Information Education in

ThailandAssoc.Prof.Dr. Kulthida Tuamsuk

Information & Communication Management Program

Khon Kaen University, Thailandemail: kultua@kku.ac.th

Presented at Sukhothai Thammatirat Open University

21 September 2009

Current Situation of Information

EducationBachelor Degree Professional entry level -

Practitioner

Master’s Degree Higher/Advanced level - Manager/Specialist

Doctoral Degree - Highest level Researcher/Educator/Univ.Faculty

Bachelor Degree Programs offered in Thai Universities

1959-1982

Library Science

(14)

1983-Present• Library Science (1)

• Library and Information Science (4)

• Information Science (4)

• Information Studies (3)

• Information Management (2)

Master’s Degree Programs offered in Thai Universities

1990-Present• Library and Information Science (4)

• Information Science (1)

• Information Studies (2)

• Information Management (2)

• Learning Resources Management (1)

• Archive and Record Management (1)

1964-1989• Library Science(3)

• Library and Information Science (7)

Doctoral Program in Information Studies

at KKU

Library science, Education, Computer science, Management science, Business administration, Public

health, etc.

Information

Management

Technology

Research

Any environments/organizations

Researcher, Educators, University Faculty, etc.

subject areas of students’ backgrounds

Challenges in Information Education

Threats

More options- more programs in IT, ICT, MIS, KM, etc.

INPUTS• Decreasing enrollments• Decreasing potential applicants• Increasing drop outs

UNIVERSITY’S POLICY

• - Demanded si ded or i ent ed• Resources sharing• - Self reliance (decreasing budget)

MARKETS• Decreasing library markets• Demands for new competencies

Changes in Information Education

CHANGES• Name of the program

• Contents of the courses

• Multi-disciplinary oriented

• Changes in enrollments (increasing numbers, more potential applicants, various backgrounds)

• Changes in job markets (more job opportunities, broader market places)

• Changes in research & education (integrated/multi-disciplinary research, faculty staff from different backgrounds)

• Changes in program administration (cross-departments, organizational merging)

Future?When we look at the future of information education the primary question before us is, how will library and information schools prepare themselves to meet those new challenges. In order to meet these changes it is necessary that library and information schools should look into their external and internal environments. Library / information educators of the future must have a good understanding of the coming situation of the 21st century and beyond. Their students need to be equipped with knowledge and skills of technology and its usefulness to society as a whole. (Abdullahi, 2006)

Weir (2000) suggested that traditional library skills still have a place but we must also seek out and encourage other characteristics and skills. These include:

. Adaptability – Information professionals must be able to cope with constant change

. Creativity – resolving many changes will require ingenuity and lateral thinking

. Willingness to take risks – Not a characteristic normally associated with librarians

. Self-starters – Much of the responsibility for self-improvement will fall to the individual

. Project management skills and change management skills – Both essential in today’s environment

. Interpersonal and communication skillsskills – Librarians are the ‘human face’ of technology for many people and, as we progress to be managers, we need good people skills to help both staff and clients adjust to the changes facing them

. Sense of humor – Last but not least, this is as essential component of any jobs!

What are i School & C

ISAP?

• The iSchool concept came from th e recognition that the traditional di

sciplines of library and information science, computer science, and info rmation technology are increasingl

y overlapping in today’s digital info rmation age:

• courses’ contents

• research topics/issues

• faculty staff

• The idea of merging into iSchool sh ould be good because it offers an opp

ortunity for interdisciplinary educati on and research, and resource sharin

g.

• The challenging parts for us are ho w to merge them, and how to establi sh the recognition of iSchool in comp

arison of the recognition of library sc hool, law school, nursing school, etc.

History of the iSchools• 1988Started in by three leaders of Library and Informatio ttt ttt tttttttttt tt ttttttttttt tttttttt ttttttttttt ttt tt:,, ttttttttttt.

• Information Schools ("iSchools") address the relationship betw eeninformation, technology, andpeople. Thisischaracterizedbyacommi t ment t o l ear ni ng and under st andi ng t he r ol e o ttttttttttt tt ttttt tttttttttt ttt tttttttt tttt tt tt ttttt tttt ttttttttt tt ttt ttttt tt ttttttt. tttttttt tt tttttttt ttttttttt tttttttttt ttt tttttttt tttt tttttttt,,,. emusti ncl ude under st andi ng of t he uses and user s of i nf or mat i o tttt tt ttttttttttt tttttttttttt ttt ttttt ttttttttttttt, .

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borate to further their collective interests through focused even ts such as the "iConference" and resources of broader interest.

The iSchools Caucus• ttttttttttt ttttttttt tttttt tt tttttt ttttt, .• UniversityofCalifornia, I r vi ne. School of I nf or mat i on and Comput er Sci ence.• University of California, Los Angeles. Graduate School of Educttttt tt ttttttttttt ttttttt• t ttttt t tttttttttt tttttt tt tttttt ttttt tttttt t tt.

d Management.• DrexelUniversity. Col l ege of I nf or mat i on Sci ence and Technol ogy.• ttttt t tttttttttt t tttttt tt t tt t tttttttt ttt t..• Georgia Institute of Technology. College of Computing.• -t tttttttttt tt t tttttt t ttttt tttttt tt ttttttt . ttttttttttt tttttttt.• University of Illinois. Graduate School of Library and Informati tttttttt.• tttttt tt tttttttttttt..• tttttt tt ttttttt ttt ttttttttttt tttttttt..• University of Maryland. College of Information Studies.

The iSchools Caucus (cont.)• University of Michigan. The School of Information.• tt t tttt ttttttttt tttttt tt tttttt ttttt ttt ttttttt .ttttttt• ThePennsylvaniaSt at e Uni ver si t y. Col l ege of I nf or mat i on Sci ence and Tec.• ttttttttttt tttttt tt ttttttttttt ttttttttt..• tttttt tt ttttttt ttt tttttt ttttt tttttttt t ttt,.• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. School of C ttt ttttttt tttttttt, .• Singapore Management University. School of Information Syst.• tttttt tt ttttttttttt tttttttt..• University of Texas, Austin. School of Information.• University of Toronto. Faculty of Information.• t tttttttttt tttttt ttttt ttttttt. .• Wuhan University, China. School of Information Management.

To Join the ischools.org• ttt ttttt tttttttttt tt tt ttttttt ttt ttt tttttt ttt tt,

hools are expected to have substantial sponsored research acti ttttttt tt tt t tttttt tt tttttttt tttttttttttt ttt tttt ( 1 ttttttt ttttttt ttt tt ttt tttttttt tt tttttt ttttttt) ,

- hers (usually through an active, research oriented doctoral pro gram), and a commitment to progress in the information field.

• To join the iSchools, please send an email to Maeve Reilly, att esting that your school shares the purpose and providing evide

ttt tttt tttt tttttt t tttt ttt tttttttt ttttttttttttttt ttttttt ed above, and your school will be listed on ischools.org as an iS

ttt t ttt tttt tt tttttttt t t ttttt tttttt ttt ttttttttttt . 500fee (currently $ ). Once that fee is paid, you may contribute t

o ischools.org brief descriptions of your students, facult y, research, and academic programs, for the various part

- s of the web site, and you may tag RSS based news items tobepi cked up by t he I school s.or g newsf eed aggr egat or .

• More information http://www.ischools.org/

CISAP was proposed as a forum for iSchools in t - he Asia Pacific region to exchange ideas and inf

ormation about participating schools and to pro vide a platform to launch collaborative activities

- across regions collaborative research projects, students and faculty exchange, and distance ed

ucation.

The agreement was signed on November 1, 2008

-Consortium of iSchools in Asia Pacific (CISAP)

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSORTIUM:

1. To promote the establishment and development of iSchools in-Asia Pacific

• To foster the concept of iSchools and the iSchool community • To help define the identity of and establish the brand of iSchool

s • To evolve frameworks, guidelines and standards for iSchools.

2 . To foster collaboration and exchange of new ideas for educati - on and r esear ch at i School s i n t he Asi a Paci fi c r egi on

• To exchange curriculum among iSchools • To develop student and faculty exchange programmes • To organize activities and events to strengthen the iSchools an -d iSchool movement in the Asia Pacific.

3. To support the development of the global iSchool community

-Consortium of iSchools in Asia Pacific (CISAP)

MEMBERS:Members of the Consortium are academic institutions and organizationsinterested and involved in education and research in the area of ‘information’.

-Consortium of iSchools in Asia Pacific (CISAP)

FOUNDING MEMBERS: 1 . Computer Science and Information Management Program School of En

ggggggggg ggg gggggggggg ggggg ggggggggg gg ggggggggggg ggggggggg 2 . Division of Knowledge and Information, Hansung University, Korea 3. Information Management and Communication Program, Faculty of Hu

gggggg ggggggggg gggg gggg g gggggggggg gggggggg, , 4 . , ,International School of Information Management University of Mysore

ggggg - 5 . , ,Library Archives and Record keeping Program Faculty of Information

Technology, Monash University, Australia 6 . ,Division of Information Studies Wee Kim Wee School of Communicatio

gggggg gggggg g gggggg ggggggggggggg g gggggggggg ggggggggg, ,

FOUNDING MEMBERS:

7 . ,Department of Library and Information Science National Taiwan Uni versity, Taiwan

8 . ,Graduate Institute of Library and Information Studies National Taiw an Normal University, Taiwan 9 . , ,School of Information Systems Singapore Management University

ggggggggg 10. Department of Information Management, Peking University, Chin

g 11. Faculty of Information Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA,

Malaysia 12. Information and Knowledge Management Programme, Faculty of

Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Australia 13. School of Informatics, University of Tsukuba, Japan 14. Graduate School of Library, Information and Media Studies, Unive

rsity of Tsukuba, Japan 15. School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellingt

on, New Zealand 16. Department of Computer Science, Waikato University, New Zeala

gg (Alphabetical Order by University Names)

Thank You