Education management innovation wins at PH Impact Hackathon 2020 – Back End News
For developing an innovative learning management system that does not require an internet connection, the ECES-1 bagged the grand prize for the Impact Hackathon Online 2020.
The weeklong hackathon, hosted by Impact Hub Manila, saw participants working together to find solutions that would enable people to navigate the new way of living. The last two days were spent on pitching and judging, which saw back-to-back panel discussions with speakers from the startup, private, and government sectors.
The six (6) verticals featured in the hackathon include agriculture, good governance, climate change, fintech, health, and education.
The team members of ECES-1 utilized a local area network (LAN) wherein teachers can upload files and lecture notes. Through voice commands, students are able to interact with their teachers in real-time through chat.
Blended learning
The Philippines’ Department of Education (DepEd) adopted a blended learning program so as not to disrupt the classes amid the pandemic. COVID-19 halted almost all activities in affected areas because of government-imposed lockdowns to help curb the spread of the virus.
The education sector is one of those affected by the disruption and DepEd has postponed school opening in the first week of October.
ECES-1 innovation addresses one of the major challenges the Philippine education sector is facing in the adoption of online learning: internet connection. This innovation became their ticket to winning this year’s virtual Impact Hackathon. The team bested teams from other verticals both in the student and professional categories.
The winners in the different verticals are the following:
They qualify for the one-year incubation from and membership to Impact Hub Manila and each will receive P35,000 in cash and P5,000 worth of Lalamove credits.
Agro Modern, Collective Clinic, and Cavemen round up the top three grand prize winners. (The last two are tied for the third place.) Filipino community platform Kumu matched Impact Hub Manila’s grand prize of P100,000.
This year’s Impact Hackathon was held online due to the pandemic.