Education/News/February 2024/Wiki Education Philippines promotes OERs utilization

Wiki Education Philippines promotes OERs utilization

Summary: The Philippine Wikimedia Community User Group has recently relaunched its education program which primary focus is the promotion of open educational resources (OERs) within academic institutions and beyond.

Education Committee chair Marife Altabano successfully organized a seminar-workshop on writing research paper entitled Wikipedia Unlocked: Navigating, Validating, and Citing Information for Practical Research 2 last December 13, 2023 as part of the requirements of her students in the said course.

The activity which had around 30 participants including a practicum teacher was conducted at the Cararayan National High School Computer Laboratory.

Aimed at helping students who are currently working on their research papers, two invited teacher-Wikimedians Maria Glenda Perico and Irvin Sto. Tomas delivered their presentations to guide the attendees in using Wikipedia as a research tool. The attendees were taught how to validate and cite sources using APA format, and in fact-checking and verifying information to ensure its accuracy and reliability.

The education program’s logo was officially launched at the occasion graced by PhilWiki Community president Maffeth Opiana, a junior high school teacher herself at CNHS. It was immediately followed by the formation of the CNHS Wiki Club. The officers and pioneering members of the club include graduating students.

Marife Altabano, who also serves as the board treasurer of the Wikimedia user group, envisions to have an extra-curricular organization for junior and senior high school students where the learners are able to contribute and participate in building free content resources like Wikipedia and its sister projects. She believes that the activities were a positive step in achieving the education program's mission.

Wiki Education Philippines program also deals with the promotion Wikimedia in lessons through trainings and tutorials, and through engagements with teachers and students in collaborative activities.

Recently, during the 5-day In-service Training of Teachers held in Minalabac district, over 50 primary school teachers including four school principals learned how Wikimedia can be utilized in class. Teachers actively participated in the Wiki Quiz as part of the presentation of Irvin Sto. Tomas, an administrator of Bikol Wikipedia who is pursuing Doctor of Education at the University of Nueva Caceres. He also discussed in the training two topics, on proper citation and relicensing.

Featured in the presentation are various examples of materials taken from OERs used by the regional office of Department of Education in learning resources including some of the commonly utilized information and free media available on Wikimedia Commons.

Teachers actively participated in the workshop and have signified to participate in the upcoming Wiki-related activities, in the formation of a Wiki Club for teachers and in organizing a teacher's training on Wikimedia next school year 2024–2025.

CNHS Wiki Club