Bhutan Ministry of Labour and Human Resources visits SEAMEO INNOTECH

As part of Colombo Plan Staff College’s (CPSC) customized program entitled, “National Diploma Curriculum Development and Training of Trainers in Pedagogy,” selected officials and staff of Bhutan’s Ministry of Labour and Human Resources visited SEAMEO INNOTECH on 14 June 2017.

Said program of CPSC mainly focuses at equipping the participants with the knowledge on curriculum development, training of trainers, transformative pedagogy, and research and development. CPSC has chosen SEAMEO INNOTECH for their institutional visit which will allow the participants to benchmark on innovative training design.

SEAMEO INNOTECH, led by Dr. Ramon C. Bacani, gladly welcomed the participants and oriented them on the Center’s mandate, vision, mission, programs, and projects. The Learning Management Office, headed by Dr. Sharon Chao, shared the Center’s approaches to new learning experience. She mentioned that what they do is not actually training of trainers, but instead facilitating their learning through sharing of knowledge and experiences in different approaches. Dr. Chao highlighted the blended learning approach, a combination of face-to-face learning sessions and online exchanges. This is commonly used in the learning programs of the Center.

Mr. Robbie Macalde of the Flexible Learning Solutions Unit shared the Center’s iFlex system during the discussion on innovative practices. The iFlex is SEAMEO INNOTECH’s online learning platform where learners conduct discussions and submit assignments. He showed the different eXCELS courses that the Center offers and demonstrated how the learning sessions are being managed.

Participants pointed out that, in Bhutan, learners are discouraged to bring mobile devices in schools. They gained interest in the flexible courses discussed as well as the MT4T (Mobile Technology for Teachers) project. The participants also expressed their interest in collaborating with the Center for future projects.

The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) is an intergovernmental organization for human resources development in Asia and the Pacific region for technical and vocational education and training (TVET). CSPC has been hosted in the Philippines since 1987.