E-learning made available to PSS personnel

E-instructors from CNMI Public School System participated in professional development in preparation for the opening of the online Fall 2018 semester of the Professional e-Learning Portal. (Contributed Photo)

E-instructors from CNMI Public School System participated in professional development in preparation for the opening of the online fall 2018 semester of the Professional e-Learning Portal—a branch of the Instructional Technology Program that offers professional development and certification online coursework to support PSS personnel.

The workshop, which was held last Saturday, Sept. 29, at Kanoa Resort, focused on strategies to support adult learning, increasing online engagement and promoting more content relevance.

The workshop was led by Instructional Technology Program leaders Dr. Bobby Cruz, director of Instructional Technology, and Lorraine Catienza, Distance Education Program manager.

“It’s another busy Saturday of learning and improving for our e-instructors who facilitate coursework for the portal. The focus today is on andragogy, adult learning theory,” said Catienza. “The way we work with adults, especially professionals, is very different from the way we facilitate learning for students. The goal is to help our e-instructors add more rigor, relevance and participant voice in the courses we offer.”

In addition, e-instructors were provided best practices for improving course objectives, refining performance tasks to promote relevance and increasing collaboration and engagement among participants. Participants in the workshop included interim education commissioner Glenn Muña, and associate commissioner Dr. Yvonne Pangelinan.  

“The program is committed to helping PSS personnel sharpen their skills as educational practitioners to advance teaching and learning in the online learning environment,” said Cruz. “By leveraging technology, we have created a sustainable platform through our learning management system to help personnel gain their certification.”

The CNMI Public School System Professional e-Learning Portal has developed 36 online courses that align with the BOE certification and licensure requirements. The program is still in its piloting phase, with the goal of solidifying by next school year. At that point, the program should have a full range of online certification and professional development courses to support all educators.

“Instructional technology is committed to continuous improvement,” Catienza said. “Each year we work with our e-instructors to assess a range of data that includes course evaluation. We use the input of the participants we serve to refine and improve our offerings to ensure quality teaching and learning.” (PR)