THE NEXT time you take an exam, it might be on your mobile phone.

The Education Technology Center (EdTech) launched a mobile version of the Blackboard Mobile Learning Application early this month, commonly known by Thomasians as Electronic Learning Access Program or “e-LeAP.”

Leonid Lintag, Technology and Infrastructure manager of EdTech, said adopting the application because of the increasing number of smartphone users.

“[Ang] mobile, kahit saan ka magpunta, dala-dala mo. Nowadays halos lahat ng estudyante naka-smartphone na. [At] halos lahat ng lugar, may Internet na,” he said.

However, students can only take certain types of exams with the application namely: true or false, multiple choice, short answer, fill-in-multiple blanks, file response (images only), and numerical inputs.

The new application includes a panel containing all e-LeAP functions like viewing announcements, grades, and course readings, uploading media content, and posting in discussion boards.

Its “push notifications” allow students to be updated with their accounts through devices like Blackberry, iOs, tablets and android phones.

The application, however, is free for only a year. To get the app for free, students should type the code “CJESXW” in online application stores.

“That one whole year is a trial period para malaman kung ilan ang interesadong Estudyante para gamitin ‘yung Blackboard using mobile,” he said.

An eLearning access fee will be charged upon the students’ enrollment next academic year should the application incur enough users. One-year subscription costs P85.91while unlimited subscription during the student’s entire stay in the University costs P258.59.

However, using the application in multiple devices is not allowed.

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“Kung saan mo in-install [‘yung app], dun lang pwede. Hindi pwedeng ilipat. Kung ililipat mo, you have to pay again,” said Lintag. “Hindi naman UST ang kumikita doon eh. Ang binabayaran mo ay ‘yung provider, Blackboard itself.”

EdTech Director Anna Cherylle Ramos said the success of the Blackboard Learn and its mobile version still depends on the teacher.

“Talagang magsisimula ‘yan sa kanila. Hindi magkaka-course sites kapag walang request ng faculty. [You may] have all the tools, [pero] pag-log in mo, [walang laman] kasi not even one of your professors requested for a course site,” she said.

To solve this, Ed Tech coordinators were assigned to orient and encourage faculty members in every college to use e-LeAP but Ramos said some professors might not follow it.

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