MANILA, Philippines — One of the aspects of daily living that the global COVID-19 pandemic has clearly impacted is learning and education. This is not only in terms of basic education for children but even professional training and continuing education for adults.
With the various lockdowns that ensued, limitations in physical contact and mobility have precipitated solutions such as virtual classrooms, digital reference materials and online teaching methods.
Long before this, however, pioneer Filipino learning solutions provider C&E Publishing already had the foresight to prepare for a new future of instruction and education in the country. In fact, it had already been largely pivoting toward a digital-based learning ecosystem in the past few years.
“As with many other lifestyle changes that came about during the pandemic such as work-from-home arrangements or telecommuting, it was only a matter of time rather than a completely new approach. You could say we had it coming for a long time already,” explains John Emyl Eugenio, chief operating officer of C&E Adaptive Learning Solutions (C&E ALS).
C&E ALS is the new brand of the 30-year-old company as it officially signifies its commitment to evolving its business with the changing times. Its mission is to provide smart, relevant and complete learning solutions especially suited for Filipino learners.
“Even as we slowly move out of the pandemic, we bring with us learnings that are beneficial to us in the long run, and we continuously improve on them as well,” says Eugenio.
Just how is learning and education changing in the 21st century, and how is C&E ALS addressing these for Filipinos?
Smart, Relevant and Complete
First, interventions these days ought to be efficient without compromising the intended positive impact on learners. This is largely achieved through smart, technology-based methods. “As we have seen with online learning today, it makes best use of time for students as well as parents. It empowers us to improve our quality of life in a fast-paced world,” states Eugenio.
Smart solutions also mean improved and reliable access to learning and education for all sectors of society. Technology successfully bridges geographic and socio-economic gaps across the country, and makes information available on-demand, according to Eugenio.
Second, learning content should be continuously relevant. This is a challenge given the volume of information available today and the fast pace with which it is updated. “Learning solutions today include systems that help classify, organize, store and exchange content. This is especially important in professional fields such as law, medicine, engineering and the like,” says Eugenio.
Even basic education in the Philippines is facing challenges in terms of having sufficient, relevant content. Since the shift to K–12 nearly a decade ago, schools continue to contend with the dearth of reference and resource materials for both students as well as teachers and instructors.
Last, education is best imparted in a holistic learning environment. These include physical tools and equipment that translate theory into practice, from which children especially learn at a faster and more effective rate. “A large part of modern technology is applied in our practical world through machines and robotics, for instance,” points out Eugenio.
“Learning and education today goes beyond the traditional four walls of the classroom, and necessitates a deeper understanding and appreciation of knowledge by applying it in real life,” he adds.
Adaptive Learning Solutions
C&E ALS has risen to the challenge of improving the learning experience for Filipinos by becoming the only comprehensive learning and research solutions provider in the country. C&E ALS offers a broad portfolio of innovative products and services designed to support the unique demands of both academic and professional segments of learners.
Under the mother brand C&E ALS, it has developed four sub-brands representing four business lines focused on various types of learning solutions:
C&E Publishing carries the company’s legacy in traditional printed reference materials and textbooks across various subjects and disciplines in basic and higher education, made available to the public through its retail arm C&E Bookshop.
CE-Logic is focused on e-learning and e-business solutions, making use of information and communications technology (ICT) to serve the learning and information needs of academic institutions as well as private companies, medical organizations and government agencies. CE-Logic offers digital tools and authoritative web-based academic references for continuing education of professionals such as lawyers, doctors, IT practitioners and the like.
KITE Digital Educational Solutions (KDES) meanwhile is focused on multimedia products, digital publications and e-learning programs primarily for basic education. With innovative and engaging tools and methods, teachers and educators can enhance the formative learning experience of children in the K–12 system.
MakerCE is a specialized group that helps academic institutions create engaging environments and ecosystems that foster creativity, collaboration and innovation among learners. This is made possible through hardware solutions that bring to life technologies such as artificial intelligence or robotics, computer programming and many other new frontier concepts.
C&E ALS counts among its valued clients some of the most prestigious schools and learning institutions in the Philippines, such as University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University and University of Sto. Tomas to name a few. It also works with industry organizations and government agencies such as Philippine Medical Association, Philippine Nurses Association, Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education.
“As we move towards the 21st century, C&E ALS serves as the country’s beacon of modern knowledge. We remain steadfast in our commitment to guide learners as they navigate the world through adaptive learning,” concludes Eugenio.
Visit www.ceals.ph for more information.