ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY

School of Education

Engineering Education Programs Supported by ICT in Selected SUCs:

From Experiences to Practices

By

GERALDO P. ULEP
Background of the study

Technology and communication today have changed our education, researches,

and services. It resulted in a significant way to people within the university who

would communicate through emails, chat rooms, social media, websites, especially

in the teaching and learning process. The fast pace of information, communication

and technology have affected our education which changed its crucial role in

societal development (Singh, 1991). Therefore, universities are challenged in

adapting to new forms of learning approach by way of understanding deeper how

these technologies and pedagogical tools can be an integral part of higher education

(European Commission, 2014). Similarly, due to global competition, universities

transform towards greater efficiency with the goal of larger market share, increased

prestige, and status ( Chirikov, 2016). For these reasons, they should look for how

they can upgrade their governance such as strategies, support, mechanisms,

curriculum and teaching methods, because more students are to be taught than

before. Stakeholders demand that learning experience be worth their money and

student body is changing so as the teaching methods ( Henard and Ringuet, 2008).

Moreover, universities implement different program strategies to foster

internationalization of higher education such as academic, research and

collaboration ( Haji and Moluayonge, 2015). These programs can be achieved in one

way or another through the use of ICT which often serves as an effective tool for
supporting and coordinating their international activities (Magzan and Maslac,

2003).

ICT has a positive effect on student learning expectations and outcomes. It

increased students’ motivation, engagement and collaboration, focused more on

hands-on and increased technology skills ( Costley, 2014). Furthermore, the

increasing popularity and accessibility of the internet and internet-based technology

along with the need of a diverse group of learners must have an alternative means

to learn effectively, and this poses an astonishing challenge for universities to teach

and serve with technology (Ramorola, 2018).

With the scenario confronted, the Philippine government had enforced national

policies to redesign and structure the country’s educational system. The

Commission on Higher Education has taken a lot of efforts towards the adoption of

ICT to be used in higher education which affects almost everyone ( Rodrigo, 2001).

If most educators and administrators perceived technology useful in enhancing

teachers and freeing students from the traditional way of teaching, administrators

must ensure that teachers and students are able to make the best use for it

(Ghavifekr and Rosdy, 2015). This ICT can be effective for the SUCs if they

themselves are convinced that ICT is useful in maximizing the university resources

and improve quality education.

It is important that SUCs are willing to adopt ICT and integrate it into the whole

operation of the university. In addition, challenges related to infrastructure,

strategies, research, and instructions must be identified and recognized by the

administrators. It is, therefore, important to explore the experiences and practices

of selected SUCs that will identify institutional policies regarding the use of ICT in

Engineering Education Programs and understand the challenges experienced by the

administrators and faculty members in adopting ICT specifically in the governmace

and maintence of the program such as strategies, mechanisms, and utilization.

Results may recommend and suggest standard and guidelines on the effective

implementation of ICT in this particular program.

There are numbers of researches on the use of ICT in an education context and

developed countries, but few were conducted on how this manifested in the

Engineering Education Programs. The challenges faced in the implementation of ICT

specifically in the context of state universities and colleges will be explored which is

anchored from CHED-ISA policies. Identifying if there is a lack of program policies,

standards and guidelines in the implementation of ICT will pose challenges to

successfully enhance and support the institutions’ quality education.

Objectives of the study

This study will explore experiences and practices on implementing ICT in

Engineering Education Programs in the selected state universities and colleges in

Region XII. In order to approach the goal, the following study aims are presented:
1. To identify the course degrees in Engineering Education Program that

implements ICT in its governance in terms of strategies, support, mechanism, and

utilization.

2. To explore the current experiences of Engineering teachers and administrators

utilizing ICT.

3. To identify the challenges faced in the adoption of ICT by the administrators and

faculty members of Engineering Education Programs of the selected state

universities and colleges.

4. To be able to present results that can be a basis for the formulation of policies,

standards and guidelines in the implementation of ICT specific to Engineering

Education Programs.

Research Questions

In order to achieve these objectives, the following researched questions are made

1. What are the course degrees in Engineering Education Program that implements

ICT in its governance in terms of strategies, support, mechanism, and utilization?

2. What are the experiences of Engineering teachers and administrators in terms of

utilizing ICT in the respective works?

3. What are the practices of Engineering teachers and administrators in terms of

utilizing ICT in the respective works?

4. What are the challenges and problems confronted by Engineering Education

Teachers and administrators utilizing ICT?

5. What are the existing policies, standards, guidelines, and strategies regarding the

implementation of ICT in selected state colleges and universities?

Significance of the study

Institutional Policy. Identifying what are the existing policies and guidelines

this will help be able to improve its policies and strategies related to the

implementation of ICT in the Engineering Education Programs of SUCs.

Contribution to new research. This study will give them the chance to inform

concerned government agencies and university administrators the problems and

barriers they faced.

Theoretical Lens/Framework

This proposed study is anchored in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use

of Technology (UTAUT) model (Venkatesh et al. ,2003). It postulates that four

constructs play a significant role as direct determinants of user acceptance and of

usage behavior: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and

facilitating conditions. Performance expectancy is defined as “the degree to which

an individual believes that using the system will help him or her to attain gains in
job performance”; Effort expectancy is defined as “the degree of ease associated

with the use of the system” ; Social influence is defined as “the degree to which an

individual perceives that [other important people] believe he or she should use the

new system” ; Facilitation conditions are defined as “ the degree to which an

individual believes that an organizational and technical infrastructure exists to

support the use of the system” .

Source: Venkatesh et. al (2003)

The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) will be

used as a support and foundation of this proposed study to explain the experiences

and practices on implementing ICT in Engineering Education Programs in the

selected state universities and colleges. Since this theory focused on a specific

context, it identifies important predictors and mechanisms that are considered

essential in providing a rich understanding of focal experiences and practices from

engineering education teachers and administrators context.

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In order to guide the researcher in the right way, it is necessary to review some

existing literature that is related to the proposed study.

ICT and Engineering Education Programs

Use ICT in engineering education can be effective of which computer and

other engineers have created this technology. Its potential as a teaching and

learning tool is enormous but problematic. The impact on the tertiary education

sector and in particular about how ICT is used in pedagogy appropriately is vital

(Michael et al, 2002). According to (Georgios, 2015), ICT implementation is a good

opportunity in developing a learning community and a new learning environment.

The realization of the importance of technology in higher education and its

successful implementation is a necessity. The introduction of technology in different

educational programs is the means to bridge the long distance between the present

and the future (Kirimi, 2013) .

There are several and desirable benefits of Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) in Science and Engineering education. Despite advantages of ICT’s

and its attractive features their role in engineering education is lagging behind with

respect to other disciplines of education. Besides that a close look at the challenges

related to technology adoption and Utilization is also discussed. Enormous

opportunities that ICT can Offer, actions needed to overcome the challenges and the

strategies for integrating ICT Engineering Education for effective teaching and
learning at all levels of the tertiary educational system in the country is also

highlighted (Abdulah M. et al 2016).

Engineering Programs in the Philippines

To better Engineering education, UNESCO (2010) report extended the

definition to include:

Engineering Education also seeks to develop a logical, practical,

problem-solving methodology and approach that includes soft social
as well and technical skills. These include motivation, the ability to
perform, rapid understanding, communication and leadership under
pressure, and social-technical skills in training and mentoring.”
(UNESCO, 2010, p. 25)

In order to perform Engineering in the field or discipline, practice, profession and

art that relates to the development, acquisition and application of technical,

scientific and mathematical knowledge about the understanding, design,

development, invention, innovation and use of materials, machines, structures,

systems and processes for specific purposes (UNESCO, 2010, p. 24). That in order to

achieve this fine tune definition, Engineering Education Program in the Philippines,

the government accredited engineering programs with a very tight regulation of the

engineering curriculum. Philippines Technological Council (PTC) accredited

undergraduate engineering programs and has led the Philippines in applying and

getting the provisional membership to the Washington Accord. In 2007 and 2008,

the Commission on Higher Education, through the Technical Panel for Engineering

and Technology (TPET), has mandated all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to
follow the outcomes based educational (OBE) system in all engineering programs

fully by 2016- 2017 (Alves, A. 2013).

Engineering education experiences using ICT

From the study conducted by Martín et al (2015), results indicate that e-

learning platforms and architectures are still very promising for engineering

education. Also they indicates that some engineering-focused technologies such as

3D printing, simulators and virtual/remote labs are significantly impacting the

engineering educational process. In the study of ( S ubio - 2008), A survey was

conducted among 16 key informants from eight state colleges and universities

(SUCs) in Region V from May 8-18, 2007 to determine their implementation of the

E-Commerce Law (RA 8797) and the constraints to their compliance. Specifically,

the research (1) determined the SUCs’ information and communication technology

(ICT) capabilities and resources in building, improving, and maintaining their

websites; (2) assessed their level of awareness on basic provisions regarding e-

governance; and (3) identified their constraints in ICT management and

administration. The fourth objective categorized the websites of SUCs downloadable

as of March 2008 according to the standards of the United Nations and the American

Society of Public Administration (UN-ASPA) Five Stages of E-Government. Based on

their findings, the SUCs had enough ICT hardware and software to undergo the

preliminaries of e-governance, the ICT unit was not properly staffed, the head of the

unit was usually a designated officer only, and the support staff were not usually
plantilla positions. Also, the respondents were only partially aware of the whole

provisions of e-government. Only two SUCs had development plans that explicitly

proposed the establishment and maintenance of a website. Further, only six SUCs

had downloadable websites as of March 2008. Of these six websites, only two

conformed to the UN-ASPA Five Stages of E-Government while others partially

conformed. Lack of sufficient budget, poor training interventions, and lack of

support from the administration on e-government implementation were the leading

constraints in implementing or maintaining a website which serves as the

foundation of e-governance. It is recommended that SUCs should ensure relevant

trainings, hiring if permanent IT staff, regular budget allocation for IT, and proactive

management to implement e-governance effectively.

A prominent politician Angara (1997) sponsored Senate Bill No. 1061

entitled: An act to integrate a Computer Education Program into the Educational

System”, a bill which affirms the belief that information technology is the bridge to

the future. An evidence that Philippines is trying to be a part of a global community.

To produce a critical mass of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

professionals and technology-literate manpower, both the Senate and the House of

Representatives of the Philippine Legislature contemplated laws directing public

and private institutions to incorporate technology into the curriculum at all levels of

education (IT 21). While, in a February 2000 statement, Manuel Villar, Jr., Speaker of

the House of Representatives of the Philippines, underscored the need for

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in public schools by saying that

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is “not only for the rich but for

the masses as well, who, by learning to use them will be given the opportunity to

improve their quality of life”.

The executive arm of the Philippine government has also adopted extensive

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education policies.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Education (DepEd),

the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills

Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),

in 1998, drafted an interagency Educational Technology Master Plan that would

improve the accessibility and quality of education through the use of Information

and Communication Technology (ICT). Among the objectives of the plan were to

promote the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education;

to develop competence in the design, production, and use of Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) in education; to provide the physical

infrastructure and technical services needed for educational technology programs;

and to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of these programs.

Challenges in the implementation of ICT among Engineering Education

The Philippine government has given considerable attention in digital

governance when it passed Republic Act No. 8792 otherwise known as the E-

commerce Act on June 14, 2000. The Act requires all agencies of government,

including SUCs to become e-commerce ready. This can be accomplished by

establishing their official website in which government agencies like SUCs may

improve services offered to clienteles.

SUCs in the Philippines are focused on its four-fold functions as institutions

of higher learning. These functions are instruction, research, community service and

production. The primary function which is instruction deals with the delivery of the

knowledge and skills to the students. Research deals with the development of new

theories and practices to be used by the university and society. Service to the

community is another function of a university which intends to achieve total

development of the community. And production services are now being

strengthened to augment the resources and revenues of a SUC.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Budget

and Management (DBM) have issued joint Circulars No. 1 dated May 29, 2003 and

No. 1-B dated June 21, 2007 citing the four Key Result Areas (KRAs), namely, (1)

Quality and Relevance of Instructions; (2) Research Capability and Outputs within

the last 3 years; (3) Relations with and services to the Community and (4)

Management of resources. The mentioned areas represent the major indicators that

would measure the stages of development and institutional performance of the

respective SUCs. CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 60, series of 2007 a policy

on the leveling of the State University Colleges will be determined on the total

points earned by the institution in the four KRAs as follows; Level IV – 28-35 points,

Level III – 20-27 points, Level II – 11-19 points, Level I – below 11 points.

While, the National Computer Center (NCC) is the lead government agency to

supervise and policy making body. With this the NCC issued Memorandum Circulars
(MC) No. 2002-01 and 2003-01 prescribing all government departments and

agencies to comply with the E-commerce Act by creating their official website and to

advance up to stage three of the United Nations.

Despite the attractive features of ICT in education, and the many advantages

that successful use of these technological resources can offer to the education sector

in general, their use in engineering educational content delivery is still lagging

behind other educational disciplines. Ali (2013), he conducted a study that

investigate the challenges that face full utilization of these technology resources in

engineering educational content delivery, the great opportunities that ICT can offer,

and actions that can be taken to overcome the challenges. The challenges are

exemplified in: the quantitative nature of engineering discipline, lack of awareness

of pedagogical use of ICT in education and the lack of clear policy of how and what

type of engineering educational content delivery mode can benefit most from

available ICT resources.

 Methodology

This will identify the research design, the unit of analysis and procedure of

choosing the respondents. It will also describe the scope and coverage, data

collection procedure and analysis.

Research Design

The study will employ the descriptive-qualitative research design in order to

explore the experiences, practices and challeneges met the Engineering education

teachers abd administrators in implementing ICT in the program. Creswell (2005)

pointed out that qualitative research is used to study a research problem requiring

an exploration in which little is known about the problem and a detailed

understanding of a central phenomenon.

Data Collection

A comprehensive summarization using the techniques of Key Informant

Interview (KII) and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) will be used to gather the data

needed. It will focus in the data examination that describes in any form of initiative

and challenges as been experienced by the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) KII

will be administered to the key persons who are administering the university’s

Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Notes will be taken during each

interview as a safeguard against recording failure. Afterwards all interviewee’s

answers will be categorized according to each question of the interview.

Sampling Procedure

This method sampling Maxwell (2005) is a strategy in which particular

settings, persons, or activities are selected deliberately in order to provide

information that cannot be gotten as well from other choices.

Purposely sampling will be used to identify the Information and

Communications Technology (ICT) Administrators. Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

will be used for the identified key administrators. It is assume that as an academic

leader, she or he knew who were already tenured and may have a good knowledge

of the school initiatives toward utilization of Information and Communications

Technology (ICT).

Further, the scope of the sample and the selection of the setting are driven by

two principles. One is that setting and sample are purposively selected. Of which

Homogeneous sampling focuses on “focuses on one particular subgroup in which

all the sample members are similar, such as a particular occupation or level in an

organization’s hierarchy”, Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2012).

This may involve choosing the “best,” most optimal example of the

phenomenon and the setting in which you are most likely to see whatever it is you

are interested in. It may involve observing or interviewing experts in that particular

topic or experience. Alternatively, you may select a setting because it allows you to

obtain examples of each of several stances or experiences. The study may proceed

by snowball sampling (seeking further participants by using the recommendations

of those participants already in the study). The second principle of sampling is that
once you have begun to understand whatever it is you are studying, your sampling

strategies normally are extended through theoretical sampling (Glaser, 1978).

Theoretical Sampling will be used for a phenomenological study, she indicates at

least six interviews/participants (Morse J.M. ,1994)

Unit of Analysis

1. For Key Informant Interview (KII), the key informants were the

administrators who have knowledge of the institutions initiatives leading

to the utilization of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

2. The Focus Group Discussion (FGD) will be conducted among the

Administrators, the Deans and Department Administrators/Chairpersons.

Locale

The participants will be the Engineering School Administrators of State

Universities and Colleges (SUC’s) in egion XII.

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