E-learning in Thailand: an analysis and case study

This article presents a discussion of e-learning in the context of Thailand using as an example a study carried out in a course in Business Statistics at Suan Dusit Rajabhat University (SDU), Thailand. The online course was a pioneering research project at SDU for studying the efficiency and effectiveness of the online learning system. The research conducted over 16 weeks compared online learning with traditional teaching. Aspects of students’ learning outcomes have been analyzed, including quantitative features such as their grades and course evaluations, and this analysis is supported by qualitative features such as results of open-ended questionnaires, interviews, and diaries. Results of the analysis show that students’ outcomes were more favorable in the online groups than in the traditional groups. The large amount of rich qualitative information obtained highlights a range of reasons for this. The results of this study will be beneficial and useful for further research to develop effective and efficient online learning systems in Thailand, and in other countries with similar educational backgrounds to this country.