The UP Open University (UPOU) held the launching session for the Round Table Discussion (RTD) Series on Assessment on 17 March 2017 at the UPOU Oblation Hall in Los Baños, Laguna. Dr. Kunchon Jeotee, Assistant Professor at the Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), lecturer for the Master of Environment and Natural Resources Management (MENRM) program and assessment research collaborator at the ASEAN Studies Graduate Program, was the session's lead discussant on "Assessment at STOU."
Dr. Kunchon, an expert in statistics, online learning and evaluation in education, shared how evaluation is done at STOU especially at the STOU Office of Registrations, Record and Evaluations where he is currently connected. According to Dr. Kunchon, STOU has a very strong and strict exam system for both their regular exam and walk-in exam, starting from the production of all subject textbooks written by recognized experts in STOU. These experts create test questions about the chapters they wrote which are then compiled to compose the 100 items for the subject's exam. The questions go through a long series of checking and evaluation before and after printing and distribution to the STOU regional centers and partner schools in the 78 provinces of Thailand. STOU has an item bank for questions for the random generation of questions in walk-in exams. Students who opt for the walk–in exam, take tests simultaneously all over the country.
The UPOU Faculty and Research, Extension and Professional Service (REPS) members who attended the RTD actively participated in the discussion by contributing their experiences in the different assessment methods done by UPOU. Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, UPOU Chancellor, explained that UPOU used to print and send out exams to the students based all over the country and abroad, but now, online examination is being explored and will be shared in the succeeding sessions of the RTD Series.
RTD Series on Assessment is spearheaded by the UPOU Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs (OVCAA), in partnership with the three UPOU Faculty Offices. Prof. Melinda Lumanta, UPOU Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, explained that the the RTD Series on Assessment stemmed from the idea of discussing the results and recommendations of the UPOU Task Force on Examination Systems, and was expanded to become a venue to tackle and share experience and knowledge about the different types of assessment applicable to open and distance e-learning (ODeL). Chancellor Bandalaria applauded this initiative and hopes for a publication at the end of the series so other ODeL institutions may also benefit from this activity.
The RTD series is set to be held twice a month, with the definite schedule to be circulated to everyone. Inquiries about the RTD Series on Assessment may be sent to [email protected]. (Anna Cañas-Llamas)
