Abstract:

Background. The Philippine educational system, including LIS education, was adversely affected by the current pandemic that the whole world is experiencing. Objectives. This paper discusses the unique challenges that UP SLIS has encountered in its transition from blended learning to a fully remote learning environment. It also presents strategies SLIS has adopted to overcome these challenges and ensure the quality of LIS education that it has committed to delivering to its stakeholders. Methods. The UP SLIS as an LIS educational institution is examined as a case study. Insights and perspectives from the Dean as the administrator of the School and an SLIS faculty member are analyzed and presented. Results. There are prevailing challenges in LIS education in the context of the elements of the teaching and learning process and external influences to LIS educators and students that further complicate the challenges that they have to overcome since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the familiarity of LIS educators and students with the use of technology and online platforms in the delivery of courses, as well as the awareness of alternative resources within the purview of limited resources, helped with the adjustment to the sudden transformation from traditional to a remote learning/teaching modality. Contributions. Learnings may be generated from the exposition of experiences and the actions taken by UP SLIS in coping with the challenges brought about by the pandemic. Likewise, the presentation of the authors’ actual experiences as LIS educators serves as documentation of the efforts in managing an LIS school and addressing the extraordinary challenges in such a critical period.