
My name is Al. Since 2007, I have been working as an assistant professor for the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) in the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). For almost as long, I have also acted as an IT manager, serving as Director for UPOU’s ICT Development Office until December 2018. From 2007 to 2013, I chaired the Diploma in Computer Science program. I was reassigned to the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies program immediately after and held the assignment until August 2018.
I am a generalist deeply interested in bridging ecology, information and communication technology, agriculture and community building. So far, I have earned degrees in in Agriculture, Computer Science and Environmental Science at UP Los Baños. I am currently under the PhD in E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning program in Lancaster University, which I hope to finish at the end of 2023. My interest in that field lies in trying to leverage technology to increase student and teacher engagement in an online learning environment. I have been personally dissatisfied with what I have seen in UPOU classes so far with regards to those aspects and I want to do something about it.
When work is out of the way, I dabble in a several things. I’ve been spending more time practicing multimedia content creation. While rarely a sign of productivity, I have also been a computer gamer since I was six years old. Woodworking and home improvement has also proven to be worthwhile especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. And while my time with high school and college athletics are long behind me, I remain fascinated with some sports.