With the whole world facing the COVID-19 health crisis, the phrase “New Normal” has been added to everyone’s collective vocabulary. As challenges piled on, The Philippine College of Criminology (PCCR) introduced a number of innovations that will revolutionize and transform the concept of education as we know it.
The Transformational Education campaign began in January 2021 with the appointment of a new set of executive officers and with PCCR’s 6th President at the helm elected in June 2021, Ms. Ma. Angelica Lei G. Bautista. With a strong background in Sales, Marketing and the Information Technology industry both here and abroad, President Lei led the charge to bring PCCR back to its glory days as the pioneer and leader in Criminal Justice Education.
Ushering in PCCR’s version of the New Normal, focus shifted to emphasize Growth, an improved Student Experience, an innovative Employee Experience, and overall Productivity and Efficiency of administrative processes. With the help of an education technology company, Abakada Studios, PCCR made this dream a reality through the digital transformation of the school in 2021.
First, the new and improved PCCR website was made more modern and user-friendly with a minimalistic design. Potential enrollees, current students, parents and visitors all have access to relevant information at their fingertips; and with an aggressive social media strategy, the entire school achieved historic enrollment growth of 118% even in the midst of the pandemic.
Its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform has seen an improvement in processes of finance and procurement through automation. The new HRIS also automated all HR-related processes such as the employee database, attendance tracking, payroll and benefits computations, leave balances, loan deductions, training and development and many other employee-related transactions. Lastly, a new Enrollment and Admissions System (EAS) was set in place to enhance the overall registration process and journey of the incoming students. This includes online payment gateways to complete the online journey online.
Once enrolled, students would be able to access a wide selection of digital and online resources to enhance their overall learning and student experience through PCCR’s own Learning Management System (LMS) that serves as an online collaboration tool that provides a platform for students and teachers to communicate and exchange information regardless of physical location. Whether onsite or online, synchronous or asynchronous, PCCR’s brand of Criminal Justice education has been revolutionized for the upliftment of the next generation of law enforcers and public servants
Among the most cutting edge approaches that the all-new PCCR has to offer is the utilization of gamification principles in education. With the current generation of learners into online and mobile gaming, PCCR decided to infuse the learning experience with something fun and engaging.
In one of its gaming applications, students are grouped by their professors into small teams of Crime Scene Investigators, processing random cases in an online virtual world. Applying the proper methodologies and processes of an actual investigation, the students would then be randomly assigned a scenario to analyze and assess. These virtual simulators also help the students apply the concepts taught in class without exposing themselves to the hazards and risks of the current crisis due to the Covid virus.
As we all face this pandemic going on its 3rd year, the situation has only ignited the spark in PCCR toward transformational education. PCCR sees the silver lining, and the golden opportunity, ushering in a new day in Philippine Criminal Justice Education. “Pro Bono Publico et Patria – For the good of the public and country”.