UP Diliman’s Ph.D. in Civil Engineering
gets BOR nod

THE UP DILIMAN College of Engineering secured the approval of the Board of Regents (BOR) last May 27 to institute a Ph.D. program in Civil Engineering—a first in the country.

According to the proposal submitted by the college to the BOR, the program was created in response to the growing demand by industry—consulting firms, government agencies, and academic institutions—for civil engineers with advanced knowledge in science and technology. “Fast-paced technological advances make it imperative for civil engineers to continuously update their skills,” the proposal stated.

Indeed, the United Nations recommends that every developing country should have about 380 science and technology (engineering) personnel for every one million of its population. The Philippine population stands at 75 million. Therefore, it should have at least 29,300 such personnel. As of 1998, however, the country only had about 8,000 science and technology engineers. Which is 21,300 short of the UN standard.

The doctoral program is thus designed as a research and professional degree aimed at producing graduates with knowledge and skills that are relevant to the country’s needs. It will initially touch on the following fields—geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources.

On the average, the Department of Civil Engineering accepts about 30 graduate students every semester for its master’s program. In the last 10 years, the department has graduated an average of 110 MA students—many of whom are faculty members from other schools—annually. With these students as possible resources, the Ph.D. program is projected to attract about 20 enrollees every year.

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UPCAT Snip

Getting into UP is one long and involved process. Among other things, one has to hurdle the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) which means pitting oneself against close to 70,000 hopefuls. In this year’s UPCAT, preliminary figures show that 67,538 high school seniors took the exam, which was administered in 75 testing centers all over the country last August 7 and 8. Of the examinees, only about 11,000 are projected to make the cut. And about 3,500 of the qualifiers make it to UP Diliman, the University’s flagship campus.

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Instructional materials development in full swing

MORE THAN 45 UP Diliman faculty members and experts including graphic designers, computer programmers, and technical advisers have begun work on interactive instructional materials to enhance primary courses in the University, under the financial and technical auspices of the UP Diliman Interactive Learning Center (DILC).

Professors of Chemistry, Engineering Science, Math, Physics, and socio-economic-political thought signed an agreement with the DILC last July 29 at the DILC for the development of materials involving various—often tricky—learning objects taught in the UP classroom. Learning objects are “bite-size chunks” of knowledge or skill that make up the learning content of a curriculum. These chunks may be taken separately or grouped together like Lego pieces.

With a grant of P10,000 for each learning object and the free use of the state-of-the-art DILC facilities, the materials developers are expected to come up with their finished products in one year. These can be used both as presentation material for teachers or review materials for students, and will be uploaded into the UP web for ease of access.

Project leaders head the teams in the various academic fields. Dr. Grace Gregorio heads a team which aims to develop learning objects for difficult topics in Chemistry. Dr. Jose Ma. Escaner IV’s group is studying the utilization of multi-media technology in the teaching of Math. Professors Malaya Rona and Raymond Quilop are co-leaders in developing a module that utilizes computer conferencing technology to teach Social Science 2. Dr. Jose Perico Esguerra is project head of the team tackling difficult concepts in Physics, while Prof. Magdaleno Vazquez Jr. is head of the group handling Engineering Science. Working alone is Dr. Rene Felix who is writing a module titled “Folding and Unfolding Math,” which utilizes geometric construction and the art of origami in explaining Mathematical concepts.

The teams will be guided by the likes of UPD Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Amelia P. Guevara, who will act as chair and project director for the Chemistry team; Dr. Grace J. Alfonso, for Social Science 2; Prof. Leonardo Rosete, for Engineering Science; and Prof. Bronne Dytoc, for Math. Dr. Celia Adriano is instructional designer.

The DILC serves as a resource to help UP Diliman and the UP System faculty and staff learn to use multimedia and Web technologies in their teaching, with the aim of promoting interactive learning. One of its objectives is to explore innovations in teaching and learning, targeting in particular GE courses with high enrolment and bottleneck courses. The Chemistry team, for example, will work on making 15 difficult or abstract chemistry concepts (learning objects) in the courses Chem 16, Chem 1, as well as the Chemistry component of NatSci 1 “easier, enjoyable, interesting and more manageable for both the teacher and the student.” Their main strategy would be the use of “illustration” in the assumption that “human beings are inherently visual.” They thus veer away from the usual “talk and chalk” method. While visual aids are available commercially, they are too costly.

For Engineering Science, 16 learning objects useful in subjects such as drawing, Mechanics and basic Engineering sciences (ES 1, 11, 12, 13) will be developed with the aid of Fine Arts expertise.

“Teaching Math Utilizing Multimedia Technology” will support classes such as the Math 53 series and Math 100, which are Calculus-related courses containing concepts (the 16 learning objects) difficult to explain with the usual stationary two- and three-dimensional models.

“Teaching Difficult Concepts in Physics” will cater to Physics 10 or Physics and Astronomy for Pedestrians and other elementary and advanced Physics classes, with its modules for 16 learning objects.

“Utilization of Computer Conferencing Technology in Teaching SocSci 2 in the UP System” aims to directly involve the other constituent universities by gathering input from their Social Science classes through broadcast media. Lectures of the likes of UP President Francisco Nemenzo, Pulse Asia president Felipe Miranda, and Sociology professors Randolf David and Walden Bello will be beamed real-time to interested CUs.

Felix’s “Folding and Unfolding Math” is an interesting case of a UP faculty member’s originality in experimenting and exploring novel ways to concretize his subject. His project involves 16 learning objects which include cubic equations, limits of a sequence, non-geometric infinite series, complex numbers and tessellations.

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UPV Cebu harvests research outputs

“A PIONEERING WORK” was how Prof. Regalado Trota Jose, head of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Committee on Monuments and Sites, described the study “Cataloguing the Works of Canuto Avila and Raymundo Francia” by Professors Raymund Fernandez and Estela Ocampo-Fernandez.

This and other researches, ranging from the gender differences in coping with separation from work to the effectiveness of instrumented team learning and team games and tournaments as teaching strategies, were evaluated during the “Research Symposium” held at UP Cebu College last July 28.

The symposium was organized by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension through the Central Visayas Studies Center.

All in all, seven UP Visayas-funded researches conducted by faculty and research, extension, professional staff were presented to the faculty and students of UP Cebu. Several significant research findings were achieved by the various projects.

Rowena Villarama and Weena Jade Gera, in the Social Sciences Division, showed that there is no difference in the coping mechanisms of male and female employees separated from work as seen in the findings of the case of the Cebu Plaza Hotel. “A Survey and Analysis of Methods of Allocating Urban Emergency Units in Cebu City” by Prof. Anna Marie Talam showed how local government allocates scarce resources. The influence of politics in the utilization of the Special Education Fund was discussed by Magnolia Ariza Laus, research associate of the Office of Continuing Education and Pahinungod, who studied three local governments in Central Visayas.

Academic performance of students was the focus of the researches undertaken by Dr. Albert Maganaka who studied factors affecting academic performance. This was also the main concern of counselors Mirope Antoinette Ong Vano, Portia Dacalos and Annie Manzano who made a comparative study of the performance of STFAP and non-STFAP grantees. Finally, Dr. Josefina Carvajal and Dr. Elisa Lapa of the Professional Education Division presented the results of a study on the effectiveness of instrumented team learning and team games and tournaments in teaching.

Dr. Carlos Baylon, Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, and Dr. Madrilena de la Cerna, director of the Central Visayas Studies Center, presented certificates of recognition to the researchers and to the evaluators.

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SWF launches 17 titles

PURSUING ITS AIM to establish Filipino as a viable academic language and medium of instruction in the various disciplines, the Sentro ng Wikang Filipino of UP Diliman builds up its Aklatang Bayan with the launching of 17 titles published from 2001 to the present.

The Aklatang Bayan—now numbering a hundred titles—is a collection of college-level instructional materials developed and critiqued by the University’s experts in the various disciplines. One of these experts is National Scientist Clare Baltazar of UP Los Baños who was a special guest at the launch last August 3 at the Claro M. Recto Hall of Bulwagang Rizal, UP Diliman.

UPD Chancellor Emerlinda Roman—also a guest—said it had been 15 years since the University Council approved the policy of Filipino as medium of instruction and praised the Aklatang Bayan for playing an important role in implementing this language policy. Dr. Galileo Zafra, former director of SWF, said these books carry the advantage of being oriented, contextualized, and sensitive to the Filipino culture thus serving as an effective bridge for theories from outside the country.

One of the two books published this year is the Gabay sa Editing by Zafra, Roberto Añonuevo, Romulo Baquiran Jr., Jimmuel Naval, and Jona Guarin—a stylebook for Filipino which is possibly the most reliable of its kind. The other is Tomo XII, Blg. 1 of Daluyan: Journal ng Wikang Filipino, which contains articles from various disciplines, which aims to establish Filipino as an intellectual language.

The complete list of titles since 2001 and their authors are as follows:

2001: Insekto sa Pilipinas by Lilian de las Llagas; Mikrobiolohiya ng Pagkain by Priscilla Sanchez; and Viva Filipina by Edgardo Tiamson.

2002: Agham, Teknolohiya at Lipunan, readings for Science, Technology and Society edited by Lilia Santiago; Ang Tala, mga Panaginip, at Bulaklak sa Libingan ng Daga, a translation by Mario Miclat; Glosari sa Edukasyon by Marietta Otero, Mercedes Adorio, Mabuhay Alonzo, Cleofe Chi, Lina Diaz de Rivera, Ligaya de Guzman, Lorna Lois de Vera, Mildred Ganaden, Fe Garcia, Teresita Ignacio, Anunciacion Lara, Editha Marcelo, Aniceta Ortinero, Felicitas Pado, Fe Sanchez, Robinson Soria, Evelina Vicencio, Emilia Zarco, and Lorenzo Orillos; Matematika para sa Pangkalahatang Edukasyon (second edition) by Jesusa Tangco, Caridad M. Natividad, Jaime Caro, Leticia Castillo, Azucena Darvin, Aurora Fernandez, Lydia Flores, Felina Mapa, Nenita Ocampo, Fe Reyes, Ernesto Santos, and Polly Sy; Mga Talulot na Dugo, a translation by Romeo Dizon; Minanga: Mga Babasahin sa Varayti at Varyasyon ng Filipino edited by Jovy Peregrino, Pamela Constantino, and Nilo Ocampo; Pilosopiya: Lohika at Pangangatwiran sa Panahon ng Computer by Agerico de Villa and Gerald Franco; and Teorya ng Batas by Emmanuel Fernando.

2003: Abreganas, a textbook on Spanish by Conchita Jaranilla and Edgardo Tiamson; Diyos ng Maliliit na Bagay, a translation by Monico Atienza; Kasaysayan ng Filipinas at mga Institusyong Filipino by Eden Gripaldo, Rowena Boquiren, Evelyn Miranda, Ricardo Jose, Violeta Ignacio, Dante Ambrosio, Phoebe Zoe Maria Sanchez, Daniel Talde, Henry Funtecha, Dwight Diestro, Bernard Leo Karganilla, and Roberto Mata; and Maraming Katanungan Iilang Kasagutan by Dan Reynald Magat.

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