Prince of Songkla University Took the First Step to Optimise Students and Curriculum’s Maximum Potentials with the CALOHEA’s Student Workload Measurements

The CALOHEA National Meeting was held from 18-19 September 2023 by Prince of Songkla University at Crystal Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand. This National Meeting marked the 9th National Meeting of the CALOHEA dissemination campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the benefits and the utilisation of the CALOHEA Recognition Mechanisms.

In this 9th Meeting, the emphasis is on ‘Student Workload Measurements,’ one of the CALOHEA’s three Recognition Mechanisms that allows universities and staff members to contextualise their students workload to their national context while also bridging them with the global society of academia and industry through workloads that are recognisable, comparable, and compatible. The benefits of measuring student workload are manifold, extending to various stakeholders including students, academic staff, and industries. The introduction of a culture of student workload measurement yields advantages for each group involved. For students, it fosters clear expectations, ensures consistent learning experiences, and promotes the development of expected graduate competencies. Academic staff and universities also stand to gain significantly from measuring student workload. It enhances program transparency, streamlines the quality assurance process, simplifies accreditation procedures, and facilitates recognition, ultimately aligning academic standards internationally. Moreover, it facilitates the credit transfer process and supports the internationalization of Higher Education Institutions.

The two-day event featuring the policy dialogue and workshop session showcases knowledge-sharing sessions where participants learn more about the CALOHEA Recognition Mechanisms from Dr. Maria Yarosh, expert from Tuning Academy, University Groningen, and hear more about the situation of student mobility within the region from distinguished representatives of the higher education sector, professional organisations, and the industry.

For this meeting, we welcomed:

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Montree Yamkasikorn, Senior Advisor for Professional Development to the Secretariat Office of the Teacher’s Council of Thailand 
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bundit Thipakorn, Advisor to the President for Learning Innovation, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi
• Assoc. Prof. Sarithdej Pathanasethpong, the 2nd Vice President of the Council of Engineers Thailand
• Asst. Prof. Dr. Thakerng Wongsirichot, Vice President for Academic and International Affairs, Prince of Songkla University

Each brought to the table their insight into the position of student workloads in supporting student mobility, degree recognition, internationalisation, and the transition of graduates from academic to professional lives.

Dr. Maria Yarosh, Tuning Academy, University Groningen

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Montree Yamkasikorn, Senior Advisor for Professional Development to the Secretariat Office of the Teacher’s Council of Thailand

 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bundit Thipakorn, Advisor to the President for Learning Innovation, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi

Assoc. Prof. Sarithdej Pathanasethpong, the 2^nd Vice President of the Council of Engineers Thailand

Asst. Prof. Dr. Thakerng Wongsirichot, Vice President for Academic and International Affairs, Prince of Songkla University

Following the knowledge-sharing sessions, the Meeting welcomed Asst. Prof. Dr. Montira Leelakriangsak, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Mr. Napat Roddum from Cement and Green Solution Business, and two students from Prince of Songkla University’s Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Engineering, Ms. Nurfa Natputree and Mr. Vachiravit Saengcharun, in an open policy dialogue session, where participants discussed from their perspective the challenges and obstacles students face in undergoing mobility programmes and the qualities industry is looking for in the upcoming generations.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Montira Leelakriangsak, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus

Mr. Napat Roddum from Cement and Green Solution Business

Ms. Nurfa Natputree, Undergraduate Student from the Faculty of Education, Prince of Songkla University

Mr. Vachiravit Saengcharun, Undergraduate Student from the Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University

On the second day of the meeting was the CALOHEA’s iconic workshop, where participants learned hands-on the utilisation of the CALOHEA’s Recognition Mechanisms in the subject area of engineering and teacher education.

The Workshop for the Engineering Subject Area

The Workshop for the Teacher Education Subject Area

The workshop concluded on 19 September 2023 with overall 288 participants, with 148 attending online while 140 joined us on-site. However, the CALOHEA dissemination is still on-going with the National Meeting coming to Cambodia later on 9-10 October 2023 at Svay Rieng University under the theme “Implementing Authentic Assessment Measurements for More Effective and Holistic Learning Outcomes in Cambodia’s Higher Education.”

Another one of the three Recognition Mechanisms of CALOHEA, Authentic Assessment of Programme of Learning Outcomes is a tool to ensure that the assessment of learning outcomes are authentic with real-life contexts, real-world tasks and activities, and enriching feedback for students.

Visit https://sru.edu.kh/projects/the-second-round-of-caloheas-national-meetings-2023-at-svay-rieng-university/ to learn more about the National Meeting at Svay Rieng University or register now at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeep4iF1ebpqQGQ7Bz71tDdIB1zoiOQ--6RKe41gTHxZSsbDQ/viewform.