In an era when PowerPoint presentations have replaced manila paper-written reports and the Internet has won over encyclopedias, it can be difficult for the typical Atenean to go to school without using its computers, LCD projectors, and other technological resources.
These resources play an important role in a student’s academic life. In his essay, “Can Technology Help Teach for Understanding?” Tufts University Research Professor Raymond Nickerson says, “Technology… opens up new possibilities for the development of instructional materials through which understanding might be enhanced.” This is despite its trend of providing people with resources that they might find difficult to understand.
With this thinking, schools in the Philippines are geared towards providing more technological resources than before. According to the National Computer Center of the Philippines, universities like the University of the Philippines and Mapua Institute of Technology have integrated open source software (OSS) into their curricula. Unlike other commercial programs, it allows its programmers and users to learn and improve the code easily.
Though the Ateneo is one of the schools with OSS, students like Gamaliel Clamor (I BS CoE) are not satisfied with its technological resources. “[I] had to wait for the [computer] programs to load,” he says. “Sometimes, the monitor shuts down by itself.”
What then is the school doing to provide and improve on its hardware equipment?
Unit breakdowns
In the Ateneo, there are 240 open access computers found in the Rizal Student Foyer (RSF), PLDT-Convergent Technologies Center (CTC) 101 and 112, Matteo Ricci Hall, and the Rizal Library.
Isobelle Yambao (IV AB Comm), who often frequents the computer laboratories and Rizal Library during her breaks, says that she encounters computers which don’t work well. She also sees computers sans mouse or keyboards with missing keys.
She also says that, despite the different software installed in some of the school’s computers, they still don’t work well. “I’ve noticed that recently, the computers have Open Office installed rather than Microsoft Office. Open Office is supposed to load faster than Microsoft but instead, it makes the computers hang.”
Clamor, who often uses the computers at CTC 112, says that these instances don’t prevent him that much from watching videos on You Tube or reading the latest news on the Philippine Daily Inquirer site. That doesn’t mean, however, that he is fully content with the computers he uses.
“Some computers don’t have the Mozilla Firefox browser,” he says in Filipino. “Videos don’t work well with other browsers, so I had to download a flash player. But, the computer wouldn’t allow me to install it.”
He also says that some computers do not have a sound card where he can plug his earphones.
When these things happen, he usually resorts to watching the videos without any sound or sleeping in the laboratory instead. Says Clamor, students like him sometimes go there to enjoy the cold temperature and sleep. “[The computer laboratory] turned into a mini-library,” he says, referring to CTC 112, where students sometimes rest for a while after an hours’ worth of studying.
Meanwhile, Albeth Cajucom (I BS Bio) finds these deficiencies a hassle. Cajucom, who frequents the RSF to check her e-mail, says that dialogue boxes keep popping on some of the computer screens. She also observes that some computers contain virus.
With many students using the RSF’s computers, Cajucom has no choice but to make do with the units she gets. “It really sucks when you really have to do something and all that are left are non-functioning computers.”
And with the growing number of students bringing their own laptops, a shortage of sockets has also become an issue, especially in the Rizal Library.
Says Katrina Paras (IV BS LM) in a mix of Filipino and English, “Most of the time, I don’t get to plug [in the library] because there’s no free outlet.” She also says that there are plugs that she can’t use either because they don’t work or aren’t big enough to accommodate her laptop’s plug.
University Physical Plant (UPP) Director Leoncio Miralao Jr., attributes this problem to the library’s old design. “The Ateneo started out with the Americans… and when it [Rizal Library] was built and designed, it was intended for 110 [volts],” he says.
Freeze to clean
Not all is lost, however, for some of the school’s withering resources.
According to the UPP’s Computer and Audio-Visual Section Head Gerry Laroza, students should approach the computer technicians, who will replace the defective parts.
The school also purchased 40 LCD screens to replace its discolored computer screens. According to him, LCDs consume less electricity and are cheaper to repair than the old cathode ray tube (CRT) screens, which most of the school’s computers are currently equipped with.
Besides fixing the LCDs, Laroza says that all computer systems will be upgraded. To respond to virus outbreak concerns, particularly the spread of Ccolgatee virus in the campus two years ago, the program Deep Freeze was developed. According to him, it was installed in the school’s computers during last school year’s second semester.
With this program, a student just has to reset the computer before use, which automatically restores the unit to its original installation. Laroza says that Deep Freeze specifically tries to solve the virus that may arise from the students’ downloading of plug-ins and inserting of universal serial bus (USB) devices.
Besides the security measures for the computers, the school conducts general check-up and cleaning and inventory audit on its equipment every semestral break. Office of Administrative Services Director Joy Salita says that five audio-visual technicians conduct rounds throughout the school year to ensure the facilities’ quality performance.
The maintenance staff also acts as a third eye for the technicians. With the staff in charge of cleaning the classrooms, among other areas, its members report unusual incidences like overhead projector screens getting out of place and wires getting spliced.
Regarding the lack of sockets, however, action has yet to be taken as both the library and the UPP are not aware of it. According to Miralao, students should approach the librarians for extension cords or adaptors that they could use.
“Kung walang nagsasabi sa kanila, walang mangyayari (If no one tells them about the problem, then nothing will happen),” he says. “The first step is [always] to call attention to this [the problem].”
Varying operating systems
Regarding the complaints that have risen regarding the Linux operating system, which runs Open Office, Rizal Library Director Lourdes David says that she’s aware of them. The library administration, however, targets to have half of the computers used to be running on Linux. Meanwhile, the remaining computers will continue to run on Microsoft. According to David, computers that run on Linux have a more stable internet connection than those running on Microsoft.
She adds that it is really a matter of budget. “The school is already spending millions of pesos for the Internet, for Microsoft Office, so we do not really put Microsoft Office in everything,” says David.
Gearing up
According to David, computers might be added, although only in small quantities. Since majority of the campus is equipped with wireless Internet and more students bring their own laptops to school, she says that there isn’t much of a need to add many units.
Aside from the possibility of adding more computers, the library administration plans to gear up its seating capacity, number of books and journals, among others.
These efforts will be evident in the Ateneo’s new library, which is expected to start operations during the second semester of the next school year. According to David, it will be a five-story building, which consists of the North and South blocks.
The new building will house the book circulations, other reference materials, and electronic resources. There will also be film viewing rooms, music room, and study carrels for students. All computers from the Rizal Library, RSF, and CTC will also be transferred there.
*with a report from Sara Mae D. Mawis
