Teaching and Learning Arrangements for Undergraduate Classes, SY 2023-2024 (OVPLS Memo)

19 April 2023

Almost close to the end of this school year, I would like to believe that we have hurdled teaching and learning onsite very well.

Primarily Onsite
In SY 2023-2024, beginning the First Semester, undergraduate classes will be primarily onsite.  The arrangements for Graduate Classes will come in a separate memo from the Office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.

Our experience of the last three years in this pandemic has made us recognize three possible modes of learning and teaching that we have at our disposal: onsite classes, online synchronous classes, and independent study which need not always be online. When we say that our classes are primarily onsite, we mean that we employ these three modes of learning and teaching that should make up the learning hours required per class according to the number of units in every course.  

Learning Hours
In my 17 September 2022 memo, learning hours were described as “the sum of contact hours/synchronous sessions, the estimated hours for asynchronous or independent study hours, and the estimated time for one to complete assessments. The total number of learning hours per course is 90.” In short, “learning hours” refers to the total amount of time that a student is expected to devote to a course–both in and out of classes– inclusive of exams and assessments, in order to achieve the desired learning outcomes. 

The following table describes the number of learning hours per number of units allotted to a course as well as how the learning hours are distributed to achieve a reasonable balance between and among learning and teaching done in and out of classes.

Note:  In-person contact hours may be subject to change depending on changes in CHED regulatory requirements.

Course Instructors and Modes of Learning and Teaching
With teaching and learning being primarily onsite, instructors (tenured, full-time, part-time) are expected to report onsite based on the above guidelines. 

In times of emergency, when holding classes onsite is not feasible or desirable, we revert to remote learning online where that is also possible. 

Even while we are conducting classes primarily onsite, we shall continue to leverage technology through Canvas and Zoom so that we can sustain the gains that we have derived from it. We know from experience that effective learning-and-teaching happens both with and without the teacher. “Teacher-centered” classes when excellently undertaken bring students to greater heights of knowledge and insight. Well-designed tasks that do not require real-time teacher presence (as in onsite and online synchronous classes) are equally effective in helping the students arrive at a greater understanding and appreciation of ‘theorizing’ from experience.

Course instructors’ decisions about the modes of learning and teaching, as earlier described and reflected in the table above, should be based primarily on which mode is considered most effective for a given learning outcome or task. The planned modes of learning/teaching for a course ought to be specified in the syllabus and in the course design on Canvas.  

With Hope and Trust
Any exceptions to the guidelines as described in this memo shall be handled at the school level, following the usual approval protocols. As we look forward to a new school year, we unite ourselves in hope and trust that our good intentions and actions will always prevail.