Digital University: Allow remote working and learning for everyone
Chulalongkorn University embraces the need for adaptation to be ready for change in a modern world where technology is an essential tool for the transition to the future for communications, work and teaching and learning management. The university has, therefore, set a strategic plan on Digital University to support crucial changes in education management in the new era, including a policy where people can work from home or elsewhere, precluding the need for staff, faculty members and lecturers to be present on-campus. This is aimed at allowing all university staff and lecturers some flexibility and to be able to respond to eventualities, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, that may prevent a physical presence at the university. This policy has enabled the university to operate more efficiently and promptly during the transition period of emergencies.
The university has also developed a first-generation electronic documentation system that has been in use since 2007. The Document Tracking System (DTS) was further developed into a paperless system in 2015 to make university operations more flexible and faster, save on cost, storage space and waste. The university has prepared a manual to facilitate the checking and approval any official documents by sending them in an electronic format with a digital signature. This is a standardized security system that has been recognized internationally. The use of a digital signature is important to the security of electronic documents. There is also a private key recording system that allows only the owner of the signature to issue documents. The digitalized system enhances efficiency for university personnel and increases their digital knowledge and skills, preparing them to work in any situation outside the university.
(Report from Chulalongkorn University’s Central Administration no 0512/05752 issued on 24 July 2015 on the use of the LessPaper electronic documentation system, replacing the DTS)
In addition, the Faculty of Engineering has developed a teaching and learning platform, called the CourseVille, which enables faculty members to manage teaching and learning and students to do an online learning from home. There is teaching and learning guideline management, and an evaluation measure for both asynchronous learning (which students can learn by themselves anytime and anywhere) together with synchronous learning (which gives a class the opportunity to learn together at the same time) with appropriate proportion for each course. It focuses on implementation of a learning management system such as MyCourseville Blackboard or Google Classroom to be used in course management with on-sites. By doing so, lecturers can consider the degree of necessity and flexibility in teaching and learning as seen appropriate.
During the pandemic, the policy has enabled a change to online teaching and learning. A work-from-home policy for all staff can also be adjusted immediately in response to the situation. In the near future, we will develop better documentation systems with other dimensions for all faculty staff, students and lecturers to be more efficiently connected for work in order to become a Digital University in a new era.
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