Nearly 300 students and educators from Holy Child Central Colleges, Inc. (HCCCI) and its partner institution, Sto. Nino College Foundation, Inc., explored innovative approaches to teaching and learning during an International Masterclass on “Gamification in Education” led by Malaysian educator Ms. Suhaili Binti Din on September 21, 2026, at HCCCI Campus 1.

The masterclass brought together approximately 296 participants, including 165 participants from HCCCI’s College of Teacher Education (CTE) and 131 participants from Sto. Nino College Foundation, Inc., creating a shared learning environment where future educators and academic communities could engage with an international perspective on contemporary classroom practice.

Ms. Din, a Visiting Professor from the Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (MIIT), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), introduced participants to the concept and application of gamification in education. Her discussion explored how game-inspired elements can be thoughtfully incorporated into learning activities to encourage participation, interaction, and learner engagement.

Rather than treating gamification simply as the addition of games to classroom instruction, the masterclass emphasized the importance of aligning innovative approaches with learning objectives and meaningful educational outcomes. Participants were encouraged to consider how gamification can be adapted to different subjects, learning environments, and learner needs.

The International Masterclass was conducted under ORBIT, HCCCI’s flagship institutional program for expanding learning, professional development, and international engagement opportunities, through the HCCCI Adult Learning Institute (HALI).

As an initiative under ORBIT, HALI provides structured opportunities for reskilling, bridging, training, lifelong learning, and internationalization. Its programs are designed to connect members of the HCCCI community and its academic partners with relevant expertise, emerging practices, and learning opportunities that extend beyond conventional academic instruction.

The Masterclass serves as one of HALI’s learning platforms, providing participants with focused opportunities to engage with specialists, practitioners, and international educators on timely and relevant areas of knowledge. Through this mechanism, HCCCI can bring external and international expertise directly into its learning environment while creating opportunities for continuous professional and academic development.

The Gamification in Education masterclass demonstrates how ORBIT, through HALI, can translate international partnerships into accessible learning opportunities. Instead of limiting internationalization to overseas mobility, conferences, or formal institutional meetings, the initiative brings global perspectives directly to students, faculty, and partner institutions.

The engagement with Ms. Din also reflects HCCCI’s effort to bring ASEAN perspectives, educational practices, professional values, and emerging initiatives into the institution. Exposure to international approaches allows participants to compare educational contexts, examine relevant practices, and consider how these approaches may be adapted appropriately to Philippine learning environments.

In this sense, the masterclass functions not only as a learning session but also as a bridging mechanism between international knowledge and local educational practice—supporting reskilling, capacity-building, and the continuous development of the HCCCI community.

The participation of Ms. Din strengthened the academic connection between HCCCI and UniKL, providing a direct avenue for international knowledge exchange. Bringing an educator from Malaysia into HCCCI’s learning environment allowed participants to engage with ideas and practices from another higher education context without leaving the campus.

The involvement of Sto. Nino College Foundation, Inc. further expanded the reach of the initiative. Its 131 participants joined HCCCI’s 165 participants in a shared international learning experience, demonstrating how institutional partnerships can extend the benefits of international engagement beyond a single campus.

The masterclass advances Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education through continuous learning, international knowledge exchange, and exposure to innovative teaching approaches. It supports SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth by providing opportunities for reskilling, professional development, and the acquisition of competencies relevant to evolving educational and workplace environments.

The initiative also contributes to SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure through its exploration of innovative and technology-informed approaches to education, while SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals is reflected in the academic engagement between HCCCI and UniKL and the participation of HCCCI’s partner institution.

For HCCCI, ORBIT provides the institutional framework for turning learning and internationalization into continuing opportunities for the community, while HALI provides a mechanism through which these opportunities can be delivered through structured learning programs such as Masterclasses.

Through ORBIT, HALI Masterclasses, visiting professor engagements, and international academic partnerships, HCCCI continues to create pathways for reskilling, bridging, training, knowledge exchange, and international learning.

The Gamification in Education masterclass demonstrates this approach in practice: an international academic connection was transformed into a learning opportunity that brought an ASEAN perspective directly to HCCCI and its partner community, helping participants explore new ideas while strengthening the institution’s broader commitment to lifelong learning, innovation, and internationalization.