3.8 Distance education quality
Monitoring indexes for internationalization level include: (1) Adoption of international quality assurance systems, evaluation standards or evaluation tools; (2) Active use of international third-party quality evaluation institutions; (3) Mechanisms for mutual recognition and transfer of certificates, scores and credits with overseas universities; (4) Dedicated staff involved in international quality assurance work; (5) Existence of appropriate systems for practical teaching and training of internationalized professionals.
Monitoring indexes for internationalization capacity include: (1) Able to establish a quality assurance system matching its own mission, objectives, and positioning; (2) Able to export its own quality assurance experiences to the international community; (3) Able to increase the quantity and range of credit transfer with overseas universities year over year; (4) Able to learn or implement international standards of distance education quality; (5) Able to produce professionals who can adapt to overseas environments and cultures.
3.9 Distance education technology
Monitoring indexes for internationalization level include: (1) Cross-cultural, multi-lingual website and information platform; (2) Technical research and development staff for international students; (3) Technical platform which supports mutual recognition of overseas academic degrees, certificates, courses, credits and scores; (4) Institutions or products which can track or lead the latest international distance education technology; (5) On-going international collaboration on technology research and development projects.
Monitoring indexes for internationalization capacity include : (1) Able to release multi-lingual distance education technology development reports; (2) Able to update multi-lingual website information in real time; (3) Able to apply the latest international distance education technology; (4) Able to export the results of distance education technology research and technological products to foreign countries; (5) Able to send technical staff to study abroad every year; (6) Able to increase foreign technical staff or technical consultants year over year.
IV. Conclusion
The paper constructs a distance higher education internationalization index system with open, scalable indexes. Different institutions and researchers can modify the system, for example, to assign weights based on need. The next step is to, on the basis of current research, strengthen international comparative research, launch relevant evaluative pilot programmes and empirical studies, and further perfect the internationalization index system.
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About the authors:
Wang Yongfeng: Assistant researcher, Ph.D. Research interests include distance education and education internationalization (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Zhang Shaogang: Researcher. Research interests include distance education and education technology.