The Possibility to Offer a PhD Program in Information Science

Transcription

1 THE GENERAL CONFERENCE CONGRESS OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN LIBRARIANS (CONSAL) XVI BANGKOK THAILAND, JUNE The Possibility to Offer a PhD Program in Information Science Tasana Saladyanant Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Humanities, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, [email protected] Chaiwat Nantasri Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Humanities, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, [email protected] ABSTRACT The Department of Library and Information Science, Chiang Mai University plans to offer its PhD program in Information Science in To be well prepared and comply with the Standard for Graduate Program Curriculum launched by the Thai Ministry of Education the Department studied the need for studying of the prospective students as well as their organizations need for the PhD graduates in Information Studies Program. Method used was a survey research. Questionnaires were sent to 28 colleges and universities in 12 northern Thai provinces of which 270 faculties, staffs in the field of information science and information technology replied. Results revealed the background of the samples; their needs, either positive or negative, with reasons to study in Information Science PhD program; subject fields interested; their available time to attend the program as well as the structure of study program. Keywords: Science Information Science PhD Program, Library and Information 1. INTRODUCTION The Department of Library Science, Chiang Mai University was found, offered an undergraduate Library Science program in 1968 and MLS in The curriculum were updated regularly. The program titles were changed to Information Studies as well as the name of the Department became Library and Information Science. In its strategic plan ( ) the Department aimed to offer an Information Science PhD program in the last year of the plan (Chiang Mai University, 2013:8). The IS curriculum, like others, must be comply with the Standard Criteria for Graduate Program (Ministry of Education, 2005) and Thailand Qualification Framework for Higher Education (Ministry of Education, 2009) which specified the process of curriculum development, education system, study plan, faculty qualification and responsibilities, as well as student qualification. The Office of Higher Education Commission, Ministry of Education [OHEC, MOE] set up the national long term plan for higher education development focused on the faculty staff development. It stated that Faculty staff development is the survival of higher educa-

2 tion and it is an urgent issue ( Ministry of Education. Office of Higher Education Commission, 2008, pp.38-39) It estimated that in the next fifteen years (from 2008) higher education would lack of 30,000 faculties which would affect Thai university development critically. OHEC later set 2016 vision that Higher Education is the sources of knowledge and high quality development for sustainable nation development (MOE. OHEC, 2010, p.1) So colleges and universities try to keep up with those framework, plans and proclamation. Besides it is expected that the ratio of PhD: Master: Bachelor degree faculties should be 30:60:10 instead of 25:60:15 as being now. So higher education institutions are hurrying to push their faculties to get PhD degree or recruit only PhD staff. In the field of Library and Information Science there are only two universities offer PhD programs, namely: Khonkaen University and Sukothaidhammathirat University which are in the north-east and in Bangkok accordingly. Chiang Mai University, an oldest university in the north of Thailand then plan to offer a PhD program to fill the need mentioned above. Generally process of curriculum development varies. The Alberta Education mentioned 4 steps, i.e.: reviewing, developing, implement and maintain curriculum (From knowledge to action, 2012). While the School of Medicine, UC San Diego adopted Kern s 6 steps in curriculum development (Kern, D.E., Thomas, P.A., Hughes, M.T., 2009) for medical education which are widely used by medical schools, i.e.: 1) Problem identification and general needs assessment 2) Needs assessment of targeted learners 3) Goals and objectives 4) Educational strategies 5) Implementation 6) Evaluation and feed back On the LIS curriculum development Wallace (2002) proposed a curriculum design models in 3 steps: 1. Identify direction 2. Select directions and 3. Define program Having reviewed the related materials the authors surveyed the need of target students and considered the faculty quality and quality, learning resources and facilities to find out the possibility of The program to be offered. 2. KEY ISSUES FROM THE STANDARD CRITERIA FOR GRADUATE PROGRAM Objectives of the curriculum The curriculum should be comply with the national Higher Education Plan, Higher Education philosophy, international philosophy and international professional standard. PhD curriculum should focus on developing academic and professional staff to possess higher proficiency by doing research project in order to create original knowledge. 2.2 Curriculum structure Plan1: 1.1 for Master degree graduates, consists of 48 credit theses without course work, 1.2 for Bachelor degree graduates, consists of 72 credit theses without course work, Plan2: 2.1 for Master degree graduates, consists of 36 credit theses and 12 credit course work, 2.2 for Bachelor degree graduates, consists of 48 credit theses and 24 course work.

3 2.3 Faculties and teaching, learning and research resources PhD program requires at least 3 PhD or associate professors in the field or related field responsible for a curriculum. The same qualification plus research experience are required for theses supervisors and lecturer. Each program must have no less than 5 program committee members. Teaching, learning and research resources must be sufficient. 3. METHODOLOGY This research used a survey method. To find out the need of prospect students and the need of PhD in Information Science graduate user organizations we sent out 300 questionnaires to 28 public and private colleges and Universities in 12 northern provinces, i.e.: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kanpang Phet, Lampang, Nakhon Sawan, Nan, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok Phrae, Tak and Utttaradit. Samples are faculties and academic staffs in the fields of information science and information technology of which 270 replied. To see the readiness of faculty staff, learning resources and facilities the situation was studied by comparing with the Standard Criteria for Graduate Program and the Ministry of Education long term plan. 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 The samples personal information Of 270 samples responded 165 (61.1%) are female, 105 (38.9%) are male. Most of them aged between 36-40, the rest are and accordingly. Table1 Age range of samples Age range number % Total All of them work in public or private universities, 207 persons (76.1%) were responsible for teaching and researching, 63 persons (23.9%) were responsible for using IT in teaching and learning activities. 4.2 Need of Institutions To be consistent to the criteria of the Ministry of Education requirement of PhD faculties, 197 (73%) samples replied that the institutions strongly need PhD graduate staff while 73 (27%) were not sure. 4.3 Need of the samples to study in Information Studies PhD program

4 165 (61.1%) Samples want to study in the IS PhD program while 70 (25.9%) did not want and 35 (13%) have not decided. When asked for reasons supported their need to study in IS PhD program we found reasonable answers as in Table 2. Table 2 Reasons supported the need to study IS PhD program Reasons number % Organization need/support Change of promotion to higher position/salary Increasing knowledge and experience To get higher degree To change jobs To change jobs to faculty staff Total Mostly, i.e. 64 (38.8%) samples indicated that the organizations would support them as it is the need of their organizations, 32 (19.4%) said they would get chances to be promoted to higher positions or salaries, and 23 (13.9%) wanted to extend their knowledge and experience. The rest 105 persons (38.9%) who did not want or did not decide to study in the program gave following reasons: 1) they wanted to change subject fields, 2) personal reasons, and 3) not ready for studying. (Table3) Table 3 Reasons for not decided/not going to study LS PhD program Reasons number % Would like to change subject field Personal reasons Studying expenditure Age Total Subject areas interested The authors collected subjects provided in Khonkaen University PhD curriculum and open for suggestion. Most samples (46.1%) responded that they were interested in Information Systems and Technologies. Other subjects of interest are: Information organization, Storage and Retrieval, and Information Resources and User Services (12.7% each). The least subjects are Management Knowledge-based Organizations, and Communication and Information Marketing (9.7% each) (Table4) Table 4 Subject areas interested Subject areas number % Information system and Technology Information Resources and User Services Information Organization, Storage and Retrieval Management Knowledge-based Organization Communication and Information Marketing Digital Library Information and Social and Policy Context Total

5 Anyway, this is only a guide to see prospect students interesting. We have to work more on subjects to provide in the curriculum. 4.5 Study Program Samples were asked which study program would they choose between Plan 1.1 : students takes 48 credits theses without course work or Plan 2.1 : student takes 36 credits theses with 12 credits coursework. All of them preferred Plan Available Time of studying Asking whether they preferred to study on office time ( Monday to Friday ) or weekend, 146 (88.5%) samples replied that they were convenient on Saturday and Sunday. Only 19 (11.5%) chose office day. This means that most of them would keep on working while studying. 4.7 Readiness of faculties, learning and research resources. Faculties The Department of Library and Information Science, Chiang Mai University has 11 faculties whose degrees and academic titles are as shown in Table 5 Table 5 Faculty staff Academic title Degree held MLS/MIS PhD IS Associate professor Assistant professor Lecturer 2* 5 7 Total PhD candidates According to the Standard Criteria for Graduate Program quantity of the faculty staff, their degrees and academic titles meet the requirement. Learning and research resources Chiang Mai University provides central and faculty libraries. Library resources are as follows: Thai English Books 761, ,000 Journals Newspapers 39 4 A-V materials e-books (DB) 0 3 e-db 1 17 CS-ROM (DB) 0 2 Among the above resources, books in LIS and related fields are around 20,000 in Thai language and 23,000 in English language. The Standard for Library in Higher Education Institutions set ratio of student per books 1:15, faculty per books 1:100 in undergraduate and Master degree level, and 25,000 books in each subject field in PhD level (Ministry of University Affairs, 2001, p.6). In Chiang Mai University Library ratio of students per book is 1:34, faculty per book is 1:469 (Chiang University Library, 2014,

6 pp ). So we can say that in general learning and research resources meet the standard yet in fact we have to develop more up to date collections in LIS field. 5. CONCLUSION In order to develop a PhD in LIS curriculum the Department of Library Science has to take all related standards, regulations and plans as frame work. In its first step the findings of this study revealed information of the prospected students, their interesting to the program as well as their organizations trend to support, also the readiness of faculties and learning and research resources. It can be said that The Department has proficiency to offer a PhD degree. However development of faculties and resources must be done continuously. REFERENCES (2013 Chiang Mai University. Department of Library and Information Science. (2013). The Four Year Development Plan of Department of Library and Information Science. ( ). Chiang Mai: The Department. Chiang Mai University Library. (2014). Annual Report Chiang Mai: The Library. From Knowledge to Action. Retrieved from Kern, D.E., Thomas, P.A., Hughes, M.T. (2009). Curriculum Development for Medical Education: A Six Steps Approach. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press. Ministry of Education. Office of Higher Education Commission. (2005). Standard Criteria for Graduate Program. Bangkok: The Office. Ministry of Education. Office of Higher Education. (2008). Framework for 15 year Higher Education Plan no.2 ( ). Bangkok: The Office. Ministry of Education. Office of Higher Education. (2009). Thailand Qualifications Framework for Higher Education. Bangkok: The Office. Ministry of Education. Office of Higher Education. (2010). Higher Education Development Plan no.11 ( ). Bangkok: The Office. Ministry of University Affairs. (2001). Standards for Libraries in Higher Education. Bangkok: The Ministry. Wallace, D. (2002). Curriculum development in library and information science programs. American Journal of Distance Education, 13 (3),

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