In August 2022, students at the Mabalacat City College (hereinafter referred to as “MCC”) in the Philippines had a particular hybrid learning class. Unlike classes in the past, the teaching content was explicit at a glance on the smart screen, and the teacher in the classroom could communicate and interact smoothly with online students throughout the entire class. Everyone immersed themselves in lively discussions and enjoyed the charm of smart teaching. As a public university in the Philippines that continuously innovates its teaching modes, MCC has joined with Huawei to build smart classrooms to provide high-quality teaching services for teachers and students, accelerate the informatization construction of the College, and build a new model for intelligent education in Mabalacat.
Accelerating Digital Transformation and Upgrade of Education in the Post-Pandemic Era
Founded in 2008, MCC is a local college in Mabalacat, a key city in Central Luzon, the Philippines. It has four institutes with about 4000 students. In response to the impact of COVID-19 on education in recent years, MCC has capitalized on the opportunities presented by the technological revolution and industrial transformation. Through the upgrading of network facilities and teaching equipment has strengthened the development of smart classrooms, transcending traditional limitations of time and space to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge. This has enabled teachers and students to teach and learn anytime, anywhere.
In early 2020, MCC undertook a campus network optimization initiative and implemented a videoconferencing system to facilitate online teaching and ensure uninterrupted education. In the post-pandemic era, the global mainstream has shifted towards the “online + offline” hybrid teaching mode. As a result, both teachers and students have become increasingly reliant on high-quality networks and advanced terminal facilities. In response, the original infrastructure of the school needed to meet the comprehensive requirements of hybrid classrooms. In keeping with the trend of teaching mode transformation in colleges and universities, MCC aims to leverage ICTs to bolster smart classroom construction and improve the quality of digital education.
Building Flexible and Interactive Smart Classrooms with Huawei IdeaHub
MCC University opted for a smart classroom solution centered around Huawei IdeaHub to upgrade its ICT facilities. This innovative solution transcends physical boundaries, eliminates time and space restrictions, and enables smarter and more efficient hybrid learning.
Huawei IdeaHub is a crucial component of the smart classroom, integrating innovative applications such as interactive electronic whiteboard, convenient projection, and high-definition videoconferencing platform. It functions as a portal that bridges the gap between online students and offline classrooms. Integrating teaching hardware and software ecosystems seamlessly enhances collaboration, interaction, and engagement in hybrid learning. With immersive face-to-face discussions and real-time collaboration, teachers and students can create a lively teaching atmosphere that fosters focus and motivation.
One of the students in the Bachelor of Secondary Education, Major in English program, shared his experience regarding smart classrooms: “Huawei IdeaHub has enhanced our hybrid learning experience, making it more interactive. The electronic whiteboard enables teachers to write more effectively. At the same time, we, as students, can scan a code to download the writing content onto the online learning platform, allowing us to review it any time after class. Moreover, the HD videoconferencing platform creates a smart and panoramic remote interactive classroom, enabling online students to see and hear everything clearly in real-time.”
A student affairs administrator of MCC emphasized that Huawei IdeaHub enhances course preparation efficiency and facilitates distance learning and communication. Both online and offline students can actively participate in the interaction and Q&A sessions, creating a more dynamic classroom atmosphere. As a result, students have become more engaged and focused during class sessions, allowing them to absorb the teaching content more efficiently.
Opening a New Era of Intelligent Education for Mabalacat
Today, MCC has implemented Huawei IdeaHub in its classrooms, serving more than 4000 teachers and students. By constructing smart classrooms, MCC has successfully deployed various advanced applications, including remote interactive teaching, high-quality education resource sharing, and active learning. By breaking through the limitations of traditional online platforms, MCC has shifted from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach to teaching, resulting in significant improvements in both effectiveness and quality.
“Mabalacat currently has one college and one vocational school, both of which have faced challenges with hybrid learning experiences and low teaching quality due to limitations of traditional online platforms. However, the joint efforts of MCC and Huawei to establish smart classrooms have effectively addressed these issues. Huawei IdeaHub integrates data and HD videoconferencing technologies into a single, smart device, enabling seamless online and offline communication between teachers and students, greatly enhancing the overall teaching experience.” According to MCC President Michelle Aguilar-Ong, “MCC’s smart classrooms have become a benchmark for smart teaching in Mabalacat’s college education and have been widely adopted throughout the city. With major institutions shifting towards educational innovation and technological advancement, implementing digital education is a crucial step for Mabalacat towards accelerating the development of intelligent education and nurturing high-quality, comprehensive talent.”
This article is selected from the Smart Education Issue of the ICT Insights magazine. Welcome to visit Huawei’s official website to learn more:
https://e.huawei.com/en/ict-insights/global/ict_insights/ict34-intelligent-education
Contact: [email protected]
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