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ICT APPLICATIONS

IN TVET INSTITUTIONS IN VIETNAM

Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh


Director General DTVE, MOET, Team Leader

Tong Thi Le Hoa


Hoang Thi Thu Ha
Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh
Officer MOET

A. INTRODUCTION

Vietnam is located in South East Asia with a total area of 331150 square kilometers and
a coastal line of approximately 3,200 kilometers stretching from North to South. In
2008, its population was about 86 millions people of which the working age people
account for 52%. With the goal of becoming a modern-oriented industrialized country
by 2020 and of integrating actively in the international economy, the Vietnamese
government gave priority to human resource development. In order to realize this
development objective, education plays an important role.

The Law of Education 2005 (Chapter II: The National Education System) stipulates a new
education system in Vietnam consisting of the following four sub-systems: early
childhood education; general education; technical and vocational secondary education
and higher education. According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training
(MOET), in 2008 there are 22 million students enrolled in all levels of education. Among
them 6.7 million in primary schools, 8.4 million in secondary schools, 2.3 million in
technical and vocational secondary school, colleges and universities. Vietnam’s
education has obtained some achievements: development of scale (schools, students,
and teachers), improvement of quality. However, face up to scientific and technological
evolution and to international integration, Vietnam’s education meets some limitations:
mismatch between the supply-demand, gaps among people groups, lack of renovation
in training contents and teaching methods. So, how to restrict these difficulties? Moet
Vietnam has proposed many solutions among them the application of ICT in education
was emerged.

Actually, the utilization of ICT in teaching and learning is popular in Vietnam and it has
made changes in the system of education. ICT also be applied to organize the distance
learning classes (preparation, presentation of lectures, assessment tests), curriculum
development, school management.
However, issues related to policies, mechanisms, mindset of people and other
conditions to apply ICT has not been extensive research and evaluation in TVE
institutions in Vietnam to propose recommendations for stakeholders from government
to the institutions, teachers and students.

Therefore, the purpose of this study aims to enhance the effectiveness of ICT
applications in TVET institutions in Vietnam.

B. RESEARCH METHODS

Four research methods were used as follows:

1. Analysis and synthesis of documents

We analyzed the documents of Vietnamese Government and MOET related to the


development of ICT and the enhancement of ICT application in management, in
education and training. We also reviewed newspapers and journals on IT applications in
teaching and learning in TVET institutions.

2. Survey

We used a questionnaire to collect information from 55 TVET establishments in five


typical areas in Vietnam: the northern mountains, the northern plains, central and
Central Highlands, southeastern and Mekong River Delta. After distributing
questionnaires, we received 165 feedbacks from students, 103 feedbacks from teachers
and 51 feedbacks from managers.

3. Interview

We also used the direct interview with administrators, teachers and students to get more
information about ICT application in TVET establishments.

4. Workshop

In addition, we organized a workshop on ICT application in TVET in order to collect


information from researchers, managers and educational ICT experts

C. FINDINGS

We used methods mentioned above to perform basic research. Final results of the study
are as follows:

1. Policies, strategies on ICT applications in education

Currently, ITC are applied widely in all socio-economic sectors, especially in education
On 01/6/2009, the Prime Minister has approved the overall plan to develop human
resources information technology by 2015 and towards 2020.

Previously, on 10/04/2007 the Government has issued Decree 64/2007/ND-CP on ICT


applications in the operations of state agencies.

In the field of education and training, MOET has been instructed 55/2008/CT-BDGDT of
enhancing teaching, training and information technology applications in education
period 2008-2012. 2008-2009 school years, MOET has launched a movement of ICT
application in school and called “ICT’s application school year”. This movement still
keeps going for a couple of years.

MOET has established the ICT Department to implement Government policies on ICT
application while implementing the State supervision for ICT applications in
education. ICT Department has issued many documents to use in teaching software, e-
learning, email... In the Master plan of human resource development for information
technology, one of the goals is to develop ICT teachers, ICT and universal Internet
connectivity to all educational establishments in 2009.

For vocational education in Vietnam, since 2001, Department of Technical and


Vocational Education (DTVE) has encouraged TVET schools to develop their own
teaching software, select the best software to replicate and disseminate in the system.

2. Current status of ICT infrastructure, equipment and software

In recent years, the institution of Vietnam has gradually implemented ICT applications in
operations and has achieved considerable results in the development of infrastructure
such as LAN, high speed internet connection to serve the educational activities and
training, building online learning centers, research and application of open source
software to train and use IT in almost areas of training.

In 2010, under the help of Viettel Company - a company in the field of communications
and information technology, all schools across the country have been connected free
Internet.

Equipment and application software for teaching and learning in TVET institutions under
review by staff and students through the investigation results are shown as graphs in
Figure 1
Figure 1: The rate on a number of ICT equipment and software applications
in TVET institutions

Through the above chart, we can see, in general, ICT equipment and software
applications in TVET institutions in Vietnam are available in many regions but they are
not evenly distributed. In areas with large cities such as plain north or east of the
relatively high proportion (almost 90% review comments that the device is equipped so
is enough). But in the regions and remote areas like the northern mountainous
provinces or regions, the rate of Highland assess adequacy of ICT facilities in TVET
institutions is very low (only about 20% suggested that sufficient ICT facilities for
teaching and learning).

3. Capability (competence) of teachers and students

Through the research data shows that ICT applications capability of teachers teaching in
TVET institutions in Vietnam is pretty good, but is concentrated in a number of basic
applications such as word processing (Word), spreadsheet (Exel) presentation tools,
Internet. Some important applications to serve as teaching or using spreadsheet
software used to manage the learning results of students. Many teachers are still poor
skills in ICT applications particularly as the skills to create educational games website,
there are few teachers in TVET institutions capable of implementing. Number of
teachers trained on ICT in TVET institutions are not many, but most teachers are self-
learning or only participate in short-term training courses, so the ability of using
application software is still restricted.
Figure 2: The rate on ICT application capability of teachers in TVET institutions

ICT applications capability of students in TVET institutions through survey results and
self-assessment are shown in Figure 3

Figure 3: The rate on ICT application capability of students in TVET institutions

4. Curriculum

In Vietnam, the MOET stipulates that all TVET institutions have to teach 60 class-hours
of basic computing for all training programs. After completing this course, students will
have the knowledge and basic skills of word processing, spreadsheet processing,
presentation tool and Internet browser.

Also, depending on the major that students make the choice, students will use ICT in
other subjects.
Currently, MOET organize to develop curriculum framework for majors in IT training
such as: Hardware, software engineering, office information systems, aided computer
drawing and design. Based on the national curriculum framework, TVE institutions have
to develop curricula for themselves so that those curricula meet needs of the local or
regional labor market.

5. Situations of ICT applications in teaching and learning

According to survey results, only approximately 50% of teachers frequently apply ICT in
teaching and mostly concentrated in big cities. As for the provinces remote area under
survey is only about less than 20% of teachers to teach ICT applications.

The software’s utilization in teaching or the utilization of ICT in development of teaching


materials account for 77.7%, the utilization of ICT in innovation of teaching methods
accounts for 64%, examination and testing online survey make up 41%. In addition,
some teachers also use the software files and CD / VCD in teaching. Some of them
require students to learn more knowledge on the Internet to support teaching and
learning (just under 30%). According to the survey in Vietnam, offering courses online or
using ICT for group activities (online forums, discussion, chat ...) to serve the teaching
and learning not more, only less than 5% of teachers applied this method and are
concentrated in large cities, where teachers and students have more opportunities to
access ICT.

Through the survey, over 50% of student comments that they often study the
application of ICT in schools in the vocational subjects and over 20% regularly learn
about the application of ICT in other subjects. In addition, students also learn about the
application of ICT in extra curricular activities or courses outside of school. Essentially,
there are about over 50% of students were often asked to self-study the application of
ICT.
Figure 4: Percentage of pupils learn about ICT applications in courses within and outside school

According to survey results, students in the TVE institutions in Vietnam prefer to use
laptops (52.7%), computer (46.2%) or as mobile devices and CD / DVD player to study
and research. On average each week, students in TVE institutions spend from 6-10 hours
for the application of ICT to learning and research.

6. Limitations of ICT applications in TVET institutions:

- There are no policies and mechanism to encourage teachers to apply ICT more in
teaching and learning in schools.

- The management of ICT applications also is inappropriate in a diversified and


changeable context (lack of conditions for using it, mindsets of manager in institutional
level, lack of criteria and standards to evaluate using ICT in school...).

- Lack of financial supports for infrastructure and ICT equipments at TVET


establishments especially in difficult areas.

- ICT application capacity of teachers and administrators in working is limited, especially


of aged people.

- Lack of funding for the training capacity of ICT applications for management staff and
teachers
D. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Conclusions

- ICT is being increasingly widely applied in education and training in Vietnam. It


contributes to improve the quality of training, especially in the present context of
Vietnam, when the scale of increasing students but teachers, facilities for training is
more difficult to meet the demands.

- Other policies to encourage the application of ICT in Education of the Party,


Government and the Ministry of Education and Training have been quite fully formed,
but institutionalization and mechanism are insufficient.

- TVET institutions have been increased investment in infrastructure, equipment and


software for ICT applications but its effectiveness in teaching and learning is also not
high. In these difficult areas, infrastructure and lack of ICT equipment were not so many
conditions for application of ICT in teaching.

- The ability to apply ICT in the work of the management staff and teachers is limited at
a number of TVE institutions. Some teachers are afraid to learn innovative teaching
methods, so software exploitation is limited and efficiency is not high. In many cases,
students are not guided sufficiently to know how to apply ICT for learning.

2. Recommendations
* Policy solutions:

- Research and promulgate mechanisms to encourage the application of ICT for TVET
institutions.

- Mobilize all resources from society for ICT applications in education.

- Establish the relationship between schools and enterprises to develop ICT training
activities in schools.

- Have the policies to reduce digital gaps between developed and underdeveloped
areas.

- Implementation plan fostering awareness and capacity for ICT managers and teachers
TVET institutions.

* Technical solutions:

- Improve the quality of MOET website for in term of software, hardware and orgwrae.
- Develop teaching software in the whole country and provide some free software for
TVET institutions.

- Set up intranets, the Internet and share information among departments and among
schools.

- Develop standards, criteria and system of technical specifications for the uniform
application of ICT in the sector.

- Encourage TVE institutions to apply education technology programs and e-learning.

* Solutions in term of TVET institutions’ leaders

- Change the awareness of ICT applications in schools


- Have overall plan for ICT applications in schools
- Organize ICT training for teachers

- Establish e-libraries in TVE institutions

* Solution in term of teachers

- Utilize the ICT in teaching and self-learning

* Solution in term of students

- Utilize ICT to study and to get more knowledge about the world
REFERENCES

1. Vietnam Education Law 2005


2. The overall plan to develop human resources information technology by 2015 and
towards 2020 of the Prime Minister.

3. Workshop document - IT application in schools. MOET 12/2009

4. Phan Dinh Dieu - Some problems of education policy - IT training in Vietnam


5. Nguyen Dang Tru - The rationale and current status of IT application in teaching and
learning in TVET institutions;

6. Dinh Huu Lien - The introduction of IT in education and training;

7. Quach Tuan Ngoc - Innovation of teaching methods by using IT - trend of the times

BREAKDOWN OF STUDY COST

Nature of expenditure Cost (US$)


1. Survey, collecting data 600
2. Analysing data 300
3. Writing up report 200
3. Workshop 1200
Total 2300

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