The pandemic and the resulting shift from face to face classes to online classes have led to digital learning becoming the forefront of teaching. With technology continuing to improve at a rapid pace, Mapua University and Malayan Colleges Laguna has teamed up to create the country’s first digital-first college, the Mapua Malayan Digital College (MMDC).
“Mapua University has always been at the forefront of innovation, and Mapua Malayan Digital College is our latest proof of this. MMDC is also one of our efforts to address the need to provide affordable quality education to more students nationwide through a new approach that directly addresses the challenges faced by Filipino students,” Mapua University President and CEO Dr. Reynaldo Vea said.
“By creating a college that prepares them for the real world; develops soft skills like critical thinking, leadership and empathy; uses digital learning in a more meaningful way; and provides students with the technology that they need, we ultimately produce graduates who are citizens that can contribute to a better country,” Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mindanao President Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo said.
Slated to start operating by August this year, the new college offers 2 courses for students — BS Information Technology and BS Business Administration. IT students can choose between 3 specializations, namely Major in Software Development, Major in Network & Cybersecurity, and Major in Data Analytics. Meanwhile, Business Administration students can choose between Marketing Management, Human Resource Management, and Operations Management as their majors.
Unlike traditional teaching systems, MMDC aims to take advantage of the flexibility that internet access offers. Required class meeting times clock in at approximately 7.5 hours a week of synchronous learning, made available with both early and late day schedules.
This gives students more control of their time and allows them to balance academics, hobbies, family life and social life. This set-up also allows flexibility for working adults who want to complete their college degree. Students will spend majority of their time doing asynchronous sessions which will help minimize the chances of students’ leanings being affected by internet connectivity issues.
“We don’t have the typical lectures and typical tests. Instead, every class is structured around projects, problems and cases (PPC), which means we don’t give you a test at the end,” chief learning officer Derrick Latreille said. The PPC approach emphasizes real-world applications and evaluates students on their output, and not on traditional testing methods.
Included in the tuition is a postpaid pocket wifi with a monthly data allocation that students can use. Students will also be able to access learning hubs located at Ayala Malls Cloverleaf in Quezon City and Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City. These learning hubs serve as collaboration spaces where students can meet, do focused work, team up on school projects, and organize clubs.
