Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia

1. Assuring quality standards for mega-universities: the experiences of UT and prospects for future collaboration Atwi Suparman & Amin Zuhairi rektor@mail.ut.ac.id, aminz@mail.ut.ac.id Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia

2. Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia • Established in 1984 to provide alternative route to university education for in-service teachers, working adults and recent high school graduates • Use of modular printed material with multi media learning package • Use of a variety of learner supports: tutorials, broadcast, counseling, online services • 34 regional centres • 197,839 students in four Faculties (Education, Economics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Social and Political Sciences

3. UT management and governance • Management university • Networking and partnership with participating institutions (conventional universities, state-owned Bank Rakyat Indonesia, the Post Office and distribution companies, national radio and television network, regional libraries, telecommunication companies, printing industries, local educational authorities and schools, regional governments and agencies) • Use of quality assurance system

4. Regional centres of UT (UPBJJ) 34 UPBJJ MALUKU UTARA

5. Quality assurance in open and distance learning • Continuous improvement • Principles of best practices, indicators of best practices, checklists and evidence guides • Managerial approach to quality assurance (QA) • Components of QA in ODL • Policy and planning • Human resource provision and development • Management and administration • Learners • Program design and development • Course design and development • Learner support • Learner assessment • Media for learning • Implications for inter mega-university collaboration

6. Further notes on QA for mega-universities • QA for continuous improvement • Development of QA framework and instrument • Socialisation of QA system • Writing of job manuals • Implementation of QA system • Change of mindset and work culture • Monitoring and evaluation • Never-ending continuous improvement

7. UT online learning services • 71 web-based learning material supplements • Online tutorials for 171 courses • 7 online courses • Online dissemination of examination results • Partnership with external ICT companies and organisations

8. Prospects for future collaboration among mega-universities

9. 1. Staff exchange • A good start • Bilaterally and/or unilaterally • Further concrete collaborative initiatives • Direct exchange and transfer of innovation among staff

10. 2. Research collaboration • Less priority in mega-universities, but focusing more on teaching a very large number of students • Research collaboration for improvement of institutional performance and distance education methods • Advancement of academic disciplines

11. 3. Collaboration in quality assurance and benchmarking • Assurance of common quality standards • Internal and external assessment • Benchmarking • Facilitating continuous quality improvement

12. 4. Dissemination of information and innovation results • Innovations in improving performance, services and distance education methods • Channel of communication for dissemination of information and innovations • Facilitating the creation, sharing, and adoption of new knowledge and best practices

13. 5. Publication of journal and/or research bulletin • Improved theory and practice in distance education • Exchange of ideas and knowledge • Academic benchmarking • Joint editorial board

14. 6. Development and training of ICT • Need for learning for any organisation and society through ICT • New ICT strategies for mega-universities to meet students needs • Opportunities for collaborative work • Problems relating to infrastructure, cost, access, and ICT literacy • Need for training and networking

15. 7. Establishment of association • Establishment of World Association of Mega-Universities (WAMU) • Joint effort to achieve common goals of expanding access, providing opportunity, improving participation in university education • May be extended to incorporate open universities worldwide • Establishment of non-permanent Secretariat

16. 8. Credit and/or degree recognition • Transferability of courses and recognition of awards • Effort in establishing common quality standards • Flexibility and transferability of students among mega-universities • Language, social, cultural and contextual problems of the academic program

17. 9. Joint development of courses and/or programs • Collaboration in course and program development • Flexibility in using the courses • Adoption and modification of materials from other mega-universities • Copy right issues • Problems relating to language, social, cultural and contextual aspects of the course

18. 10. Anticipating possible problems • Diversity of mega-universities • Language, social, cultural and contextual differences • Different level of technology • Funding and budgetary constraints • Prospects for mutual benefits, long-term constructive impact

19. Concluding remarks We must work together to improve the quality of our programs in order to achieve our goal of improving the quality of our human resources, and eventually the quality of life of our citizens whom we attempt to serve.

20. Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Terima kasih. Thank you.