Modern education is full of dynamic shifts. From hybrid learning transitions to complex coordination of institutional events, academic years in today’s setting have become a whirlwind of volatility and uncertainty as much as has the world at large. With this comes a newfound challenge in increasing student engagement amidst all the changes in the educational landscape and the influx of information in this digital age.

One institution that has taken significant strides in addressing this issue is Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Manila. Under the direction of Jayson M. Barlan, Ph.D., executive director for strategy and operations, LPU embarked on a groundbreaking partnership with EdTech provider Anthology in their mission to transform the student experience by streamlining the university’s academic processes.

“It came to the point that it was simply too overwhelming to keep track of every student's events and activity,” Barlan explained. “Our students are very competitive and engaging towards their organizations and other campus activities. But we know it’s the university’s role to ensure all these engagements are delivered in the best way possible for a holistic learning and campus experience.”

Nurturing Talents Beyond the Syllabus

It is not a surprise that every university has its pool of student organizations and endless lineups of events and activities. Besides its course offerings, what makes a learning experience holistic and transformative is the extracurricular programs students can participate in.

At first, it seems that these events outside the classroom are nothing more than ways for students to unwind and socialize with others on campus. In truth, extracurriculars and student organizations are great avenues to discover new talents, interests, and skills that are otherwise untapped inside classroom walls.

When Barlan assumed the role of dean of Student Affairs in 2015, he observed a remarkable level of student involvement and competitiveness among LPU's student body.

“Student organizations encourage our students to pursue other knowledge and skills outside their respective courses, which is crucial for maximized learning experience,” said Barlan. “But with that came a challenge—how do we recognize these outstanding students and organizations with transparency and fairness?”

The process of determining the deserving recipients of prestigious awards for different organizations and activities became a time-consuming and laborious task for LPU’s administrative team. Transparency and fairness were paramount, but the manual approach hindered efficient decision-making. A new system and streamlined process were needed to handle the voluminous documentation and submissions.

Achieving Excellence through Automation with Anthology® Engage

Because of the tedious manual process, LPU sought a solution that would automate the award evaluation process and ensure fairness to all deserving candidates. The initial proposal to adopt an automated system came from various branches within the university, recognizing the need to manage the increasing activities of the dynamic and competitive student population.

LPU's quest for an automated solution led them to explore the experiences of other esteemed institutions like the National University of Singapore, as well as institutions based in the United States.

“When we visited the National University of Singapore and the US, they mentioned Anthology, particularly Anthology Engage, which streamlined every student activity and organized how we can measure student engagement. EdTech was a very new concept to us but we were very excited to learn what it can do,” said Barlan.

Anthology Engage is an engaging interface and platform where students and educators can foster a sense of community within the institution through streamlined processes. It also guides the student experience by promoting co-curricular activities and experiences that complement classroom offerings.

For example, student organizations can efficiently plan, organize, and promote their workshops, seminars, and other online and in-person events on the platform. Anthology Engage enables them to track attendees through advanced RSVP features and also gauge student involvement with automated and verified co-curricular records. When a student participates in more events, they are recognized through automated badges that record their achievements and progress.

Astonished by the positive feedback and success stories, LPU eagerly invited Anthology to present its student engagement solution.

Barlan expressed his excitement about the prospect of deploying Anthology's platform to streamline the award evaluation process and overall student engagement. Recognizing the potential impact on LPU's educational experiences, the university embraced the partnership wholeheartedly.

“We can now capture student engagement and activities more efficiently. But more importantly, we can invite even more students to be active and proactive in exploring different opportunities and experiences at LPU,” Barlan said.

Empowering Student Experiences Together

With the decision to partner with Anthology finalized, LPU is looking forward to deploying the platform in the coming months. Barlan is optimistic about a full-scale deployment by January 2024, but he expressed that it might even be sooner, possibly by September, indicating the urgency to revolutionize the student experience.

Overall, LPU’s partnership with Anthology promises to be a game-changer in the realm of student engagement and educational experiences for the university. Automating award evaluations and providing a streamlined platform for student activities not only encourages students to be more active on campus, but it also creates synergy among the institution’s administrative teams and students.

With the prospect of full deployment just around the corner, the university is poised to take a giant leap forward in its pursuit of academic excellence and student success. As LPU embraces the future of education, other institutions may also find inspiration to explore similar partnerships and transform their educational ecosystems for the better.