As part of its continuous efforts to improve delivery of training services, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) through its Committee for Learning and Development (CLD) launched the fully operational RITM-Learning, Education, And Resources Network (LEARN) – the Institute’s first in-house learning management system (LMS).

The LMS officially went live after a series of consultations with the service provider and various offices within RITM in August 2022. This was followed by five (5) batches of trainings for the Institute’s Learning and Development (LD) Officers and Course Point Persons (CPPs) from September to the first week of October 2022, which capacitated participants to navigate and utilize the features of RITM-LEARN.

Establishing RITM’s own LMS

An LMS is an information system designed to centralize learners’ activities in one virtual platform, primarily used by educators and students engaged in distance learning. Similar to prominent LM Systems such as Google Classroom, Canvas, and Blackboard, the Institute’s very own RITM-LEARN is capable of hosting RITM training courses that are “convenient, streamlined, and globally competitive.”

RITM-LEARN was borne out of the need of the Institute to continue its training initiatives during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Institute realized that in order to overcome the hampered delivery of training services, it needed to innovate its training courses in light of reduced face-to-face contact with training participants. Thus, the deliberate decision to recalibrate training designs into distance learning courses through use of the internet and other relevant technologies. With the establishment of RITM-LEARN, training providers from RITM are now able to conduct online or blended learning courses for learners anywhere in the world.

“The last two years made it clear to us all that during the Digital Age, we must adapt to technological advances and seize virtual means of achieving our goals. We have now successfully migrated to an online training platform that is readily available to everyone from anywhere in the country, or even overseas,” said RITM Director Dr. Celia C. Carlos in her recorded welcome remarks video on RITM-LEARN.

Features of RITM-LEARN

The system allows learners within and outside of the Institute to share resources, answer quizzes, and collaborate with one another. Aside from these, RITM-LEARN also allows training providers to collect training data such as progress, grades, and socio-demographic information of learners. These data may be used for monitoring and evaluation of RITM training courses.

Moreover, RITM-LEARN absorbed the previous features of the RITM Learning and Development Information System (LDIS), as it is now the platform used for viewing and application to training courses offered by RITM. However, RITM LDIS will still remain live and operational for hosting of the Institute’s certificate verification system.

As of writing, RITM-LEARN hosts two (2) training courses: Training on Xpert Xpress CoV-2 of the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, and the Competency-based Training on the Diagnosis of Malaria by Microscopy of the RITM Parasitology Department.

Aside from these external courses, RITM-LEARN is expected to host internal trainings for RITM employees in the future, focusing on human resources management, infection prevention and control, and basic life support.

“With the power to have a customized LMS at our disposal, comes the challenge to maximize its use. It’s now up to you, our dear trainers and learners to unlock and use its true and full potential,” said CLD Supervising Science Research Specialist Mr. Ryan Castro.

RITM-LEARN may be accessed at learn.ritm.gov.ph

by Anel Azel Dimaano