The UP Visayas Teaching and Learning Resource Center (TLRC) successfully conducted TeachSMART 2026, titled “Be wAIs! IA-handa ang sarili: AI Awareness Training for UPV,” at the TLRC Student Lounge, CUB Building, UPV Miagao last October 28, 2026. The initiative gathered faculty members, researchers, and administrative personnel across the university to explore, understand, and responsibly harness artificial intelligence in higher education.
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly transform higher education, academic institutions face the challenge of leveraging digital innovation while maintaining academic rigor, ethical standards, and data privacy. To proactively prepare its academic community, the UPV TLRC conducted TeachSMART 2026. The 8-hour training block helped train participants to build foundational AI competencies, adopt innovative pedagogical tools, and establish responsible policy frameworks.
A defining highlight of the event was its broad, cross-disciplinary participation from diverse academic and administrative units across UP Visayas. Attendance spanned multiple institutes within the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, including the Institute of Aquaculture, the Institute of Fish Processing Technology, and the Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanology. The College of Arts and Sciences was represented across the Division of Biological Sciences, the Division of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, the Department of Chemistry, the Division of Social Sciences, and the Division of Humanities. Key support and governance offices also joined the sessions, including the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of the University Registrar, and the University Library. This wide representation ensured that discussions on digital tool adoption addressed both instructional methodologies and administrative operational workflows.
The workshop modules were guided by three resource speakers officially certified as AI Master Trainers by the ASEAN Foundation, who brought extensive industry experience from creative technology, film, studio production, and youth leadership. The training team featured Martin Ortiz, President of Youth First Initiative and Project Head of the FYRLB Accelerator; Michael Labos, a marketing specialist and co-founder of Mulave Studios focused on digital tool integration; and John Paul Gonzales, a filmmaker, creative entrepreneur, Founder of PULSE Studio, Board Director of Mulave Studios, and ASEAN Youth Ambassador 2025. Drawing from their work across creative media and technology education, the trainers offered practical, real-world perspectives on applying artificial intelligence responsibly.
The curriculum was structured into four core technical modules designed to address essential aspects of AI literacy. The topics covered were Introduction & Fundamentals of GenAI, Learning & Education in the AI Era, Ethical AI: Plagiarism & Copyright, and Data Privacy & AI Safety. Each topic was delivered through a structured sequence consisting of an informative lecture, a hands-on activity on participants’ personal gadgets, and an open Q&A session.
The program successfully bridged initial participant expectations with tangible learning outcomes. Post-training evaluation feedback demonstrated significant progress across these areas, with attendees reporting heightened confidence in ethical decision-making, data privacy protection, and human oversight. Participants gained practical experience automating workflows using platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and NotebookLM for brainstorming, visual aid generation, drafting, and feedback analysis, while also mastering advanced prompting techniques and specialized research tools like OpenAthens to support scholarly writing.
Through institutional initiatives like TeachSMART 2026, the UP Visayas TLRC continues to empower faculty, staff, and researchers with the technical capabilities and ethical foundations necessary to navigate an evolving digital landscape.
Written by Joanah Faith J. Sanz, TLRC
