODLE’s discussion board.  What I did was I’d just copy my composition to the edit field since I cannot do the formatting online. 

8.      Save your exam answers offline.  There are courses that give timed quiz or examinations online and students usually have two attempts to take it.  Prepare a draft of your answers on a word document and paste it on the provided area so that you can still have a back up copy of your answers when you encounter any technical glitch. 

9.      Maintain communication with your FIC.  This is helpful especially for learners with visual impairment like me.  Take time to contact the faculty in charge through email and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you encounter some difficulties with the requirements, but don’t forget to offer your proposed solution or alternative activity to fulfill the requirements that also meet the objective of the course. 

Hope that these tips will help you in studying via distance education.  Succeeding in this mode of learning requires a combination of discipline, determination, and motivation.  As long as you have these three, I believe that you will be able to survive the open university. 

Preparation for the Licensure Examination for Teachers

Q: Can a person with visual impairment pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers?
A: Yes
People with visual impairments also need to do the necessary preparations just like what regular test takers do.
Review and Determination + Support + Prayers = Passing the LET
I consider this as my personal formula to succeed in passing the Licensure Exam for Teachers and it worked when I took the exam in September 2010. As one of my classmates had said, the review process for the licensure exam starts during the college days because it is the time where you gather information from different sources and experiences from the observation and practicum phase of the course. Determination comes in when you have the willingness and perseverance to do everything you can to achieve your goal. So I patiently made and compiled notes of my major and Professional Education subjects as well as the General Education subjects not only to serve as my reviewer for our quizzes and exams; but also, to serve as a reviewer for the LET. We also had a mock exam when I was in fourth year where we used the old test questionaires from the previous LET. In that way, we shall have an idea on how the questions are stated and in what way we can improve our scores if we fail the mock test. Some of the questionaires were given in Braille format so that I can read it alone. While at times, my professors or classmates would read the questions for me as I write my answers in Braille and have it checked afterwards. Moreover, we had a peer review session every Saturday where each group from different specialization presents a brief review of the important concepts in different subjects like English, Math, Social Studies and other Gen Ed subjects. Lastly, our college invites some of the students who already took and passed the exam to give us some pointers in taking the test. This includes the do's and don'ts before, during and after the exam, and how they prepared for the exam.
After graduation, I immediately started reviewing my notes in Braille and in MS Word. My mother bought different reviewers for the LET so that she could assist me in reviewing. We start the question and answer type of review at 9:00 am and end at 6:00 pm or later depending on my speed. We only had breaks when we have to attend to personal necessities, or its time to eat, or if she have to do some chores, but she would leave me with some problems to solve while she's away. Such a rigid review isn't it? She gives me the correct answers whenever I commit mistakes then I'll find out what made my answer wrong. We spent five months doing that routine.
The support given by the people around me has helped me to survive the challenge of preparing for the Licensure Examination. I owe it much to my family and teachers who served as my mentors.
Last but not the least, the power of prayers was my best support in preparing for the exam. We have to review and prepare for the board exam but we also need the guidance from the best teacher. As I prepare for the exam, I often pray for strength, endurance and sharp memory.