University of Phayao 'bolstered by quality scheme'
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THE UNIVERSITY of Phayao is demonstrating a significant change in its teaching and learning system after joining a quality assurance initiative at the start of last year, the institution said.
Asst Prof Dr Wiboon Wattanathorn, vice-president for research and quality assurance at the university in the northern province, said that the institution was one of five leading universities that adopted the new scheme, the Council of the University Presidents of Thailand Quality Assurance (CUPT QA).
The scheme has enabled the university to substantially reduce the workload of lecturers and education officers, Wiboon said.
In addition, it is suitable for each university’s context, as it is not a one-size-fits-all assurance, he said.
It assists the universities in defining students’ competencies according to their individual context and identity, following international standards.
The CUPT QA includes quality assurance for the curriculum, the faculty and the university and clearly defines each faculty’s “desired graduate” who can answer to social requirements.
Wiboon explained that the scheme adopted the principles of the Education Criteria for Performance Excellence as a guideline for quality assurance because it was suitable for the diversity of Thailand’s higher education institutes, which were striving for excellence. Students should achieve the expected learning outcomes.
The scheme was also proposed by the Council of the Autonomous University Presidents of Thailand as the assurance criteria for ongoing development.
Wiboon said the scheme was leading the university towards excellence at an international level.
The other universities involved in the scheme are King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thon Buri, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Lat Krabang and Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.
As education is transitioning to a new world of technology – the digital society – to serve new generations, quality assurance standards require drastic change to provide the right mechanisms for teaching, while learning outcomes should be a measurable objective.
The CUPT QA aims to assess the university’s curricula based on the Asean University Network Quality Assurance.
The Thai version of AUN QA follows its seven-level criteria and methods of assessor development.
The application for accreditation from AUN is based on the strategies of each curriculum.
The AUN QA requires each university to implement its curriculum by following the AUN standardised criteria and the Thai Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.
