Effective August 2019, the Ateneo de Manila is launching a Graduate Certificate Program for Higher Education Learning and Teaching. Customized for the Ateneo educator, this unique professional development program aims to strengthen the Ignatian character of Jesuit education by expanding the participants’ expertise in the science and art of learning and teaching.
A joint offering by the Education Department of the School of Social Sciences, the Teacher Formation Institute (TFI), and the Ateneo SALT Institute, the program is available for all faculty members and professionals in higher education of the Ateneo de Manila University.
What’s in store?
The GCP-HELT is designed to encourage the participants to reflect on their practice, share their experiences, and in the process, learn from colleagues.
One may choose to take any number of the seven stand-alone certificate courses. To complete the program, one needs to undergo five courses for a maximum duration of four academic years.
Here is the Graduate Certificate Program at a glance (Note that that there are seven courses here, but one is required to take only five of them):
Customized for the practitioner, the courses will be offered using the blended approach: Apart from the face-to-face sessions (equivalent to 3 full days or 6 half days, to be held on Saturdays), there will be an online component.
The GCP-HELT is open to all faculty members and professionals who are committed to improving their practice as Ignatian educators–regardless of their years of service. Since we value such ongoing professional development, the program is being offered to those interested free of charge courtesy of the Office of the Vice President for Loyola Schools.
How the participant can benefit
Aside from the expected learning and professional growth, the program provides the participant a range of incentives.
For new faculty members who are completing their Teacher Formation Institute (TFI) requirements, the completion of one (1) course is equivalent to the three (3) follow-up sessions and one (1) “Brewing the Ignatian Spirit” session that are required after attendance in the TFI Main Workshop.
For new academic support professionals, the completion of one (1) course is equivalent to one Brewing the Ignatian Spirit session, which is a requirement for permanency.
For those already tenured, completion of the certificate program (five courses equivalent to 15 units) will qualify one to a 3-unit deload (for faculty members) and a 3-unit overload (for professionals) courtesy of the Loyola Schools. Details will be announced to the Professionals through the HR support for LS. Moreover, one may opt to take more courses in order to credit the program as a possible Master in Higher Education Learning and Teaching, a program currently being proposed by the Education Department.
What courses will be offered this August 2019
For the First Semester of Academic Year 2019-20, the GCP-HELT will offer the following graduate certificate courses:
Graduate Certificate on Higher Jesuit Education
Fr Johnny C. Go, SJ, EdD
Director
Ateneo SALT Institute
Education Secretary
Jesuit Conference for Asia Pacific
This course offers an overview of Jesuit Education, particularly in Higher Education. What are the defining qualities of Jesuit Education? What are its goals? What ought Learning and Teaching look like in an Ignatian classroom in our colleges and universities? These are but some of the essential questions that this certificate course will attempt to answer.
It will introduce the faculty member and professional to the foundations of Jesuit education–namely, the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the heart of Ignatian spirituality, its history and characteristics (as captured by the 4 Cs of Human Excellence), as well as Ignatian Pedagogy. The faculty member and professional will be invited to reflect on their professional context and practice and to deepen their sense of mission in the Ateneo de Manila University.
Graduate Certificate on Higher Education Learning and Assessment
Ms. Rita Atienza
Director
Ateneo Teacher Center
Coordinator, Teacher Education and Professional Development
Ateneo SALT Institute
In instructional design, assessment is often thought of as how students are tested, when it is much more than that. In fact, it lies at the heart of the learning cycle. In this course, Higher Education faculty will be guided in designing and implementing assessments that give a valid and reliable picture of student progress towards learning goals, as well as enhance student learning.
How can assessments enhance student learning? What is the difference between assessment of learning (summative assessments) and assessment for learning (formative assessments)? What are authentic assessments and when and how should they be given? How do we design effective interdisciplinary assessments?
These are the essential questions that the participants will wrestle with in the course. The expected output is a design for an interdisciplinary authentic assessment that can be used in the Ateneo de Manila core curriculum. Outputs that will actually be used in the curriculum will entitle the designer(s) to a 3-unit deload.
This course is intended primarily for faculty members, especially those involved in the design of core curriculum courses.
Graduate Certificate on Higher Education Technology
Mr. Galvin Ngo
Coordinator, Innovation and Education Technology
Ateneo SALT Institute
This certificate course is designed to assist the faculty member or professional in planning how to integrate technology into their academic or formation work. By the end of this hands-on course, the participant will be equipped with a repertoire of skills and tools, as well as a guiding framework on how best to use technology to improve teaching and to promote learning in both face-to-face or blended learning environments. The main thesis of the course is that educational technology is to be employed in order to increase student engagement and especially to facilitate a learner-centered approach to learning and teaching.
At the end of the course, the participants will be able to : (1) Assess the appropriateness of using various technologies for specific teaching and learning scenarios; (2) Reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented by technology in a higher education classroom; and (3) Design an online module that can be used in a blended learning environment.
The participant of the course will be expected to demonstrate a concrete application of the knowledge and skills that s/he obtains. The course output should show a substantial transformation of one’s teaching or formation work. If the output is deemed sufficiently innovative, the participant will be granted a 3-unit deload (for faculty members) and a 3-unit overload (for professionals).
What I should do if interested
If you are interested to take any of these certificate courses, make sure to obtain the approval of your immediate supervisor. Especially for those who intend to complete the certificate program (5 courses) and earn a 3-unit deload (for faculty members) or a 3-unit overload (for academic support professionals) upon completion, please observe the following procedures and deadlines for the August 2019 intake:
- Inform, in writing, your head of department (for faculty members) or head of office (for professionals) about your intention to participate in this program as early as possible.
- Have your written document endorsed by your head of department/office and by your dean/associate dean. (June 14, 2019 deadline).
- Submit the endorsed document to the OVPLS HR Support Section for monitoring of possible entitlement of the 3-unit load at the end of the certificate program and for the approval of the VPLS. (June 21, 2019 deadline).
Information on next steps:
- The OVPLS will submit the document to the Education Department/SALT Institute by 28 June 2019.
- The Education Department/SALT confirms acceptance of faculty members/academic support professionals to the courses offered by end of July 2019.
- The faculty members and academic support professionals register for the courses within the registration period in the Loyola Schools for the First Semester SY 2019-2020.
If you have questions, feel free to post them here.