Open and Distance Learning Policy

1
Open and Distance Learning Policy
Prof.Dr.Srisakdi CharmonmanChief Executive
Officer College of Internet Distance
Education Assumption University of Thailand
charm_at_ksc.au.edu
www.elearning.au.edu
International Seminar on Policies and
Technologies in ODL Issues and Implementation
September 14, 2006. Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Open and Distance Learning Policy

• Introduction
• Five Generations of Distance Education
• Definition of eLearning by Sloan
• Sample U.S Universities Offering eLearning
  Degrees
• Policy on Curricula
• Human Resource Policy

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Open and Distance Learning Policy
7. Facilities and Internet Policies 8.
Financial Policy 9. Other Policies 10.
Concluding Remarks
4
1. Introduction

• Online education or eLearning is gaining more
  and more popularity all over the world.
• University level no field of study where
  eLearning is not used.
• Short courses and training level formal
  academic institutions, learned societies and
  companies are providing eLearning.

5
Introduction (Cont.)
K12 State of Michigan passed the first law in
the world requiring eLearning
in high schools. 450,000 students to
take eLearning. Other states may pass
similar law.
6
Introduction (Cont.)

• Time Magazine By the year 2020, eLearning
  will be the mainstream and classroom learning
  the supporting part.
• All countries have established or are in
  the process of establishing eLearning
  programs.

7
Introduction (Cont.)

• In the year 1999, Jones International
  University became the first virtual university
  to be fully accredited.
• The University of Phoenix is the university
  to have the highest net profit of about 150
  US million per year.
• Capella University is the first virtual
  university to enter Nasdaq.

8
Introduction (Cont.)

• The College of Internet Distance Education
  of Assumption University signed or
  negotiating cooperation agreements with - US
  National American University - Jones
  International University. - UKeU -
  Middlesex University - Unitar

9
Introduction (Cont.)

• For ASEAN, all 10 countries are offering
  eLearning.

10
Introduction (Cont.)

• On 25 April 2002, the Board of Trustees of
  Assumption University approved the proposal
  by the author to establish the College
  of Internet Distance Education with the
  author as Chairman of the Board and Chief
  Executive Officer (CEO).

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Introduction (Cont.)

• The College is located at Srisakdi Charmonman
  IT Center with 12 floors, 12,000 square
  meters, and about 15 US million.
• By September 2006, there are 8 universities
  in Thailand offering 12 eLearning degree
  programs.

12
Searching Google for Ph.D. in eLearning
Methodology
13
Searching Google for Ph.D. in eLearning
Methodology
found over 300,000 entries with Assumption
University the first 3 entries
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Introduction (Cont.)

• To promote eLearning in Thailand, the
  author includes the subject in his one-hour
  radio and TV programs - FM 92.5 Radio every
  Tuesday. - AM 891 Radio every Sunday. -
  UBC 89 TV every Sunday.

15
Introduction (Cont.)

• July 2006,
• the International Biographical Centre
• in the UK named
• Prof.Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman
• The Father of Thai E-Learning

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The Father of Thai E-Learning by the
International Biographical Centre
17
Searching for e-learning provides
163,000,000 entries
18
Searching for e-learning policy
provides 38,300,000 entries
19
Over 450 Million Internet Hosts in the
Year 2006
20
World Internet Usage and Population
Statistics
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World Internet Usage

• Over 1 billion Internet users, 16 of
  world population.
• Largest penetration rate of 68.6 in North
  America, 227 million users from 331 million
  population.
• Largest number of Internet users is in Asia,
  380 million users from 3.6 billion population.

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2. Five Generations of Distance Education

• First generation The Correspondence Model
• Second generation The Multimedia Model
• Third generation The Telelearning Model
• Fourth Generation The Web-based Learning
  Model
• Fifth Generation The Internet Distance
  Education Model

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• First Generation
• The Correspondence Model
• Print

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The first generation
• started in the late 1800s and early 1900s
• was known as correspondence study using postal
  mail.
• The students and instructors communicated through
  writing and postal mail.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The first generation (Cont.)
• Baltimores Calvert School was the first
  elementary school and University of Chicago was
  the first university to offer correspondence
  study in the early 1900s.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The first generation (Cont.)
• As a matter of fact, this kind of distance
  education can be offered through the Internet by
  using e-mail instead of the postal mail which is
  referred to as snail mail to indicate its slow
  speed comparing to the Internet.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• Second Generation
• The Multimedia Model
• Print
• Audiotape
• Videotape
• Computer-based learning (e.g. CML/CAL)
• Interactive video (disk and tape)

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The second generation
• Is the Open Universities which started in
  1970s.
• The British Open University delivered the course
  information via radio and television.
• The philosophy of anyone, anytime, anywhere was
  adopted by open universities.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The second generation (Cont.)
• Any person may enroll in courses without regard
  to prior experience or education.
• A student can begin and complete a course without
  time restrictions.
• Course work and study is done anywhere the
  student chooses.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• Third Generation
• The Telelearning Model
• Audioteleconferencing
• Videoconferencing
• Audiographic Communication
• Broadcast TV/Radio and Audioteleconferencing

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The third generation
• Started in 1980s with videotape, broadcast,
  satellite, and cable.
• Large organizations like the US Department of
  Defense invested large sum of money to set up
  satellite network for training purposes.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The third generation (Cont.)
• In 1981, PBS Adult Learning Service (ALS) joined
  with 190 public television stations and about
  2,000 colleges to offer over 80 telecourses for
  credit with enrollment of over 470,000 students.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The third generation (Cont.)
• In addition to telecourses for college degree,
  ALS also offers more than 1,000 hours of
  satellite programming for professional
  development, adult literacy and other distance
  learning topics.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• Fourth Generation
• The Web-based Learning Model
• Interactive multimedia (IMM)
• Internet-based access to WWW resources
• Computer-mediated communication

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The fourth generation
• Is Web-based or through the Internet.
• Providing instructions via the World Wide Web.
• Business travelers, students in isolated areas
  can enjoy interactive classrooms no matter where
  they are and what time it is.

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• Fifth Generation
• The Internet Distance Education Model
• Interactive multimedia (IMM)
• Internet-based access to WWW resources
• All facilities of the Internet

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Five Generations of DE (Cont.)

• The fifth generation
• Internet Distance Education offers the
  potential to decrease significantly the cost of
  online learning and thereby increase
  significantly access to education and training
  opportunities worldwide.
• Delivers a quantum leap in economy of scale and
  associated cost-effectiveness.
• All existing and any new facilities of the
  Internet could be used.

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3. Definitions of eLearning

• There are many definitions of eLearning.
• Searching for define elearning from Google,
• four sources were founded.

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Searching for define elearning from Google,
four sources
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Definitions of eLearning (Cont.)

• From lten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleaarninggt,
  E-learning most often means an approach to
  facilitate and enhance learning through the use
  of devices based on computer and communications
  technology.
• From the web ltwww.conferzone.com/resource/glossary
  op.htmlgt, Online Learning is the same as
  eLearning.

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Definitions of eLearning (Cont.)

• From the web ltwww.intelera.com/glossary.htmlgt,
  Online Learning has the same meaning as
  eLearning.

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Definitions of eLearning (Cont.)

• Another important definition of eLearning was
  given
• in the report Growing by Degrees
• Online Education the United States, 2005
• released in November 2005. Four types of
  learning.
• Traditional Learning.
• Web-Facilitated Learning.
• Blended/Hybrid Learning.
• Online Learning or eLearning.

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Four Types of Distance Education
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Four Types of Distance Education
Traditional. 0 online. Course with no online
technology used. Content is delivered in writing
or orally. Web Facilitated. 1 to 29 online.
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.
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Four Types of Distance Education (Cont.)
Blended/ Hybrid. 30 to 79 online. 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.

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Four Types of Distance Education (Cont.)

Online or eLearning. 80-100 online. A course
where most of all of the content is delivered
online. Typically have no face-to-face
meetings.
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4. U.S Universities with eLearning Degrees.

• The university with the largest number
  of students is Phoenix with more than
  140,000 students.
• Phoenix made about 150 US million net
  profit per year.
• Baker College has the second largest
  enrollment of about 101,000 students.

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Sample U. S. Universities Offering eLearning
Courses.
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Searching for US Universities eLearning
Statisticsfound 2.5 million entries.
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US Universities with eLearning Programsfound
1,369 online degrees from 132 online colleges.
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The Sloan Survey of over 1,000 universities and
colleges in the USNovember 2005

• eLearning in the US grew 10 times faster than
  originally predicted by the National Center for
  Education Statistics.
• Nearly 2.4 million students were enrolled in one
  or more eLearning courses.
• More than 200,000 students are enrolled at the
  University of Phoenix alone.

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• 63-65 of colleges offered courses in eLearning
  mode.
• 65 used classroom-based faculty members to teach
  eLearning.
• Both teachers and students have to work harder in
  eLearning mode.
• 82 of faculty members believed that it would not
  be more difficult to measure the quality of
  eLearning mode than measuring the quality of
  classroom mode.

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5. Policy on Curricula and Responsible Unit

• Elearning provider should establish policy on
• Curricula or programs to offer, e.g. - Short
  course. - One degree program. - Several degree
  programs.
• Field of study to offer eLearning, e.g. -
  Business Administration.- ICT. - Some other
  fields.

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Policy on Curricula and Responsible Unit (Cont.)

• A policy should be established which of
• the existing unit in the university should be
  responsible for eLearning.
• For example, the Extension Department may be
  in charge of eLearning.

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Policy on Curricula and Responsible Unit (Cont.)

• In the decree published in the Royal Gazette of
  the government of Thailand, a college-level
  organization must be established to be
  responsible for eLearning. For example,
  Assumption University established the College of
  Internet Distance Education headed by the Chief
  Executive Officer who reports directly to the
  University President and the University Board of
  Trustees.

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6. Human Resource Policy

• In the college-level unit responsible for
  eLearning, there must be human resource policy.
  For example, the policy may state that the
  following positions must be available
• 1) Chief Executive Officer A full
  time CEO should be appointed from those
  holding doctorate degrees or
  equivalent or at least associate
  professorship.

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6. Human Resource Policy

• 2) Executive Officers The CEO could be
  assisted by a Chief Technology Officer (CTO),
  Chief Academic Officer (CAO), Chief Operating
  Officer (COO), Chief Information Officer (CIO),
  and etc. Each school should have a Dean, and each
  program a Program Director.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• 3) Administrative Officers such as
• Director of Network Operation Center
• Director of Radio and TV Courseware
  Production Center
• Director of Web-based Courseware Production
  Center
• etc.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• 4) Educational and Communication Technology
  Specialist - educational technology.-
  instructional technology.- audio-visual
  education to assist in systems instructional
  design, supervise and control media
  production,
• utilization and evaluation.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• Testing and Evaluation Specialists
• Holding at least a Masters degree in educational
  measurement and evaluation.
• In charge of developing and analyzing on-line and
  off-line test instruments based on objectives and
  learning experiences.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• 6) Faculty Members
• Content Expert
• Facilitating Instructor
• Thesis Advisor

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• (1) Content Expert A specialist in a subject
  must be appointed to be in charge of the course
  in his area of specialization.
• Create the course syllabus with course
  description, course objectives, list of textbooks
  and journal articles, additional reading
  materials, course assessment, and etc.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• Content Expert (Cont.)
• Establish the contents of the course and the
  PowerPoint presentation.
• Deliver the lectures in the studio to be
  videotaped and taped in voice.
• Create the handout for students to download.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• Content Expert (Cont.)
• Set up online activities.
• Define all activities such as exercises,
  assignments, reports, quizzes and examinations.
• Set up assessment guidelines for the facilitating
  instructor to follow.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• Content Expert (Cont.)
• Develop many sets of examinations.
• Provide a list of glossary.
• The College paid the content expert 180,000 baht
  per course, totaling over 4 million baht for 23
  courses in the M.Sc. in Management program.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• (2) Facilitating Instructor (Cont.)
• May be responsible for not more than 40 students
  in a course and perform the following duties
• Acknowledge the receipt of email from the
  student within 24 hours.
• Give responses to questions from the students
  within 72 hours.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• Facilitating Instructor (Cont.)
• Monitor student activities in the chat room and
  the collaborative group.
• Check and review the student homework or
  assignment within seven days after the date of
  receipt.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• Facilitating Instructor (Cont.)
• Grade the examination and post the resulton the
  web within seven days after the date of
  examination.
• Submit weekly progress report of teaching to
  the Program Director.

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• (3) Thesis Advisor
• May be appointed and,as required by the rules
  and regulations,
• may supervise not exceeding a number of
  graduate students both at the Masters and
  Doctoral degree levels.

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• 7) Internet Personnel Full-time Internet
  personnel are needed to perform the tasks
  of controlling and overseeing the use of
  Internet-based learning.
• - Director Should be appointed
  from those holding at least a Masters
  degree in the field of information
  technology or educational and
  communication technology

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Human Resource Policy (Cont.)

• - Internet Experts Should be
  appointed from those holding at least a
  Bachelors degree in informational
  technology or educational and
  communication technology.
• - Internet Specialists Systems
  operators, System administrator,
  Webmaster, Web developer, Help desk
  assistants, Engineers, and Technicians.
• - Supporting Staff Other
  positions maybe required to support the
  Internet services.

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7. Facilities and Network Policy

• Physical Facilities Policy
• Network Policy
• Hardware Policy
• Software Policy

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Facilities and Network Policy (Cont.)

• Physical Facilities Policy
• Required for the personnel and the network
  operation center.

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Facilities and Network Policy (Cont.)

• - Example at Srisakdi Charmonman IT Center
  with 12 floors, 12,000 square meters, and
  worth about 15 US million. - All personnel of
  the College have their offices in the
  building. - The network operation center
  and the computer rooms are also in the
  building.

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Facilities and Network Policy (Cont.)

• Network PolicyNetwork Must be highly reliable.
  There must be at least two sets of servers to
  back up each other. In the case of the College
  of Internet Distance Education of Assumption
  University, four sets of servers were installed.

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Facilities and Network Policy (Cont.)

• - Two at Srisakdi Charmonman IT Center in
  Bangna Campus.- The other two at Huamark Campus
  or at the ISP.

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Facilities and Network Policy (Cont.)

• Hardware Policy The quality of hardware for the
  servers and the terminals should be very high.
  For example, at Srisakdi Charmonman IT Center
  with over 1,000 computers, spare parts and
  technicians are available right at the building
  24 hours a day and seven days a week.

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Facilities and Network Policy (Cont.)

• Software Policy - Learning Management
  System (LMS) - E-Learning Activities

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Facilities and Network Policy (Cont.)

• Learning Management System (LMS)
• consists of at least 12 parts
• (1) Homepage with navigation menu. (2)
  Learning centers. (3) Self Access Learning
  Resource. (4) External resource centers.
  (5) Laboratories.

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• Learning Management System (Cont.)
• (6) AV Media Center. (7) Assessment
  Center. (8) Web board.
• (9) Chat room.
• (10) E-mail. (11) Frequently Asked
  Questions-FAQ. (12) Personal Information/Profile
  s.

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Facilities and Network Policy (Cont.)

• E-Learning Activities (1) Orientation for each
  course. (2) Studying from the courseware. (3)
  Studying supplementary packages in
  prints, AV media and external sources via
  Internet links. (4) Perform the assignment,
  activities and projects and submit them
  via the Internet for marking.

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• E-Learning Activities (Cont.)
• (5) Sit in the examinations at the
  designated examination centers. (6) Get access
  to the knowledge bases(KB) or knowledge
  centers (KC), students and
  instructors profile centers, and
  databases. (7) Seek advice or consultation via
  the Internet with classmates and
  facilitating instructors.

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• To ensure the minimum required participation or
  attendance
• - The software must keep records of the
  log-in with date, time and time-intervals
  for each students participation during
  each learning sessions.
• This information should have sufficient details
  and made available to the facilitating
  instructor.
• This will help determine the student
• - Learning progress.
• - Learning styles.
• - Commitment to his/her study.

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8. Financial Policy

• Financial policy is required for the eLearning
  providers
• The amount of initial investment and how to
• raise it.
• The annual budget and the desired period to
• breakeven point.
• Profit margin should also be stated.

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Financial Policy (Cont.)

• In case of Assumption University, it is a
  not-for-profit organization but it has been
  profitable. However, all the profits have been
  utilized in improvement of the University.
• The Masters Degree Programs seem to be the
  most profitable.
• The Bachelors Degree Programs seem to be
  less profitable than the Masters Degree
  Programs.
• The Doctoral Degree Programs may not be
  profitable but have to be offered to keep
  the university in high standing.

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9. Other Policies

• 9.1 Student Policy All kinds of student
  supports should be provided. For example, a Call
  Center must be available for students to contact
  by telephone in case the students have difficulty
  in using the Internet.
• 9.2 Textbook and eBook Policy In courses where
  the contents do not change at all like Calculus,
  a new courseware could be developed and used for
  years without any modification

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Other Policies (Cont.)

• 9.3 Program Length and Tuition Fees Policy
  
• In the classroom-based program, a Bachelors
  Degree program can usually be completed in not
  less than three years.
• In the eLearning mode, a Bachelors Degree
  program can be completed in 18 months.

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• Program Length and Tuition Fees Policy (Cont.)
  
• A Bachelors Degree may require 120 semester
  credits .
• - each credit 13 hours of lecture
• or 39 hours of work.
• The total hours of work required is
• 120 x 39 3,480.

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• Program Length and Tuition Fees Policy (Cont.)
  
• If students do not work and is fully committed to
  studying, they can make 8 hours per day
  available.
• They would need 3,480 / 8 435 days
• or 435 / 30 14.5 months to complete a
  Bachelors degree.

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• Program Length and Tuition Fees Policy (Cont.)
  
• There maybe - 12 overlapping terms per year. -
  2 semesters with one summer per year. - 4
  quarters per year .
• The student may choose to complete the term
  in- 4 months. - 3 months. - 2 months- 1
  month.

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• Program Length and Tuition Fees Policy (Cont.)
  
• At Assumption University,the rate of tuition
  fees for eLearning mode is made a little less
  than for the classroom mode.
• For a subject which does not change, e.g.
  Calculus, and Statistics, once the initial
  investment has reached the breakeven point, the
  rate of tuition fees can be made very low.

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Other Policies (Cont.)

• 9.4 Evaluation Policy
• The evaluation of process The pretest,
  activities, assignments and practical work
  performed while taking the course. The
  assignments and practicum may be marked and the
  scores may be used as parts of the final
  evaluation.

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Other Policies (Cont.)

• The evaluation of product This must comprise the
  final examinations and final projects. The
  eLearning provider must develop the guideline or
  the operation plan for both the mid-term and
  final examinations to be administered in an
  examination center where the inspection of
  student identification is possible.

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Other Policies (Cont.)

• 9.5 Library Policy The eLearning provider must
  have a present and future development plan for
  libraries for students, both conventional and
  e-libraries. Existing libraries may be utilized
  but they should be converted to e-libraries.

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Other Policies (Cont.)

• Library Policy (Cont). Each library must make
  available at least five types of documentation
  and information (1) e-books/texts (2)
  e-journals, (3) databases, (4) abstracts
  on-line, (5) knowledge-base/databases.

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10. Concluding Remarks

• Internet Distance Education or eLearning will
  be the mainstream and classroom-based
  education the supporting part.
• More and more regions may follow Michigans
  lead in requiring that every student must take
  at least one eLearning course.
• More and more eLearning programs will be
  developed and related policies have to be
  established.

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Concluding Remarks (Cont.)

• This paper presented
• Five generations of distance education.
• Definitions of eLearning.
• US universities with eLearining degrees.
• Policy on curricula.
• Human resource policy.
• Physical facilities policy.
• Network policy.
• Hardware policy.
• Software policy.
• Financial policy.
• Other policies

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Concluding Remarks (Cont.)
All parties concerned should join hands in
developing and improving the eLearning
policies for the benefits of themselves, their
organizations, their countries, and the world.

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Thank you