Dr. Roberto Figueroa, Associate Professor and Director of the Immersive Open Pedagogies Program, represented the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), as he delivered guest lectures and conducted learning workshops across several universities in Japan.
The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiatives kicked off at Toyo University in Itakura, Gunma, on November 8. Led by Dr. Gibran Garcia Mendoza, this hybrid event allowed students from UPOU to interact seamlessly with Toyo University students through platforms like FrameVR and Discord. Staff from the Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning also participated as observers. He did the same workshop at Aoyama Gakuin University through his COIL project with Dr. Yayoi Anzai.
Dr. Figueroa also delivered a guest lecture on “The Metaverse and Qualitative Research” at the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies of Waseda University in Tokyo. This lecture served as a gateway for students to gain a unique and comprehensive understanding of how the Metaverse can be harnessed for qualitative research endeavors.
During the same week, another successful COIL session was conducted via Zoom. It was attended by over 70 students from diverse institutions, including the UP Open University, University of California Irvine, International Christian University, Aoyama Gakuin University, and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Special guests from Purdue University contributed an additional level of expertise to the discussions.
He also met with Dr. Nobou Haruna, the Vice President of International Affairs at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), and Dr. Aya Fukuda, the lecturer of the World Language and Society Education Centre, on November 16, to discuss a MEXT funded project on COIL and other student exchange activities between TUFS and UP.
These insightful lectures and engaging COIL activities will hopefully pave the way for more collaborative learning projects and partnerships between UPOU and various international universities.
Written by Joshze Rica Esguerra and Hannah Gabriella Macaldo
Edited by Roberto B. Figueroa Jr. and Jessa Perez
