New 'hybrid' course for nurses hopes to attract foreign students
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Touted as the first in the Asean region, the Ramathibodi School of Nursing under Ramathibodi Hospital's Faculty of Medicine, is planning to open an advanced international course for nurses at master's degree level through the so-called Hybrid Education
The course is aimed at improving the standard of local nursing personnel, while accommodating foreign students seeking higher education in Thailand when the Asean Economic Community (AEC) comes into affect in two years, said Asst Prof Jariya Witayasuporn, director of the Ramathibodi nursing school.
The Hybrid Education Model comprises a face-to-face interface through class lectures and lab-based courses, along with web-based or online subjects where curricula and learning materials can be obtained online. “The Hybrid Education Model offers stu?dents the freedom of when and where they can study,” she added.
The two to three-year advanced international course in nursing at master’s degree level will open in 2015 to around 20 students, at a cost of around Bt500,000. “It is expected to attract the inter?est of nursing students in the region who wish to pursue higher education in the field, as nursing courses in Thailand are of high quality and are widely-trusted by relevant institutes,” said Jariya.
The web-based interface enables the course’s duration to be reduced by half, as full-time nurses can study from home. This also increases the chances of getting permission from superiors to pursue their studies.
The Hybrid Education Model curricula has been approved by Mahidol University Council and is being prepared for next year’s academic term in June.
Jariya said that many nursing schools under a network, of which Ramathibodi School of Nursing is a part, had shown inter?ests in the curricula. “The Hybrid Education Model may possibly be open to local students in the near future, and later extended to the doctoral level.”
She said the Hybrid Education Model would offer a wider vari?ety of topics for students to do their research on. “It will be regu?lated by the Office of the Higher Education Commission, Thailand Nursing and Midwifery Council, and Mahidol University’s own edu?cation quality guarantee system, so the Hybrid Education Model can be trusted in terms of academic excellence,” Jariya said.
