This article lists the frequently asked questions about the massive open online courses (MOOCs) offered by the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). You can also view some news and announcements on UPOU MOOCs and UPOU MODeL on this webpage and Facebook page.


This article is very extensive, but we hope you will read it carefully. 


You can click on any item in the Table of Contents to directly navigate to the information you need. Please browse through this Table of Contents first to see whether your concern/s is/are included.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. About MODeL and the Courses

II. Registration and Fees

III. Enrollment

IV. Completion and Certificates

V. Account and Profile

VI. Mobile Access


Note: Please make sure that you browsed through these FAQs to see if your concern is included. Please also follow the reminders (DE Readiness Module, Course Enrollment, Certificate of Completion, etc.) to avoid problems with your learning with MODeL. 


I. About MODeL and the Courses


What is MODeL?

MODeL is the official platform of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Our courses are free and open to everyone. The courses we offer vary in topics such as Open Distance e-Learning, Teaching and Learning, Child Rights Protection and Promotion, Sustainable Development, Business Analytics, and many more.


What are your available courses?

You may check this link to see our updated calendar for this year:  https://model.upou.edu.ph/mod/page/view.php?id=2292. You may also go to https://model.upou.edu.ph, and scroll down to featured courses.


How long does it take to finish a course?

All of our courses are self-paced, so you may complete them at your own convenience. Each MOOC may require an average of three hours of study time per week.


How long is the duration of each course?

Courses run for three to eight weeks.


Is MODeL the same as MyPortal? As the Online Application System?

No, MODeL is UPOU's platform for MOOCs. MyPortal is a platform for students of UPOU degree programs. The Online Application System is a platform for those who are applying for admission to UPOU degree programs.


Can I put these MOOCs in my resume/CV?

Yes. You may put your participation in this MOOC in your resume or CV as a 16-hour training unless otherwise stated in the Certificate of Completion.


Why did a course vanish in my “My Courses”?

When courses end, we usually archive them so they become hidden. This allows the course coordinator to evaluate the submissions received in the course without any distractions and changes in the course site. This also limits students from submitting outputs beyond the deadline.


Are you accredited by CHED?

Yes. Our MOOCs are endorsed by CHED. You may also read about Republic Act 10650 to see how UP Open University is at the forefront of distance education in the country.


Are the MOOCs credited as CPD Units?

Unfortunately, CPD Units are not yet in place for our MOOCs, but you may include them in your resume or CV as a 16-hour training unless otherwise stated in the Certificate of Completion.


What materials and activities should I expect in the courses?

We use a variety of resources in various media such as videos, podcasts, and electronic print materials. Activities are also varied per course but you can expect some quizzes and assignments.


Can I download a course's materials and activities?

As long as the course material is downloadable (has a download button), you can download your course materials.


I enrolled late and need more time to finish my course. Can you extend it?

We rarely provide extensions for our courses since everything is already scheduled per year. In cases where we have to extend a course, it will be decided by the course coordinator first.


Can you notify me if there are available courses?

You can visit the website from time to time or wait for announcements on our Facebook Page: UPOU Massive Open Distance e-Learning


Are the new Associate programs included in the 2023 MOOCs?

No. The new Associate programs are two-year pre-baccalaureate degree programs that ladderize to Baccalaureate degrees. All UPOU Associate programs will be delivered via Open and Distance eLearning, thereby offering flexibility for students. For admission details, please visit https://www.upou.edu.ph/academics/ or https://registrar.upou.edu.ph. You may also send an email to inquiries@upou.edu.ph.


I have other MODeL and course concerns.

Please send an email to model@upou.edu.ph.



II. Registration and Fees


How do I register?

Due to a huge influx of account creation requests, we are introducing a new way of signing up (as of 25 January 2023) for an account in MODeL. Follow these steps to register in MODeL and enroll in the MOOCs you like:

  1. Fill out this REGISTRATION FORM.
  2. Wait for an email containing your login credentials. Login credentials will only be sent THURSDAYS of every week. Cut-off for each week is 4PM, Wednesdays. Requests received after the cut-off will be sent the following week.
  3. Upon receiving the email, sign in to your new MODeL account. 
  4. You will be asked to change your password. Create a strong password that you don't use for any other websites.
  5. Browse through our website homepage, and select the course you want to enroll in. (Note: Self-enrollment usually starts two weeks before the start of the course.)


Note: This new way of signing up is for NEW REGISTRANTS ONLY. If you already have a MODeL account before 25 January 2023, you do not have to register again.


I did not receive a confirmation email / login credentials. What do I do?

Please send an email to model@upou.edu.ph.


How much is the registration and enrollment fee?

Registration and enrollment to all of our MOOCs are free and open to all. NO form of payment is required when you register or enroll. If you encounter any sites asking for credit card details or any other payment details, please report to model@upou.edu.ph.


Note: For clarification, inquiries and concerns related to MOOCs registration are addressed by model@upou.edu.ph, and not by registration@upou.edu.ph. 


Can I register even though I am not from UP or have not taken the UPCAT?

Yes, all of our MOOCs are free and open to all.


Do you accept high school graduates?

Yes, all of our MOOCs are free and open to all.


Do I have to be in the Philippines to avail of the MOOCs?

No, anyone from anywhere can access UPOU MOOCs.


Do I have to be a Filipino citizen to avail of the MOOCs?

No, anyone from anywhere can access UPOU MOOCs.


I have other MODeL registration concerns.

Please send an email to model@upou.edu.ph.



III. Enrollment


How do I enroll in the courses?

To enroll in the courses, you can go to the homepage and scroll down to Featured Courses or MOOC Categories. From here, you can choose the courses you are interested in. Click on the title of the course so that you can get in.


How do I know if the course is open for enrollment?

Check the "Featured Course Offerings" on the MODeL homepage to see the date of availability of your chosen course.


How do I know if I'm already enrolled?

To know which courses you are enrolled in, go to "My Courses." The button is on the upper right of the screen.


I tried to enroll in the course, but it says “Unavailable." Why is this happening?

You may only enroll when the course opens for enrollment.


How can I unenroll myself in a course?

To unenroll yourself in a course, go to the course. Find Course Dashboard on the right side of the screen, below the list of topics, and click on it. At the center of the screen, you will find the “Unenroll Me” button that you have to click again. It will lead to a confirmation message. Just click “Continue” and you’re done.


Can I enroll even though the course has already ended?

If the course permits you to enroll, you can do that. However, the contents of courses that have already ended are most likely inaccessible.


I can't enroll in a course because it is asking for an enrollment key. I already have the badge so why is this happening?

Courses with enrollment keys are not open to the public or require registration to be manually enrolled in the course.


Can I enroll again next time if I don’t finish a course now?

Yes. You can enroll again. There are no limitations to the number of times you enroll in a course.


Can I enroll in more than 1 course simultaneously?

Yes. You can enroll again in more than 1 course.


I have other MOOCs enrollment concerns.

Please send an email to model@upou.edu.ph.



IV. Completion and Certificates

Do I receive a certificate after completing the course?

We issue a certificate to completers at least two weeks after the end of the course. For more information, kindly read this: https://model.upou.edu.ph/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=19854


How do I know that I have already completed the course?

The easiest way to see if you have already completed is to check if your progress bar is already at 100%. However, there are times when the teacher has to acknowledge your submissions first so that they can be marked as complete. The best way is still for you to check manually if you did not forget anything.


How do I know that I am qualified to get the certificate?

More often, the easiest way to know that you are qualified to get the certificate is that you should have been able to submit the requirements needed to pass the course. You should also receive a passing grade on the assignments and quizzes. It is actually easier to determine the reasons that you may NOT be qualified:

  1. You did not complete the requirements.
  2. You did not carefully follow the directions.
  3. You did not provide the right answer to the questions in the activities or your explanation is not valuable enough.
  4. You committed plagiarism.
  5. You copied your answers from somewhere or someone else.


When can I expect my certificate?

The certificate will usually be issued at least two weeks after the course duration. Time may vary depending on the number of students.


What happens if I can’t complete a course?

If you don’t complete a course, you will not be able to get a certificate of completion.


The system is not acknowledging my submissions. Why does my progress bar say I am not yet 100% complete?

There are many possible reasons why your progress bar is not moving:

  1. You did not follow the instructions to submit. For example, the direction says to post a discussion for your first requirement and reply to your discussion to submit your second requirement. If you did not follow the directions accurately, the system will not mark your submission as complete.
  2. You did not pass the quiz. If you did not pass a quiz, it should have a red circle mark opposite its title.
  3. You forgot to mark yourself as complete. Some courses have activities that require you to manually mark yourself as complete. These are activities that have a gray circle with a checkmark on the upper left part. When you click this, it will become a green circle with a checkmark.
  4. You haven’t received a grade for a particular activity. Some activities require the teacher to manually acknowledge your submission.


The quiz marked me wrong even when I wrote the right answer. Why is this happening?

The prerequisite of being a distance learner is to adjust yourself to automated assessment. You have to be able to think about how a machine (usually run by artificial intelligence), rather than how a human, will read your answers. You have to be able to satisfy the machine logic rather than human emotion or logic. You have to think, “how do I satisfy the machine so that it counts my answers right?” One way is to provide the accurate words and phrases mentioned in the course.


While we recognize the limitations of automatic assessments run by artificial intelligence, for open online courses such as this one, this is just the first in the process and in no way dictates the decision of whether a participant satisfactorily meets the course requirements or not (thus, shall be given a completion badge/ certificate). The faculty course coordinators, at the end of the MOOC offering, still conduct the monitoring and double-checking of a participant's course activities before a completion certificate is released.


In terms of learning, regardless of the result of the automatic assessments, it is our hope that the open nature of the educational resources prepared and used for the MOOCs may also prove helpful for the participants as their study independently and or with the rest of the lifelong learners in the MOOCs.


Will I not get a certificate if I don’t have a passing grade on a quiz?

It depends on the requirement of the course. Contact your teacher. You can scroll to the bottom of a course page, and from there you can send a message to your teacher.


Why did I have a low score on my essay exam even when I put my heart into answering?

The prerequisite of being a distance learner is to adjust yourself to automated assessment. You have to be able to think about how a machine (usually run by artificial intelligence), rather than how a human, will read your answers. You have to be able to satisfy the machine logic rather than human emotion or logic. You have to think, “how do I satisfy the machine so that it counts my answers right?” The technique is to provide accurate words and phrases mentioned in the course.


While we recognize the limitations of automatic assessments run by artificial intelligence, for open online courses such as this one, this is just the first in the process and in no way dictates the decision of whether a participant satisfactorily meets the course requirements or not (thus, shall be given a completion badge/ certificate). The faculty course coordinators, at the end of the MOOC offering, still conduct the monitoring and double-checking of a participant's course activities before a completion certificate is released.


In terms of learning, regardless of the result of the automatic assessments, it is our hope that the open nature of the educational resources prepared and used for the MOOCs may also prove helpful for the participants as their study independently and or with the rest of the lifelong learners in the MOOCs.


Why is my course progress labeled “Conditional”?

When a course is labeled as “Conditional,” it means that certain conditions have been set for it to be accessible. Usually, we use this to set the opening and closing dates of a course. When this is set, you can only access the contents for a certain period of time. 


What do I do after completing a course?

You can choose to enroll in another course or just wait for the issuance of certificates.


How do I know that my certificate is valid if it does not have a signature?

Our certificates don't have a signature, however, you will see a QR code at the bottom left. The QR Code, when scanned, will direct you to a page where you can verify that you have completed the course. This is to prevent other people from reproducing the certificate and editing their name into it.


Do you require a Return of Service after completing a course?

No. There is no Return of Service for completing a UPOU MOOC.


I have other MOOCs completion and certificate concerns.

Please send an email to model@upou.edu.ph.



V. Account and Profile


Since MyPortal and MODeL are different platforms, you have to create an account on both platforms to avail of the services.


I forgot my password. How do I retrieve my account?

You can click on the Forgot Password button. This will send you to a new page where it will ask for your Username or email address. Supply the information needed. An email will be sent to you so that you can reset your password. If this does not work, send an email to model@upou.edu.ph.


How do I edit my personal information such as my name, email, and username?

To edit your profile, follow these steps:

  1. Go to "My Courses."
  2. Locate "Edit Profile" on the left part of your screen. Click on it.
  3. After you’re done editing your information, scroll down and click on the “Update Profile” button.


I have other MODeL account concerns.

Please send an email to model@upou.edu.ph.



VI. Mobile Access


Can I access the course through my phone?

Yes. There is a Moodle app that you can use. You can also just open https://model.upou.edu.ph on your mobile browser.


How do I access MODeL through the Moodle app?

Please be guided by this step-by-step instruction: https://model.upou.edu.ph/mod/page/view.php?id=1631




Note: Please make sure that you browsed through these FAQs to see if your question was included. Please also follow the reminders (DE Readiness Module, Course Enrollment, Certificate of Completion, etc.) to avoid problems with your learning with MODeL. 


Contact information for further inquiries and concerns about MOOCs/MODeL:

MODeL Support
model@upou.edu.ph
https://www.facebook.com/upoumodel/


This article has been very extensive, but we hope you read it carefully. Thank you!