Ecosystem Approach to Designing and Implementing Outcomes-Based Education

The 6th AUN-EQI workshop on "Ecosystem Approach to Designing and Implementing Outcomes-Based Education" was held on 12 - 15 March 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop was a collaborative capacity building initiative between ASEAN Quality Network (AUN) and Education Quality International (eqi) and was facilitated by Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, AUN-QA Expert and Founder & Principal Consultant of eqi.

The participants were from universities in Cambodia and the Philippines.

Happier Career Happier Life

The 13th "Happier Career Happier Life" workshop was held on 8 March 2024 at Furama City Centre Hotel, Singapore. The outline of the workshop is as follows:

• Overview of the happiness DNA 
• The science of happiness in career
• Personality profiling tools to find suitable career choices including numerology, NERIS Type Explorer® and bazi (Eight Characters)
• Job crafting to redesign work to suit one’s values, strengths and passions
• Understand the kinds of work stress and how to manage them
• Appreciate the future of work and how to stay relevant

The workshop was organised in collaboration with ASK Training Pte Ltd and Living Better and facilitated by Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, Founder and Chief Happiness Coach. Various techniques to manage stress were shared and practised such as muscle relaxation, meditation, laughter yoga, stretching exercise and breathwork.

Best Practice in OBE Competition at Mapua University, the Philippines

Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, Principal Consultant was invited as one of the two panel judges for the "Best Practice in OBE" category in the Paglilinang 2024 on 19 Ffebruary 2024. The evaluation was held virtually.

A Cafeteria Approach to Curriculum Design

The cafeteria approach to curriculum design is based on the principles of flexibility and empowerment that allow students to customise their curriculum based on their aspirations as well as in fulfilling the institutional ambitions, stakeholders' needs and contextual factors. It allows students to choose courses from baskets of different course categories. The courses in each course category are like the dishes in the menu of a cafeteria that can be changed very quickly to meet the changing tastes and preferences of the consumers (i.e. stakeholders).

The cafeteria approach to curriculum design is non-linear, agile and can respond to the changing needs of the ecosystem rapidly without compromising the quality of education. It closes the gaps between the employability of the graduates and the labour markets. It is an alternative to the traditional rigid, linear, unresponsive cyclic curriculum design process.

OBE and SAR Training Workshops 2024 Schedule

AUN-QA and EQI collaborated workshops on SAR Writing and Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in 2024. Interested participants may contact: Email: aun.officer10@gmail.com or Email: eqi.johnson@gmail.com.

AUN-QA Community Project for Universities in Myanmar

The AUN-QA community project aims to provide universities in CLM countries with greater opportunities to harmonize their education within the ASEAN higher education area as well as to uplift their higher education systems, develop and sustain their quality assurance at programme and institutional levels based on AUN-QA framework.

As part of the larger aim, the AUN-QA Network has launched a 5 years (2023 to 2027) community project for universities in Myanmar involving the following 3 phases:

• Phase 1a - Data and information gathering and selection of study programmes to undergo AUN-QA programme certification;
• Phase 1b - Training representatives of the participating universities on the AUN-QA programme framework (version 4) and gaps analysis of the selected study programmes as well as the documentation of IQA Manual and IQA plan;
• Phase 2 - Self-Assessment Report (SAR) preparation and writing; and
• Phase 3 - Preparation of AUN-QA programme assessment.

The kickoff workshop (online) has begun on 17 January 2024 and lasted through 30 January 2024. During the 5-year period, relevant training workshops, coaching and hand-holding activities will be held to the participating universities for uplift their selected study programmes to meet the AUN-QA programme standards.

Happier Career Happier LIfe

The 12th "Happier Career Happier Life" workshop was held on 26 January 2024 at Furama City Centre Hotel, Singapore. The outline of the workshop is as follows:

• Overview of the happiness DNA 
• The science of happiness in career
• Personality profiling tools to find suitable career choices including numerology, NERIS Type Explorer® and bazi (birthdate)
• Job crafting to redesign work to suit one’s values, strengths and passions
• Understand the kinds of work stress and how to manage them
• Appreciate the future of work and how to stay relevant

The workshop was organised in collaboration with ASK Training Pte Ltd and Living Better and facilitated by Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, Founder and Chief Happiness Coach. Various techniques to manage stress were shared and practised such as muscle relaxation, meditation, laughter yoga, stretching exercise and breathwork.