Project PRISM: Empowering Educators for the Future of Learning

• In Event: Roundtable Session (Tuesday VI)
  In Refereed Round-Table Session: Educational technology, responsible educator, and learning engagement

Proposal

The Philippines poses a paradox: the country ranks number 1 in social media usage at 67 million users (We are Social, 2017) yet teacher training is notoriously deficient; neither the government nor non-governmental organizations are able to generate empirical data yet market data point that there is a systemic problem where teacher training content is stagnant and antiquated, using 20th century methods for 21st century learning. There is a tremendous gap between teacher capacity and the growing digital-savvy Gen Z student, where digital consumption plays a vital role in their learning.

Globe Telecom, the country’s largest telecommunications provider, recognized the problem and understood how insufficient teacher training would seriously compromise the future of learning in the country and stunt its ICT development in the future. How might the organization leverage on its role and narrow the gap between teacher capacity and the changing digital landscape?

Project PRISM, a teacher training pilot, was launched, training its first cohort of teachers in January 2017. The intervention is designed to help educators become proficient in technology-enabled instruction, developing a design thinking mindset (using the IDEO framework) and multimedia content development (using the 21CC framework with emphasis on creativity, innovation, and collaboration). The program is 100% free to teachers and subsidized fully by Globe Telecom as it was seen as a strategic investment for nation-building. The program is a 3-week blended learning for K-12 and Higher Education teachers nationwide. Its unique teacher-training program is anchored on its 3E agenda: Equip, Experience, and Empower.

EQUIP: It equips teachers with design thinking tools, consumer insights on the Gen Z student, and tech-enabled skills training (using freeware such as Google Apps and Edmodo). In addition, teachers undergo pre- and post-assessments that are aligned with International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, enabling them to train at global benchmarks.

EXPERIENCE: Arranged into smaller “mission” teams, teachers optimize collaboration in a group of 15- 20 teachers and are supervised by a learning coach. The curriculum emphasizes experiential learning wherein they are taught to design their own capstone projects that advance their pedagogical training and in-class content creation, while using technology to better engage the students and make the process more resource-efficient.

EMPOWER: The PRISM Expo serves as a platform to showcase capstone projects, share insights with the education community, and receive feedback on how to iterate their projects for application in their classrooms.

Project PRISM won the Gold Trophy at the Stevie-Awards Asia-Pacific for its “Innovation in Living, Learning, and Working Environments. PRISM has trained over 1,200 Filipino teachers from 100+ schools across the Philippines. Given that one teacher, on average, teaches 150 students, it is estimated that PRISM has reached 180,000 students nationwide.

Moving forward, it is of interest to scale replication strategies in specific subject areas, particularly STEM, hence feedback from CIES would be valuable. A longitudinal impact evaluation would also be helpful to identify if the program has multiplier effects beyond the classroom.

Author

• Rose Mary Grace Sagun, Harvard University