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Pinoy scientist developed an online platform to help STEM students and teachers

Pinoy scientist developed an online platform to help STEM students and teachers

The transition from the face-to-face classroom to virtual learning is not an easy process. Our teachers are still preparing for this change in our education system. The same goes for the students and their parents who worry that the method is not going to be effective. A Filipino scientist has thought of a way to help STEM students and teachers in his own way.

Photo from FilSci Facebook

How did FilSci Hub start?

Jeffrey Bunquin is a Pinoy chemist living in the United States. He created an online platform that can boost the knowledge of students and teachers in terms of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Bunquin said Filipino Science (FilSci) Hub started around 2012 as an online community as an aid for teachers on Science research.  The team is made of six core team members from different parts of the world.  University of the Philippines alumni are also supporting its cause and they volunteered to do the webinars.

Photo from FilSci Facebook

But when the pandemic hit our country, they decided to expand the online platform to assist STEM teachers. They uploaded webinars and lectures for them so they can improve their teaching methods. Bunquin said, “We provide webinars relevant to online teaching, so ’yung strategy paano ba gumawa ng online modules, strategy kung paano ’yung tamang mode ng evaluation, since this time na walang face to face interaction between teachers and students.”

Aside from the seminars, there are science lectures for students in both Tagalog and English.  The lecture series is for high school students, but it can also serve as refresher courses for college students and teachers. This is to help them understand the lessons better. He further added, “We decided i-Taglish ’yung delivery kasi karamihan ng students ngayon, they might think na mahina sila sa sciences, mahina sa math, o mahina sila sa mga technical courses mainly because merong language barrier. Hindi nila ma-appreciate ’yung lenggwahe and then nagkakaroon sila ng ganoong paniniwala na, ‘Ay, hindi ako magaling diyan,’ so that’s what I’m trying to address with our efforts.”

It aims to promote the culture of STEM among Pinoy students

FilSci Hub also shares 1-minute tutorials on TikTok and stories of various Filipino scientists on their social media pages. Its main goal is to promote the culture of science, technology, engineering, and math amongst Filipino students. Also, it aims to help and empower teachers in the country, especially those in far-flung areas. Bunquin explained, “In terms of the education sector, sila ’yung nasa frontline. Gusto din namin paabot sa kanila na there are people out there like us who appreciate what they do. We care for them and we are here to provide them with the support that we can actually offer in our simple little way”

The good thing is, teachers in Batanes all the way to Sulu gave great feedbacks to FilSci Hub. In the future, the platform will produce weekly content and create more projects, such as virtual conferences and investigatory competitions. Students and teachers can access it both on Facebook and YouTube. Currently, it has over 20,000 followers on Facebook, 24,800 followers on TikTok, and almost 5,000 subscribers on Youtube.

What do you guys think about this initiative?

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