Quản lý chất lượng đào tạo đại học từ xa ở việt nam theo tiếp cận đảm bảo chất lượng của AAOU TT TIENG ANH

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VIETNAM NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES DO SA KY QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF DISTANCE HIGHER EDUCATION IN VIETNAM ACCORDING TO AAOU’S QUALITY ASSURANCE APPROACH Specialization: Educational Administration ID: 9.14.01.14 SUMMARY OF DISSERTATION OF DOCTORS IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES Hanoi - 2021 The dissertation is completed at: The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences Academic Advisors: Assoc Prof Dr Mai Van Trinh Dr Le Dong Phuong Reviewer 1: Reviewer 2: Reviewer 3: The dissertation will be defended in front of the Institutional Level Board of Reviewers at the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, 101 Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi At 00:00 (am/pm) on (day, month, year) The dissertation can be retreived at: - National Library - Library of The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences INTRODUCTION Rationale for choosing the topic Improving the quality of education and training is a core objective that every university is aiming for Over many years, higher education in Vietnam has achieved certain achievements, however, the quality of higher education is still not commensurate with the country's development requirements in the period of innovation and global integration, and there is still quite a huge gap in countries having advanced education in the region and in the world One of the main reasons leading to the low quality of education is the inadequacy in the management of education and training In other words, training quality management is an important element, which playing a key role in improving the training quality of higher educational institutions Continuing education appeared by the time the the United of Kingdom Open University was established in the early 1960s Up to now, continuing education has developed worldwide with the establishment of a series of Open universities in many countries In Vietnam, the distance learning has become more and more popular with the establishment of Open Universities, and many universities also have more distance learning programs to serve diverse needs of learners in order to create a premise for the development of a learning society, meet the requirements of developing a knowledge economy - a development trend of the world economy in the 21st century However, the expansion of distance learning has raised questions about education training quality management This is one of the key issues that create the prestige of higher education institutions In different countries, policies and regulations on accreditation and quality assurance are regulated differently However, many countries have a dedicated set of tools for open and distance education quality assurance but some countries not Among those, Vietnam has not had a dedicated toolkit for accrediting the quality of open and distance education This is one of the main reasons why training quality management, especially distance learning in our country, still has many limitations and weaknesses In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak all over the world, distance learning has been appkied in many higher education institutions however the distance learning quality management system of universities has been increasingly revealing their weaknesses The reason is that distance learning has its own characteristics that are different from face-to-face training, but in most universities in Vietnam, the management of forms of training is almost the same As a result, a lot of inadequacies in quality management from admission, training management to course completion and graduation happen Therefore, it is necessary to have a separate quality management system for the training system to ensure its comprehensiveness, feasibility and relevance The quality management model according to the Association of Asian Open University (AAOU) quality assurance framework is the model that is best assessed for its applicability in higher education institutions and it is used in many Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines These countries have similar educational and training conditions to Vietnam, but they have achieved advanced achievements in human resource training and improving training quality, especially distance education Therefore, it is essential to study the AAOU's quality assurance model and apply it to distance learning quality management in Vietnam Research purpose The study aims to conduct theoretical research and assess of the current status of distance education quality management at universities in Vietnam in order to build a distance education quality management system and standards to ensure the quality of distance education according to the AAOU quality assurance framework , then propose solutions for quality management of distance education Research mission Building the theoretical basis for management of distance education quality; Building a scale for management of distance education quality; Surveying of the current situation of distance education quality management in universities with distance education courses in Vietnam; Developing a distance education quality management system and standards for distance education quality assurance according to international standards in Vietnam according to the AAOU's quality assurance approach; Testing solutions to improve the efficiency of distance education quality management according to the AAOU's quality assurance framework proposed Objects, research subjects 4.1 Research object: - Distance education in universities in Vietnam 4.2 Research object: - Quality management of the program according to the quality assurance approach of the AAOU Scientific hypothesis With the characteristics of the distance between learners and teachers, the form of distance learning is dominating in higher education institutions, especially in the context of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale Hence, the issue of quality management of distance learning has become a concern of universities In Vietnam, distance learning, which was rarely used in the past has become a mandatory form because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic The limitations and inadequacies in the quality management of distance learning are increasingly evident and becomes more urgent, especially the quality management system ensures uniformity, up-to-date and feasibility In order to overcome these limitations, the study focuses on investigating the quality management of higher education at some distance learning institutions in Vietnam according to the AAOU quality assurance framework As a result, the dissertation points out the advantages, disadvantages and causes to create a basis for proposing solutions for overcoming some limitations in the quality management of higher education in Vietnam through the building of a quality management system of distance learning in accordance with the international standards based on the AAOU quality assurance framework Limit the scope of research 6.1 Limits on research content Based on the objectives of the thesis, due to time and scale conditions, we only study the quality of distance education training of some higher institutions in Vietnam according to the AAOU's quality assurance approach 6.2 Limits on survey subjects The topic surveyed subjects directly related to the field of study, including: Principals, Directors of the distance education Centers, Heads of Quality Assurance Units of universities, Deans of faculties/specialties with distance education courses of universities, faculties, Heads of units that have links in distance education with the universities and units using the human resources, the students who are studying in the distance education courses and graduated students 6.3 Limits on study area Research areas include: Open University of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi Open University and some universities with distance education courses in Vietnam such as Hanoi National University of Education, Hue University Research Methods - Group of theoretical research methods: Methods of analysis and synthesis of theories; Methods of classification and systematization of the theory; Graph method - Group of practical research methods: Survey method by questionnaire; In-depth interview method; Observation method - Group of mathematical statistical methods: Methods of descriptive statistics analysis and inferential statistical analysis; Comparative analysis Defensive arguments (1) Quality management plays a decisive role in the success of distance education Approaching to manage the quality of distance education according to the AAOU's quality assurance framework is a suitable and feasible approach in order to improve the efficiency of distance education quality management in Vietnam today (2) The current situation of university distance education management in Vietnam according to the AAOU's approach for quality assurance still reveals certain limitations, especially in terms of criteria, process, held education management activities, and methods of implementation, assurance conditions at some higher education institutions (3) Building a model of the quality assurance system of distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU's quality assurance approach; Renovation of management system of quality assurance at universities; Innovating services to support the implementation of quality assurance and quality management systems in distance education are the basic solution groups to manage the quality of distance education at universities in Vietnam nowadays New contributions of the dissertation - In terms of theory: (1) The thesis clarifies the content of the theoretical framework for the management of distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU's approach to quality assurance; (2) The thesis has contributed a theoretical framework on the management of distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU's approach to quality management - In terms of practice: (1) The thesis has surveyed, analyzed and assessed the current status of quality management of distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU's approach to quality assurance; (2) The thesis has proposed a system of scientific principles and solutions that are suitable with practice to manage the quality of distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU's approach to quality assurance in order to improve the quality of distance education 10 Structure of the dissertation In addition to the introduction, conclusion and recommendations, list of references and appendices, the thesis has a structure of chapters: Chapter I: Theoretical basis for management of distance education at universities in Vietnam according to the The AAOU’s quality assurance framework approach Chapter II: Status of quality management of distance education in Vietnam according to the The AAOU’s quality assurance framework approach Chapter III: Quality management solutions for distance education in Vietnam according to the The AAOU’s quality assurance framework approach CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BASIS FOR MANAGEMENT OF DISTANCE EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITIES IN VIETNAM ACCORDING TO THE AAOU’S QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK APPROACH 1.1 Overview of the research history 1.1.1 Studies on distance education The first trend, research on the history of establishment and the role of distance education In this trend, researchers have been interested in the establishment process with the cause, form and role distance education The most emphasized role of distance education is to contribute to the building of a learning society and to the development of lifelong learning, to increase the happiness index Distance education established first in the UK The UK Open University was founded on four core principles: "Open to people, open to places, open to methods and open to ideas" The “open” nature emphasizes the flexibility of the system, reducing barriers for learners due to factors of age, location, time and economic status Since the opening of the UK Open University in 1963, the form of open and distance education (ODE) has made significant development in establishing a global education linkage system, creating opportunities for learning with flexible and accessible forms of learning for all classes of people in many countries around the world in the context of globalization which requires improve people's knowledge, training human resources for countries in order to integrate with the world economy The second trend, research on the quality of distance education In this trend, the authors pay a lot of attention to the issue of quality assurance of distance education Building, selecting and applying a quality assurance framework (QA) in accordance with the reality of distance education in higher education institutions is discussed by researchers Since the 90s of the 20th century, quality assurance in distance education has attracted the attention of higher education institutions, relevant agencies and experts from many countries around the world Currently, many organizations have issued a quality assurance framework to create a common set of standards for evaluating higher educational institutions, including the quality assurance framework of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) or the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) In Vietnam, the researches on the quality of distance education focus on a group of factors that impacts the quality such as learning outcome, student’s satisfaction technology, and solutions to improve the quality of distance education Two Open Universities are Hanoi Open University and Ho Chi Minh City Open University, which have more systematic studies on education quality and quality assurance solutions of their units In which, some are high convincing because they have proposed solutions based on actual research, others only introduced the solutions that were implementing, but they are all useful references for our dissertation Some typical research works include: Dimensions of quality in online degree programs published in The American Journal of distance education by Angela D Benson, Quality assurance in Asian Open and distance learning: Policies and Implementation of Ojat Darojat, Michelle Nilson and David Kaufman… 1.1.2 Studies on the management of distance education according to the quality assurance framework The first trend, research on theory and reality of distance education quality assurance management In this trend, the authors have researched on theory quality assurance frameworks and reality of distance education management according to different frameworks, including AAOU’s However, the studies did not specifically discuss management issues, present generally the issue of quality assurance Typical studies include: Toward a quality assurance approach to e-learning courses published in International on e-learning by Kidney et al; the book Quality assurance and accreditation in distance education and e-learning by Jung and Latchen; The dissertationof Urban investment management to meet the needs of university-level human resources in the Mekong Delta by Pham Phuong Tam… The second trend, research and propose solutions for distance learning management according to the quality assurance framework Research works in this trend mention to models of quality assurance of distance education, recommend solutions to improve the efficiency of urban quality management of urban areas Some typical works are:, Quality assurance in Asian distance education: Diverse approaches and common culture published in The international review of research in open and distance learning, vol 12, 2012; Ministry-level project Solutions to ensure the quality of the green investment system at Vietnamese higher education institutions to meet the social requirements of Le Thi Thanh Thu et al 1.1.3 General conclusion and research direction of the topic Through an overview of research issues related to the dissertation, we found that: The world's research works which have researched on distance education and management of distance education in the world and in Vietnam have analyzed in detail the theoretical issues of the history, role, affecting factors of distance education, distance education management model These research works have also summarized, presented and drawn the theoretical basis of the distance education management, pointed out the concepts, contents, affecting factors as well as the management process of distance education However, the scope of the study is quite limited and not comprehensive because it is not possible to study all the distance education institutions but only focuses on each individual institution On the other hand, these topics still only focus on recommendations to strengthen check and control the outcome, implement fully and seriously the standards and quality processes presented in the regulations that The Ministry of Education and Training issued Specially, within the scope of data we have, there has not been a domestic or foreign study that has studied intensively and systematically the quality management of distance education in Vietnam according to AAOU's quality assurance framework approach This is the first research work on this issue, not duplicated with any previous works Therefore, we determined the orientation of the topic on the basis of in-depth and systematic research on AAOU’s quality assurance framework and the theory of distance education to determine the criteria for distance education quality assurance according to the quality assurance framework of AAOU Then, we investigate and survey the current status to draw out the advantages and disadvantages of distance education management according to the quality assurance framework We also study international experiences - especially those countries that have implemented successfully distance education management according to AAOU's quality assurance framework to learn from experiences in Vietnam With that theoretical and practical basis, we recommend solutions to improve the quality of distance education management in Vietnam according to AAOU's quality assurance framework approach 1.2 Some theoretical issues about distance training 1.2.1 Concept of distance learning - Distance education: Distance education belongs to the mode of continuing education in the national education system Distance education is a educational process which there is mostly distance between the teacher and the learner in terms of time and space 1.2.2 Terminology related to distance learning Moreover, we also researched terms related to distance education, including: Quality, Quality Assurance, Quality Assurance of Higher Education Quality Management, Open Universities; Elearning; Online Learning; M-Learning (Micro-learning) - Learning step by step; M-learning (Mobile- learning); Blended Learning; Open and Distance Learning (ODL): Open and distance education; Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) 1.2.3 Features of distance education The distance education has the following main characteristics: (1) Distance in space and/or time; (2) Relying on technology and means of teaching; (3) Maximize self-study ability of students; (4) Having a management and supporting role of the university with distance learning; Be flexibility and connection; (5) industry; (6) be economy and efficiency 1.2.4 Forms of distance university training Distance education in the world have developed by main models: The fuctional education model; Multimedia Model and the Internet-based education Model 1.2.5 Advantages and disadvantages of distance education 1.2.5.1 Advantages of distance learning Compared with other form of education, distance education bring many advantages, such as: unlimited in time and location; Save costs and travel time of learners and teachers when they have to go to school 1.2.5.2 Difficulties and barriers to the development of distance learning The main barriers are: (1) The system of legal documents is still limited (2) education institutions are not properly aware of the role of distance education; (3) Social prejudice on the quality of distance education; (4) The quality of distance education is difficult to control; (5) The lack of initiative of learners; (6) The prejudiced reception of society 1.2.6 Some theories about distance learning 1.2.6.1 Holmberg's theory of interaction and communication Theory of interaction and communication emphasizes the importance and role of interaction and communication in the organization and function of distance education This theory was proposed by experts such as Borje Holmberg, John A Baath, Kevin C Smith, David Stewart and John S Daniel These theories all emphasize the structure of interaction and communication as an important element of distance education 1.2.6.2 Wedemeyer's theory of learner autonomy and independence Wedemeyer believed that the communication system in distance education was one of the necessary factors to support the autonomy and independence of students He was convinced of that the objective of education should be student-centered Students should be taught the values and skills needed to become independent learners so they can learn for life In addition to focusing on learners, Wedemeyer's definition also provides a view of the scope of education, where learners and teachers perform the necessary tasks, a characteristic of distance education Wedemeyer realized that the popularity of communication in teaching led to learning from anywhere 1.3 Management of distance education according to the AAOU’s quality assurance framework approach 1.3.1 The concept We have given the definitions of quality, quality management, quality assurance, quality assurance of higher education and agreed to give the view that quality management of distance education is a set of activities of the general management function, defining the quality policy quality, objectives, and responsibilities of distance education institutions and implement them through methods such as quality planning, control, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement within the framework of the quality system 1.3.2 Quality and quality management cycle PDCA The content of the phases of this cycle can be summarized as follows: (1) Planning: planning, determine objectives, scope, resources for implementation, time and methods of achieving objectives; (2) Do: implementation of the plan; (3) Checking: Based on the plan to check the implementation results; (4) Action: Through the results obtained to propose appropriate adjustment actions to restart the cycle with new inputs 1.3.3 The AAOU's Quality Assurance Model The AAOU Quality Assurance Framework includes 10 components, 54 sub-components, and 130 statements of best practice/criteria The 10 elements include: Policy and planning; Internal management; Learners and learners’ profiles; Infrastructure, communication and learning resources; Learner asscessment and evaluatation; Research and community services; Human Resources; learner support; program design and curriculum development, Course design and development 1.3.4 Content of management distance education according to AAOU’s model The management of distance education according to AAOU's quality assurance framework includes main contents: - Determining standards and criteria for quality assurance of distance education - Building and operating the distance education system - Conditions to ensure the implementation of the distance education system 1.4 Factors affecting education and education quality management of distance education 1.4.1 External environmental impact factors - Socio-cultural environment - Education technology - Learner - External quality assurance agency 1.4.2 Internal environment impact factors - Internal quality assurance management system - Faculties with distance education - Manager Sub-conclusion of chapter The issue of distance education and the management of distance education is an issue that attracts the attention of many researchers around the world and in Vietnam There are many related research works on distance education as well as the management of distance education according to the quality assurance framework The studies that have mentioned the conceptual content, the content of distance education, the distance education management and quality assurance models These are valuable documents for us in the process of implementing this dissertation However, among them, the works have not studied in an in-depth and systematic manner on distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU’s approach Therefore, the dissertationensures novelty and urgency Many distance education models have been widely applied in the world in distance education, including AAOU's quality assurance model which has been widely used in many Asian countries Based on the approach according to AAOU's quality assurance framework, within the scope of the dissertation, the author presents the main contents in the quality management of distance education according to the AAOU’s model, including the following main contents: Building a system of quality assurance of distance education; Building a plan for distance education; Organizing and directing the implementation of the distance education plan; and Management of factors affecting distance education and distance education management This is the theoretical foundation for us to design a toolkit to survey and assess the current situation of distance education management in Vietnam according to AAOU's quality assurance model, as a practical basis for proposing solutions to manage distance education according to the AAOU’s quality assurance framework CHAPTER II: STATUS OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF DISTANCE EDUCATION IN VIETNAM ACCORDING TO THE AAOU’S QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK APPROACH 2.1 Overview of universities offering distance courses in Vietnam 2.1.1 The development context of distance learning in Vietnam In Vietnam, distance education has formed and developed for nearly 25 years and has gradually asserted its role Currently, in our country, there are nearly 20 universities that are implementing the university-level distance education program licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training Most recently, the Ministry of Education and Training has issued Circular no 10/2017/TT-BGDDT on promulgating regulations on university-level distance education on April 28, 2017 Accordingly, this Circular has overcome the limitations and shortcomings in the previous decision No 40/2003/QD-BGDĐT 2.1.2 The development history of distance education and the Open University model in Vietnam The form of distance education appeared in Vietnam in the 50s of the last century In 1959, the first functional courses taught by mail were opened at Hanoi National University of Education After that, a series of universities and professional secondary schools opened in-service classes, taking functional classes at schools or at local factories and construction Since 1992, the Department of Continuing Education has drafted a number of policies related to distance education and piloted it in some universities and localities across the country In 1997, the Belgian government supported Vietnam with distance education for 4,000 teachers in difficult provinces through the VietnamBelgium remote support project Up to now, the form of distance education has developed widely throughout the country, more and more educational institutions, especially higher education institutions, have established the distance education program Currently, Vietnam has 21 universities that organize distance education programs with an estimated 161,000 students studying 97 majors 2.2 Assessment of the current situation of quality management of distance education in Vietnam 2.2.1 Introduction to the case study - Objectives of research on the current situation: The project surveys the current state of quality and quality management in distance education of Vietnamese universities today On that basis, we point out the achievements and limitations in the issue of quality assurance in higher education, thereby explaining the causes and proposing some solutions to improve the quality of distance education in particular and higher education in general - Contents of research on the current situation: The problem investigated by the author is the current situation of the quality assurance of distance education at universities in Vietnam, expressed through the following aspects: Standards and quality processes of green investment; Implement those standards and processes in practice - Objects and scale of the study + Target audience: Officials and lecturers at higher education institutions in Vietnam that have distance education courses + Research scale: Using Anket method, survey by questionnaire with quantity: 220 votes; Indepth interview: 10 people + Research scope: Can Tho University, Open University of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi Open University, Hue University - Set of standards and assessment scale: Develop a questionnaire according to the set criteria and conduct in-depth interviews with a number of lecturers and staff at some of the higher educational institutions on a rating scale from to - Organization of the case study: We used a questionnaire for officials and lecturers in the universities participating in the survey The content of the questionnaire consists of questions, each question consists of many content corresponding to levels and the respondents choose only one level 2.2.2 Results of the assessment of the current situation of distance education management in Vietnam 2.2.2.1 Results of the assessment of the current situation of distance education in Vietnam - Network of distance education institutions: by 2018, out of a total 21 universities licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training, there had been 17 universities implementing the distance education program Currently, Vietnam has 73 Centers of Continuing Education at provincial level, which have cooperation in implementing the distance education program with a number of universities in this country Many higher education institutions have a network of distance education stations in many areas across the country such as Hanoi Open University (50 stations), Ho Chi Minh City Open University (40 stations) - Scale of distance education: In recent years, the scale of distance education has been decreasing According to a report at the seminar on improving the quality of distance education in accordance with regional and world development trends, author Le Van Thanh made some assessments of the current state of distance education in Vietnam as follows: In 2012, there were 17 universities registered the admission quota with a total of 68,020 targets, the scale of 161,047 students who would enroll in 90 programs (accounting for 6% of the total number of university and college students nationwide) The student size decreased significantly, from 161.047 students (October 2012) to only 70.425 students (October 2016) The number of students studying in specific majors is as follows: Business - Management: 36%, Social Sciences: 41%, Education: 15%, Engineering Technology: 9% - Organization of distance education: Students rate the activities of the infrastructure at a good level and they also rate the organization of distance education at a good level but the latter level is higher than the former The analysis of the reports of the universities also confirmed that the universities have ensured quite good quality in terms of education processes, teaching and teaching methods, assessment of learning processes, and support for students to study but there is a difference in investment in infrastructure In the group of conditions of quality assurance of infrastructure, there are no activities that students rate at good In the group of conditions for quality assurance of teaching organization, students only rated some activities well in fields Those are the six activities of the field (9 and 10) The teaching process, teaching and teaching methods in descending order are as follows: - Lectures have flexible and effective teaching methods - The study instruction in class helps students grasp knowledge and develop their capacity - Other forms of knowledge transmission in addition to classroom instruction (multimedia lectures; tapes; online teaching ) have a good effect in providing knowledge and developing student’s capacity - Lecturers promptly answer questions and assess students' work - The universities organize to systematically assess the wishes and satisfaction of students to have appropriate policies - The universities provide sufficient information about subjects (subject objectives, achievement, assessment methods, learning requirements, learning materials, study timetable ) And the activities of the field (11 and 12), as follows: - Appropriate and fair assessment process - The content of subject and the content of assessment are consistent with each other - Notification of exam results is on time - The university provides support services for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, disabilities or students with special learning needs 2.3.2 Results of assessment the current status of distance learning management in Vietnam (according to the AAOU’s quality assurance framework approach) - The current situation of building a quality assurance system for distance university education Through the survey by questionnaires and in-depth interviews, we found that the majority of officials and lecturers participating in the survey agreed with the opinion that the management activities and quality assurance of the distance education are at a good or very good level The indicators given in the questionnaire are all rated at average level or higher, which means that the standards and quality processes of the universities are being implemented well by themselves Most of the survey subjects assessed the level of implementation of the distance education quality assurance criteria regularly and few indicators were assessed the level of implementation at never or rarely level (only accounting for less than 10%) The means of the criteria is between 3.5 and 4.0 The criteria that are assessed at a high level are the advantages of distance education Whereas the criteria that are assessed at a low level are the general disadvantages of higher education institutions In addition, the issue of learning resources is also a challenge for the majority of higher education institutions that have distance education programs Regarding the effectiveness of the distance education quality assurance criteria, most of the criteria are rated at normal or basically effective level The criterion with the most effective proportion of the survey votes is "The admission process includes: admission documents, admission forms, fees, 10 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Make sure Make sure Make sure Explain to Organize a Provide necessary everyone is everyone is fully everyone is aware everyone exactly program on the resources for responsible for aware of the of the nessesarity what specific method of quality control implementing the quality goal of to fulfill the quality plan tasks implementing plan to meet the distance learning distance need to be quality assurance quality education quality performed of distance requirements of requirement education distance education Level Level Level Level Level Figure The level of implementation of criteria related to the organizing of distance education management Criteria are assessed at a frequency or more level with a high proportion (over 70%) in which the criterion "make sure everyone is responsible for implementing the plan to meet the quality requirements of distance education has a highest proportion of frequency level This shows that the universities are aware of the objectives and necessity of distance education activities as well as focusing on attracting learners and ensuring learning outcome; clearly answer the questions what to teach, to whom to teach and what to teach for? It can be seen that the student-centered teaching method has been aware and applied in teaching the distance programs widely and thoroughly In general, the mean of efficiency is always lower than the performance of the same criterion, indicating that the difference between the frequency of implementation and the efficiency of that activity is not synchronized The criterion that is assessed at a very effective level with the highest proportion is "Make sure everyone is aware of the necessity of to fulfill the distance education quality" Moreover, the criterion that is assessed at a basically effective level with a proportion of over 55% is "Make sure everyone is responsible for implementing the plan to meet the quality requirements of distance education" This means that universities are not only well aware of the necessity of implementing quality requirements, but also turn awareness into the responsibilities and obligations of lecturers and officials at university for the implementation of quality assurance - Activities related to examination and evaluation: Basically, the criteria related to the examination and evaluation of distance education activities are carried out regularly at universities, in which the assessment of the implementation of distance education quality assurance of the universities is evaluated at the quite often or more level accounts for the highest percentage (nearly 80%) In addition, the criterion “Identifying specific requirements for improving the quality of distance education which is assessed at level and level is only 1% As can be seen, most universities carry out this activity and the number of universities which often this activity accounts for the highest proportion (35%) The criterion "analyzing information on the quality of distance education as a basis for improvement and encouraging quality improvement" has nearly 68% respondent rates level and higher than the remaining criteria Analytical activities are the basis for assessing the status of implementation or completion level of distance education activities Good analysis is the basis for giving strengths, weaknesses as well as causes of quality assurance activities, thereby showing how to overcome weaknesses and promote the advantages of each university The highly effective analysis shows that initially, the universities have a good data base in checking and evaluating the quality assurance activities 11 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Develop plans Provide the to improve the necessary quality of financial distance resources to education improve the quality of distance education Level Provide the necessary technical resources to improve the quality of distance education Level Provide the Promote and Retrain the necessary encourage the necessary skills human process of to improve the resources to improving the quality of improve the quality of distance quality of distance education distance education education Level Level Level Figure Level of implementation of action criteria Regarding the level of implementation, these criteria are assessed at levels and higher than the mentioned criteria, showing that the frequency of implementation is not high In which, the criteria "providing necessary technical resources to improve the quality of distance education" and "retraining necessary skills to improve the quality of distance education " rated at level and level is the lowest (only nearly 68% and 65% respectively) Regarding the level of efficiency, these are also the two criteria that have the lowest rating proportions at levels and 5, showing weakness in the activities in terms of technical resources and necessary skills of officials in improving the quality of distance education The technical factor is always a weakness of universities because the application of technology in teaching is still quite limited in Vietnam due to many different objective and subjective reasons The facilities for teaching, especially distance teaching, has many limitations in both in terms of quantity and quality because of the space between learners and teachers Therefore, universities need to update higher education technology in some ASEAN countries to improve information technology in university teaching, especially distance teaching The mean of the performance level is higher than the efficiency level, and the difference between these two indicators is quite large The largest difference is calculated at 0.42 in the criterion "Develop plans to improve the quality of distance education" Thereby, it makes a question that the solutions for improving the quality of distance education have not been properly designed, resulting in the efficiency not commensurate with the level of performance In fact, most universities annually set up plans and directions to improve the quality of teaching, including distance learning, but the efficiency of those solutions is often not transparent, resulting in the phenomenon that the proposed plans are formal, stamping and not going into the practice, so the quality is not high Evaluating the effectiveness of the quality assurance activities of distance education at universities fell into the survey sample, most of the participants rated it at level 4, which means basically effective The total proportion of rating at level and accounted for more than half of the total number of answers obtained It shows that the efforts of implementing the activities of the distance higher education institutions have received positive signals, many criteria with more than ½ of the survey questionnaires rated at basically effective level In addition, the authors conducted a survey on some personal opinions on some issues related to distance education and found that more than 84% of the individuals claimed to have participated in distance education programs at university, which means that the sample is high representatives and over 90% of them agree that distance education is necessary for learners who not have time to attend classes in person This is a clear evidence showing the awareness of officials and lecturers about the positive role of distance education in society Another indicator that also received high consensus is that officials and lecturers always support learners remotely by different means of communication such as email, phone, etc., contributing to closing the geographical gap between learners and teachers This is the clearest proof for the Government 's efforts to popularize distance 12 education on a national scale, contributing to building a learning society according to the Government's Resolution 29 - The current situation of managing factors affecting teaching and managing distance education Objective factors: + Socio-cultural environment: The Ministry of Education and Training has set out 10 areas or standards for universities to rely on to assure internal quality and guide external assessment + Educational technology: The use of audio-visual equipment and modern information technology to implement distance education programs has not been properly focused by the universities + Learners: difficulties for learners not only come from social beliefs or teaching quality but also due to age issues; diversity of educational attainment of learners + External quality assurance agency: The system of quality assurance and accreditation quality of higher education in Vietnam is quite complete according to the model of the Asia-Pacific quality network Subjective factors + Internal quality assurance management system: Learners in the form of distance education mainly self-study through learning materials (print and electronic) + Faculties with distance education program: the universities implementing distance education program must balance their own funding from tuition fees, so investment in technology development and compilation of learning materials is still very modest 2.2.4 General assessment of the current situation of distance education management in Vietnam Distance education has had a history of formation and development for more than 20 years in Vietnam, through the survey, we made some comments on the quality assurance of distance education in a number of higher education institutions in Vietnam - Strengths: Officials and lecturers are aware of the role and necessity of distance education in higher education; The development and implementation of a set of quality assurance criteria is assessed at a good level; The efficiency of the quality assurance criteria and performance procedures is assessed at basically effective level; Universities have initially identified the purpose of distance education as well as the needs of society for education This is an important basis when building strategies to develop the distance education programs of higher education institutions - Weaknesses: The entrance examination is not as strict as the formal program; There is no clear difference in learning materials and teaching methods of the distance learning compared to other programs; Some indicators of quality assurance have not been highly evaluated in terms of efficiency; Some resources for distance education are still limited; teaching technology is outdated; The interaction between learners and teachers is not effective, which affects the learning process of learners; The teaching management organization is not strict and not scientific, especially the organization of examinations has not assured objectivity and has not been strongly screened during the teaching process - Causes: Some universities still have limitations in infrastructure, information technology for distance education courses; Human, technical and financial resources have not been able to meet the needs of distance education; There is no synchronous policy for licensing, organizing as well as accredit of teaching and learning quality in distance education; The organization to implement quality assurance criteria is not good, leading to low efficiency; Universities are still confused in meeting the needs of many different types of students, making it difficult to compile learning materials as well as test and evaluate students of the distance education programs; Some lecturers are not familiar with the new teaching method; The learning mindset of many students still lacks the initiative to explore and learn; Universities have initially identified the purpose of distance education as well as the needs of society for education This is an important basis in building strategies to develop distance education programs of higher education institutions 2.3 International experience in distance learning quality management 2.3.1 The development of distance learning in the world Distance learning has appeared since the 17th century In 1728, postal exchange began to be known by various names such as home schooling, letter learning, extracurricular learning, independent learning or extended learning The development of the postal system in the US and European countries has promoted the popularity of mail learning at American universities 13 Nowadays, the form of distance learning has been covered in many countries around the world such as Bulgaria, Russia, South Africa, UK, France, Spain, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Many organizations established such as the International Council for distance education, the Asian Council for Distance Education, and the Asian Open University Council 2.3.2 Quality assurance in distance education 2.3.2.1 An overview of quality assurance in distance education Since 1990, quality assurance in distance education has attracted the attention of institutions, relevant agencies and experts Since then, institutions have begun to define and reorient their mission and vision to address quality-related issues Nowadays, quality assurance has become an important factor in the development strategy and culture of distance education institutions Regulations on quality assurance framework There are many different types of legal frameworks on quality assurance for distance education such as: in China and Singapore, the government (Ministry of Education) directly regulates the quality assurance method for distance education programs/institutions; In Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, the government's quality assurance agency regulates quality assurance for distance education … 2.3.2.2 Process and methods of quality assurance management The legal system of quality assurance in 11 Asian countries/territories includes internal and external review and follows the following four common processes: - Review based on predefined quality assurance criteria - Self - assessment - External review (co-assessment) - Final decision of the accreditation Quality Assurance agency Quality assurance standards and criteria: In the quality assurance system for distance education, quality assurance criteria or guidelines for self-assessment and external review are often specific, covering input, process and output Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka apply the same quality assurance standards to traditional and distance educational institutions/programs In Mongolia, quality assurance standards are applied to traditional universities China, India, and Korea develop specific quality assurance criteria for distance education Quality assurance in the areas of learner support: The distance education program must design and apply effectively student support services and systems Quality policy in the area of learner support is divided into two dimensions: teaching and learning providers and support services Implementing quality assurance in the area of student support related to the external environment of the universities Quality assurance in the field of learner support (COL model): According to this model, performance indicators have been developed to universities to be able to: (1) Conduct self-assessment review for quality improvement and (2) Monitor continuous learning and continuous improvement The COL sets out 386 performance indicators in 10 quality areas at the institution level and 276 performance indicators in quality areas at the program level COL defines a scale from to as described for each performance indicator: failed, dissatisfied, satisfied, good, excellent The outcome of the quality assessment is calculated by the sum of the scores of the performance indicators Quality assurance in the area of learner support (AAOU model): According to AAOU, learner supporting is related to the variables of instruction and learning services in order to ensure convenience in the student's learning process Learners are supported and have the opportunity to communicate two-directions through the form of technology for distance education AAOU revised the quality assurance standard for the area of learner support into two sub-components: guidance and counseling 2.3.3 Quality assurance in the area of student support of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), Thailand In Thailand, there is no quality control system dedicated to the distance education programs Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) is the only university in this country that offer programs which is completely distance education programs Therefore, STOU must follow the external quality assurance assessment tools and standards for domestic higher education institutions However, due to the increase in the benchmark scores of foreign universities that have distance education programs, the quality assurance system is being developed to be more suitable for STOU's distance learning environment 14 The quality assurance process at STOU includes two dimensions: inside and outside according to the instructions of the Thai Ministry of Education According to ONESQA external assessment data, STOU ranks high in the teaching and learning system STOU always strives to improve the quality assurance system according to international standards STOU emphasizes the development of quality learning materials and delivery of student support instruction The quality of learning materials and methods of instruction may include provision of supportive media through distance learning activities, radio or television activities, computer-aided instruction, online learning, tutoring sessions, webinars, teleconferences, and virtual reality programs or experiences STOU gives a different view on quality than other Open Universities The university uses internal and external resources to develop high-quality learning materials In order to ensure the quality of learning materials, deliver instruction, and support learners, STOU has established a set of performance indicators in two main components of the quality framework: teaching and learning provision and student development activities 2.3.4 Quality assurance in the area of learner support of the Open University of Indonesia (UT) UT adopted the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) Quality Assurance framework and adapted it for the actual context and developed quality indicators according to the needs of the institution and the Indonesian higher education context UT has implemented the AAOU's quality assurance framework in five steps as follows: Developing quality assurance policy guidelines; Self-assess and identify a focus of quality improvement; Developing a instruction manual of quality assurance work; Implement and adjust the manual of quality assurance work; Continuously evaluate the implementation of quality assurance External quality assessment forces higher education institutions to demonstrate their quality assurance system In order to achieve widespread recognition, UT has invited quality assessors from independent agencies to assess overall performance such as the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE); International Standards Agency (ISA); the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and the National Accreditation Agency For Higher Education Indonesia (BANPT) 2.3.5 Lessons for Vietnam - Quality assurance in distance education should be considered as part of the quality assurance framework at international, regional and national level - Need efforts and cooperation between the government, quality assurance agencies and higher educational institutions - There should not be a distinction between traditional higher education and distance education or between online learning and face-to-face learning - The existence of a national quality assurance framework allows higher educational institutions to consider quality assurance as part of their mission with the desire to teach and research and encourage a culture of quality at universities - The government, higher educational institutions and assessors should make an effort to grasp the concerns of distance learners and consider it an influencing factor when developing quality assurance policies at university and national level - The Quality Performance Index helps the distance education institutions to monitor their performance based on their objectives and principles - UT is serious about implementing quality assurance Quality assurance is planned and a complete action strategy for each unit in the university Sub-conclusion of chapter Based on the theoretical basis for the quality management of distance education presented in chapter 1, in this chapter, the study has conducted a survey at four higher education institutions with a distance education programs in Vietnam such as the Open University of Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City, Hue University, Hanoi Open University and Can Tho University based on the criteria of the AAOU’s Quality Assurance Framework Based on the analysis and evaluation data, the author has made a comment on the current situation of quality management of distance education in Vietnam Basically, higher educational institutions have been aware of the importance of quality management of c distance education, universities have been building a mechanism to manage teaching quality, investing in building facilities quality, teaching equipment as well as fostering and improving the capacity of teachers in order to increase teaching quality and effectively manage output quality However, the problem of quality assurance management still reveals shortcomings that need to be 15 overcome such as learning materials, the implementation of quality assurance criteria, the interaction between learners due to reasons of policy, finance, and human resources.… This is the basis for the study to propose solutions to overcome the weaknesses of the distance education quality management according to the proposed criteria In addition, the dissertation studies the experiences of some ASEAN countries such as Thailand and Indonesia on quality assurance, thereby drawing lessons from experience in quality management of distance education at universities in Vietnam CHAPTER III: QUALITY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION IN VIETNAM ACCORDING TO THE THE AAOU’S QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK APPROACH 3.1 Principle of solution selection The dissertation relies on the following three principles to propose solutions: Principles of ensuring practicality; Principles of ensuring feasibility; Principle of ensuring uniformity 3.2 Groups of quality management solutions for distance education in Vietnam 3.2.1 Group of solutions on building a model of the quality assurance system of distance education in Vietnam according to AAOU's quality assurance approach - The objective of the solution: To build a quality assurance system for distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU’s quality assurance framework that both ensures the basic standards and has the criteria appropriate to the context of Vietnam's education toward global education integration On the other hand, this quality assurance system is the basis for each higher education institution to build its own set of quality assurance criteria according to specific targets, thereby, plan a strategy according to a specific roadmap to improve quality of distance education towards autonomy, self-responsibility to society for the quality and prestige in distance education - Content and method of implementing the solution + Social work: Addressing the concerns of society about the quality and efficiency of the building of quality assurance system of distance education; Statement of quality objectives, Collect feedback + Management: Breaking deadlocks in management; Clearly define objectives, missions and visions; Strengthen the inspection and supervision mechanism for each stage in the management of distance education; higher education institutions may consider quality monitoring at the product level Based on AAOU's quality assurance framework and Vietnamese practice, we propose a set of criteria for Vietnam including: (1) Policy and planning; (2) Internal management; (3) Learners and learner’s profiles; (4) Infrastructure, media and learning resources; (5) Learner assessment and evaluation (6) Research and community services; (7) Human resources; (8) Learner support; (9) Program design and curriculum development; (10) Course design and development + Policy: Amending, supplementing and promulgating state management documents, relevant policies of the Party and State, regulations and a set of standards for assessing the quality of higher education; Establishing and putting into operation the quality assurance center in the universities offering distance education, these centers is responsible for the construction, design, implementation and inspection of the quality assurance process of the higher education institutions in accordance with each mode of study + Personnel: Provide training courses for lecturers, teaching assistants and officials; Develop clear performance evaluation standards for each member's tasks; For each stage in the course organization from program design, production of learning materials to teaching and guiding learners, it is necessary for specialized officials with separate requirements and tasks + Finance: Provide necessary financial resources to build and operate the distance education quality assurance system; In addition to the state budget, organizations need to mobilize resources from outside + Technology: Provide necessary technical resources from infrastructure, equipment to integrated software; Upgrading information infrastructure and teaching equipment; Selection of performance/activity indicators; Add quality objectives and external performance indicators - Conditions for implementing the solution: Ensure the conditions on facilities; management staff, lecturers and employees; Financial sources 16 3.2.2 Group of solutions on innovation and management of the quality assurance system of distance education - The objective of the solution: focus on innovating the process of management and development the distance education program, managing the distance education process, creating motivation for universities to synchronously implement comprehensive reform measures from the management apparatus to promoting relationships with stakeholders such as learners, teachers, higher education institutions and domestic and foreign organizations The most important thing is improving the quality of teaching towards the ultimate goal is to make a difference and expand its reputation in the region and the world - Content and method of implementing the solution + Social work: Find out and identify the content that society is interested in to understand "demand" in order to adjust "supply" in accordance with it in the management process; Addressing society's concerns about the quality and efficiency of the management innovation of the quality assurance system of distance education; Collect social feedback on the feasibility of proposed solutions, experiment with solutions to improve each solution to suit society + Management: Break deadlocks in management when universities have distance education programs; Supplementing and completing state management documents, mechanisms and policies to develop the distance education model in universities; Establishing and putting into operation the school councils in the universities with distance education programs; Promulgating regulations and procedures on admission, quality control of courses, textbooks, etc.; Raise awareness of the heads at the faculty, unit and university levels of the role and importance of management activities in each organization as well as clarify the rights and obligations of each person + Personnel: Recruiting and using officials effectively through the recruitment process of civil servants and public employees; Constantly training and retraining to improve the quality and qualifications of the existing staff according to medium and long-term plans; Invite reputable and experienced experts in the field of distance education to participate in the teaching process of training courses; Mobilize funding sources for training for management staff; Innovating staff development; encourage management staff to be self-disciplined, to actively learn and improve their knowledge about the development situation of distance education + Finance: Provide the necessary financial resources to innovate the quality assurance management of distance education + Technology: Provide necessary technical resources to innovate management of the the quality assurance system management of distance education; Provide management staff with a number of necessary facilities to serve management activities; Building a management information system, digitizing documents for activities of distance education institutions - Conditions for implementing the solution: Develop and publish legal documents related to lecturers directly teaching and learners for coordination in implementation; Develop specific guidance documents for each object; Provide facilities to ensure the performance of management and teaching; Ensure financial resources to pay for the operation of management and teaching activities 3.2.3 Group of Solutions on innovation of support services for implementation quality assurance and quality management systems in distance education - The objective of the solution: Build and develop support services for the implementation of the quality assurance system in order to maximize the efficiency of the quality assurance system at universities that have distance education programs while implementing the quality assurance system into the reality of universities due to the ultimate goal is developing the quality of distance education according to regional and international standards, raising the level of domestic higher educational institutions in the rankings of universities in the world - Content and method of implementing the solution + Social work: Addressing the concerns of society; Collecting feedback from the society on the providing services to support the implementation of the quality assurance system of distance education; + Management: Review, identify and solve existing difficulties and challenges in the management of support services for the implementation of quality assurance system of distance education at each institution to ensure efficiency and effectiveness; Improve the management of learning materials, ensuring quality and quantity of these materials + Policy: Supplement and complete state management documents, guidelines and policies of the Party and State, regulations and sets of standards for assessing the quality of higher education of 17 the Ministry of Education and Training which have inappropriate content and need to adjust them according to the new context in order to support the implementation of distance education quality assurance; Build plans to improve the provision of support services for the implementation of quality assurance of distance education programs + Personnel: Organize training courses, foster and improve professional capacity for lecturers, teaching assistants and other officials; Regularly update the guidelines, innovation on support services for them about the content and process of supporting learners as well as disseminating to each student; Develop the capacity of the officials in charge of information technology in the direction of professionalization and encouraging creativity; Managers, lecturers and students commit to strictly implement the rules on information security and database system; The management board needs to periodically check and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the process of exploiting and using the system of equipment, hardware and software, detecting errors and problems in the application process electronic information systems in the management and operation of the units + Finance: Mobilizing, distributing and using financial resources to support the implementation of quality assurance services; Socialization in higher education + Technology: Provide a complete, modern and appropriate technical support system; Clarify the steps in the course development process; Building a system of modern means to manage the learning process of learners; Ensure learners can easily access the program and materials; Maintain transcript notice system to learners by efficient and secure ways; Developing technology to support learners safely and conveniently to serve teaching and learning activities in the form of distance learning; Updating and developing advanced training technology; Establishing support service centers - Conditions for implementing the solution: personnel, finance, mechanism, facilities 3.2.4 Relationship between the groups of solution Each group of solutions has a certain position and role to improve the quality of distance education in Vietnam, and there is no solution that can stand independently and separately but be effective The solutions all have a close relationship, impact, support and complement each other in order to maximize the quality assurance system of distance education, constantly improving the quality of distance education in Vietnam 3.3 Assess the necessity and feasibility of the solution groups 3.3.1 Conduct a poll on the necessity and feasibility of solution groups  Purpose of the poll We conducted a poll for the purpose of collecting and synthesizing opinions and evaluations of experts and managers of a number of universities with distance education programs on the necessity and feasibility of solutions to protect the environment quality assurance of the proposed TX  Content of the poll Test opinions on the necessity and feasibility of the proposed solutions  Conducting the polls We have sent a set of experimental questionnaires to 70 people who are experts, managers, lecturers and officials representing universities with distance education and a number of agencies and research institutes In addition, experts (out of 70 people) were selected to continue participating in in-depth interviews 3.3.2 Results of the poll on the urgency and feasibility of each group of solutions 3.3.2.1 Group of solution on building a quality assurance system for distance education The group of solutions on building a quality assurance system for distance education is highly appreciated for its urgency and feasibility: 95% of the interviewees said that this group of solutions is urgent and very urgent, of which 70 % of responses rated it at very urgent level, over 85% said that the solution is feasible This shows that this group of solutions should be widely deployed at universities to meet the needs of the domestic and foreign labor markets Most of the comments said that this group of solutions is the premise for the work of quality assurance of the distance education programs Some other comments emphasized the urgency of the solution group on building a quality assurance system for distance education by pointing out that a part of society is still skeptical about the quality and value of the degree of distance education programs This makes it difficult for universities to admit learners The feasibility of each aspect is shown in the following chart: 18 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Very feasible Feasible 40% infeasible 30% 20% 10% 0% Policy Personnel Finance Technology Figure Feasibility of the group of solution on building quality assurance system 3.3.2.2 Group of solutions on renovation the management of the quality assurance system of distance education The group of solutions on renovation the management of the quality assurance system of distance education is highly appreciated for its urgency Specifically, 77% of the interviewees said that these solutions are very necessary to contribute to solving society's concerns about the quality and effectiveness of the innovation in the management of the quality assurance system of universities with distance education and only 10% of respondents believed that this solution is not urgent In addition, the solution group also helps to break the deadlocks in the management of the quality assurance system of distance education with 94% rating this group at urgent and very urgent level, the votes which said that this group of measures is not urgent are not significant Therefore, it can be affirmed that the group of management innovation solutions is urgent both in terms of society and management That shows that the legal framework on higher education plays a very important role in the issue of quality assurance, a system of synchronous, comprehensive and transparent legal documents contributes to creating favorable conditions for universities in order to build and operate the quality assurance system 85% of the respondents said that this group of solutions is rated as very feasible The feasibility of each aspect is shown in the following chart: 90% 85% 80% 65% 70% 60% 60% 52% 50% 40% 20% 30% 28% 25% 30% 20% 15% 14% 10% 5% 1% 0% Policy Personnel Very feasible Finance Feasible Infeasible Technology 19 Figure Feasibility of the group of solution on renovation the management of quality assurance system of distance education 3.3.2.3 Solution group on providing support services to implement the quality assurance system of distance education About 80% of the responses marked very urgent, even 100% of the participants affirmed the urgency of the solution group on providing support services for the implementation of the quality assurance system for the community, society and management It can be seen that the quality assurance support service has attracted the attention of many lecturers and administrators in universities with distance education programs At least more than 90% of survey respondents rated it at feasible and very feasible level in all aspects from policy to technology, as shown in the following chart: 85% 90% 80% 75% 73% 67% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 24% 20% 10% 10% 27% 24% 9% 5% 1% 0% 0% Policy Personnel Very feasible Finance Feasible Technology Infeasible Figure Feasibility of the group of solution on providing support services 3.3.3 Summarize the results of evaluation of groups of solution Table shows that the groups of solutions to the quality assurance of distance education that the dissertation recommends are urgent and feasible Specifically, an average of 79.3% of the surveyed respondents rated the solution groups as very urgent in terms of both social and management aspects Meanwhile, an average of 68.1% of those agree that these solutions are very feasible in terms of policy, personnel, finance and technology Of the three groups of solutions, the third group of solutions has the lowest proportion of respondents rated at the unfeasible or not urgent level, the highest is the first solution group The reason is that the management of quality assurance in higher education is still not synchronized and not systematic, so there are still many confusions and deadlocks that need to be removed in the implementation of the reform of the entire quality assurance system of the distance education programs On the other hand, the support services to implement of the quality assurance system in the distance education are revealing a lot of potential in terms of technology, personnel and policy 20 Table Summarize the results of evaluation of groups of solution Urgency Order Group of solution Very urgent Building a quality assurance system for distance education 82.5% Renovation the management of the quality assurance system of 78.5% distance education Providing support services to implement the quality assurance 80.0% system of distance education SUM 79.3% Urgent Feasible Not urgent Very Feasible Infeasible feasible 15.0% 2.5% 64.0% 27.3% 8.7% 13.5% 8.0% 65.5% 21.7% 12.8% 20.0% 0.0% 75.0% 21.3% 3.2% 16.1% 4.6% 68.1% 23.4% 8.5% Through conducting in-depth interviews, the author found that there are still certain concerns about the lack of policy regulations, the ability of the officials, financial and technical issues in the implementation solutions to quality management of distance education In addition, prejudices and habits of a part of the officials, lecturers and the whole society can cause certain obstacles to distance education activities Some experts believe that the traditional method of teaching and the method of teaching in the form of distance education may not be exactly the same Therefore, the lecturers need to equip themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge to assure the quality of distance education This is also one of the factors that help improve the belief of a part of society in the form of distance education In addition, the universities with distance education need to consider financial and technical issues to ensure that these factors not hinder the completion of the set objectives Despite the difficulties and obstacles, most of the respondents believe that if there are appropriate adjustments, universities with distance education will perform well in improving the quality of distance education This proves that the groups of solutions recommended by the dissertation are in line with the requirements of universities with distance education in Vietnam to convert from the quality control level to the quality assurance level 3.4 Experiment a group of solution To confirm the feasibility of solutions, it is the most ideal that it can be tested feasibility of all solutions through questionnaires and expert opinion However, in terms of time and research practice of the dissertation, we only chose one group of solution to conduct an experiment: a group of solution on innovation management of providing support services to implement the quality assurance system of distance education 3.4.1 Purpose, limits, methods, process of experiment • Purpose of experiment: testing a group of solutions " on innovation management of providing support services to implement the quality assurance system of distance education" to assess the urgency, feasibility, appropriateness, necessary conditions for this group of solutions to be put into practice • Method and process of experiment: Conducting the experiment in steps: Surveying the actual situation; Proposing for implementation 3.4.2 Experiment results The experiment results were: Step 1: - Opinions agree about on the management of distance education support services namely on the role of service provision to support the implementation of the quality assurance system of distance education - Difficulties and challenges: There are still some shortcomings in the management of learning materials of distance education programs; Online courses not have the desired quality; The supervision in faculties has not been synchronized 21 - Learners: the desired needs to be met in support services are: Providing all lectures via the internet; Having a system of appropriate and timely learning materials; Improve internet connection speed Step 2: The results of the collection of opinions on the implementation of the activities are shown in Table 2: Table Opinions of managers and lecturers on experimental activities (Unit: %) Level Level Level Level Level Order Criteria The process of managing learning materials 72 12.5 6.5 5 ensures objectivity, science and practice The learning materials management processes 68.5 12.5 10 6.5 2.1 are carried out according to the built plan The collection of feedback of lecturers and students on the support service provision of 90.5 9.5 0 distance education was seriously implemented Added and updated management regulations in a 60 15.5 15.5 timely manner according to the feedback Performed periodic monitoring and achieved 58 15 17 good results Funds have been raised from alumni and partner 55.5 17 10 10 7.5 businesses The results of collecting learners' opinions on the reality of supporting learning materials, the results obtained are as follows: Table Opinions of learner on experimental activities (Unit: %) Level Level Order Criteria Level Level Level Learning materials are provided in full 72 12.5 6.5 5 and in a timely manner Easy access to the internet to search for 68.5 12.5 10 6.5 2.1 learning materials Highly update learning materials 90.5 9.5 Learning materials is highly up-to-date 60 15.5 15.5 5 All lectures are provided over the 58 15 17 internet The internet connection has been 55.5 17 10 10 7.5 improved more than before With the above results, we consider mentioned experiment necessary, feasible and effective when ensuring the necessary conditions for implementation Sub-conclusion of chapter Based on the current situation of quality assurance management of distance education of domestic universities as well as the successful implementation experience of open universities of Thailand and Indonesia in chapter 2, the dissertation has proposed three groups of solution to overcome the shortcomings of the distance education system in Vietnam, in which focusing mainly on areas, the process of quality assurance of the distance education and the implementation of the standards of the quality assurance of the distance education The specific solution groups are: Building a quality assurance system for distance education in Vietnam according to AAOU's quality assurance approach; Renovation the management of the quality assurance system of distance education and Renovation support services to implement the quality assurance system of distance education These groups of solutions have a close relationship and support each other in the process of improving the quality management of the distance education system in higher education institutions Next, the dissertation has conducted a survey of solutions for managers, lecturers and learners to assess the urgency and feasibility of these solutions Thereby, the survey respondents have a consensus on the perception that these three groups of solution are very urgent and can be 22 implemented in higher education institutions with a distance education program It can be said that the proposed solutions to improve the quality of distance education are based on the development of a set of criteria of the distacne education quality assurance in higher education institutions and provide a specific process suitable for each distance education institution, thereby improve the teaching quality development process of higher education institutions in order to fulfill the role of resources labor training at higher education level in the current context In addition, the dissertation conducts an experiment of the group of solution, which is innovating support services for implementing the quality assurance system and quality management in the distance education at the Open University of Ho Chi Minh City, the experimental results obtained are very positive when this group of solution is highly appreciated for its urgency, feasibility, efficiency and assurance conditions is available to implement this group of solution in practice Those are the clearest evidences about the feasibility, practicality and uniformity of the groups of solution presented in chapter CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusion Quality management plays an important role, decides the survival of each higher education institution, including distance education In the context of the 4.0 revolution making the world more and more flat, this is an indispensable mode of study, which tends to be more and more popular around the world Therefore, the quality management of distance education is getting more and more attention Many organizations around the world have proposed quality assurance frameworks for the management of distance education in order to create a reference channel for universities with distance education programs in order to have a basis to build their own quality assurance system These quality assurance frameworks are more or less experimented, applied at different scales and bring certain results when applied in practice Out of these frameworks, AAOU's quality assurance framework is considered superior and used by many prestigious universities in many countries with advanced education For example, countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, which is the leading countries in distance education in Asia are also applying AAOU's quality assurance framework These countries are similar in economic, social and cultural conditions to Vietnam Therefore, the dissertation has used AAOU's approach to quality assurance framework when researching quality management of distance education in Vietnam During the research process, the dissertation has clarified the theoretical basis for the management of distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU’s quality assurance framework approach In particular, the dissertation provides an overview of the history of distance education and management of distance education; clarify some related concepts such as distance education, quality management, quality management of distance education; some characteristics and forms of distance education in Vietnam; The theory of distance education as well as the content distance education management according to AAOU's quality assurance framework approach, creating a scientific basis for conducting surveys, collecting and analyzing data to clarify the current situation of distance education quality management in chapter Through an overview of research trends, the author of the dissertation found that the study on quality assurance of distance education in Vietnam universities according to the approach of AAOU is still a gap, an open issue that needs to be studied in a carefully, systematic and methodical way to provide solutions for quality assurance of the distance education in Vietnam universities In chapter 2, the dissertation conducts research on the history of formation and development of distance education in Vietnam as well as the model of open universities in our country Besides, in order to study in depth the current situation of quality management of distance education in Vietnam according to AAOU's quality assurance framework approach at some domestic universities distance education programs such as Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Hanoi Open University, Hue University Based on the collected data, the dissertation has made an objective assessment of the current situation of the management of distance education in our country Basically, universities have been properly aware of the role of quality assurance as well as implementing quality assurance in distance education programs However, the implementation process still reveals many limitations such as the lack of human and material resources in distance education programs Through the survey, it can be clearly seen that some basic limitations in the implementation of quality assurance of universities with distance education programs This is one of the new points of the dissertation that has been achieved Also in this chapter, the dissertation has explored the experiences of some countries in 23 the world, including countries with similar circumstances to Vietnam Study results show that countries have achieved remarkable achievements, but they still have limitations, some of which are quite similar to Vietnam On the basis of learning experiences to overcome limitations and promote strengths in the quality assurance of the distance education in these countries, we compared and had an overview which is a practical basis for proposing solutions in chapter In chapter 3, based on the current situation of distance education management in Vietnam, combined with the experience of organizing distance education activities of some countries in the ASEAN region, the dissertation has proposed some quality management solutions according to AAOU's quality management framework approach, including: Building a quality assurance system for distance education in Vietnam according to AAOU's quality assurance approach; Renovation the management of the quality assurance system of distance education and Renovation support services to implement the quality assurance system of distance education These groups of solutions have a close relationship and support each other in the process of improving the quality management efficiency of the distance education in higher education institutions Therefore, to conduct successful solutions, we need to implement solutions synchronously Specially, the feasibility and efficiency of the solutions are highly appreciated based on survey and experimental data on the implementation of Renovation support services to implement the quality assurance system of distance education With the positive results obtained on the groups of solution proposed by the dissertation, each university can choose and come up with specific solutions suitable for the specific context of each higher education institution to improve efficiency of quality management of distance education according to AAOU's quality assurance framework This is the final research result that the dissertation aims at Recommendations 2.1 Ministry of Education and Training - The Ministry should soon promulgate a set of standards to assess the quality of the distance education program in accordance with Vietnam's practice - There should be a policy of fostering a team of experts in higher education quality accreditation This is a necessary human resource in the implementation of quality assurance at all educational institutions, especially universities that have distance education programs - Establish an independent higher education quality accreditation agency specializing in distance education, conduct external accreditation in an objective and transparent way in order to evaluate the quality assurance process of domestic higher education institutions 2.2 Higher education institutions with distance education - Forming and mastering the concept of quality assurance of the distance education, starting from the managers to all other officers of the universities, in coordination with the quality accreditation agency outside the universities - It is necessary to develop a strategic plan on quality assurance for the distance education, in which, specifying the roadmap, plans in the short, medium and long term - Building and developing internal quality assurance system for distance education - There is a plan to foster officials specialized in quality assurance of each faculty in particular and each higher education institution in general in the implementation of the quality assurance plan of the university and faculty - Expand cooperation and exchange of experiences on the quality assurance of distance education for domestic and foreign universities - Mobilize legal financial sources from inside and outside the state budget to develop the officials and lecturers; upgrade infrastructure; renovate of the distance education technology in the direction of modernity and international integration; - Participate in accreditation quality assurance of distance education programs according to domestic and international standards LIST OF THE RESEARCHER'S PUBLICATIONS RELEVANT TO THE DISSERTATION Do Sa Ky (2019), Implementation of The Quality Assurance Procedures in Distance Education at several Vietnamese Universities, Journal of Educational Science, Issue 13 01/2019, P 29-33 Do Sa Ky (2019), Distance Education Quality Assurance Standards at some Universities in Vietnam, Journal of Education, Special Issue 4/2017, P 100-103 Do Sa Ky (2016), Quality Management Model in Distance Education at Open Universities in Vietnam, Hanoi National University Journal of Sciences , Special Issue 11/2016, P 197-200 Do Sa Ky (2018), Policy Process in Higher Education: The Roles of Higher Education Institutions, Hanoi National University Journal of Science, Volume 34, Issue (2018), P 1-10 Do Sa Ky, Multiway Universities Ranking: Trends and Lessons from the Realities of Germany CHE Ranking, Journal of Educational Science, Issue 07 7/2018, P 109-114 ... Vietnam nowadays 3 New contributions of the dissertation - In terms of theory: (1) The thesis clarifies the content of the theoretical framework for the management of distance education in Vietnam... according to the AAOU' s approach to quality assurance; (2) The thesis has contributed a theoretical framework on the management of distance education in Vietnam according to the AAOU' s approach... education in Vietnam according to the The AAOU? ??s quality assurance framework approach Chapter III: Quality management solutions for distance education in Vietnam according to the The AAOU? ??s quality