ASU is on the road to digitization as it commits itself to develop a digital multimedia module on piňa cloth weaving for use in the Technology Livelihood Education (TLE) subjects in public high schools nationwide.

This came about as the university signed a memorandum of agreement with the Commission on Information & Communications Technology (CICT) in line with the commission's national drive to digitize educational materials and create new digital multimedia learning resources for easy access to all Filipinos.

Dr Roberto Saladar, Information and Communications Technology Center (ICT) Director of ASU, said that the CICT digitization project poses a major challenge for ASU to draw on its expertise in information and communications technology to convert technology modules and other learning materials into digital multimedia format. He also pointed out that ASU's participation in this national endeavor signifies CICT's full trust and confidence in ASU-ICT despite the unit's relatively young existence. Dr Saladar is the over-all manager for this project.

ASU is one of the seven partner state universities and colleges (SUCs) for this national project, chosen for having fleshed out commercially viable research outputs and produced intensive work on indigenous peoples. These seven SUCs are Benguet State University, Bicol University, Bukidnon State University, Cavite State University, Western Philippines University, and the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.

To comply with the agreement, ASU-ICT has formed a multimedia content development team that will work on the digitization of its home-grown technology in piňa cloth weaving. The team, composed of selected faculty and personnel, is required to attend training-workshops organized by CICT's Human Capital Development Group (HCDG).

Ms Ma Leanna Beltran, CICT-HCDG Manager for the digitization project said that the trainings are designed not only for the project but also for the partner SUCs to develop their own capability should they wish to digitize their other existing technologies and create multimedia learning materials for teaching and extension purposes.

Two of the trainings were already conducted. The first, for project managers, was hosted by ASU-ICT on June 25-27. The training for multimedia module writers, attended by Dr Ersyl Biray, Dr Malco Teodosio, and Mr Edecio Venturanza II, was held on July 9-13 at MSU-IIT.  

The trainings on storyboarding, animation, CD production, and integration, to be hosted by other partner SUCs, shall be held in the next three months in time for the target completion of the project in December.

ASU ICT sees the project as the start of the digital revolution within the university as it strives to produce professionals who are ready to take on the challenges of the world now ruled by digital technology. This project enables the university to harness its ICT capabilities in the aim of aiding national ICT development efforts in the countryside.