Development and Future Trends of E-Learning
in Thailand
Executive Summary
Introduction
Thailand is in the post era of economic recovery, progressing towards further growth. As the world’s developed and developing economies increasingly gear their society and economic growth towards creating a knowledge-based economy, Thailand has put education at the core of its agenda. The National Education Act of 1999 aims to make learning a lifelong endeavor, it is crucial that the information and communication technology (ICT) be employed as a major tool to achieve that goal. E-Learning has recently become a new buzzword in Thailand. It is recognized that the delivery of learning and training by electronic means would enhance opportunities for Thai people to access education and knowledge from anywhere at anytime. Therefore E-Learning has been set as one of priority strategies for country’s development.
E-Learning in Thailand is in its early stage. The Thai government’s IT 2010 framework has placed high emphasis on E-Education, equivalent to E-Business and E-Government. However, there are both promising attributes and limitations along its development progress. This paper summarizes a research conducted in 2003 by the Centre for Educational Technology (CET), Ministry of Education, to examine the historical and current development of E-Learning in Thailand, as well as its future trends. The expected results of the research are to help build an accurate concept about E- Learning, as well as steer the continued development of E-Learning for Thailand into a healthy direction in the future.
Research Questions
1. What is E-Learning?
2. How has E-Learning in Thailand been developed?
3. What is the current situation of E-Learning in Thailand?
4. What are the future trends of E-Learning in Thailand?
Methodology
The research adopted a qualitative approach, most of which involved more than one data-gathering technique. In this study, the data were collected between April – June 2003 from document analysis and interviews of key informants.
1. Documents. In this study, the documents were obtained from relevant sources, both in Thai and English. They include books, government documents, newspapers, journals, and publications related to education, communication, and public policy. Online information also provided a large amount of up-to-date data source.
2. Interviews. In-depth interviews were used in conjunction with document analysis to acquire more descriptive data based on the informants’ experience. The key respondents in this study were classified into three groups.
2.1 Academic experts in E-Learning. The experts in the study comprised eleven people, knowledgeable in the field of E-Learning from both public and private sectors, including universities and government organizations responsible for planning and carrying out E-Learning policies in Thailand.
2.2 E-Learning developers and providers. The study involved ten respondents, mostly from private sectors, included webmasters, hostmasters, instructional designers, and providers from E-Learning companies and educational institutions.
2.3 E-Learners. In order to gain an insight into the learners’ experience and attitudes towards E-Learning, five university students who had experience in E-Learning were also interviewed.
The author also conducted snowball sampling in this study by asking the initial interviewees to name other persons they felt were very knowledgeable in E-Learning. The names mentioned by at least two persons were selected for interview. Finally, the total 26 key informants were interviewed by the author using open-ended questions.
Data Analysis
General inductive approach was applied in the study, in order to analyze data. Application of the said method was intended for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the meanings/definitions of complex data through the development of summary themes or categorizing the raw data (data reduction). The reliability of the findings was assessed by triangulation technique, by means of various methods (documentation and in-depth interviews) and data sources (different point of views of informants).
Key Findings
The data from documentation and interviews were collected and analyzed to help answer research questions as follows:
Research Question 1: What is E-Learning?
The research finding showed that respondents differed in their perceptions to E-Learning, which could be classified into three levels:
1. E-Learning in a broader concept; encompassing applications and learning processes delivered via a wide set of electronic means (Internet, intranet, extranet, satellite broadcast, audio/video tape, interactive TV and CD-ROM etc.) to facilitate and make learning more flexible for learners.
2. E-Learning regarded as computer-based learning; referring to learning processes, of which the primary means of delivery is a computer, either online or offline, basically to help provide an interactive learning experience.
3. E-Learning in a limited definition; referring to online learning via the Internet only. The management of E-Learning can be done through a learning management system in order to facilitate access to resources and services as well as interactive exchanges and collaboration from remote resources.
The author finally concluded the definition of E-Learning as a learning process with the aid of information and communication technology tools, or any other forms of electronic media. E-Learning under this definition aims at helping decrease the limitations of learning possibly existing between learners and instructors, and making lifelong learning available to all learners, by accommodating their needs or special requirements.
Research Question 2: How has E-Learning in Thailand been developed?
Since educational radio and television in the 1950s, the development of E- Learning in Thailand has been a continuing process. Information technology first played an educational role in universities, primarily as computer-assisted instructions (CAI). The advent of the Internet and computer networking later on has made learning become available online, known as web-based learning/web-based instruction (WBL/WBI).
Research Question 3: What is the current situation of E-Learning in Thailand?
Present day E-Learning in the Thai private sector continues to grow. In the educational sector, the universities take a leading role due to their advantages in personnel, budget, and technology, compared to lower school levels. However, E-Learning in Thailand is mostly used as supplementary and complementary teaching aids, rather than comprehensive replacement of classroom learning.
There are a number of limitations of E-Learning in Thailand such as infrastructure, hardware, software, content, learning management system, budget, and administration. However, the growth potential of E-Learning in the future appears to be promising, as the main elements of E-Learning, such as technology, increasingly develops higher standards, the costs involved are gradually reduced, and content providers are guaranteed with license protection.
Research Question 4: What are the future trends of E-Learning in Thailand?
E-Learning is generating major changes in many aspects including the roles of teachers, who are increasingly transforming from instructor to facilitator. The target group of E-Learning should be graduate students, who are likely to be more responsible and able to study independently. E-Learning at the undergraduate level should be required as part of the academic course/curriculum. It is expected that E-Learning will soon play a greater role at the middle and primary school levels. The research findings also reveal that non-formal education will become one of the main functions of E-Learning in the future, particularly because the country is concentrating its development policies towards encouraging lifelong learning and creating a knowledge-based society.
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