Roberto Figueroa

Curriculum Vitae

Summary

With 20 years of teaching and technical experience in information technology and educational technology, Roberto Figueroa has been actively involved in blended and online education as well as various IT and educational research projects.

He is primarily interested in immersive technologies, specifically mixed, augmented, and virtual reality applications for educational purposes. He is involved in research projects that investigate climate projection, climate information services, language education technologies, collaborative online international learning, learning management systems, and learning analytics.

Website:  https://robertofigueroa.space

University Profile: https://fics.upou.edu.ph/faculty/roberto-b-figueroa-jr/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/robfigueroajr

Youtube Channel: https://goo.gl/Ug76cq

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Roberto_Figueroa6

Experience

  • Associate Professor, The University of the Philippines (January 2014 – Present)
  • Adjunct Lecturer (April 2022 – June 2022) International Christian University
  • Adjunct Lecturer (April 2020 – March 2022)Sundai College of Business & Foreign Languages (https://www.sundaigaigo.ac.jp/)
  • Learning Management Systems Project Lead -Consultant (January 2020 – March 2022) J-Global (https://www.j-global.com/)
  • PhD Candidate (May 2019-March 2022) International Christian University（国際基督教大学）
  • Research Scholar, Monbukagakusho/MEXT (April 2017 – June 2020)International Christian University（国際基督教大学）PhD Student and Research Assistant (September 2017 – Present)
  • Teaching Assistant (September 2018 – July 2020)
  • Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (東京外国語大学）Elementary Japanese Language Student　(April 2017 – September 2017)
  • Director, Phileosoft Solutions (February 2011 – December 2015)
  • Senior Programmer, Concentrix (October 2009 – March 2010)
  • Instructor, University of the Philippines (June 2004 – September 2009)
    • UP Los Banos
      • Instructor, Institute of Computer Science
      • NetLogo Simulation Modeler, Bee Program
    • UP Open University
      • Tutor, Faculty of Information and Communication Studies
    • World Agroforestry Centre 
      • IT Consultant, Agroforestry Information System. (March 2009 – September 2009)

Education

International Christian University

Doctor of Philosophy – PhD, Educational/Instructional Technology, 2017 – 2022  

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Japanese Language Preparation Course, Elementary Japanese, 2017 – 2017 

University of the Philippines

MS, Computer Science, 2005 – 2010

BS, Computer Science cum laude, 2000 – 2004 

Professional Organizations and Societies

Honors, Awards, Grants, and Scholarships

2004
  • Cum Laude (Bachelor of Science in Computer Science) 
  • UPLB CAS – Institute of Computer Science (ICS) Valedictorian, Class of 2004 
  • CAS Medal of Merit for Academic Excellence
2016 
  • Gawad Chancellor (Chancellor’s Award) for Outstanding Faculty 2016-2018 
  • One U.P. Faculty Award in Computer Science for Outstanding Teaching and Public Service 
  • Cognovo: Collaboratoire Summer School Fellowship.  University of Plymouth, UK
2017 
  • Monbukagakusho:MEXT (Japanese Government Scholarship for Research Student
  • Young Scholar Award, International Conference on Media in Education, University of Hawaii Manoa
2019 
  • Japan International Christian University Foundation Student Activity Grant 
  • One U.P. Faculty Award in Computer Science for Outstanding Teaching and Public Service 
  • University of the Philippines System Promotion System:  From Assistant Professor 1 to Assistant Professor 7 

Selected Publications

Figueroa Jr., R. B., Gil, F. A. P., Taniguchi, H., & Esguerra, J. R. (2022). Virtual Reality Photo-based Tours for Teaching Filipino Vocabulary in an Online Class in Japan: Transitioning into the New Normal. International Journal in Information Technology in Governance, Education and Business, 4(1), 29-41.

Figueroa Jr., R. B., Palma Gil, F. A., Taniguchi, H. 2022. Piloting Virtual Reality Photo-Based Tours among
Students of a Filipino Language Class: A Case of Emergency Remote Teaching in Japan. Avant: trends in
interdisciplinary studies 13(1). doi: 10.26913/avant.202208

Duggan, J. M., Fajardo, J. C. C., Figueroa Jr., R. B., Yassin, E., Dawson, W. P., & Jung, I. (2021). K-12 Education Responses to COVID-19: A Comparison of Five Countries. International Journal for Educational Media and Technology 15(1), 67-78

Figueroa Jr., R. B., Fajardo, J. C., Tan⁴, S. E., & Jung⁵, I. (2020). Developing and Evaluating a Website as an OER for Faculty Development.International Journal on Open and Distance e-Learning 6(1),15-24. 

Figueroa Jr., R.B., Mendoza, G. A. G., Fajardo, J. C. C., Tan, S. E., Yassin, E., & Thian, T. H. (2020). Virtualizing a University Campus Tour: A Pilot Study on its Usability and User Experience, and Perception. International Journal in Information Technology in Governance, Education and Business, 2(1), 1-8.

Torre, I., Lucznik, K., Francis, K.B., Maranan, D.S., Loesche, F., Figueroa Jr., R.B., Sakuta, A., Zaksaite, T.  Openness across disciplines: Reflecting on the ColLaboratoire summer school. (2020). Conrad, D. & Prinsloo, P. (eds), Open(ing) Education: Theory and Practice.  MA: Brill Sense. Preprint: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338704689_Openness_across_Disciplines_-_Reflecting_on_a_Multiple_Disciplinary_Summer_School

Jung, I., Mendoza, G., Fajardo, J., Tan, S., & Figueroa Jr., R.B. MOOCs in Six Emerging APEC Member Economies: Trends, Research and Recommendations.  (2019). Zhang, K., Bonk, C. J., Reeves, T. C., & Reynolds, T. H. (eds.), MOOCs and Open Education in Emerging Economies: Challenges, Successes, Opportunities. NY: Routledge. Preprint: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338644486_MOOCs_in_emerging_APEC_member_economies_Trends_innovations_and_impacts_In_K_Zhang_C_J_Bonk_T_C_Reeves_T_H_Reynolds_Eds_pp_199-211_MOOCs_and_Open_Education_in_the_Global_South_Challenges_Successes_and_

Bandalaria, M & Figueroa Jr., R. B. (2018). Philippine Massive Open Online Courses: A Lifelong Learning for All Strategy in a Developing Country’s Context. Journal of Southeast Asian Education 1(1), 35-46.   

DL Pugoy, R. A., DL Habito, C., & Figueroa Jr., R. B. (2016). Hybrid online/offline mobile solutions for accessing open educational resources in areas with poor internet connectivity. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 11(2), 182-196.

Pugoy, R. A. D., Ramos, R. C., Figueroa Jr., R.B., Rivera, M. H. C., Siritarungsri, B., Cheevakasemsook, A., … & Kaewsarn, P. (2016).  Augmented Reality in Nursing Education: Addressing the Limitations of Developing a Learning Material for Nurses in the Philippines and Thailand. International Journal of Open and Distance eLearning 2(1). 

Figueroa Jr., R. B., & Amoloza, E. M. (2015). Addressing Programming Anxiety among Non-Computer Science Distance Learners: A UPOU Case Study. International Journal, 9(1), 56-67.

Rabajante, J. F., Figueroa Jr., R., & Jacildo, A. J. (2009). Modeling the area restrict searching strategy of stingless bees, Trigona biroi, as a quasi-random walk process. Journal of Nature Studies, 8(2), 15-21.