Discuss: Why Isnt E-learning Popular In Thailand?

[mobiryder]

I'd like to hear teacher's with experience in Thailand's thoughts on this subject.

Why is taking e-courses online in overseas university's not popular? Granted farang tuitions are a bit expensive, but surely this can't be the only reason. Surely there are plenty of middle income Thai families that have the money to cover farang online course tuitions in return for getting their son/daughter a golden 'USA/EU' degree?

Is it lack of funds?

Lack of computers?

Lack of understanding English well enough to work alone, online?

[aussiestyle1983]

I have always wondered the same thing. Open Universities Australia has over 30 or so degrees to choose from that can all be done (not necessarily completely online) via correspondence by anyone and from anywhere in the world. The tuition fees for international students are $195 per unit or class higher that Australian citizens, making a degree made up from 24 classes about $4600 AUD more expensive. Having said that, the total degree cost will still be about $20,000 AUD, which is not that bad IMHO, especially compared to what on-campus students pay or what some international programs overseas charge. Should the student succeed, they will get a degree from an Aussie Uni to hang on the wall. There is also no entry criteria. Having said that, the quality of students is kept high by the academic standards. It is not easy to pass and many students fail. So the ones that think it will be a bludge or a quick degree soon fail units and start to learn otherwise. I have a feeling based on my own experiences that Thai students (especially ones with limited English abilities) would find it very hard to pass and even cope with the workload required of many western universities online programmes such as those offered through OUA. I've taught English to full time Thai students that never studdied, they simply get good points for attendance and that was enough to get a degree. Online learning doesn't work like that. I just don't think a Thai would manage as well the with the workload. Two to Five essays, a research report of two, weekly online discussion forum participation, reading reviews, an inviligated exam at a place like the Australian embassy on a set date and at a set time by the university where it would be very hard to cheat and worse of all, timed online exams that have 60 or so multiple choics and short answer questions that you can only log into on a certain day that you can only log into once, all within 13 week semesters. I think a young Thai straight from a top international high school who has yet to experience Thai uni might have a very good chance of passing, but one that has spent a year or two in the Thai university system would find it hard to kep up with and adapt to the higher workload. But yes, why don't a lot of Thais study from overseas distance learning Uni programmes? Any stats? After all, if they wanted to migrate to an overseas country, having a degree from a university in That country would help. OUA has many students studying in India (Indians). The Indian degree is not recognised in Australia in many cases so the smart ones will get their IT degree through OUA and use it to migrate as a skilled migrant. Very smart. They will have done only one degree and when they get to Australia their bachelors will be recognised, unlike the poor sods I used to know who were cleaners in the rail system using their low cleaning wage to pay for a bachelors degree in Australia, after allready having a masters and in some cases even a PHd from India.

Edited February 27, 2008 by aussiestyle1983

[mbkudu]

Maybe the cultural experience of going overseas and studying in an environment with face to face contacts with people and places rather than a computer screen? I don't know the answer for them, but that is why I chose not to study online. I guess everybody has their preferred methods.

[aussiestyle1983]

For every class I've done there has been study groups organised that get together once or twice a week to discuss things, and quite often there have been more than twenty students in a study group. The tutors even organise these groups that are sometimes mandatory to attend once or twice. Even when I started my degree in Thailand, in one class I was able to meet with two other students that were in Bangkok doing the same course, I though that was pretty unique and didn't realise just how popular distance education was. So there can always be face to face contact, even in distance education as long as some students and tutors get of their ass and organise study groups. Some classes are completly by correspondence, meaning no online course component and no computre needed. Maybe Thai students just have so much time on their hands that they don't need to study online and via distance education? Maybe they have nothing else to do than attend a university campus? I don't know, I chose online study because of the convienence of being able to plan my studdies around my life rather than having to plan my life around my studdies. Lifestyle is more important to me than sitting in a boring lecture hall when I'm told to. How many on campus students are able to get ahead financially in their life, earn a 110K AUD plus salary whislt working full time in a fun job with a lot of responsibility, save shit loads of money for a mortgage all whilst being a full time uni student? Not many me thinks. Thank god for technology and distance education.

Edited February 27, 2008 by aussiestyle1983

[Ijustwannateach]

Most of the Thais I know who speak English well enough that their academic English skills would be sufficient to do any kind of degree in a native-speaking country also have enough money that they have actually gone to those countries to study.

[aussiestyle1983]

This thread was never about Thais going overseas to study. It is obvious that many Thai's go overseas to study at foriegn universities; there are quite large numbers of Thai students in Sydeny as far as I know.

This thread was discussing why E-learning didn't seem to be popular amongst Thai's, which could refer to on-line learning and learning through correspondence.

I have actually never seem a lot of advertising done by overseas foriegn universities for their online courses anyway. i have only ever seen the occasional TV ad or banner outside a Thai uni that offers exchange student or such programmes. Besides that, I ge tthe feeling that online learning is mostly targeted at students from that country that are looking for an alternative to on campus study. I would never consider doing an online learning programme through a university in a different country. I think most Thais would do online learning or distance education from their own Thai universities; I think if they want a foriegn degre thay would actually go overseas and become on campus students, like most of them do. The same would apply to me, If I wanted a Thai degree I'd actually be an on campus student in Thailand, I wouldn't consider doing a thai degree online. I just think that this does not only apply to Thais, but applies to everyone. I feel the majority of online students are doing degrees from universities in their country of origin. If that is so, The lack of Thai's doing e-learning courses in foriegn institutions is irrelevant. I feel most brits would go through online courses in the UK, most ozzies go through online courses in ozand the same for everyone else including Thai. I could have gone to start my degre in a Thai uni whilst living there, but finding OUA gave me the option of getting a degree from my country of origin in a more convienent way.

Edited February 27, 2008 by aussiestyle1983

[Ijustwannateach]

Well, I thought I offered a possible answer to the question, and I'll try again: Thais aren't really interested in online study because the ones whose English is good enough to do it generally have enough money to go overseas. In other words, the target market doesn't choose to stay here to study (as e-students).

[aussiestyle1983]

I just don't think foriegners are a target market to begin with. I think most of the online programmes are targetet at local students who can't attend on-campus anyway. Like you said, and I tried to say, thais and all foriegners that want a degree from an overseas will most of the time travel overseas to study. If Thais can afford foriegn university fees at western universities, they can also afford to travel there. I just don't think many foriegn e-learning programmes give a toss about Thailand or the Thai market, just as most foriegners couldn't give a toss about studying e-learning through a Thai uni, especially when a home degree would be better recognised and most likely not cost much more that the international Thai uni fees.

[mobiryder]

Lots of great information here, thanks guys.

There was mention of 'if they have firm grasp of English, they probably have the money to go oversees and get their degree'... It was my theory that with the growing middle to middle-upperclasses in Thailand, that an online university program would be much more cost effective for them. Yes, affluent Thai families would just assume send their kid overseas to get that coveted overseas degree, along with the cultural experience. But what about the middle classes? I'd think that the cost of an online degree along would be a win-win deal for them. They get the Western-quality education and degree, they can still be with their family, friends etc etc and more important (for the middle classes), they don't have to pay to ship their kid away, and pay for room and board, and all the other expenses a student living on his/her own abroad would incur.

What if they had excellent, bilingual, Thai tutors to assist them?

What if they had in-person study groups as a supplement?

[mobiryder]

bump for higher education

[mbkudu]

Personal and future business contacts are more important to Asian students than the education itself. Most Thai students study their undergraduate degree in Thailand to make initial connections with Thais (the more affluent and connected the better) and then do their graduate degrees overseas to make international contacts and gain experience.

Considering how weak the US dollar is in comparison to the Thai baht, there couldn't be a better time than now for a Thai student to study in the US.

Edited March 19, 2008 by mbkudu

[Tyke]

I'd like to hear teacher's with experience in Thailand's thoughts on this subject.

Why is taking e-courses online in overseas university's not popular? Granted farang tuitions are a bit expensive, but surely this can't be the only reason. Surely there are plenty of middle income Thai families that have the money to cover farang online course tuitions in return for getting their son/daughter a golden 'USA/EU' degree?

Is it lack of funds?

Lack of computers?

Lack of understanding English well enough to work alone, online?

Hi,

I don't have much experience of teaching in Thailand but was an online learner myself with the UK OU, course developer and staff trainer in a univ in London until a few years ago when E-learning was just taking off. I arrived in Thailand and there was very little to offer in terms of online learning and what was on offer was mainly delivery of content. I don't know if it has progressed much.

Anyway, I think the reasons for take-up of e-learning is very complex and individual, but it also depend largely on what and how it is delivered. The delivery is crucial because it doesn't take much to put students off if they think a course is boring or worthless. I think staff training in Thailand probably needs attention just judging it from hearsay. And this does not only apply to Thai teachers but some of the most ignorant and opposed teachers were those from my own uni. Somehow ignorance of the objectives and skills required to successfully engage students seem to lead to some teachers thinking they will be replaced by computers, which is the opposite of the truth.

Looking at Thai students, I think most of the many reasons given for why they don't take up e-learning are all true. There won't be a single reason and different students have different reasons. But I think the student 'experience' of living (and shopping!) overseas and away from their oppressive? parents for richer students is a great incentive. That experience gives them greater language skills, greater networking and new friends, more parties?, wonderful shopping etc, etc.

What may be another crucial point is that e-learning 'empowers' students to take more responsibility for their own learning and this may be where Thai students have a culture shock as they are, I am told, spoon fed didactically from birth. So better training of students on how to use E-learning and its benefits is very important and often ignored, as trainers often focus on the teachers. It is very important to make sure that e-learning is not used as a cheap and easy means to deliver content in place of teachers. It is different from face-to-face teaching, not always a replacement. It is also important to make sure the students benefit from logging in and participating in discussions (collaborative learning), either because it prepares them better for assessment or forms part of it. As we all know, students rarely do anything in their learning unless it counts. I also am not sure how much coursework Thai students usually have to do but it is usually very important in E-learning to keep the students engaged (so designing assignments to reduce plagiarism becomes very important). So if Thai students are used to doing little during term time then get through exams by cheating, E-learning would be a great shock.

These are just a few things I would like to mention that may be relevant to the Thai situation.

[Xangsamhua]

I do know Thais who are doing graduate studies online. It suits, for example, mothers and people who don't want to go overseas because of their commitments here. It is an excellent option if done from a legitimate university and, as Aussiestyle pointed out, the requirements are demanding and the quality of online discussion is high.

I have been doing an online MA for the last few years from an Australian university and have found among my classmates people currently living in Canada, the US, Austria, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, from memory. No Thais, though the course I've been doing (MA Theology) probably wouldn't attract many from LOS.