Ericsson announced the second phase of its Connect to Learn: Teaching with Technology Program, an initiative in collaboration with Qualcomm, Smart Communications, the Department of Education (DepEd) in Muntinlupa City, and Philippine Normal University (PNU) to address the digital divide in education by equipping teachers with digital teaching skills in the classroom using online and virtual reality (VR)-based modules.
Since its launch in 2022, the program has trained over 1,700 pre-service teachers in PNU and in-service public school teachers in DepEd-Muntinlupa. Building on the success of its initial run, the program will now focus on extending its reach to support more public high school teachers in DepEd Muntinlupa, and pre-service teachers in PNU for the current academic year. The project also added two more schools from DepEd Muntinlupa and Alternative Learning Centers (ALCs). This ensures that technology is not just the possibility but the standard practice across the education system.
The GSMA Future of Learning Report for the Philippines (2024) identified inadequate capacity building and training for teachers as one of the barriers to adoption of technology in education in the country. Teaching with Technology addresses this by providing teachers with the opportunity to build their digital skills at their own pace. The continued collaboration between Ericsson, Qualcomm, Smart, DepEd Muntinlupa, and PNU reinforces a shared commitment to empowering Filipino educators, giving them skills, tools, and confidence to use technology, and preparing learners for a digital future.
Arda Cetiner, Ericsson country manager for the Philippines, says: “We are encouraged by the results of the first phase of the project, which show that the idea to use technology to train teachers remotely is effective and has the potential to positively impact teacher performance and learner outcomes. We are pleased to again work with our partners to extend the project for a second phase, which will allow us to train more teachers and learn more about how we can help build stronger, more resilient education systems, and support the government’s digital strategies for the country.”
“Teaching with Technology supports the Philippine Government’s digital skills and socio-economic transformation agenda and will ultimately lead to better learning outcomes and enhanced digital capabilities for teachers and students. This initiative reflects the power of partnerships between government, academia, and the private sector to create long-term impact in education.”
Teaching with Technology utilizes e-learning modules and immersive virtual reality (VR) simulations that were custom-built by Ericsson for the Philippines to provide accessible, scalable ICT training. To support this, VR headsets were also donated to DepEd Muntinlupa and PNU. Smart provided additional connectivity support through pocket WiFi devices, home WiFi units, and prepaid load cards to ensure smooth program delivery.
As of the end of the first phase of the project last year, more than 1,700 pre-service and in-service teachers have been trained in this initiative. They are now equipped to deliver better experience to integrate technology in their education, and better learning environment to their students.
After a year of implementing the program, the monitoring and evaluation study conducted by an external party found out that those teachers who finished the program could see an improvement in the knowledge of ICT integration, in diversifying their teaching methods, and designing ICT-supported learning activities.
