Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

by UPOU MODeL Support -
Number of replies: 0

Hi, everyone!

Here are all the answers to your questions. Please read this carefully. In case there are additional concerns that we haven't noted, we will be adding them from time to time. To easily find the answer you are looking for, you can simply search for the keyword by pressing Control+F.


I. About MODeL and the Courses

a. What is MODeL? 

MODeL is the official platform of the University of the Philippines Open University for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Our courses are free and open to everyone. The courses we offer vary in topic such us Open Distance e-Learning, Teaching and Learning, Child Rights Protection and Promotion, Sustainable Development, Business Analytics, and many more.

b. What are your available courses?

You may check this link to see our updated calendar for this year:  https://model.upou.edu.ph/mod/page/view.php?id=2292. You may also go to our website, and scroll down to featured courses. 

c. How long does it take to finish a course?

All of our courses are self-paced, so you may complete them at your own convenience. Each MOOC may require an average of three hours of study time per week.

d. How long is the duration of each course?

Courses run for three to eight weeks.

e. Is this the same as MyPortal?

No. This is UPOU's platform for MOOCs.

f. Can I put this in my resume or CV?

Yes. You may put your participation in this MOOC in your resume or CV as a 16-hour training.

g. Why did a course vanish in my “My Courses”?

When courses end, we usually archive them so they become hidden. This allows the course coordinator to evaluate the submissions received in the course without any distractions and changes in the course site. This also limits students from submitting outputs beyond the deadline. 

h. Are you accredited by CHED?

Yes. Our MOOCs are endorsed by CHED. You may also read about Republic Act 10650 to see how UP Open University is the forefront of distance education in the country.

i. Are the MOOCs credited as CPD Units?

Unfortunately, CPD Units is not yet in place for our MOOCs, but you may include them in your resume or CV as a 16-hour training.

j. What materials and activities should I expect in the courses?

We use a variety of resources in various media such as videos, podcasts, and electronic print materials. Activities are also varied per course but you can expect some quizzes and assignments.

k. I enrolled late and need more time to finish my course. Can you extend it?

We rarely provide extensions for our courses since everything is already scheduled per year. In cases that we have to extend a course, it will be decided by the course coordinator first.

l. Can you notify me if there are available courses?

You can visit the website from time to time or wait for announcements in our Facebook Page: UPOU Massive Open Distance e-Learning


II. Registration and Fees

a. How do I register?

To register in MODeL, follow these steps:

  1. Go to https://model.upou.edu.ph/login/signup.php?
  2. Fill up all required fields accurately.
  3. Click on "Create My New Account".
  4. An email will be sent to your email so that you can confirm your account
  5. After confirming your account, you can now log in.
b. How much is the registration and enrollment fee?

All of our MOOCs are free and open for all. You only need to create an account on our website through https://model.upou.edu.ph/login/signup.php?, and finish the DE Readiness Module to enroll.

c. Can I register even though I am not from UP or have not taken the UPCAT?

Yes. Our courses are free and open for all.

d. Do you accept high school graduates?

Yes. All of our MOOCs are free and open for all. You only need to create an account on our website through https://model.upou.edu.ph/login/signup.php?, and finish the DE Readiness Module to enroll.

e. Do I have to be in the Philippines to avail your courses?

No. Anyone from anywhere can access our courses.

f. I did not receive my confirmation email. How do I confirm my account?

The confirmation email should arrive within five minutes after signing up. If you haven’t received yours, kindly check your spam folder first. If the email is not in the spam folder, please send a message to model@upou.edu.ph


III. DE Readiness Module

a. What is the DE Readiness Module?

Distance Education(DE) Readiness module is a  preparatory course for learners to understand what it is like to be a learner of UPOU MODeL, as well as to learn about the UP Open University and its process of delivering courses. You are required to finish the module in order to receive the DE Readiness badge which will serve as a key to enroll in our other courses.

b. I already took the DE REadiness Module in MyPortal. Do I have to take it again in MODeL?

MyPortal and MODeL are two different platforms. In both websites, the DE Readiness Module should be taken.


IV. Enrollment

a. How do I enroll in the courses?

To enroll in the courses, you can go to the homepage and scroll down to Featured Courses or MOOC Categories. From here, you can choose the courses you are interested in. Click on the title of the course so that you can get in.

b. How do I know if I'm already enrolled?

To know which courses you are enrolled in, go to "My Courses". The button is on the upper right of the screen.

c. I tried to enroll in the course, but it says “unavailable. Why is this happening?

You may only enroll when the course opens for enrollment. While waiting, you may do the DE Readiness Module first, and get a DE Ready badge if you haven’t done so.

d. How can I unenroll myself in a course?

To unenroll yourself in a course, go to the course. Find Course Dashboard on the right side of the screen, below the list of topics, and click on it. At the center of the screen, you will find the “Unenroll Me” button that you have to click again. It will lead to a confirmation message. Just click “Continue” and you’re done.

e. Can I enroll even though the course has already ended?

If the course permits you to enroll, you can do that. However, the contents of courses that have already ended are most likely inaccessible.

f. I can't enroll in a course because it is asking for an enrollment key. I already have the badge so why is this happening?

Courses with enrollment keys are not open to the public or requires a registration to be manually enrolled in the course.

g. Can I enroll again next time if I don’t finish a course now?

Yes. You can enroll again. There are no limitations to the number of times you enroll in a course.


V. Completion and Certificates

a. Do I receive a certificate after completing the course?

We issue a certificate to completers at least two weeks after the end of the course. For more information, kindly read this: https://model.upou.edu.ph/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=19854

b. How do I know that I have already completed the course?

The easiest way to see if you have already completed is to check if your progress bar is already at 100%. However, there are times when the teacher have to acknowledge your submissions first so that it can be marked as complete. The best way is still for you to check manually if you did not forget anything.

c. How do I know that I am qualified to get the certificate?

More often, the easiest way to know the you are qualified to get the certificate is that you should have been able to submit the requirements needed to pass the course. You should also receive a passing grade in the assignments and quizzes. It is actually easier to determine the reasons that you may NOT be qualified:

1. You did not complete the requirements.

2. You did not carefully follow the directions. (See "item f1" under this topic)

3. You did not provide the right answer to the questions in the activities or your explanation is not valuable enough.

4. You committed plagiarism.

5. You copied your answers from somewhere or someone else.

d. When can I expect my certificate?

The certificate will usually be issued at least two weeks after the course duration. Time may vary depending on the number of students.

e. What happens if I can’t complete a course?

If you don’t complete a course, you will not be able to get a certificate of completion.

f. The system is not acknowledging my submissions. Why does my progress bar say I am not yet 100% complete?

There are many possible reasons why your progress bar is not moving.

  1. You did not follow the instructions to submit. For example: The direction says to post a discussion for your first requirement and reply to your discussion to submit your second requirement. If you did not follow the directions accurately, the system will not mark your submission as complete.
  2. You did not pass the quiz. If you did not pass a quiz, it should have a red circle mark opposite it’s title.
  3. You forgot to mark yourself as complete. Some courses have activities that require you to manually mark yourself as complete. These are activities that have a gray circle with a check mark on the upper left part. When you click this, it will become a green circle with a check mark.
  4. You haven’t received a grade for a particular activity. Some activities require the teacher to  manually acknowledge your submission.

g. The quiz marked me wrong even when I wrote the right answer. Why is this happening?

The prerequisite of being a distance learner is to adjust yourself to automated assessment. You have to be able to think about how a machine (usually run by artificial intelligence), rather than how a human, will read your answers. You have to be able to satisfy the machine logic rather than the human emotion or logic. You have to think, “how do I satisfy the machine so that it counts my answers right?” One way is to provide the accurate words and phrases mentioned in the course.

While we recognize the limitations of automatic assessments run by artificial intelligence, for open online courses such as this one, this is just the first in the process and in no way dictate the decision of whether a participant satisfactorily meets the course requirements or not (thus, shall be given a completion badge/ certificate). The faculty course coordinators, at the end of the MOOC offering, still conduct the monitoring and double-checking of a participant's course activities before a completion certificate is released.

In terms of learning, regardless of the result of the automatic assessments, it is our hope that the open nature of the educational resources prepared and used for the MOOCs may also prove helpful for the participants as their study independently and or with the rest of the lifelong learners in the MOOCs.

h. Will I not get a certificate if I don’t have a passing grade in a quiz?

It depends on the requirement of the course. Contact your teacher.

i. Why did I have a low score in my essay exam even when I put my heart in answering?

The prerequisite of being a distance learner is to adjust yourself to automated assessment. You have to be able to think about how a machine (usually run by artificial intelligence), rather than how a human, will read your answers. You have to be able to satisfy the machine logic rather than the human emotion or logic. You have to think, “how do I satisfy the machine so that it counts my answers right?” The technique is to provide the accurate words and phrases mentioned in the course.

While we recognize the limitations of automatic assessments run by artificial intelligence, for open online courses such as this one, this is just the first in the process and in no way dictate the decision of whether a participant satisfactorily meets the course requirements or not (thus, shall be given a completion badge/ certificate). The faculty course coordinators, at the end of the MOOC offering, still conduct the monitoring and double-checking of a participant's course activities before a completion certificate is released.

In terms of learning, regardless of the result of the automatic assessments, it is our hope that the open nature of the educational resources prepared and used for the MOOCs may also prove helpful for the participants as their study independently and or with the rest of the lifelong learners in the MOOCs.

j. Why is my course progress labeled “Conditional”?

When a course is labeled as “Conditional”, it means that certain conditions have been set for it to be accessible. Usually, we use this to set the opening and closing date of a course. When this is set, you can only access the contents for a certain period of time. 

k. What do I do after completing a course?

You can choose to enroll in another course or just wait for the issuance of certificates.

l. How do I know that my certificate is valid if it does not have a signature?

Our certificates don't have a signature, however you will see a QR code at the bottom left. The QR Code, when scanned, will direct you to a page where you can verify that you have completed the course. This is to prevent other people from reproducing the certificate and editing their name into it.


VI. Account and Profile

a. Can I link my MyPortal Account to UPOU MODeL?

Since MyPortal and MODeL are different platforms, you have to create an account on both websites to avail the services.

b. I forgot my password. How do I retrieve my account?

You can click on the Forgot Password button. This will send you to a new page where it will ask for your Username or email address. Supply the information needed. An email will be sent to you so that you can reset your password. If this does not work, send a message to model@upou.edu.ph

c. How do I edit my personal information such as my name, email, and username?

To edit your profile,

  1. Go to My Courses.
  2. Locate “Edit Profile” on the left part of your screen and click on it.
  3. After you’re done editing your information, scroll down and click on the “Update Profile” Button.

VII. Mobile Access

a. Can I access the course through my phone?

Yes. There is a moodle app that you can use.

b. How do I access MODeL through mobile?

Please be guided by this step-by-step instructions: https://model.upou.edu.ph/mod/page/view.php?id=1631