OERs as innovative teaching and assessment activities during the pandemic

@#This article discusses the Online Educational Resources (OERs) Movement and why OERs are so highly recommended by international collaborative organizations for the attainment of an inclusive, learner-centered and development-centered open education. The second part recounts how the creation of an OER served as a viable alternative teaching learning and assessment strategy for achieving course outcomes during (but not limited to) pandemic times. It showcases the outputs of students of the Doctor of Health Professions (DrHPEd) program taking a course on Quantitative Data Analysis (HPEd 391) during the first semester of AY 2021-2022. The process of making an OER was challenging. At times, the students felt that they were doing things beyond the scope of a course in quantitative data analysis. But everyone agreed that because of the degree of student engagement involved, the sense of fulfillment at the end was intense. The creation of an OER was a realistic, context-based and relevant final output which most of the students intend to use for their real-life advocacies. It was truly an exercise which demanded integration of all dimensions of technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) and yielded a personal and unique output which exhibited the highest order of learning outcomes - at the level of synthesis. And what may have appeared 'extra-curricular' at first was actually simply a more authentic assessment.

OERs as innovative teaching and assessment activities during the pandemic

@#This article discusses the Online Educational Resources (OERs) Movement and why OERs are so highly recommended by international collaborative organizations for the attainment of an inclusive, learner-centered and development-centered open education. The second part recounts how the creation of an OER served as a viable alternative teaching learning and assessment strategy for achieving course outcomes during (but not limited to) pandemic times. It showcases the outputs of students of the Doctor of Health Professions (DrHPEd) program taking a course on Quantitative Data Analysis (HPEd 391) during the first semester of AY 2021-2022. The process of making an OER was challenging. At times, the students felt that they were doing things beyond the scope of a course in quantitative data analysis. But everyone agreed that because of the degree of student engagement involved, the sense of fulfillment at the end was intense. The creation of an OER was a realistic, context-based and relevant final output which most of the students intend to use for their real-life advocacies. It was truly an exercise which demanded integration of all dimensions of technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) and yielded a personal and unique output which exhibited the highest order of learning outcomes - at the level of synthesis. And what may have appeared 'extra-curricular' at first was actually simply a more authentic assessment.

Comparative analysis of the direct hospitalization cost of laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy at the Philippine General Hospital

Objective@#This study aimed to compare the cost of hospitalization for open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (OC and LC) among adult patients with cholelithiasis in the Philippine General Hospital. @*Methodology@#The billing records of all patients admitted for elective cholecystectomy from February to July 2017, were reviewed. An item by item costing for room and board, laboratories, radiologic exams, surgical and anesthesia needs for each patient meeting the inclusion criteria was done. @*Results@#From February to July 2017, a total of 391 cholecystectomies were performed; 156 cases (78 OC and 78 LC) were included in the analysis. There is no significant difference between the mean total cost for the laparoscopic group which was 20,549 +/- 4,972 pesos and 18,465 +/- 7,908 pesos (p < 0.05) for the open group. @*Conclusion@#Total cost of LC is comparable to OC. However, when the total expenses were divided into categories, the OC group incurred significantly bigger charges than the LC group in room and board, laboratories, radiology, pharmacy, and surgery needs. On the other hand, the LC group had significantly higher mean charges for the surgery needs inclusive of the laparoscopic machine and disposable instruments.