Quality Education in Resource-challenged Schools with the help of Technology (QuERST)
Resources
QuERST Rationale
The Philippines’ underwhelming performance in the 2018 PISA and the 2019 TIMSS and SEA-PLM international and regional educational assessments indicate that there is an urgent need to improve the quality of basic education in the country. Many low-income and lower-middle-income countries have similar learning poverty and learning loss situations.
Description
Quality Education in Resource-challenged Schools with the help of Technology (QuERST, pronounced /kwerst/) is a multi-stakeholder, multi-component, and multi-phase program aimed at leveraging information and communication technologies to rapidly improve the quality of learning taking place in schools serving the economically disadvantaged. As a scholarship of engagement program, QuERST is envisioned to create positive research impact as well as positive social impact toward the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).
QuERST Program Components and Phases
QuERST Team
The QuERST Team is composed of the following De La Salle University (DLSU) professors and alumna:
| QuERST Member | Highest Degree Earned | Expertise |
| Raymund Sison (Program Leader) |
PhD Computer Science (Tokyo Tech, Japan); PhD Education (DLSU) |
Artificial Intelligence; Educational Leadership |
| Auxencia Limjap | PhD Education (DLSU) | Mathematics Education |
| Frederick Talaue | PhD Education (NIE, Singapore) | Science Education |
| Alen Muñoz | PhD Education (UP Diliman) | English Education |
| Ryan Dimaunahan | MS Computer Science (DLSU) | Game-based Learning |
| Kristine Hernandez | MA Education (DLSU) | Parental Engagement |
| Angelica San Buenaventura | BA Early Childhood Education | Elementary Education |
QuERST Projects
| Title | Period | Funding |
| Development of Framework and Materials for Distance and Remote Learning via Datacasting | 2021-May-01 to 2023-Apr-30 | DOST-PCIEERD (PHP 9,351,617); DLSU (PHP 2,234,655 incl. researcher deloading) |
| Design and Pilot Test of Protocols and Technology Support for Teacher Coaching and Student Tutoring in a Resource-Challenged School | 2023-Sep-01 to 2024-Aug-30 | DLSU (PHP 299,540 plus researcher deloading) |
| Developing Game-Based Learning Environments using an Outcome-Based Methodology | 2023-Sep-01 to 2024-Aug-30 | DLSU (PHP260,300 plus researcher deloading) |
| Designing a Framework for Online Tutoring in a Resource-Challenged School | 2025-09-01 to 2026-08-28 (Proposed) | DLSU |
| QuERST-SyMM: Systems for Modeling and Management of Student Tutoring | 2027-02-02 to 2028-01-31 (To be proposed) |
QuERST Summer Virtual Tutorial 2025
| Tutor | Position | College | Degree |
| Raymund Sison | Professor | CCS | PhDCS, PhDEd |
| Kevin Panuelos | Alumnus | CCS | BSCS, MSCS (cw) |
| Luis Razon | Student | CCS | BSMSCS |
| Axl Andaya | Student | CCS | BSCS-CBL |
| Leon Besar | Student | COS | BSHBIO |
| Jacob Borja | Student | CED | BSE-MTH |
| Bea Sollesta | Student | CCS | BSCS-ST |
| Bianza Sollesta | Student | CCS | BSCS-ST |
QuERST Publications
| Title of Paper | Publication Venue | Authors | Date |
| Technology-Supported Distance Learning of Writing in a Low-Interactivity, Low-Literacy Context: Lessons Learned | Language Teaching and Research Quarterly (Scopus Q2) | R. Sison, A. Munoz | 2025-05 |
| Promoting Comprehension Strategies of Primary Grade Students Through Datacasting Materials for Distance Learning | Journal of English and Applied Linguistics (DLSU) | A. Munoz, R. Sison | 2023-12 |
| Technology-Supported Distance Learning for Basic Education in the Philippines | DLSU Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies Policy Brief (DLSU) | R. Sison, A. Limjap, F. Talaue, A. Munoz, R. Dimaunahan, K. Hernandez, A. Buenaventura | 2023-10 |
| VTS+: A Visual Thinking Strategies Variant for Low-Interactivity Distance Learning | Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on E-Learning (Scopus) | R. Sison | 2022-07 |