| Number of Students | 161,032 |
| Number of Students by DE mode | 161,032 |
| Number of Academic Staff | 338 |
| Summary of External Quality Assurance Processes | The external QA process is under the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA). ONESQA is the
only public organization responsible for overseeing external QA and accreditation of educational institutions at all levels.
ONESQA develops guidelines and methodology for conducting quality assessments and accreditation of educational institutions
by considering the goals, principles and approach to educational management at each level as stipulated in the National Education
Act, B.E.2542 (1999). Under the Education Act of 1999, educational institutions are subject to external accreditation once every five years and must present the results to relevant agencies and the general public. In this process, there are 18 key performance indicators, grouped into six standards. First Standard: Quality Standard of Graduates. (1) Percentage of graduates who can secure jobs within one year, including through self-employment; (2) The quality of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree graduates in accordance with the Thai Qualifications Framework for Higher Education; (3) Number of published or disseminated articles by master’s graduates; (4) Number of published or disseminated articles by doctoral graduates. Second Standard: Research and Creative Work. (1) Percentage of published or disseminated research or innovation in proportion to the number of full-time instructors; (2) Percentage of research utilized at national and international levels in proportion to the number of full-time instructors; (3) Number of academic works that have received quality recognition. Third Standard: Academic Services to Society. (1) Application of knowledge and experiences gained from academic and professional services for improving teaching and learning processes or research; (2) Number of academic and professional service activities/projects responding to the needs for development and strengthening the society, community, and external organizations. Fourth Standard: Preservation of Art and Culture. (1) The total number of activities related to promotion and support of artistic and cultural identity; (2) Evidence of aesthetic development in the field of art and culture. Fifth Standard: Institutional and Human Resources Development. (1) Quality levels of the council of the university/institution; (2) Quality levels of the university/institution administrators; (3) Evidence of faculty development. Sixth Standard: Internal QAS: Quality development, monitoring and assessment. (1) Internal quality assessment certified by the institution's parent organization; (2) Evidence of developments that fulfil the philosophy, mission and goals specified at the institution’s establishment; (3) Evidence of developments that affirm the points of emphasis and distinctive traits that reflect the identity of the organization; (4) Evidence of utilized guidelines and solutions that address various social problems. One difficulty for STOU is that the external accreditation process does not take into account distance learning. The same regulations and criteria as for other universities in the country are used. For example, one indicator is the percentage of students who get a job after graduation, but most STOU students are already working while they are studying and are thus excluded. Consequently, the university has earned poor marks in this area, and the assessment is misinterpreted. |
| Summary of Quality Procedures | The quality procedures at STOU
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| Percentage of resources that are OER | 1-20% |
| Intellectual Property Rights Position | Owned by the institution but with some licensing back to staff (Comment - STOU stipulates in its regulations that the materials are the intellectual property of the university) |
| Expected changes for DE from the current strategy | In academic year 2012, the learning management system will be changed from ATutor to Moodle, integrated with D4L, in order to increase the variety of the university’s teaching and learning format. STOU is currently working to implement online systems in all programs. |
| Any future considerations for DE | STOU is working to provide educational services to students and the general public through new technologies, such as e-library and search engine for books and other types of educational services. In addition to existing public television, the university has launched the STOU Channel, the university’s own satellite TV channel, which will continue to develop as an important resource for students and the general public. STOU is also trying to increase the amount of interaction between lecturers and students through online media. |
| Summary of the impact of technology on distance education | STOU has developed its learning management system to better facilitate the needs of students and the general public. For assessment, STOU is starting to use online testing in some bachelor’s-level courses, allowing students to take the examination online at an approved testing location. Teaching and learning at STOU are also increasingly focused on using online systems as well as mobile learning. |
- Supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research
- Consultative partner status with UNESCO
- Affiliate member of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
