Thailand Could Be Major E-Learning Hub In Region

[webfact]

EDUCATION

Thailand could be major e-learning hub in region

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Assoc Prof Kamjorn Tatiyakavee

Despite growing popularity of online education too few

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has hundreds of international programmes, especially in the country's top performing universities, luring thousands of students from different parts of the world, particularly from the Asean region to come and study in the Kingdom.

Distance education or e-learning can be an opportunity for Thailand to open up a new Asean educational market in which students can spend life at home while pursuing study at Thai universities rather than travelling here.

"Online education is the education of the future. More universities have requested us to review their online or e-learning programmes before they open them," said Assoc Prof Kamjorn Tatiyakavee, MD, deputy secretary-general at the Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC). "Many other universities have combined normal face-to-face teaching in classes with e-learning to enhance students' learning."

Associate Professor Chitapa Ketavan, dean of the Graduate School of eLearning (GSeL) at Assumption University (AU) and Assistant Professor Kanda Wongwailikhit, dean of RSU Cyber University faculty at Rangsit University (RSU), also agreed that distance education would become more popular among students as it was more convenient for them to study anytime, anywhere at a lower cost.

Although these educators see the growing popularity of online education, there are not many universities with international programmes in Thailand offering online or e-learning programmes. The first e-learning international programme was taught seven years ago in Thailand by AU, but other universities with international programmes have not yet offered this convenient style of education.

"Personally, I think we can help push forward the government's education-hub policy, but the government will have to issue a clear policy and strategy in terms of quality of education. Relevant agencies should also have a clear policy to follow and work in the same direction," Chitapa added.

"Before we promote our online programmes to open up the Asean market, we must ensure our quality first as well as enhance our English language to be acceptable among other countries that use English, otherwise we will fail," Kamjorn said.

He added that OHEC was planning to support the country's e-learning in terms of educational quality assurance. OHEC would use its Thailand Cyber University Project to check if online or e-leaning programmes of each university are trusted, if their students learn from interaction with lecturers and classmates, and the students' achievements are seriously assessed.

He said even e-learning programmes offered by foreign countries had not demonstrated real standards. "We have to consider the graduates' performance and how much society recognises them."

A source from the Office of the Civil Service Commission said it could not ensure it would certify all online or e-learning degrees from other countries for those who wanted to work as government officials. It would certify foreign degree on a case by case basis. The office had certified a graduate from a full online programme and another graduate from a combination programme of on and off campus classes from other countries.

But, for Thai degrees, it could not consider them case by case. It had certified degrees that were approved by OHEC.

Kanda said students at RSU Cyber University would interact with their lecturers and classmates about two to three hours a day and four days a week. Also, Dr Satha Phongsatha, programme director of the Master of Education in Teaching and Technolo-gy at GSeL, said apart from self-learning via gadgets, like mobile phones and tablets, students can also learn from their peers and lecturers via live videos through discussions. The lecturers themselves were active and available to via several online channels.

Students of both institutions said they were satisfied with the way they learned in online programmes and the cheaper expenses.

"We study harder [than those in face-to-face classes]. I have to do assignments and discuss with my lecturers and classmates online almost every day." said Sawinee Paktapong-pan, 26, a Thai master's degree student of GSeL, adding that she could read content and listen to her lessons when travelling by Skytrain.

Patariya Chaum, 23, a Thai bachelor's degree student of RSU, said she was happy that she could arrange her own time studying and she did not waste time and money travelling to classes.

"Being an online degree student, I can reaffirm that one has to work with a lot of dedication as you are not in a class physically. You have to meet the expectations and requirements, just as a traditional school would have you do. You must have time management and planning ahead of time, prioritising skills, be super-organised and efficient. If one has these qualities, then I think employers should be completely satisfied as these also happen to be the qualities desired in an organisational employee," said Rachnida Arora, 35, a Thai-Indian master's degree student of GSeL.

AU was the first international university offering international e-learning programmes, while RSU was the first university offering Thai e-learning programmes in Thailand.

According to Chitapa, for the past seven years GSeL has had 700 students from 28 countries, 25 per cent of them from other countries - from the US, Canada, China, Europe, Asia and Middle East.

"Many of them are also from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Singapore. The number of Thai and foreign students is increasing. We expect 10-per-cent growth in student enrolment," Chitapa said.

She said GSeL would use a proactive strategy to promote its programmes among people in Asean countries, asking for help from its partner Asean universities to introduce the programmes to more Asean students. Also its Asean alumni could represent GSeL to disseminate the information to them directly. "Our strength is lower tuition fees and recognition among Asean countries."

In response to growing demand in Thailand, RSU was preparing to open a new programme about management and administration, said Kanda.

-- The Nation 2012-11- 26

[Mosha]

How novel, another hub.

[Moruya]

They should put Thai schools in order first.

Electricity would be a good start and a curriculum that isn't 19th century

[Thai at Heart]

They going to host e learning through the internet hosted in bangkok.

Hope the students have some patience. Downloading the stream of the lecture might turn a 30 minute lecture into 2 hours.

[BuddhistVirus]

Hubba hubba

[asiawatcher]

eLearning has major advantages. The most important being the subject matter would be unopinionated (by the lecturer) and of course brighter students can move through the course at their own pace. It would also allow those wanting a degree the opportunity to achieve rather than rich daddy sending his hi-so child to Uni to get a degree when the child has no interest whatsoever. I took a class recently at a Thai Uni and one of the students walked in - an hour late, dropped her head on the desk and proceeded to sleep. I woke her and told her to leave if she had no interest and not to disrespect my other students or me. This is the typical example of attitude of Thai kids who care not about a degree but are filling in time because their parents are paying for it. She no doubt will receive the paper with the photo of the royal hand out to show the relatives but be completely clueless of the subject. eLearning will remove that factor as long as the examinations are not tainted.

[sirchai]

"Before we promote our online programmes to open up the Asean market, we must ensure our quality first as well as enhance our English language to be acceptable among other countries that use English, otherwise we will fail," Kamjorn said.

Takes only ten more years, maybe more.

Here we go again. Nobody will fail, it's Thailand.--

Edited November 26, 2012 by sirchai

[bigbamboo]

Good luck with this, Thailand. There are many problems to overcome some already highlighted here by previous posters.

[softgeorge]

Is it hubday already, geez the weekend went fast, back to the hub week.

Mon/Tues = Hub day

Wed = Crackdown day

Thur/Fri = Hub Day

Sat/Sun = Rest days

Edited November 26, 2012 by softgeorge

[noitom]

Thailand. Substandard bandwidth, lowest standard of education, counterfeit software and books, no "effective" use of technology, lack of student conscientiousness and discipline, no culture of knowledge seeking, rampant cheating and little enforcement, and large scale absenteeism. Thailand is certainly a place where parents all over the world would want to send their kids for university or have them study through "distance learning" with the likes of the Thai educational "professionals."

[Greer]

PLEASE - stop using the word "hub" for everything - yes we know what it means, but its overuse has made the subject laughable... try using "center for" or "focus point" or something... probably just as bad though.

In order to become a hub or center for something, it has to be recognised as such BY OTHERS... not by the ones setting it up and just naming it that way.

There are some good comments on this subject, and I think support of a real e-learning programme at university is an excellent idea - but as one person pointed out - as long as the exams are taken seriously.

[Misterwhisper]

"In order to become a hub or center for something, it has to be recognised as such BY OTHERS... not by the ones setting it up and just naming it that way."

HEAR HEAR! Well said!

[jaltsc]

In case they haven't noticed, the brightest Thai students go overseas for a University education. I don't think you will ever hear highly qualified foreign students ever say: "Wow, I just got accepted by a Thai University!"

Thailand, the "Hub of Pipe Dreams".

[noitom]

This is it! But of course the Thai over inflated sense of self importance means that they continue to name these preposterous ideas "hubs" and therefore in their large "legends in their own mind" egos, they are in fact a hub because they declared it so. Not because they worked at it and earned it.

[Thai at Heart]

Why would a student prefer e learning from a Thai university over any other?

Does it come the opportunity to meet Thai laideee online maybe?

[rubl]

E-learning

Due to the close relation between E-Learning and WWW many of the security problems in E-Learning are similar to ones of the general WWW. A lot of work has been done in the development of infrastructure for universities and e-contents but security issues are also to be taken seriously, issues like ethical learning practices plagiarism, violation of privacy, vandalism, theft, and spying into the cyberspace, personal integrity and accountability.

Sound like Thailand is just the place to hub e-learning.

An example of government sponsored e-learning for the rural population

http://www.jamaicaob...project_8702628

[eezergood]

I KNEW the Thais needed tablet's for something - to become another hub of course!

[Sing_Sling]

I've heard there is a rush on to obtain Thai University degrees around the globe . . . a much sought after commodity in the world of business

[Thaddeus]

"Good morning class, today we are going to learn the letter E"

[RedNIvar]

Hub of Hub quoting morons!

[madmitch]

Why would any international student bother with e-learning to get a degree that isn't recognised anywhere outside Thailand.

And do Thais of university age have the discipline to study without attending college?

And finally, and most importantly, will the students still have to wear the uniform?

[krading]

Just what the education system needs, another on-line uni degree not recognise anywhere in the world.

[Jawnie]

This is simply another brain-child from so-called experts who prefer nice, bright students and polite company in Bangkok. What does this do for the 100,000 of Thai kids all over the country who have no support or motivation for getting an education? Nothing, really. Not only that, how do these experts expect kids to be motivated if they are never around others students or the school social environment? The learning is completely divorced from their daily lives and has no relevance...they can't even meet any girls (or guys).

So what if they find a few already highly-motivated and educated students who like it. This does nothing for ensuring a 21st century education for rural Thais. More fluff for the bureacracy.

[Buchholz]

They going to host e learning through the internet hosted in bangkok.

Hope the students have some patience. Downloading the stream of the lecture might turn a 30 minute lecture into 2 hours.

Wouldn't be surprised if Phuket is re-launched as the ICT Hub of SE Asia and takes the hosting chores.

Its hub status precedes Bangkok's hub status by a decade.

Wow! Where's the high speed internet?

Khun Thaksin will sort that out....after all he did promise to make Phuket the IT hub of SE Asia in another of his brain blanks about 8 or 9 years ago....we are still waiting for this inflow of money to turn the place into Silicon Valley

[Jane Doe]

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has hundreds of international programmes, especially in the country's top performing universities, luring thousands of students from different parts of the world, particularly from the Asean region to come and study in the Kingdom.

Hundreds of international programmes louring thousands of students from different parts of the world?

From what I see at two of the 'top performing universities' (whatever that means) there are only a few foreign students around and they do not appear to be very welcome.

To 'lure' them seems to be the right word here...

[Fozfromoz]

eLearning has major advantages. The most important being the subject matter would be unopinionated (by the lecturer) and of course brighter students can move through the course at their own pace. It would also allow those wanting a degree the opportunity to achieve rather than rich daddy sending his hi-so child to Uni to get a degree when the child has no interest whatsoever. I took a class recently at a Thai Uni and one of the students walked in - an hour late, dropped her head on the desk and proceeded to sleep. I woke her and told her to leave if she had no interest and not to disrespect my other students or me. This is the typical example of attitude of Thai kids who care not about a degree but are filling in time because their parents are paying for it. She no doubt will receive the paper with the photo of the royal hand out to show the relatives but be completely clueless of the subject. eLearning will remove that factor as long as the examinations are not tainted.

Good on you. A bit more of this is needed, and dare I say, a size 9 boot up the coit.

[Morakot]

Thailand could be major e-learning hub in region

I fully agree things could otherwise be possible than their current state. The possibilities are endless. We merely need to create a suitable knowledge infrastructure, a stable political system, a long standing tradition of quality research, broad learning, creative thinking, and a good reputation for our higher eduction degrees. All done: Regional e-learning hub ready!

Edited November 26, 2012 by Morakot

[Fookhaht]

I've heard there is a rush on to obtain Thai University degrees around the globe . . . a much sought after commodity in the world of business

Yes, same philosophy as getting a religious ministerial license from an online "church." In the USA, it enables you to perform marriages, funerals, bar mitzvah's (all for a fee you set), and get tax benefits. Summed up in one word: Sham.

Edited November 26, 2012 by Fookhaht

[Fookhaht]

How novel, another hub.

Probably won't happen until the Minister of IT gets himself an email address for a starter.

[MaxLee]

I didn't even read any further, anything that Thailand's education ministries are trying to implement in education system, is just washed up crap that makes students nationwide like this ->>>