Congratulations to the STOU course teams for having granted 2024 Thai MOOC Award – Outstanding Online Course in “Outstanding Government Personnel Development Courses” and “Elderly Caregivers Courses Supporting Thailand’s Aging Society” at the 15th TCU International e-Learning Conference: MOOC for Lifelong Learning Summit and EXPO (IEC2024), organized by the Thailand Cyber University Project, Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, on 14-15 August 2024, at The Berkeley Hotel Pratunam, Bangkok.
The IEC2024 Conference was held under the theme “Lifelong Learning Transformation: Entering the World of Artificial Intelligence in Education Era.” Prof. Dr. Supachai Patumnakul, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, presided over the opening ceremony.
The objective of the conference was to promote academic knowledge sharing and exchange ideas on curriculum development with international institutions, aiming to gain widespread global recognition.
To promote open online learning management (Thailand Massive Open Online Course:Thai MOOC), which is under the supervision of the Thailand Cyber University Development Project, the conference included an award ceremony for outstanding online courses, the 2024 Thai MOOC Award.” Prof. Dr. Jintavee Khlaisang, Deputy Director of Thailand Cyber University (TCU), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, presented the awards.
There were 10 categories of Outstanding Online Course Award. STOU courses received awards in 2 categories:
- Outstanding Government Personnel Development Courses, received by the project leader, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Smaksmorn Phakdeeteva, Faculty Member of STOU’s Office of Educational Technology.
- Elderly Caregivers Supporting Thailand’s Aging Society Courses, received by the project leader, Professor Emeritus Dr. Boontip Siritarungsri, Faculty Member of STOU’s School of Nursing.
The course team members also attended the award ceremony including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kamolrat Intaratat and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Piyachat Lomchawakarn from the School of Communication Arts, Assoc. Prof. Pol.Lt.Col. Dr. Sukaroon Wongtim from the School of Educational Studies, Asst. Prof. Dr. Boonchai Waleetorncheepsawat from the School of Science and Technology, Asst. Prof. Aphiradee Saranrom and Asst. Prof. Dr. Narubodee Wathanakom from the School of Management Science, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Phisit Nadprasert from the Office of Educational Technology.
The award-winning ” Outstanding Government Personnel Development Courses” is a collaborative effort between STOU and the Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC). It consists of 15 courses designed to develop skills and enhance the capabilities of civil servants and personnel in government agencies. Each course features lectures from numerous distinguished speakers, including M.L. Dispanadda Diskul, CEO of Mae Fah Luang Foundation, and Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul, Secretary-General of the Chaipattana Foundation. One of the most successful courses is “Google Tools for Work Development,” focusing on the digital literacy skills development. The success shows in the high number of registrations, with over 37,000 users registered. More than 25,125 online certificates have been issued to those who passed the course evaluation, with a high pass rate of 68% of registered learners.
“The Elderly Caregivers Supporting Thailand’s Aging Society” course block consists of 14 courses. Led by Professor Emeritus Dr. Boontip Siritarungsri, Faculty Member of STOU’s School of Nursing, the course team developed an “Innovative Curriculum for Elderly Caregivers in the Digital Society,” featuring advance elderly care courses totaling 420 hours, of which 200 learning hours are provided as online courses on the Thai MOOC platform. The courses were developed using
a research-based approach to benefit both elderly caregivers and the elderly themselves, allowing them to learn about self-care and how to care for family members. The course team include experts from STOU, Srisavarindhira Thai Red Cross Institute of Nursing, and other institutions, as well as independent scholars who share their knowledge and expertise.
