Imminent shake-up of Thai higher education is inevitable

[webfact]

OPINION

Imminent shake-up of Thai higher education is inevitable

By Suthichai Yoon 
The Nation

 

The new deputy education minister, Udom Kachinthorn, has handed universities a four-pronged directive, one of which is to address the country’s development goal of Thailand 4.0

How that will be aligned with the second directive – to meet the demands of an ageing society – is equally vague. 

 

The third directive is for all colleges to promote research that leads to practical uses, while the fourth is to merge all disciplines together so that graduates are versatile in all fields.

 

A few days after I read about the deputy minister’s instructions, a more down-to-earth analysis of the country’s education system came from the top administrator of a private institution: Bangkok University president Petch Osathanugrah.

 

He didn’t go as far as to say that higher-education institutions are now facing real crisis. But what he did say suggested that without genuine and thorough reform, we are headed towards major disaster.

 

“In this digital age, things are changing very rapidly. I am afraid that nowadays, students may have better ideas than teachers and faculty members. In terms of digital marketing, for example, some bright students may know more than their instructors,” the university rector told website The Matter.

 

He was asked about what kind of graduates the market now requires – a question that prompted a very “digital” answer:

 

“I am in the business world myself. I can tell you that during interviews for new recruits, we don’t even bother to ask what university the interviewee went to – or whether he or she had graduated with honours or not. I don’t even know what courses my staff members took in college. What we really care about is the kind of experience they have. The most important question is: Can they think?”

 

Can our college students think? Or, to be more precise, are they being taught to think? Even more important, can their teachers and instructors think?

 

Even if university administrators believe they are doing all they can to put their institutions through real reform, there remains the larger question of whether they are able to think about change in our new digital age.

 

Here, the proposal for a “University of Everywhere” – made by Kevin Carey in his book “The End of College” – strikes me as a timely reminder of where dramatic changes need to be made in Thailand’s higher-education ecosystem.

 

Carey cites the unlikely collaboration between MIT and Harvard University – previously arch-rivals – to form a new online educational resource that makes lectures available for free for the whole world.

 

He writes: “At the University of Everywhere, educational resources that have been scarce and expensive for centuries will be abundant and free. Anything that can be digitised – books, lecture videos, images, sounds and increasingly powerful digital learning environments – will be available to anyone in the world with an Internet connection.”

 

The university admission process – which has always been the single most painful, wasteful and hopelessly ineffective way of getting a college education – could become obsolete if this new concept is finally accepted in Thailand.

 

Carey explains in his book: “The idea of ‘admission’ to college will become an anachronism, because the University of Everywhere will be open to everyone. It won’t, in fact, be a single place or institution at all. The next generation of students will not waste their teenage years jostling for spots in a tiny number of elitist schools. Their educational experience will come from dozens of organisations, each specialising in different aspects of human learning.”

 

Most exciting for Thailand and other countries that face the problem of limited funding for higher-learning is the proposition that this new idea will be a global institution.

 

“The University of Everywhere will span the earth. The students will come from towns, cities and countries in all cultures and societies, members of a growing global middle class who will transform the experience of  higher education … the intense tutorial education that has historically been the province of kings and princes will be available to anyone in the world.”

 

Whether Thai universities like it or not, and whether we are ready for it or not, the real shake-up is just around the corner.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30335334

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-04

[Somtamnication]

Pipe dream, wet dream, a Thai dream of hope and empty boxes of promises. Good luck, children. 

[Smiley Face]

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

Can our college students think? Or, to be more precise, are they being taught to think? Even more important, can their teachers and instructors think?

 

No . . . and, no . . . and, NOOOOOOO !   

 

Thinking requires work so, NFW!

[greenchair]

Sounds like my 12 year olds vision for the future essay assignment. 

In future lala land.....there will be. ......

[PatOngo]

Can our college students think? Or, to be more precise, are they being taught to think? Even more important, can their teachers and instructors think?

 

Therein lies the problem!.......................I think I'll have somtam for lunch!

Edited January 3, 2018 by PatOngo

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Udom Kachinthorn, has handed universities a four-pronged directive

How about a fifth prong directive?

5. Remove corruption from the education industry. 

                      - particularly buying appointments, promotions and qualifications.

[Samui Bodoh]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“At the University of Everywhere, educational resources that have been scarce and expensive for centuries will be abundant and free. Anything that can be digitised – books, lecture videos, images, sounds and increasingly powerful digital learning environments – will be available to anyone in the world with an Internet connection.”

It is very true that information will be/is available to all with an Internet connection. However information, without the skill of thinking critically, is just noise and bluster. If you cannot use that information in a productive manner, then what good is it?

 

The other point that is missing is the benefit derived from being in an atmosphere of learning. In my university days, at least half of the benefit came from the interaction with my fellow students and profs; I learned more in late night discussions than I did in actual classes. Take away that interaction(s), and you will lose half of the benefit. 

 

Higher education faces some serious challenges, but simply putting everything on-line isn't a solution.

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Samui Bodoh

[mikebell]

Colleges admit no-hopers; take their (parents') money for four years; give them a worthless paper qualification; turn their students out into the brutal world of work: end of story.

[JAG]

Colleges admit no-hopers; take their (parents') money for four years; give them a worthless paper qualification; turn their students out into the brutal world of work: end of story.

Not quite the end of the story.
The parents money and/or connections then gets them into a job, where the cycle of buying advancement and recouping that investment continues.

The ones whose parents are without money or connections face the brutal world, no matter how able they may be.

Sent from my KENNY using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

Colleges admit no-hopers; take their (parents') money for four years; give them a worthless paper qualification; turn their students out into the brutal world of work: end of story.

And that's what's made it the great country it is!

[Kasset Tak]

Thailand 4.0... make everything digital and then it will work better... even animal husbandry/science that I teach!?
At the moment we got directive that we need to use:
Smart classrooms (1 out of our 40 classrooms is digitalized...)
All record taking of presence needs to be recorded on the school server (we don't have school-wide internet/WiFi... not even a server)

Blended learning and have all courses digitalized (but no directive on what platform to use... )

And so on...

And how will the students become better when the teachers don't try to get better?! Every month I take 1 or 2 courses on my free time to learn more and I try to read as much as I can so I at least know what is happening out there... almost none of my Thai coworkers does that!!!

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, JAG said:

Not quite the end of the story.
The parents money and/or connections then gets them into a job, where the cycle of buying advancement and recouping that investment continues.

The ones whose parents are without money or connections face the brutal world, no matter how able they may be.

Sent from my KENNY using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

And the essence of that scenario is everywhere.

 

Wealth, connections, being from the right family, power - open doors. Ability, meritocracy, fairness - forget it!

[scorecard]

“In this digital age, things are changing very rapidly. I am afraid that nowadays, students may have better ideas than teachers and faculty members. In terms of digital marketing, for example, some bright students may know more than their instructors,” ...

 

Well said, and many visiting professors try to do this in the class room. Ninety nine % of Thai professors don't encourage thinking, asking questions, contribution to discussions, etc., some even still demand silence.

 

In reality the vast majority of Thai uni students have come through the Thai P and M government education system and it shows strongly in the uni class room. All of this has been said a thousand times before, and until the pedagogy changes at the P and M level, even kindergarten level the uni students will remain silent, they will continue the class room behaviors demanded / mandated at P and M level and because the Thai uni professors keep them silent.

 

Worst case examples are full graduate students who are still in the 'sit nicely and be quiet' mode and can't analyse, can't think, can't formulate an answer specific to a case study. etc.  I've had graduate students in MBA programs who start a new case study and quickly say it's too difficult and ask for the answer. 

 

I tell them 'there is no perfect answer, your challenge is to analyse the whole situation and the surrounding environment, future anticipated trends etc., and construct a recommendation'. many find this very difficult to believe 'no perfect answer,' that's not possible.

 

A twist,  a couple of years back a Thai professor (in an English program) was teaching organization behavior to MBA students (Thai and foreign exchange students), the students were not allowed to ask questions. The lecturer got sick and I was assigned to complete the course. I instantly prompted discussion (slow but it developed progressively), and gave many real examples to reinforce the learning points.

 

Students mentioned that they had tried to ask for examples from the Thai professor but were rebuffed for being rude (asking questions) and with the response, 'you don't need examples, just read the textbook'.

 

A long way to go and the change needs to happen at kindergarten. 

 

As an end result, still major complaints from employers that new graduates can't contribute.

 

 

[scorecard]

33 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

Thailand 4.0... make everything digital and then it will work better... even animal husbandry/science that I teach!?
At the moment we got directive that we need to use:
Smart classrooms (1 out of our 40 classrooms is digitalized...)
All record taking of presence needs to be recorded on the school server (we don't have school-wide internet/WiFi... not even a server)

Blended learning and have all courses digitalized (but no directive on what platform to use... )

And so on...

And how will the students become better when the teachers don't try to get better?! Every month I take 1 or 2 courses on my free time to learn more and I try to read as much as I can so I at least know what is happening out there... almost none of my Thai coworkers does that!!!

 

Read, be aware, etc...

 

I regularly ask my bachelor and graduate students:

 

- Who read a Thai or foreign newspaper in print or on-line yesterday - none

- Who read a Thai or foreign newspaper in print or on-line in the last year - none

- Who watches a news program on TV or on social media sites regularly - none

- What was the major news item in Thailand in the news in the last 48 hours - no response

- Who should give way when two vehicles are closely approaching a 4 way intersection - no response, in fact I've had students who respond with 'are there laws about that'?

 

Enough said...

 

 

[greenchair]

There is only one problem with digital learning. 

Unfortunately the user needs to be able to read. ?

[Orton Rd]

Thai digital learning- fb, line, minecraft, candycrush 

[orchidlady]

I think some of you are being too critical. I teach critical thinking skills to my first and second year uni students. After several years trying to teach the program set by administrators (similar to freshman philosophy courses in the west!) I have found the perfect resources for my students online. I used to white out the "suitable for grades 3-5" (western students) but now just leave it as is. They don't think it's insulting.

If I give them 3x the recommended time, probably 30 % can get the correct answer brainstorming in groups. This is tremendous progress; three years ago in past classes maybe 10 percent could get the answers with hints from me! So in 10 years, if they were still studying, maybe they will be able to handle critical thinking lesson plans for grades 5-8. Unfortunately the world will have passed them by at that time.

[Sir Dude]

Firstly, it's counterintuitive to be concerned about whether students can think or are being taught any critical thinking, when as soon as they join society and work, the patronage system that steadfastly still holds sway kicks in and they are told their position and what to think without questioning stuff by their older superiors. The ones that don't like this will probably leave to work abroad so there is a brain drain here too.

 

Secondly, until university here actually becomes university instead of an extension of high school where every baffoon is automatically accepted, does little and graduates as an incompetent example of what they studied and that, in turn, perpetuates mediocrity into the system/economy at all levels...then this is simply La La Land thinking. 

 

There needs to be great change in society, culture and the high schools for this to fly properly as by the time they get to university it is basically hopelessly too late for a large majority of students. Speak to 80% of the first year freshers at any university hear and they can't really speak a work of English despite having studied it in a classroom for 13 years which begs the question about what on earth they are doing at high school. The universities can't be expected to wave a magic wand and dispel all ills and bad ingrained practices from a failed elementary school system, that rejects reform strongly, in such short order. Methinks they are looking at the wrong part of the education spectrum.

 

Thirdly, many colleges/universities (schools too) are privately run businesses (often family ones too) and I often can't help thinking that paying bums-on-seats is much more of a priority than delivering meaningful modern education and the methodology to go with it. The autonomous universities here seem a lot better as they appear to be properly funded and that frees them up to be more centric on educational endeavors but these universities are always under pressure to take more students each year from the government than they probably would if left to their own devices.

 

There is much more to why this is a non-starter really, even if they change stuff to make it look good, but I'll leave it there and it will take another generation to see some real change when most of the dinosaurs that hold power are gone.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Sir Dude
Typos

[Sir Dude]

Double post

Edited January 4, 2018 by Sir Dude

[Srikcir]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

merge all disciplines together so that graduates are versatile in all fields

What ?????

Heart transplant - no problem

Install a water pump - ok

Operate a nuclear reactor - easy

Design a bridge - simple

Plan a marketing program - perfect

The only think these graduates will be versatile in is a Field of Dreams.

 

 

[Laughing Gravy]

Whilst the idea maybe a good one first the grass root level of education at school needs to be addressed first. then at university the 'bar' needs to be raised dramatically. Get rid of multiple choice questions in exams (I kid you not), along with the idea of A and B grades. The culture of cheating must be addressed as this is endemic in Thai universities. the standard of education is sub par by far to the west and the minister needs to be truthful and look at a long term approach. Stopping 15 and 16 year olds joining  university from international schools would also help.

 

The whole system needs a complete revamp. Sadly I have heard this all before and it comes and goes. Having students thinking critically is great with enquiry based learning but these are not just buzz words but concepts that needs to be used throughout the education system. By the time they get to university many students only know one way of learning, which is usually route learning.

[seminomadic]

9 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

It is very true that information will be/is available to all with an Internet connection. However information, without the skill of thinking critically, is just noise and bluster. If you cannot use that information in a productive manner, then what good is it?

 

The other point that is missing is the benefit derived from being in an atmosphere of learning. In my university days, at least half of the benefit came from the interaction with my fellow students and profs; I learned more in late night discussions than I did in actual classes. Take away that interaction(s), and you will lose half of the benefit. 

 

Higher education faces some serious challenges, but simply putting everything on-line isn't a solution.

 

 

Agreed. But the problems vis a vis Thais are more venal and primitive than that - their interactions at uni with fellow students are about forming cliques, mostly for sharing homework when they're not dancing, cheering, hitting drums and other such cacophonies. 

 

The University of Everywhere has this pink balloon feel to it, but overlooks some extremely vital points covered by brick and mortar colleges:

- How will feedback on classroom performance & progress come?

- How will questions be fielded?

- How are you going to teach writing?

 

MIT & Harvard should move forward on the project. Thai universities should serve Thais by following suit, putting classes, books and lectures online for free. The world will not be a worse place for it; but in all likelihood MIT/Harvard's University of Oz will serve those on an academic track best in a supplemental capacity. 

[Rhys]

Where do they find these so-called educational wannabes?   "I'm in business myself, and.... thus I know it all...." Bite the 45 Cholster special.   Reminds me of a  University president that had such grandiose delusions as a Leading Academic in ELL...  CH felt that having a certain, million baht, Speaking TALk and TEXT program for students would enable all students, especially freshman to attain the CEFR level 2.. when the school rated  0.5....... HUB of Wannabes.. but drive on... 

[Rhys]

6 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Read, be aware, etc...

 

I regularly ask my bachelor and graduate students:

 

- Who read a Thai or foreign newspaper in print or on-line yesterday - none

- Who read a Thai or foreign newspaper in print or on-line in the last year - none

- Who watches a news program on TV or on social media sites regularly - none

- What was the major news item in Thailand in the news in the last 48 hours - no response

- Who should give way when two vehicles are closely approaching a 4 way intersection - no response, in fact I've had students who respond with 'are there laws about that'?

 

Enough said...

 

 

 Forgot to add the most significant:  Where and what are we eating for dinner? 

[scorecard]

9 hours ago, JAG said:

Not quite the end of the story.
The parents money and/or connections then gets them into a job, where the cycle of buying advancement and recouping that investment continues.

The ones whose parents are without money or connections face the brutal world, no matter how able they may be.

Sent from my KENNY using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

There's truth in your comment however with more and more clever competition, locally / regionally / globally, plenty of Thai companies expect focus and performance and pay for real performance because it's linked to business performance and to survival, and the non-performers fall by the wayside.

 

A different point, there are more and more young Thai performers who want to work for ethical companies and if they realize some folks are getting big pay rises and promotions which are non fair they will move along. This trend is slowly happening and I hope it gains momentum.

 

I'm tempted to name some of the more ethical Thai companies where performance is recognised and is fair but ...

 

 

Edited January 4, 2018 by scorecard

[JAG]

3 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

There's truth in your comment however with more and more clever competition, locally / regionally / globally, plenty of Thai companies expect focus and performance and pay for real performance because it's linked to business performance and to survival, and the non-performers fall by the wayside.

 

A different point, there are more and more young Thai performers who want to work for ethical companies and if they realize some folks are getting big pay rises and promotions which are non fair they will move along. This trend is slowly happening and I hope it gains momentum.

 

I'm tempted to name some of the more ethical Thai companies where performance is recognised and is fair but ...

 

 

I'm very glad to hear both points, I really am.

I remember having a late night conversation with a young man, who spoke excellent English, in a 7/11 up here in Chiang Rai last year. he was a graduate of Chiang Mai University, I forget which discipline. I asked him what he was doing working in a 7 /11, he explained that his father had a hardware shop, and no real connections...

 

He is not there now, so I hope that his obvious talent had got him somewhere.

[robblok]

30 minutes ago, JAG said:

I'm very glad to hear both points, I really am.

I remember having a late night conversation with a young man, who spoke excellent English, in a 7/11 up here in Chiang Rai last year. he was a graduate of Chiang Mai University, I forget which discipline. I asked him what he was doing working in a 7 /11, he explained that his father had a hardware shop, and no real connections...

 

He is not there now, so I hope that his obvious talent had got him somewhere.

JAG and I can tell you stories of friends who had no connections but made it because of their university education (ok they were top tier performers). Though I must say they work for international companies and prefer it when there is a foreign boss instead of a Thai one because they like the foreign style more. 

 

Its possible and times are changing, but even back in the Netherlands when I worked at a stock broker firm, a guy who had almost no education but good contacts with friends at the big banks and knew rich people got a nice 25K$ a month pay working just a few hours only because of his contacts. (and he made loads of money because of it). So where ever you are your contacts will play an important role. 

 

Plus just speaking English is not going to get you a good job if that is all you can do. (many foreigners seem to think its some kind of super ability a Thai need to be capable of).

Edited January 4, 2018 by robblok

[Dap]

10 hours ago, greenchair said:

There is only one problem with digital learning. 

Unfortunately the user needs to be able to read. ?

Directly to the point!

[nausea]

11 hours ago, greenchair said:

There is only one problem with digital learning. 

Unfortunately the user needs to be able to read. ?

English.

[KhaoNiaw]

11 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Read, be aware, etc...

 

I regularly ask my bachelor and graduate students:

 

- Who read a Thai or foreign newspaper in print or on-line yesterday - none

- Who read a Thai or foreign newspaper in print or on-line in the last year - none

- Who watches a news program on TV or on social media sites regularly - none

- What was the major news item in Thailand in the news in the last 48 hours - no response

- Who should give way when two vehicles are closely approaching a 4 way intersection - no response, in fact I've had students who respond with 'are there laws about that'?

 

Enough said...

 

 

And as an educator, what have you done about that?