Ethel Joan Atienza

Senior Program Officer SEAMEO INNOTECH

Ms Ethel Joan Atienza heads the School Leadership Development Unit under the Learning Development and Management Office at SEAMEO INNOTECH. 

With over 20 years of experience, Joan specialises in educational project management, international training, educational innovation, open and distance learning, instructional design, adult learning, and competency-based assessment. 

She has been instrumental in advancing SEAMEO INNOTECH's digital learning initiatives. As part of the team that pioneered the organization's online learning programs, she later led the development of its first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and was instrumental in transforming course materials into interactive digital learning resources, enabling the delivery of high-quality capacity-building programs at scale. 

Joan also introduced the macro- and micro-learning design approach, which has become the standard framework for developing SEAMEO INNOTECH's capacity-building programs. She led the development of the Center's first game-based learning product, integrating storytelling, decision-making, and professional learning to create an immersive learning experience for educators. 

She has successfully managed complex, multi-stakeholder and internationally-funded  projects. Joan earned her bachelor's degree in Journalism with honors and holds postgraduate degrees in Educational Management and Project Management. In recognition of her contributions to open and distance learning, she was named a finalist for the Asian Association of Open Universities' Meritorious Service Award.