Ericsson, Qualcomm, Smart Communications, DepEd Muntinlupa, and PNU Extend Partnership to equip teachers with ICT skills and knowledge

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), in partnership with Qualcomm Incorporated, Smart Communications Inc., the Department of Education – Muntinlupa (DepEd Muntinlupa), and the Philippine Normal University (PNU), has announced the second phase of its Connect to Learn: Teaching with Technology program, designed to equip educators with digital teaching skills using innovative online and Virtual Reality (VR)-based modules.

Launched in 2022, the program has already trained over 1,700 pre-service and in-service teachers from DepEd Muntinlupa and PNU. Building on the success of its initial run, the initiative will now focus on extending its reach to more public high school teachers and pre-service teachers for the current academic year.  Muntinlupa’s public high school teachers currently serve a secondary school population of more than 80,000 students.

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 through 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 Philippines’ 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 Communications provided additional connectivity support through pocket WiFi devices, home WiFi units, and prepaid load cards to ensure smooth program delivery.

As part of the first phase, more than 1,700 pre-service and in-service teachers joined the program.  The monitoring and evaluation study conducted by an external party revealed that teachers who completed the training demonstrated significant improvements in ICT integration, diversified instructional strategies, and the use of technology to promote collaborative learning in the classroom.

Findings from the first phase have informed key recommendations for enhancing program design, implementation, and evaluation in the next stage of the initiative.