Jose Carillo's English Forum - Education and Teaching Forum

EDUCATION AND TEACHING FORUM

Open Forum: The state of education and teaching

This open forum aims to help find ways to develop a better-taught, much better-educated citizenry. You are invited to freely post here your opinions, perceptions, ideas, observations, suggestions, and experiences about education and teaching in the Philippines and in other parts of the world. Of course, you are also most welcome to post a response to any of the postings.

Students
Photo by Luis Liwanag, The International Herald Tribune

Please confine your postings largely to your own views, knowledge, and experience. If you need to cite long references or background material on the web, just send the links to us and the Forum webmaster will take care of setting up the links with the sites you have indicated.

The Ant and the Eagle: Rizal and Philippine Education
By Eduardo (Jay) Olaguer

Some time ago, my son gifted me a book on Philippine history that rekindled my interest in the national hero, Jose Rizal. And so, for the first time since high school, I read both the Noli Me Tangere and its sequel, El Filibusterismo. I did so with entirely new eyes, the eyes of one who, like Rizal, had been educated abroad, published books and scientific articles, and learned the histories and languages of foreign countries. What a revelation it was to read Rizal after so many years! The version I read was the classic English translation by Charles Derbyshire, complete with historical preface—a preface that I found illuminating despite having to filter out Derbyshire’s self-serving tendency to see in Rizal a justification for the brutal pacification of the Philippines by the United States.

When I first encountered Rizal’s novels, I was required to read them in a literary Tagalog vastly different from the familiar language of the streets. In retrospect, I doubt whether I and my cohort of then teenagers were equipped to appreciate the biting sarcasm of Rizal, let alone the various literary, cultural, and historical allusions that permeated his works. Although Rizal was the foremost of Filipino nationalists, he wrote his novels from a transnational perspective that transcended the limited world of the Filipino village. It is precisely because he wrote in Spanish, a language with a firm literary tradition and historical consciousness, that he could express reality on the scale of civilization, unfettered by parochialism. It was fascinating for me to discover that Rizal even chose English as the medium of instruction for the school he founded while in exile in Dapitan. This from the man who said, “Ang hindi nagmamahal sa sariling wika ay masahol pa sa malansang isda (He who does not love his native language is worse than a rotting fish).”

This brings me to the main lesson of my reencounter with Rizal. Filipino education, as I have experienced and observed it, tends to view things from the perspective of the ant, whereas Rizal saw things from the perspective of the eagle. We Filipinos tend to collect knowledge in the same way we build our barung-barongs—haphazardly, like so much loose change. For example, Filipino college curricula are overcrowded with cafeteria-style survey courses without depth or organizing worldview. I remember a visit to the University of Santo Tomas that was arranged for me by my scientific colleagues, wherein I witnessed circumstances not vastly different from those described in El Filibusterismo, specifically the chapter entitled, “The Class in Physics.”

If we are to progress as a nation, we need to go beyond the temporal and spatial scales of the village to the scales that mark civilization. Let us by all means develop Filipino as our national language. But let us also recognize that the Filipino, like his model Rizal, is at his best when he is also a citizen of the world. (December 31, 2011)

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The need for information caravan on climate-change vulnerabilities

Forum member Dr. Flor Lacanilao furnished the Forum a copy of this letter from Prof. Helen T. Yap of the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute to her fellow scientists and colleagues regarding the country’s need for a no-nonsense information campaign on climate change, vulnerability of human settlements, and adaptation:

December 21, 2011

Dear TOWNS* sisters and colleagues in science,

As one thinks beyond the immediate urgency of the current situation in northern Mindanao and parts of the Visayas, it is really high time to put long-term measures in place.

During casual conversations with colleagues at the Marine Science Institute, it has already been clear for a long time that certain geographic areas in our country are/were “disasters just waiting to happen.” One that was specifically mentioned, in fact, was Cagayan de Oro.

I know for a fact that my colleagues in the sciences have been very unselfish and untiring in their information campaigns by holding seminars, not only with fellow academics but also local government officials and other sectoral representatives.

Now that major, even unthinkable disasters have ravaged the whole length of our archipelago, from north to south, it is really high time for all citizens, especially those in high places and who are well-connected, to get together and put long-term measures in place. One question that begs an answer is, How come the warnings of our scientists habitually go unheeded? What is wrong, really? (What is wrong with our government, our government departments?)

An immediate project that TOWNS can embark on is an information “caravan” that will target strategic destinations in the archipelago, particularly those that have suffered from natural disasters combined with the inadequacies of our system—e.g., Isabela, Central Luzon, the Marikina Valley, the Bicol Region, Panay Island, and now Northern Mindanao, just to name a few. Not only the local officials should be engaged but also the citizens on the ground, because it is they who are most affected (as we are sadly witnessing, yet again).

Among highly qualified TOWNS sisters active in this area are Laura David, Alyssa Alampay, Hilly Roa Quiaoit (the latter, I understand, is now acting President of Xavier University and is leading the relief effort there).

Just a small addendum: One can talk about relocating people who live in vulnerable areas, but they need help in this—they need new settlements, new sources of livelihood.

On this rather sad note, may I wish everyone the best for this season, however one can manage.

Helen

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*TOWNS is the acronym for The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service, awards presented every three years to Filipina women ages 21 to 45 for excellence in their respective lines of work and “who have contributed positively to strengthening national capability and in shaping the nation’s future.”

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Report on higher education’s role in adapting to a changing climate

In response to the call of Prof. Helen T. Yap of the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute for greater climate change awareness among Filipinos (“The need for an information caravan on our climate-change vulnerabilities),” Dr. Flor Lacanilao would like to share this March 2011 report on the climate commitment of the American College & University Presidents.

Here’s the introduction and executive summary of that report:

HIGHER EDUCATION’S ROLE IN ADAPTING TO A CHANGING CLIMATE

Executive Summary

Climate change poses serious threats to human civilization, yet it offers opportunities to create a better future. Colleges and universities face clear and growing risks from climate disruption, and it is critical that presidents, trustees and those with fiduciary responsibility for these institutions be aware of these risks. Addressing these risks can provide the opportunity to recreate institutions of higher education for the 21st century, equipping them to be safe and secure in the face of change, more actively engaged in solving real-world problems, and reorganized to better provide the education and research needed to create and maintain a sustainable society.

This report, prepared by the Higher Education Climate Adaptation Committee — a group of experts and institutional leaders convened and coordinated by Second Nature in support of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) — finds that higher education institutions:

1. Have a critical role to play in preparing society to adapt to the impacts of climate disruption by providing research and education around adaptation strategies and science.

2. Need to increase their curricular offerings on climate adaptation, both through mainstreaming the information in core courses and offering electives that specialize in the topic.

3. Face direct risks to their operations and infrastructure from the impacts of climate disruption.

4. Have the unique opportunity to role-model solutions in their own operations.

5. Can serve as “hubs” in their local communities for creating, testing, and disseminating knowledge about regional climate projections and adaptation strategies, and should work directly with their local communities to explain the science and implement solutions.

6. Should acknowledge the inequitable distribution of climate impacts across populations, with low income and communities of color being in most need.

7. Should aim to identify adaptation strategies that also contribute to mitigation efforts.

8. As a whole, have not focused on adaptation sufficiently to date.

Higher education has taken a leadership role in climate mitigation — that is, preventing climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It now must take the lead in climate adaptation — that is, preparing for and responding to impacts of climate change.

Updates to curricula across a diverse range of disciplines will be key to addressing climate adaptation to ensure professionals understand the impacts of climate change and the best practices for responding to them.

By providing cutting-edge scientific and social scientific research, higher education has already made fundamental contributions to climate adaptation efforts by identifying the most pressing climate impacts — but there is still a large, and growing, need for additional research, especially related to (a) very localized questions regarding specific ecosystems and (b) specific communities, especially in relation to the most vulnerable populations in our society.

Campus operations and infrastructure are vulnerable to climate disruption and senior administrators, trustees, planners, and facilities professionals need to be familiar with the financial and safety risks posed. Institutions have opportunities for experimenting and role-modeling adaptation solutions for the rest of society in campus operations.

Colleges and universities have begun collaborating with local communities on climate adaptation efforts providing expertise and additional capacity. They have the opportunity to serve as “hubs” in their communities on adaptation issues and help their regions prepare for the impacts brought on by climate disruption.

Examples of how institutions are approaching climate adaptation in each of these four areas — curriculum, research, operations and risk management, and community engagement — are provided below.

The report recommends that college and university presidents, trustees and other senior administrators, particularly business officers, take a proactive approach to climate change adaptation, including the following actions:

1. Understand the expected impacts of climate disruption in their region.

2. Conduct an analysis of what financial and human health and safety risks these impacts pose to the institution.

3. Identify and prioritize strategies for reducing these risks that whenever possible also contribute to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and integrate those strategies and actions into the institution’s climate action plans and campus master plan.

4. Evaluate academic offerings on climate adaptation and expand as needed to ensure all graduates have a sufficient understanding of the risks and how to address them in their personal and professional lives.

5. If applicable, evaluate research activities and pursue opportunities for generating new knowledge that will help society adapt to climate disruption.

6. Engage leaders in local communities in a dialogue to identify opportunities for the institution to provide education, research, and pilot projects on adaptation; and for larger projects that can be pursued in collaboration to improve the resiliency of the region’s infrastructure, energy systems, water system, food systems, and transportation systems.

7. Take leadership in assuring that communities in the institution’s region have access to credible, informative science, and that access is extended particularly to communities that are likely to be most impacted by the effective of climate change.

Given the scale and urgency of the threats posed by climate change to every aspect of our society we issue a call to action for all colleges and universities in the country to address the challenges of climate adaptation by explicitly recognizing the need to adapt to the changing climate and taking steps to prepare society to do so through education, research, operations, and community engagement efforts.

Click this link for the Full Text of the Report

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Put the right people in charge of Philippine higher education
By Dr. Flor Lacanilao, PhD

This is a review of some issues I have discussed related to higher education. Although some have asked why I often repeat what is already said, I remind those in science that I repeat only what is important, for emphasis, like in a scientific article. Here, the principal result is often mentioned five times. It is usually made the Title of the article, stated in the Abstract, Introduction, and Results sections, and explained in the Discussion.

My concern is the ignored issues in Philippine education reform, which should start with higher education. Studies have shown that “It is doubtful that great progress can be made at the primary and secondary levels until a higher standard of science learning is set at the post-secondary level.”

Key to any reform is to put on top position the right person: in the CHED, universities, colleges, departments, and graduate programs. Violation of this widely accepted practice is prevalent in the country.

In a previous post, I mentioned that in the University of the Philippines-Diliman, the country's premier university, only 2 of its 22 deans are adequately published in leading ISI-indexed journals; 12 have no such publications, so too are the five top officials of CHED.

Of the seven autonomous universities of the UP System, only chancellor Caesar Saloma of UP Diliman is well published, with over 100 SCI-indexed papers. Three chancellors have each only 1 or 2 such publications, and the three others have no published papers indexed in SCI, SSCI, or AHCI (defined below).

Only those who have made major contributions to one’s field deserve top academic positions. To assess if one has such a record, search with Google Scholar for a list of published works and number of citations (which measure their quality and impact). Count only the papers published in respected ISI-indexed journals -- that is, those covered in Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, or Arts & Humanities Citation Index.

You can get the same data easier and faster with the ISI database called Web of Knowledge, but this requires subscription. This database gives already-selected journal papers as described above.

Such journals are accepted worldwide as sources of reliable information. They contain valid publications or properly published studies, which define the persons to trust for academic and other functions.

Failure to observe a performance-based evaluation process is the reason for the deteriorating condition of our educational system. I have reviewed the problems in Philippine higher education (Google search or click Basic problems in Philippine science and higher education), and they can be summarized thus:

Putting in more money has been the usual answer to address problems. A review, however, does not point to the lack of funding as the reason. It is the failure to attend to the basic causes and needs—like putting the right people in charge.

Data show that, whereas billions of pesos were spent on various “innovative” programs and to increase the country’s researchers to 7,500 in the last 3 decades, the overall research output has become worse—increased number but lower quality. The programs also produced increasing number of poor mentors and decreasing overall quality of graduates.

What can be done with the present situation?

(a) Review Democratic governance

This is based on the idea that two heads are better than one. But in research, for example, only a minority of researchers are properly published and fully understand how research affects human development. It is therefore advisable for published researchers to spend part of their professional time and effort to reading and thinking about the benefits of research.

Such extra effort would enable them to be more convincing in discussions and influence group decisions for academic reform. Further, it would also make them more confident to use their expertise in debates on national issues.

As it is, debates on science-related issues and education in the country have been dominated by nonscientists who give personal opinion rather than study-based comments—and usually without any useful conclusions.

All these partly explain why increasing number of neighbor countries have been leaving us behind, in education, S&T, and national progress.

(b) A related concern is to focus on Problems preventing academic reforms

“America’s huge economic success comes from innovation, which is fueled by its research enterprise. And this in turn is driven by graduate education.” This reminds us of a university’s role in social and economic transformations.

It is important for properly published faculty members to have majority control of decision-making bodies. Opposition to this kind of change will come largely from those unpublished in ISI-indexed journals. Such resistance has reduced the gains in some activities and has delayed overall reform,

Strong, visionary leadership and bold actions will decide UP’s development into a research university, to live up to its name as the National University, and to assert its leadership in producing new knowledge, reforming education in the country, and building a nation.

UP can still aim to be in the top 100 universities in Asia and the world’s top 500 (see Academic Ranking of World Universities). And we can hope to hear again that Centennial catchphrase, this time not as propaganda, but as an honest, well-deserved acknowledgment from the entire nation—UP, ang galing mo!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Flor Lacanilao obtained both his BS and MS in Zoology from the University of the Philippines in Diliman and his PhD, with specialization in comparative endocrinology, from the University of California at Berkeley. He served as professor and chairman of the Zoology Department at UP Diliman and chancellor of UP Visayas. He made pioneering discoveries in neuroendocrinology and led the research group that achieved the first spontaneous breeding of milkfish in captivity.

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The need for performance-based funding for research programs
By Dr. Flor Lacanilao, PhD

Two articles on higher education show our failures in addressing persistent problems in Philippine education. One is the “World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional Report” (Putting Higher Education to Work: Skills and Research for Growth in East Asia__Overview_2011).

The other is “Returns on higher education,” by Edilberto C. de Jesus (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 12 Nov 2011), a commentary on the World Bank Report. Dr. de Jesus is president of the Asian Institute of Management and a former Secretary of the Philippine Department of Education.

The World Bank Report stresses two development approaches established by developed countries:

(a) That higher education should provide the skills and research to apply current technologies and to assimilate, adapt, and develop new technologies, two drivers of productivity and growth.

(b) Some developing countries, like the Philippines, should focus on improving the quality of graduates and building research capacity in a few universities. These should have higher funding support that is performance-based.

Dr. de Jesus’ article does not discuss the importance of research and research universities in promoting workers’ productivity and national growth. He overlooks performance-based funding, which needs indicators to evaluate performance and to monitor progress. Further, he fails to see which—basic or higher education—is the culprit in the disconnect problem (identified by the World Bank) between the two education levels. He blames the 10-year basic education.

But studies have shown that poor higher education is the cause of poor basic education and the educational system. As Carl Wieman, Nobel laureate in physics, says, “It is doubtful that great progress can be made at the primary and secondary levels until a higher standard of science learning is set at the post-secondary level.” (“Reinventing science education”)

Wieman, in his article in the journal Science in 2009 (“Galvanizing Science Departments”) discusses innovative teaching methods in universities that improve student learning. It focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

De Jesus says, “The delay (referring to the implementation of the K-12 system) has already caused considerable damage.” He says further: “The truncated basic education cycle exerted a perverse effect on the entire educational system. . . Filipino students, while studying more, were learning less; because they were not getting enough time to master basic concepts.”

On the above claims, he does not give any valid support—from specialists or verified studies. These refer to those published in peer-reviewed international journals (which are covered in ISI's major indexes—Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index). They insure that study results have been verified (or verifiable), which is indicated by number of citations; these in turn measure the quality and impact of one’s works (one’s list of publications and number of citations are freely accessible by Google Scholar).

They are internationally established criteria and measures of selection and performance (e.g., for appointment and funding), respectively.

Many have blamed the 10-year basic education system as the cause of our poor basic education. And that the K-12—just because this is the system in some other countries—is the solution.

On the other hand, the studies of the husband-and-wife team of Christopher and Ma. Victoria Bernido, academic scientists who are the 2010 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for education, have shown that basic education reform is achievable under the 10-year system, even amid scarcity (“Poverty and scarcity are no barriers to quality education,” Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13 Sept 2010).

They report, “We have seen marked increase in proficiency levels of our students, especially in Science, Math and Reading Comprehension. This is seen from their performance in college admissions tests and the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE).”

Among the innovative changes they have introduced to our basic education are the following: (a) only one copy of textbook per class is needed, (b) no need for expensive lab equipment, (c) only 1/4 of the allotted class period is required for teaching, and (d) students are not given homework.

The above results of the well-published Bernidos team of physicists illustrate how to solve problems: (a) knowing what is wrong or the cause, (b) which of them takes an expert or specialist to find out, and (c) which also needs experts or specialists to fix.

There are easy ways to assess if one is an expert—or has made any major contributions to one’s field. Examples are the selection criteria mentioned above and below. Another is the ISI database called Web of Knowledge(“Putting the right people in charge of science and education”; see also Everyday Practice of Science by Frederick Grinnell, Oxford, 2009).

De Jesus’ concluding statement says, “The World Bank’s timely report validates the agenda that education reform advocates in the Philippines have been pursuing. Finally, the government appears to be listening and responding.”

I don’t think so. The World Bank Report stresses improving research, including higher funding, which should be performance-based. The two key requirements to get them done are (as I explain above):

(a) Internationally-accepted selection criteria (for choosing people to manage programs).
(b) Internationally-accepted indicators (to evaluate performance and monitor progress).

Both have been ignored in de Jesus’ commentary and the government’s education program. Hence, education reform in the Philippines remains elusive.

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Why hold a thesis/dissertation workshop?
By Dr. Flor Lacanilao

Just saw this announcement in the September 2011 issue of the UP Newsletter:

Thesis/Dissertation workshop in October

The UP College of Mass Communication Foundation, Inc. (UPCMCFI) will conduct a Thesis/Dissertation Seminar-Workshop on October 21 and 22 at the College of Mass Communication, UP Diliman.

Teachers, researchers, graduate students, government workers and private sector employees who need to know more about writing a thesis and dissertation will greatly beneﬁt from the workshop.

Faculty members of the UP CMC Department of Communication Research will facilitate the workshop.

For more details, please call Kat Ramos of UPCMCFI at (02) 981-8500 local 2678. You may also send an email to katkatramos@gmail.com and join UPCMCFI’s Facebook group.

Now my question is: Why a “thesis/dissertation workshop?” Why not a workshop on “How to write and publish a research paper” instead?

What is the sense of writing a thesis, then rewriting it for publication? I think this practice is the main reason why most of our graduate students think that the end of graduate training is the thesis, or that the end of research is the conference paper. And also the reason why most of them have an unpublished PhD thesis.

There are good books (in each field) on how to write research papers (ignore the chapter on writing thesis). Graduate students should learn from them. Then when they are ready to write the manuscript, they should strictly follow the “Instruction to Authors” of the chosen journal (ISI-indexed). They should at the same time refer to an article or two from the chosen journal; they should, for example, observe the details in writing the cited references in the text and at the end, like the use of the comma and period.

This should be a good start to reform the research practice in the country, where UP can lead.

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Idea for environment monitoring, modeling of eco-industrial parks

Suggestion by Eduardo (Jay) Olaguer, new Forum member (September 25, 2011):

Hi, Folks!

I am new to this Forum, which deals with some interesting issues. I belong to the Filipino diaspora and want to add my two centavos' worth to the topic at hand (“PNoy’s science policy insults scientists”). I agree that environmental monitoring is a key component of S&T development, and to this I would add environmental modeling. This is for two reasons: (1) We need to develop a green manufacturing capability that promotes sustainability locally; and ( 2) We need to learn how to manufacture products that meet increasingly stringent international environmental standards and promote sustainability globally.

I was just discussing an idea with Fr. Jett Villarin, my former Ateneo high school classmate, about building an environmental monitoring and modeling capability on a neighborhood scale that can be used in eco-industrial parks in the Philippines, including the marriage of external monitoring with industrial process control and simulation. As the Director of Air Quality Research at the Houston Advanced Research Center, I am involved in patenting a new Emission Monitoring and Attribution System that can measure industrial emissions from outside facility fence lines using a combination of DOAS (imaging and multi-axis) remote sensing, real-time in situ monitoring, and inverse modeling. I am likewise developing a new 3D neighborhood air quality model with its own chemical mechanism as well as standard transport algorithms that can be run in both forward and adjoint (inverse) mode. I have also just now published a paper in Atmospheric Environment on a new method for performing air quality Computer Aided Tomography based on long path DOAS measurements.

I would love to hook up with other Filipino scientists to promote this idea.

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Dr. Lacanilao rests his case on this debate

Rejoinder of Dr. Flor Lacanilao (July 30, 2011):

Hindi na ako sasagot [I won’t reply anymore], can’t see any sense to do so.

Florlaca

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***

In the beginning in this Forum...

Below are the postings previously being discussed in the Forum. You are most welcome to respond to any of the postings made so far or to post an entirely new topic of your own. Do share with us your thoughts on how honest-to-goodness education and teaching reforms might be achieved in our country.

(Click username to read posting)

—Tonybau, a medical doctor and former PTA president, paints a bleak scenario of overcrowding, teacher overload and lack of qualified teachers, lack of basic facilities like clean water and libraries, and malnutrition among pupils in his city’s public high school. He then advocates a total overhaul of the educational system that “continues to churn out students, majority of [whom] are products of an environment where teachers are there only to earn their keep.”

—Florlaca, a retired university professor and department head with a master’s in zoology and a doctorate in comparative endocrinology, vigorously proposes that improving research performance is essential to real academic reform. He says that publications that meet internationally accepted criteria are the best indicator of research performance and of competence to do other academic work as well. We still have to hear a response to this from academe or from education officials.

—Arvin Ortiz, a student-writer, points out that while some professors consider Wikipedia as an unreliable source for students’ research papers and theses, some PhDs in the Philippines have actually cited Wikipedia as a source for the textbooks they have written. What gives?

—Penmanila, creative writing institute director and English professor at the University of the Philippines, notes that teachers of English in the Philippines have such a weak command of the English language themselves, and wonders how their English can be improved. He asks: Do seminars and things of that sort really help?

—Madgirl109, who describes herself as “just another struggling Filipino worker in Japan,” gives a first-hand view of the problems and opportunities of Filipinos working in Japan. For them to improve their job and income prospects in Japan, she says, they need to become more proficient not only in English but in Nihongo as well.

—Meikah, who used to be a university instructor but now works as a web education professional, believes that education and teaching in the country have gotten from bad to worse. She says college students lack comprehension skills because their teachers in grade school and high school had made no effort at all to help them understand or teach them how to understand their lessons.

—Maudionisio says that to foist the myth of “one nation, one language,” the Philippine government massively brainwashed elementary pupils in the 1960s to think that the national language was Pilipino, and that the other languages spoken by Filipinos in the other regions were simply dialects. He contends that this brainwashing has not been undone, so some of those pupils—now grown up—still erroneously refer to the various Philippine languages as “dialects.”

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