Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES

Tamag, Vigan City
2700 Ilocos Sur

College of Communication and Information Technology

Website: www.unp.edu.ph Mail: ccit@unp.edu.ph
Tel. #: (077) 632 06 02

LEARN ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

Learning Continuity Plan of the College of Communication
and Information Technology
August 2020

I. INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in the educational systems, not
just in the Philippines, but in the entire world. To prevent spread of the virus, state
universities in the country had to close its doors to students and stop conducting
face-to-face classes and were encouraged to adapt alternative modalities of
learning.

Various factors were considered to ensure that the learners receive the
education that they deserve. These include the digital divide – not everyone has the
same access to technologies; the current knowledge and skills of the faculty and
students of the alternative modalities of learning; and the mental, emotional,
physical, and financial capacities of all stakeholders.

This Learning Continuity Plan shall provide guidance to the College in its delivery
of education for the 1st Term, AY 2020-2021 until the pandemic is over. Ultimately, it
is centered on the view that despite the pandemic, one can continue learning,
anywhere, anytime.

II. CURRICULAR MODIFICATIONS IN THE NEW NORMAL

The teaching-learning process in the New Normal is modified from a traditional,

pure classroom-based to a more flexible one.

A. Flexible Learning Strategies

In the College, flexible learning shall be adopted where learners are given the
freedom to choose what, how, when, and where to learn. The following are the
learning modalities in which students can choose from, depending on their
capabilities and available resources they have.

1. Modular Distance Learning

This modality allows learners to learn through instructional materials that are
printed or in digital format. Learning plans, modules, presentation slides,
 activity sheets, and other instructional materials are prepared by the faculty
are either printed or saved as electronic copies in CDs, DVDs, or flash drives.

Enclosed in the learning kits of the students are the printed IMs and/or CDs,
DVDs, or flash drives containing the soft copies of the IMs. No fees shall be
collected from the students.

These learning kits are delivered to the learners through courier or by any
UNP faculty who live near them. These can also be sent to their local
government units and can be picked-up by the learners or their immediate
families or relatives.

2. Online Distance Learning

This modality allows teachers to facilitate learning through the use of various
technologies, with Internet as the primary tool to upload learning plans,
modules, video and audio lessons, and other instructional materials, which
are made accessible to learners wherever they may be.

In the College, a common learning management system shall be used, in

accordance to the directives of the administration, for the creation of virtual
classrooms for each class. Learners can access and download learning
materials from the web, view learning activities and upload responses, as
well as interact with their teachers and peers.

The IMs can also be sent through electronic mails or via Facebook
Messenger, WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, or any other messaging software.

Synchronous learning such as online discussions may also be conducted

through Zoom, Google Meet, FB Rooms, or any other video conferencing
tools. Recording of these video conferences shall be uploaded to the LMS for
those who are not able to join them.

3. Face-to-Face Instruction

When restrictions are lifted and for special cases, a face-to-face instruction
may be conducted but for a limited number of students only, complying with
health protocols such as physical distancing, frequent and proper hand
washing, wearing of masks and face shields.

4. Instruction through Broadcast Media

This can be used as supplement to another flexible learning strategy, wherein

video and audio lessons can be delivered to the learners through regular
TV/radio programs.

B. Assessment
 In the College, two forms of assessment shall be utilized in evaluating the
learners’ performance and accomplishments: the on-site and remote
assessment.
1. On-Site Assessment

When necessary, major examinations such as Midterm and Final exams as

well as Performance Assessment may be conducted in the College but on a
one-to-one basis. The faculty and student agree first on the place, date, and
time in which the on-site assessment shall take place.

The students who shall have an on-site assessment have to be 21 years old
and above and have acquired permits from parents and local community
where they belong to such as their barangay or municipality/town. The
faculty concerned also have to seek approval from the University President
allowing them to administer on-site examination in the College.

2. Remote Assessment

Integrated in the IMs are activity worksheets, exercises, performance tasks,

and other tools used to assess the learners’ performance. The faculty,
therefore, have to agree with their students to how and when these outputs
are to be turned in, whether through courier, personal submissions, chat, or
electronic mails.

Other than the printed assessment tools, learners may also be assessed
through online quizzes/exams, discussion boards, and other technological
means. The faculty are enjoined to employ assessment activities that
address higher order thinking skills.

For major examinations which shall be taken at a remote location, exam

takers are to be monitored through video or may be proctored by the faculty
handling the course or any other faculty or individual authorized by the
University.

III. POLICIES ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR)

A. IPR on IMs

Expertise, effort, time, and patience are invested by the faculty to develop and
improve their IMs. Hence, the College provides avenues for the protection of
the work of the faculty by submitting these developed IMs for review and
approval from the University’s Instructional Materials Development Committee,
and later on for copyright application at the Intellectual Property Office of the
Philippines.

B. Academic Integrity

The increasing and improving services of Internet have given teachers and
learners opportunities to search on the learning contents of their classes. Hence,
the CCIT faculty are enjoined to comply or adhere with existing principles and
 provisions of the University’s Code along Intellectual Property Rights, specifically
in the development or revision of their IMs.

Academic integrity shall always be prioritized in all classes, and are specifically
defined in the learning plans or syllabi. Students’ submitted outputs shall be
tested using plagiarism software.

Sanctions for dishonesty are clearly stipulated in the syllabi and are to be
enacted once a student is found guilty.

IV. MANAGEMENT OF LEARNERS

A. Delivery of Instructional Materials

The University’s common learning management system shall be the central

repository of IMs for all the courses in the College and shall also be the main
mode to deliver these IMs. Students shall be given accounts to the LMS and
access to their virtual classrooms, where they can view and print learning plans,
modules, activities, assessment tasks, and other IMs. IMs can also be shared
through e-mails, online messaging software, and cloud storage and file sharing
providers such as Google Drive and OneDrive.

Printed IMs or soft copies of IMs saved in CDs, DVDs, or flash drives can also be
delivered through courier or any UNP faculty who live near the students. These
can also be distributed through the University vehicles which travel from Vigan-
Sinait and Vigan-Candon. Through MOU/MOA with local government units, IMs
can also be deposited to the municipal/town halls and be picked up later by the
students or their families or relatives.

B. Information Dissemination and Orientation

The College uses its official Facebook page to disseminate information to its
faculty, students, and other stakeholders. The University website can also be a
utilized to announce news and other important information to the community.

A series of orientation programs shall be conducted via Facebook Live, YouTube

Live, or video conferencing tools. These include, but are not limited to,
Orientation Program for Freshmen, Transferees, and Shifters; Orientation
Program on the Learning Continuity Plan; Orientation Program on the Use of
LMS; Orientation Program on IPR; and Orientation Program on SHIELD for
UNPians (which primarily aim to help students cope with the challenges of
learning during the pandemic).

Seminar-workshops shall also be included specifically on these topics: mental

and spiritual health, coping mechanisms, procrastination, time management,
among others.

C. Faculty-Student Engagement and Communication

 The built-in messaging services of the University’s LMS shall be utilized primarily
for communication between the faculty and students on academic matters.
Electronic mails, video conferences, tele-conferences, online chats, text
messages, and calls can also be used to follow-up on students, answer queries,
or discuss lessons if needed.

Class advisers are tasked to communicate regularly with their advisory classes
through e-mails, online messaging services, calls, text messages, or video/tele
conferences.

Students must be informed that all correspondences, conversations, and

conferences are to be recorded.

D. Use of Technology to Support Learning and Teaching

The ICT Committee has created official university email accounts for the faculty
and staff, with this format: firstname.lastname@unp.edu.ph. Students, new and
old, will also have their own university email accounts which shall be used in
registering and logging-in to the LMS and in communicating with their teachers
and other offices in the University.

A common Learning Management System shall be used by the faculty and

students.

V. MECHANISMS FOR CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

The CCIT students are encouraged to send their feedbacks, comments, and
suggestions on the learning strategies, tasks, materials, and assessment tools
through the CCIT Official Facebook Page. The Page Administrator reports these
messages to the Program Heads who, in turn, shall address these issues and
concerns, and are forwarded to the College Dean, then to the VPAA, and the
President, if left unresolved in the unit level.

At the end of the term, surveys are to be administered to the CCIT faculty and
students to get their feedbacks on how to improve the implementation of the
Learning Continuity Plan for the succeeding terms.

Prepared by:

ROSANNE S. AGUP
College Dean