Inside DLSU’s integrated hybrid learning model
Canvas is helping De La Salle University move beyond hybrid as a simple online/offline split to an approach fully embedded in teaching and learning.
The best thing about the Philippines is really the people. Education has always been important to me because really it's an investment. My main goal has always been to serve a higher purpose. That's why I chose to go through the field of law because I also want to put up my own law firm and do nonprofit projects and cases also for the Filipino people. Here in De La Salle University, we promote hybrid learning to support our students and faculty to be able to become twenty first century digital learners.
One important component for that is using Canvas as our LMS. Before the university decided to use Canvas, we were using different kinds of LMSs. Around twenty seventeen, we started to think of how we can adopt more a unified LMS because before each college or each departments are using their own LMSs that are usually free. That hinders collaboration because we cannot do monitoring, we cannot do analytics, and we have different standards. But because now we have one platform and everybody likes it, that helps sharing of information and collaborating with other departments, other colleges.
Canvas is tailored to cater to everyone. So every professor, every student, whether that's teaching or learning, because you have different features that are actually really, really important when it comes to student life. You have that communication and, the dissemination of really important information that is timely, relevant and pertinent to student life. I'm fairly new faculty. When I joined DLSU, we were introduced to using Canvas and in my experience, it's actually a very user friendly device or application.
If we want critically thinking students, we need quality content that is engaging and that will encourage them to think. And I've honestly feel that I've been able to achieve this with Canvas. It's very important to have an LMS like Canvas that allows students from different paces, students from different demographics to be able to continue learning. My favorite Canvas feature is most definitely the offline mode. So the offline mode is important, especially when you're traveling, because I believe most of the students here are actually from the province, so they have to travel around at least an hour or two every day, especially with the tough traffic.
They're able to access their modules offline. That's why offline mode is really important. The fact that Canvas is an open platform makes it very adaptable to many LTIs. We integrate a lot of LTIs in our own Canvas instance, as well as some of our researchers actually in the College of Computer Science do their own LTIs and ask us to integrate it to Canvas so they can try it. It's a very organized approach to managing one's course.
It's a lot easier than it looks and there's always a very generous set of tutorials being supplied by both Instructure and even the online community. If there is a university that is thinking of already of shifting to Canvas and just gives a needs just a little nudge, I think one of the best things about Canvas is the community. There's a lot of Canvas schools already, both, locally and internationally. And with that kind of community, it's like a support group. We've grown accustomed to using Canvas ever since the start of our university life.
So, we really can't live without it. It's our main mode of knowing what to do next in our university life. Now that I am a power user and also an administrator, I don't think I will recommend any other elements other than Canvas. I think it's the best there is. It's the gold standard, and it shows that it's one that is chosen by the top schools here in the Philippines and the top schools in other countries.
Hybrid learning has become a catch-all phrase in higher education. Too often it means little more than alternating days online and on campus. But at De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila, hybrid learning is something far more intentional. It’s a model that integrates technology into the fabric of teaching, while making learning more accessible and inclusive in the Philippine context.
Access that meets real needs
Connectivity in the Philippines is uneven, and many students commute long distances to attend classes in Manila. For first-year psychology student Phoebe Yu, Canvas’ offline mode has been crucial. “There was this one time I was going to the grocery store and I totally forgot that I had an upcoming quiz. Luckily, I still had my module open, so I just had to read while I was lining up. That definitely saved me a lot of time,” she said.
Other students at DLSU have also spoken about how Canvas helps them stay connected in challenging circumstances. Watch Deanna's story.
Michael Manguerra, Director of the Academic Support for Instructional Services and Technology (ASSIST) office, highlighted why these features matter.
“Some parts of the country don’t have good internet connection, but at least when students go to campus, they can download their content and consume it at home,” he explained. For him, access is a responsibility as much as a feature, ensuring that students from different backgrounds can continue learning.
Hybrid as pedagogy, not scheduling
That commitment to access has shaped how DLSU approaches hybrid learning. Faculty are rethinking how they teach, and students experience Canvas as a seamless part of their academic life.
“Here in De La Salle University we promote hybrid learning for our students and faculty to become 21st century digital learners. An important component for that is using Canvas as our LMS,” said Manguerra.
Faculty member Dominique Juntado noted that replicating lectures online can limit engagement. She restructured her courses into interactive activities, using Canvas features to create a point-and-click style “adventure game.” “With Canvas, I’m able to provide my students with that interactive educational environment,” she said.
For students, hybrid learning is supported by the flexibility of Canvas. Legal management student Aisha Khan described relying on the mobile app to stay on top of deadlines and announcements. “As a student, you always need to be on the go,” she said.
Innovation that extends beyond the classroom
This rethinking of pedagogy has also encouraged experimentation. Once faculty and students saw Canvas as more than a repository, they began to adapt it in creative ways.
Juntado’s gamified courses are one example. Students are also finding new applications: Yu shared how Canvas has been used to run student government elections, making participation easier across the campus.
At an institutional level, Manguerra’s team has integrated third-party tools into Canvas to streamline processes. Faculty evaluations, once plagued by low response rates, are now embedded in the platform. The change was immediate: response jumped from 15 percent to more than 50 percent in a single week. Canvas is also used for student organisations, administrative coordination, and targeted communications.
A partnership for long-term progress
These innovations are possible because DLSU sees Canvas as more than a tool. “We feel that we are stakeholders in this. We’re not just mere users of the product, but we also contribute to how the product evolves and responds to our needs,” said Manguerra.
That sense of partnership is shaping future plans. DLSU’s preparing to launch an Open University, offering MOOCs and online distance degrees through Canvas Catalog. As Manguerra put it, continuous updates and integrations give the university confidence that Canvas will grow alongside their ambitions.
Purpose and progress, through hybrid
Education at DLSU has always been connected to service and community. “Education is a seed towards planting a better future for yourself, your family, and if you’re searching for a higher purpose, your community,” said Khan.
Manguerra shared a similar perspective: “Whatever you learn here, you use it to serve back to the community, to serve back to the marginalised”.
That sense of responsibility reinforces why hybrid learning matters at DLSU. With Canvas, the university has created a model that works across settings, expands access for students from diverse backgrounds, and supports its broader mission to prepare graduates who can make a difference.
