Vietnam: What do distance education materials include? When will a training institution be suspended from distance education activities?

What do distance education materials in Vietnam include?

Under Article 4 of the Regulation on distance education at the higher education level issued together with Circular 28/2023/TT-BGDDT, the regulations on distance education materials in Vietnam are as follows:

- Distance education materials are teaching, learning, and research materials which are compiled, selected, appraised, approved, and used by the training institution at the training institution in accordance with each distance education mode.

- Distance education materials include core study materials and supplementary study materials necessary for the education.

- Core study materials shall ensure full and complete academic contents provided and conveyed to learners to enable their self-study to the extent of being relevant to the following modes of distance education:

+ Computer network and Telecommunications: Core study materials are electronic learning materials and digital learning materials;

+ Mail correspondence: Core study materials are printed materials, including textbooks compiled for distance education, reference books, study and research manuals, workbooks, and examination and test manuals;

+ Radio - Television: Core study materials are radio and television programs.

- Supplementary study materials furnish learners with detailed information to guarantee a deep and complete understanding of contents in core study materials.

- The principal or director of a training institution (hereinafter referred to as the principal) organizes the development, appraisal, and approval of distance education materials before delivering distance education. Every year, the training institution shall review, evaluate, and update learning materials to meet professional and technical requirements.

Thus, distance education materials core study materials and supplementary study materials necessary for the education. The core study materials shall ensure full and complete academic contents provided and conveyed to learners to enable their self-study to the extent of being relevant to the modes of distance education and the supplementary study materials furnish learners with detailed information to guarantee a deep and complete understanding of contents in core study materials.

What do distance education materials in Vietnam include? When will a training institution in Vietnam be suspended from distance education activities? (Image from Internet)

When will a training institution in Vietnam be suspended from distance education activities?

According to the regulations at Article 6 of the Regulation on distance education at Higher education level issued together with Circular 28/2023/TT-BGDDT, a training institution is suspended from distance education activities when there is a conclusion from a competent authority about the training institution's violation in one of the following cases:

- Make autonomy decisions on distance education when one of the minimum requirements for distance education is not met as prescribed in Article 5 of this Regulation;

- Failure to maintain compliance with one of the minimum requirements for distance education delivery which affects the quality of training as prescribed in Article 5 of this Regulation;

- The training institution is suspended from operating the academic discipline with the distance education program.

What are the regulations on the organization and management of distance education in Vietnam?

According to the regulations in Article 9 of the Regulation on distance education at the higher education level issued together with Circular 28/2023/TT-BGDDT, the organization and management of distance education in Vietnam are conducted as follows:

- Distance education programs are delivered using a credit-based system. Other requirements on teaching and learning organization are set out in Clauses 1 and 3, Article 8 of Circular No. 08/2021/TT-BGDDT .

- Deliver distance education at joint training partners in accordance with Article 7 of Circular 28/2023/TT-BGDDT.

- Assign lecturers and learning support staff to deliver distance education programs in accordance with Clause 7, Article 5 of Circular 28/2023/TT-BGDDT.

- Organize online teaching and learning in accordance with regulations on information technology application in online training for higher education of the Ministry of Education and Training.

- Provide learners, lecturers, administrators, and learning support staff with: knowledge and skills about distance teaching and learning; information about training programs, learning resources, testing and assessment tools; opportunities to participate in career counseling, guidance sessions, and internship programs.

- Effectively operate the technical support system to help learners easily access learning resources, connect learners with learners, learners with lecturers, and support lecturers in checking, monitoring, and evaluating the level of learner's progress.

- The delivery of distance education must ensure interaction between learners and lecturers, between learners and learners; ensure at least 4 core study activities below: attending class sessions, tutorial sessions, thematic discussions and seminars; learning from core study materials and supplementary study materials; engage in learning activities and complete assessment exercises; seek advice and direct questions to lecturers.

- Learners’ participation in the training process must be monitored and recorded through the technical support system or learning tracking records in forms appropriate to the training mode (class attendance, learner authentication, learning diary, etc.), with each learning activity and learning load designed in the detailed module outline.

- The training institution’s regulations elaborate the assignment of lecturers, feedback from learners, disclosure of responsibilities and rights of lecturers, learners, academic departments, and related administrators; regulations on personal information protection and academic data security.

- Other regulations on learners are set out in Article 15, Article 16, Article 17, Article 18, Article 19 and Article 20 of Circular No. 08/2021/TT-BGDDT .