University-Level eLearning in ASEAN
and
Prof. Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman
CEO,
Assumption University of Thailand
Abstract
In November 2005, Sloan Consortium published a report on eLearning in the
1. Introduction
The terms “eLearning” and “Online learning” may be used interchangeably. For examples, from the web (www.intelera.com/glossary.html) [11] and (www.conferzone.com/resource/glossaryop.html) [6], it was stated that “online learning” has the same meaning as “eLearning”. In 1999,
1. Invited paper presented to Euro-Southeast Asia 2006 Forum on Information Society-EUSAEA2006,
2. CEO, College of Internet Distance Education, Assumption University of Thailand, President of the Computer Association of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of H.M. the King.
tuition, and fees in relation to credit received; student achievement (job placement and licensing exams, etc.); student loan repayments; student complaints received by or available to the accreditor; compliance with student aid rules and regulations; and everything else including recruiting, admission practices, calendars, catalogues and other publications, grading practices, advertising and publicity, and so on. In 1998, there was a lot of discussions whether or not virtual university should be accredited in the same way as classroom-based university. Finally, it was agreed that a university is a university no matter whether it has a classroom or not. Furthermore, it was said that many employers prefer to hire a graduate of eLearning degree more than a graduate of classroom-based degree. One explanation was that a graduate of eLearning degree is highly disciplined and can always work well, whereas a graduate of classroom-based degree may or may not be able to work well. Some graduates of classroom-based degree may be excellent but some others may be very poor.
There are many successful and many unsuccessful university-level eLearning cases [2]. A well-known example of university-level eLearning success is the University if
In 1967, ASEAN was established in
This paper will present a summary of the eLearning report by Sloan Consortium, followed by university-level eLearning in Brunei Darussalem,
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Figure 1. Inaugural TELMIN-e-ABC Meeting.
2. Sloan Report
Sloan Consortium released in November 2005 a report entitled “Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the
2.1 Types of Learning
Presented in the Sloan report are definitions of four types of learning as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Four Types of Learning Defined by Sloan.
| Proportion of Content Delivered Online | Type of Courses | Typical Description |
| 0% | Traditional | Course with no online technology used-content is delivered in writing or orally. |
| 1 to 29% | Web Facilitated | Course which use web-based technology to facilitate what is essentially a face-to-face course. Uses a course management system (CMS) or web pages to post the syllabus and assignments, for example. |
| 30 to 79% | Blended/ Hybrid | Course that blends online and face-to-face delivery. Substantial proportion of the content is delivered online, typically uses online discussions, and typically has some face-to-face meetings. |
| 80+ % | Online | A course where most of all of the content is delivered online. Typically have no face-to-face meetings. |
2.2 Survey Results by Sloan.
1) eLearning has entered the mainstream.
· 65% of schools offering graduate face-to-face courses also offer graduate courses in eLearning mode.
· 63% of schools offering undergraduate face-to-face courses also offer
undergraduate courses in eLearning mode.
2) Majority of Regular Faculty Members are also Teaching in eLearning Mode.
· 65% of Higher Education Institutions are using regular faculty members to teach in eLearning courses.
· 74% of Public Colleges are using regular faculty members to teach in eLearning courses.
3) More Results.
· 64% believe that it takes more discipline for a student to succeed
in eLearning.
· 82% believe that it is no more difficult to evaluate the quality of eLearning than that in the face-to-face mode.
2.3 Successful Universities in the
A partial list of successful universities offering eLearning are given in Table 2.
Table 2. A partial list of successful universities offering eLearning
| University | Year Started eLearning | Number of eLearning Courses | Number of ELearning Students |
| | 1989 | 23 programs | 140,000+ |
| | 1994 | 252 programs | 101,000+ |
| | 1993 | 597 programs | 37,000+ |
| | 1996 | 358 programs | 16,900+ |
| Capella | 1996 | 675 programs | 12,000+ |
| Brigham Young | 1997 | 178 programs | 10,000+ |
| | 1985 | 44 programs | 5,400+ |
| Missouri-Columbia | 1996 | 265 programs | 2,700+ |
| Stanford | 1997 | 228 programs | (Not mentioned) |
3. University-Level eLearning in ASEAN
Presented in this Section will be examples of universities and colleges offering eLearning degree programs in member countries of ASEAN except
3.1 University-Level eLearning in
Universiti Brunei Darussalam, with the web (www.ubd.edu.bn) as shown in Figure 2, was established in 1985, offering Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. degree programs. The university has developed several eLearning projects to support the existing classroom-based programs and is in the process of establishing eLearning degree programs.
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3.2 University-Level eLearning in
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports promotes education for all through distance education and self-learning.
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3.3 University-Level eLearning in
Many universities in
Another example is
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3.4 University-Level eLearning in
In the year 1995, ten higher-learning institutions in
In March 12 - 26, 2005, the National University of Laos coordinated with the Graduate School of International
Cooperation Studies (GSICS) of
3.5 University-Level eLearning in
Many universities in
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The second virtual university in
The third example of Malaysian universities offering eLearning is the University Technology MARA (www.uitm.edu.my), which was established in 1956. In the year 2005, it provides 3 satellite campuses, 12 branch campuses, 6 city campuses and 25 franchise colleges which included eLearning students in the faculty of Business Management and faculty of Information Studies.
The forth example in
The fifth example in
3.6 University-Level eLearning in
Several universities in the
Furthermore, WBT was implemented in November 2000, by using OPEN IVLE, a free version of “IVLE (Integrated Virtual Learning Environment)”, which is a learning management system developed by the National University of Singapore.
Starting 2006, UPOU offer online programs for learners in the form of short courses, such as nonformal courses and Certificate programs, Online Teaching and Learning, Filipiniana Online, Information Technology for Health Research, Caring for the Special Child, New Enterprise Planning, Personal Entrepreneural Development, Introduction to E-Commerce, Certificate in Barangay Administration, Professional Teaching Certification Program, and M-learning Program.
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The second example is De La Salle University (www.dlsu.edu.ph) which is a Catholic university founded in 1911. The Graduate School of Business offers two modes of online courses. The first mode is mixed-mode with face-to-face 8 times and web-based 6 times. The second mode is full online where there is face-to-face for orientation only.
3.8 University-Level eLearning in
The first example is the National University of Singapore with the web (www.nus.edu.sg) as shown in Figure 9. It is the oldest university in
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The second example is
“SMUConnect” portal for access to class lists, lecture plans, discussion forums, notifications, examination records, and etc.
3.9 University-Level eLearning in
There are many projects in eLearning supported by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) of
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The Can Tho University was founded in 1966 and offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. degree programs. There are over 15,500 students at the university with an additional 14,500 at satellite training centers. Some eLearning courses have been developed and complete eLearning degree programs are being planned.
4. University-Level eLearning in
4.1
On September 23, 2002, Prof. Srisakdi sent a letter to the Minister of University Affairs, asking for permission to set up eLearning degree programs at
4.2 The First Draft of eLearning Law
Attached to the letter in Section 4.1 is the first draft of the eLearning Law written by Prof. Srisakdi. The law is needed in order to make university-level eLearning legal in
In the proposed law, many factors for successful eLearning was given such as those shown below:
(1) The hardware must be of good quality which sufficient back up.
(2) For peopleware, there must be top executives, deans, program directors, content experts, educational technology coordinators, educational evaluation experts and facilitating instructors. There must also be the Internet officers such as system administrators, webmasters, help desk personel, engineer and technician.
(3) There must be Internet Engine offering online programs linking network to support at least 100 users concurrently.
(4) Curriculum and content must be well designed.
(5) Network The network offers reliable network (Main server and Backup server, provide 24 hours uninterrupted service link) and examination facilities.
(6) Supporting Facilities
· Digital libraries. Students can search for more information by using CD, DVD, Flash- drive and Electronic libraries.
· High Speed and Links. At least 256 Kbps high-speed Internet, connecting to various servers and backup server.
· File Transfer and Data Exchange. Students can transfer files and submit assignments online.
· Two-way Interactive media. Students can use eBook tools, Podcasting tools, streaming presentation tools and graphic animation tools.
4.3 Letters to the Prime Minister
On September 15, 2003, Prof. Srisakdi sent a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting approval to established eLearning programs at
On March 14, 2005, Prof. Srisakdi sent the second letter to the Prime Minister, that
4.4 Open Hearing
When Prof. Srisakdi sent the letter to the Minister of University Affairs on September 23, 2002, a committee was established to consider the proposal. After more than one year of several meetings, the modified version of the law was ready for an open hearing. So, the open hearing was held on November 26, 2003 at Amari Hotel in
4.5 Meetings with Five Ministers
After having sent the letter to the Minister of University Affairs, Rev.Bro.Dr. Prathip Martin Komolmas, Rev.Bro.Dr. Bancha Saenghiran and Prof. Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman requested and were given permission to meet with H.E. the Minister Suwajana Lippatapanlop. At that meeting, Prof. Srisakdi briefed the Minister on the purposes and the necessity of the eLearning law. The Minister said he would signed the document soon but he was transferred before he could do it. Altogether, the Assumption University team had to seek help from five Ministers, namely, H.E. Suwajana Lippatapanlop, H.E. Pongpol Adireksarn, H.E. Dr. Adisai Bodharamik, and H.E.Jaturon Chaisang, and H.E. Dr. Rung Keawdang.
H.E. Dr. Rung Kaewdang, the Deputy Minister of Education called a meeting of 40-50 persons at
4.6 Publication of eLearning Decree in the Royal Gazette
After more than 3 years from the date Prof. Srisakdi submitted the request to the Minister of University Affairs, H.E. Chaturon Chaisang, the Minister of Education signed the document to be published in the Royal Gazette. Usually, it takes about four months from the date of signature of the Minister to the date of publication in the Royal Gazette. Prof. Srisakdi asked his friend to help and got it done in about three weeks. The first eLearning decree of
4.7
4.7.1 The Purpose of College of Internet
- To serve the country by allowing those interested in education the opportunity to continue their studies conveniently, no matter from where or when.
- To promote Life-Long Learning by using the Internet.
- To expand Assumption University from traditional classroom-based education to Internet-based distance education.
- To increase the number of students at Assumption University from about 18,000 persons in 2002 to about 36,000 persons in 2010, and to 100,000 persons latter.
4.7.2 Three Top Educators of
One of the most important factors of the success of any organization is its top executives. The three top eLearning executives at
The three Top Executive of the
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· Prof.Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman serving as
the Chief Execuitve Officer (CEO).
· Prof.Dr. Chaiyong Brahmawong serving as
the Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
· Prof.Dr. Utumporn Jamornmann serving as
the Chief Operating Officer (COO).
4.7.3 World–Class Facilities for eLearning at AU
Assumption University has constructed “Srisakdi Charmonman IT Center”, www.scitbuilding.info, the seat of the College of Internet Distance Education with all kinds of facilities such as Network Operation Center (NOC) with Diesel generator for electricity backup, 408-Internet terminals in one room for eExamination, VDO Conference room, web-based courseware production center and TV and radio courseware production center.
4.8 Eleven eLearning Degree Programs in 2006
The government of
(1) January 2006.
(2) May 2006.
(3) May 2006.
(4) June 2006. Faculty of Engineering,
(5) June 2006. Faculty of Engineering at
(6) June 2006. Faculty of Management and Information Science,
(7) June 2006. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
(8) June 2006. Faculty of Education,
(9) June 2006. Faculty of Education,
(10) June 2006. Faculty of Public Health,
Public Health Program.
(11) September 2006.
University. Master of Science in eLearning Methodology.
5. Concluding Remarks
In November 2005, Sloan Consortium published a report on eLearning in the
References
1. Charmonman S. Cross-accreditation of eLearning Degree. Presented to the Inaugural TELMIN-e-ABC Meeting,
2. Charmonman S. Will eLearning Swing Up or Down. Invited Luncheon Talk at the Second International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-based Society. Bangkok, Thailand. August 4-7, 2005.
3. Charmonman S. University-Level eLearning in ASEAN. Proceedings of the Second International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-based Society. Bangkok, Thailand. August 4-7, 2005. Pp. 11.1-11.5.
4. Charmonman S. and Chorpothong, N. Accreditation of eLearning Degree. Proceedings of the International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-based Society. Bangkok, Thailand. August 4-5, 2004. Pp. 235-241.
5. Chorpothong, N. and Charmonman S. An eLearning Project for 100,000 Students per Year in Thailand. Proceedings of the International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-based Society. Bangkok, Thailand. August 4-5, 2004. Pp. 111-118.
6. www.conferzone.com/resource/glossaryop.html
7. www.ctu.edu.vn. Can Tho University.
8. www.dlsu.edu.ph. De La Salle University.
9. www.eABC.biz.
10. www.eLearning.au.edu. College of Internet Distance Education, Assumption University.
11. www.intelera.com/glossary.html
12. www.mmu.edu.my. Multimedia University.
13. www.nib.edu.kh. National Institute of Business.
14. www.nuol.edu.la. National University of Laos.
15. www.nus.edu.sg. National University of Singapore.
16. www.tcu.uni.net.th. Thailand Cyber University.
17. www.trisakti.ac.id. Trisakti University.
18. www.ubd.edu.bn. Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
19. www.uc.edu.kh. University of Cambodia.
20. www.uitm.edu.my. University Technology MARA.
21. www.unitar.edu.my. Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.
22. www.upm.edu.my. Universiti Putra Malaysia.
23. www.upou.org. University of the Philippines Open University.
24. www.ut.ac.id. Indonesian Open Learning University.
25. www.yangon.com.mm. eLearning Center.
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