"STARBOOKS:" science-tech

reference better than google

TAGBILARAN CITY, November 15 (PIA)—Why go for an offline digital science and technology kiosk when there is google available?

For Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) Executive Director Richard P. Burgos, that question is a no brainer.

“Google can tell you everything, but not everything in google is true,” Director Burgos, who presided over the turn-over of 59 digital science and technology library in a kiosk during simple rites at the Reynas Garden and Havens, here in Tagbilaran City November 15, said.

The digital science library forms the core of the DOST’s Science and Technology Academic Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Stations (STARBOOKS) that responds to the country’s public education’s need for reliable resource materials in the time when fake news and data is spread, hints Dir. Burgos to the public school administrators and science and technology teachers attending the turn-over rites.

Citing a data from the Department of Education, the science and technology expert at DOST said only 1% of public libraries are functional libraries.

Of the statement, DEPED Bohol Division Superintendent Dr. Wilfreda Bongalos can only nod shyly in agreement.

And with the dire need for resource materials stocked in libraries, getting tapped to the internet, could at least plug certain gaps, teachers have said.

In the Philippines however, only 24% of the country’s schools are connected to the information superhighway, Dir Burgos cites records that were set two years ago.

"Even if it has significantly increased in the couple of years," Dir Burgos went on hinting that "the situation of giving students the cutting edge technologies to hone on their talents skills and abilities is again, under-delivered."

And as to students and the community picking up unvalidated, under researched topics easily available and unrestricted to just anybody on the internet, the chances of somebody messing with the content goes exponentially high.

This could seriously jeopardize research conclusions and lead to faulty processes and fake news.

"As to STARBOOKS, the information is beyond reproach as the DOST curates the Science and Technology digital contents and this is offered offline so not anybody can mess with the content," Dir Burgos explained.

For STARBOOKS, the government assures it is true, well researched and is destined to help pupils and students understand science and technology concepts in an era of fake news, Burgos stressed.

An offline resource that can be accessed by students for free, STARBOOKS can be had by students without paying for any access, he said.

STARBOOKS contain educational videos for science and mathematics students, documentary videos, supplemental materials related to science and technology supplemental readings, disaster and risk reduction processes, instructional videos, and still several more resource than can help anyone learn, DOST explained.

According to Dr. Bongalos, the 59 kiosks which the DOST gave to Bohol public schools form a little over 5% of the total public schools in the province.

Even then, Dr Bongalos excitedly shared an experience of a student computer programmer who would be representing Bohol to the next ICT Summit competitions.

She also relayed that DepED has seen the results recently, and Bohol’s science and technology students are now excelling in their different fields of work.

Knowing that much could still be done to sustain on the victories of the public schools, Bongalos then pleaded for the DOST to prioritize Bohol in its STARBOOKS saturation drives.

While DOST did not commit to the request for Bohol STARBOOKS saturation drive, many believe that helping Bohol’s public schools could be the last and only chance poor students and pupils can have free hands-on trainings on computer based lessons otherwise they would learn the hard way. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

DepEd Division Superintendent Wilfreda Bongalos teased DOST STII Executive Director Richard Burgos to get Bohol public schools saturated with the digital science and technology kiosks, during the turn-over of 59 STARBOOKS here in Bohol. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)