UP has made available more than 80 Open Educational Resources (OERs) on general education, thanks to the efforts of the UP Open University.
Called 100 Master Voices, the project featured in multimedia formats different UP experts whose chosen topics can be used to teach the 11 core courses in general education, namely: (1) Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, (2) Wika, Kultura at Lipunan, (3) Critical Perspectives in the Arts, (4) Philippine Arts and Culture, (5) Critical Perspectives in Communication, (6) Self and Society, (7) Ethics and Moral Reasoning in Everyday Life, (8) Living Systems: Concepts and Dynamics, (9) Probing the Physical World, (10) Science, Technology and Society, and (11) Mathematics, Culture and Society.
In the video ‘Wika, Kultura at Lipunan’, for example, National Artist for Literature Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera asserts the importance of using Philippine languages (“Kaya’t lubhang mahalaga ang pagtangkilik sa wikang katutubo, at kailangang palitan ng wikang ito ang kinagawiang Ingles bilang wikang panturo.”) and in ‘Kung Paano Iniligaw Ako ng Wikang Ingles at Paano Ko Natuklasan ang Aking Sarili Bilang Pilipinong Manunulat,’ he talks about the connection between economy and literature production (“Ang ekonomiya ng isang bansa ay may kinalaman sa kanyang paglikha ng panitikan.”).
The videos also spotlight other known personalities. A military officer’s short career as a scientist is the gist of ‘General Antonio Luna: His Doctoral Thesis and the Emerging International Research Program on Malaria,’ a contemporary multi-awarded writer concludes that writing cannot be rushed in ‘How I Write Stories,’ and Jose Rizal’s name as a veritable brand name is explored in ‘Rizal Monuments and the Filipino Diaspora.’
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Dr. Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete shows how to make a puppet from ordinary materials in ‘Learning with Puppets: Educating Through Theater’
‘The Math Behind Arts and Humanities’ and ‘Siyensining’ take a closer look at the link between the sciences and the arts, and women take center stage in ‘Philippine Art and Culture & Women in the Arts’ as well as in ‘Kasaysayan ng Kababaihan sa Pilipinas.’
Scientists explain nature in videos as ‘Fossils: Windows to the Earth’s Past’, ‘Marine Sponges and Climate Change’, ‘What is a Species, Really?’ and ‘From Killer Snails to Biodiversity.’ Difficult concepts are simplified in ‘The Cardinality of Infinite Sets’ and ‘Hairy Balls and Donuts: Welcome to the Fascinating World of Geometry’.
Skills in criticism are encouraged in ‘Framing Disaster: Positions and Tropes’, ‘Film Literacy and Criticism’, ‘The Political Economy of the Media: A Critical Perspective’ and ‘Philippine Critical Studies of Discourse’ while Philippine customs and practices are investigated in ‘Boat Building Traditions’ and ‘Sosyolohiya at Sining: Sa Diwa ng Kwentong Bayan’.
‘Morality in Everyday Life’ asks: “Is morality easy?” and ‘What is Filipino Design, or Is There One at All?’ begins with the question “Is there a Filipino identity?”
All videos can be accessed at TVUP, the internet network of UP. As OERs, they can be legally and freely copied and shared by educators, students and the general public.
100 Master Voices was one of the four component projects of the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research program ‘Multimedia and Multidisciplinary Teaching and Learning Materials: Production, Research and Assessment’ carried out from 2015 to 2017. It was headed by Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso, executive director of TVUP and former chancellor of UP Open University. Dr. Melinda Lumanta and Dr. Jean Saludadez served as project leaders.
