Ericsson, a telecommunications and network provider, has extended its collaboration with Qualcomm Inc., Smart Communications Inc., the Department of Education-Muntinlupa (DepEd Muntinlupa), and the Philippine Normal University (PNU) for the second phase of the Connect to Learn: Teaching with Technology program.
The program, which began in 2022, helps teachers build digital teaching skills using online and virtual reality (VR)-based modules. It has so far trained more than 1,700 pre-service and in-service teachers from DepEd Muntinlupa and PNU.
For the current school year, the initiative will expand to reach more public high school teachers and pre-service teachers. DepEd Muntinlupa teachers serve over 80,000 secondary students.
“We are encouraged by the results of the first phase of the project, which show that the idea to use technology to train teachers remotely is effective and has the potential to positively impact teacher performance and learner outcomes,” said Arda Cetiner, country manager of Ericsson for the Philippines.
The GSMA Future of Learning Report for the Philippines (2024) pointed to limited teacher training as one of the challenges in adopting technology in classrooms. The program seeks to address this by giving teachers flexible access to digital learning tools.
“This initiative reflects the power of partnerships between government, academia, and the private sector to create long-term impact in education,” Cetiner said.
The program uses e-learning modules and VR simulations created by Ericsson specifically for the Philippines. VR headsets were given to DepEd Muntinlupa and PNU to support training. Smart also provided pocket WiFi devices, home WiFi units, and prepaid load cards to ensure teachers could connect to the modules.
An independent study of the first phase showed that teachers who completed the training improved in using ICT tools, diversifying teaching strategies, and applying technology to support collaborative learning in class.
These findings have guided recommendations to improve the program’s design and delivery in its next stage.