Phát triển hệ thống thông tin quản lý và hỗ trợ đánh giá hoạt động giảng dạy và nghiên cứu khoa học của giảng viên các trường đại học khối kinh tế của Việt Nam

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INTRODUCTION

• Propose procedures of collecting and processing information for faculty
performance assessment in economics and business universities.

1. Research rationale
Faculty members are the key resource for sustainable development of each
university. Lecturing and research are the two basic tasks of lecturers in the
universities, playing a decisive role in both quantity and quality of the products that
universities create for the society. Accordingly, the performance assessment of
lecturing and research of faculty members is very important for both lecturers and
managers in the recognition, enhancement and efficient exploitation of faculty
resource, in order to improve the general performance of universities.
In Vietnam’s education in general and higher education in particular, the way to
assess faculty performance through semester-end or year-end summations often
lacks objectivity, making faculty members become reckless of and indifferent to the
assessment results. The goal of emulation and commendation, which is to
encourage the faculty members in better lecturing and research, has not been
obtained as desired (Ho Thi Dieu Anh, 2006; Tran Xuan Bach, 2009). Faculty
assessment through student feedback has been implemented recently, but it still
faces many difficulties due to careless procedures, unreasonable questionnaires and
costly surveys… (Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, 2011; Dang Tuan Anh, 2015). From this
situation, backwardness in faculty performance assessment in Vietnam has showed
in the following aspects:
First, the criterion set for faculty performance assessment in most universities has
not been developed carefully and has not covered both the qualitative and
quantitative aspects of lecturing and research activities.

Second, there has not been any university successful in building an assessment
process to ensure complete, regular and accurate data collection, as well as unbiased
data processing, to support faculty assessment activities.
Third, all universities in Vietnam have not designed a concentrated information
system to support the collection and processing of information on faculty
performance assessment in a quick, accurate and prompt way.
Therefore, the thesis "Developing the information system for managing and
supporting the faculty performance assessment of lecturing and research activities
in economics and business universities of Vietnam - Experiment at the National
Economics University" will have theoretical and methodological contributions to
faculty performance assessment, as well as valuable management practices.
2. Objectives of the study
• Propose a criterion set for performance assessment of lecturing and research of
the faculty in economics and business universities.

• Propose an information system to manage and support the performance
assessment of lecturing and research activities in economics and business
universities.
• Experiment the proposed information system at the National Economics
University, from which:
o To verify the effectiveness and reliability of the system.

o To collect feedback from users of the system in order to make suggestions
for improvement and implementation of the system in economics and
business universities.

3. Research object and scope
3.1. Research object
The direct research object of the thesis is the information system to manage and
support the performance assessment of lecturing and research activities in

economics and business universities. However, for the scientific and practical
bases of such an information system, the indirect research object of the thesis is
the lecturing and research activities of the university faculty.
3.2. Research scope
The scope of the research is limited to lecturing and research activities of the
faculty in economics and business universities of Vietnam. Some other activities
of the faculty as well as the manifestations related to moral qualities, political
awareness, civic responsibility... will not be considered in this thesis. The selection
of universities in economics and business field stems from the diversity and
complexity of the university system of Vietnam. Besides, in the survey scope
respect, due to limited resources, the thesis focuses primary data collection from
six largest economics and business universities in the North (and in Hanoi).
4. Approach and methodology
4.1. Approaches
This research takes both the social-economic and technical approaches:
• Social-economic approach to identify the assessment criterion set.
• Social-economic and technical approaches to build the procedures of collecting and
processing assessment information.
• Technical approaches to build and experiment the information system.


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4.2. Research methods
The thesis combines qualitative research methods in the social sciences and the
methods of system analysis and design of the information technology sector to
develop an information system to manage and support the performance assessment
of faculty lecturing and research activities in economics and business universities.
In addition, to demonstrate the applicability and application characteristics, the
thesis uses the experiment method (i.e. testing in the real environment) by

applying the information system to assess lecturing and research activities of
faculty at the National Economics University. The research methods will be
presented in detail in Chapters 2, 4 and 5.
5. New contributions of the thesis
• A criterion set and procedures of collecting and processing the corresponding
data for the assessment of lecturing and research activities of the faculty in
economics and business universities.
• A complete web-based information system to manage and support the faculty
performance assessment of lecturing and research activities in economics and
business universities.
• The proposals for the application of the information system to manage and
support the faculty performance assessment of lecturing and research activities in
economics and business universities.
Chapter 1. LITERATURE REVIEW OF FACULTY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
AND INFORMATION SYSTEM OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

1.1. Faculty work
1.1.1. Lecturing activities: Since the 21st century, the role of the university faculty
has involved not only capturing, processing and transfering information, but also
conveying the way of “how to learn” and “how to work”, then to help students
acquire the ability of self-education for life.
1.1.2. Research activities: Research is important to university faculty on three
aspects. First, to improve the lecturing quality. Second, to ensure that lecturers
have the ability to supervise students in research. Third, to make a reputation and
to gain promotion in their careers. (Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, 2011)
1.1.3. General characteristics of faculty activities that affect the assessment:
According to Mai Quoc Chanh (2007), activities of the university faculty have
specific characteristics that need considering in performance assessment. First of
all, this is the workforce of intelligence with high qualification, knowledge,
sensitivity and self-esteem. Second, the nature of the faculty work is very

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complex, the work results are both clear and unclear. Third, the faculty working
time cannot be restricted to official hours but often requires overtime.
1.2. Faculty performance assessment
1.2.1. Perspectives on faculty performance assessment: From the perspective of
human resource management theory, performance appraisal is affirmed as an
important function of the human resource management in the organization in
general and university administration in particular (Ho Thi Dieu Anh, 2006). From
the viewpoint of educational management theory, assessment is an important
component and an integral stage of the educational process (Tran Thi Tuyet Oanh,
2007).
1.2.2. Methods of faculty performance assessment: Nguyen Thi Thu Hien (2011)
summarizes that methods of faculty performance assessment can be provided into
ones of diagnostics, ones of standardization and ones of criterion. Most recent
research have used assessment methods based on the criterion set to assess
lecturing and scientific research activities of the faculty (Nguyen Thi Thu Hien,
2011; Pham Van Hung, 2010; Tran Xuan Bach, 2009 ...).
1.2.3. The purposes of faculty performance assessment: According to Tran Xuan
Bach (2009), the purpose of faculty performance assessment can be considered
from two perspectives: (1) From the individual perspective, assessment aims at
encouragement and development of the faculty; and (2) From the standpoint of
educational institutions, assessment aims at personal development, administrative
decision making and organization maintenance/development.
1.3. Standards and criteria for faculty performance assessment of lecturing and
research activities
1.3.1. Literature review of standards and criteria for faculty performance
assessment of lecturing and research activities
Among works of performance assessment criteria, SEEQ is the classic criterion set

in assessing the quality and performance of faculty lecturing based on the student
feedback. During the last decades of the twentieth century, statistical analyses over
the world have proved that the SEEQ has been reliable. However, the SEEQ is not
enough to be used for faculty performance assessment, especially when scientific
research is increasingly interested among faculty activities. The later studies such
as Braskamp and Ory (1994), Nguyen Duc Chinh and Nguyen Phuong Nga
(2006), Tran Xuan Bach (2009), Pham Van Hung (2010)... have added research
activities into criterion set of faculty performance assessment, but the criteria are
mainly based on research results. Doan Hoang Minh (2013) has proposed an
analytical framework and a criterion set which has been tested the reliability to
assess research capacity, however this study has been conducted with respondents


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as PhD. students but not faculty. A further limitation of the proposed criterion sets
is that they are dispersed over many small criteria without synthesis on some
common ways to easily identify the general assessment result of faculty activities.

parties involved in the assessment and use the assessment results (Krauss and
Snyder, 2009), as well as the ability to easily and quickly get the accurate
analytical reports on the situation of human resources (Kavanagh and Thite, 2008).
Also, another benefit of the information system of performance assessment is the
significant cost reduction for organizations in comparison with the traditional
assessment types (Coates, 1996).

1.3.2. Literature review of criterion sets for faculty performance assessment in
reality

It is difficult to apply a prototype of universities in the world to assess faculty
performance in Vietnam due to the differences in lecturing and research activities.
However, most of the criteria being used by universities around the world have
appeared in faculty performance assessment of practices or research in Vietnam.
In Vietnam, the Ministry of Education and Training stipulates two forms of faculty
assessment, but the fact shows that the standards set out by the Ministry have been
inappropriate. Therefore, most universities use their own assessment form. Some
studies also have suggested criterion sets of faculty assessment, such as Nguyen
Duc Chinh and Nguyen Phuong Nga (2006), Ho Thi Dieu Anh (2006), Tran Xuan
Bach (2009), Pham Van Hung (2010)... However, proposals of these studies have
not been introduced in practice.
1.4. The information sources of faculty performance assessment
The common information sources of faculty performance assessment include:
1.4.1. Student feedback
1.4.2. Assessment from colleagues
1.4.3. Assessment from managers
1.4.4. Self-assessment
1.4.5. Lecturing dossier
1.5. Information system to manage and support faculty performance
assessment
1.5.1. Information system of human resource management
Kavanagh and Thite (2008) define Human Resource Management Information
System (HRIS) that "the system that is used to collect, store, analyze, export data
and distribute information related to human resources of an organization". Many
studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the cost savings of using HRIS
(Connors, 2001; Hunter Group, 2001), the advantages of the speed and accuracy
of such systems (Kavanagh and Thite, 2008), and the factors affecting the
acceptance and use of the technology (Marler et al, 2009).
1.5.2. Information system to support performance assessment
Pros and foremost fundamental advantages of this system is the data accessibility

anytime and anywhere (if the system is connected to the Internet), with all the

1.5.3. Information systems to support faculty performance assessment
Faculty performance assessment also have changed from the manual tools to the
application of IT advances in the assessment. For examples of getting student
feedbacks, the assessment in the beginning was done through surveys at the
classroom and students filled directly on paper. Over time, the assessment on the
network has become more popular due to the more flexible learning environment
and the tendency of increase in using mobile digital communication tools among
students. Bennett and Nair (2011) suggest that the online student feedback has
many advantages over paper filling despite the fact that the online forms provide
low response rates (Dommeyer et al, 2004). However, recent studies show that
rates of respondents are primarily caused by student awareness rather than
technical issues. Therefore, universities have used various measures to encourage
the participation of students (Coates, 2006).
In Vietnam, there is not a university building a comprehensive information system
to manage and support faculty performance assessment. The application of IT to
faculty performance assessment has been implemented in a sporadic way, mainly
in the form of getting student feedback. That is not only costly in resources but
also makes it difficult to ensure a scientific and systematic criterion set as well as
regular, fully and objective procedures of assessment.
1.6. Conclusion of the literature review
Literatures involving faculty assessment is extremely massive, not only in the
world but also in Vietnam. However, so far Vietnamese universities cannot apply
not only overseas faculty assessment models but also criterion sets proposed by
local research, the basic reasons of which include:
1. The sets of criteria are inappropriate (unfeasible or incomprehensive). In
particular, there has been no qualified research in criterion set of faculty
performance assessment in economics and business universities.
2. The best way of faculty performance assessment is based on 360-degree

feedback method. However, it is accompanied by the requirement for diverse
sources of information, as well as the big cost of information collecting and
processing. Meanwhile, most of the higher education establishments in Vietnam


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have not built up the standardized and feasible assessment procedures, based on
based on a complete assessment information system.

recorded, and then transcribed, processed, encoded and interpreted into research
results.

There are the gaps in research and practice for the author to exploit for the thesis.

2.3. The situation of faculty performance assessment in economics and
business universities through qualitative research results

CHAPTER 2. THE SISTUATION OF FACULTY ASSESSMENT IN
ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS UNIVERSITIES
2.1. Characteristics of faculty activities in economics and business universities
2.1.1. Economics and business universities
The phrase "economics and business universities" implies a group of universities
specialized in economics, business and management in Vietnam. Most of these are
public ones with a long history of education, research and application of
economics science.
2.1.2. Characteristics of faculty activities in economics and business universities
• The pressure from the massive number of students

• Faculty qualifications
• Restrictions on methods of lecturing and research
• The issue of morality and lifestyle
2.1.3. The influence of these characteristics on the faculty performance
assessment
The current situation shows the restrictions on the quality of the faculty
performance assessment in economics and business universities. Accordingly, the
request for assessment of lecturing and research activities in economics and
business universities also has characteristics different from the ones of techniques
or humanities fields, especially in the aspects of the abilities of updating new
knowledge and methods in the field of economic science to keep up with the
development of the world; and the requirements of raising moral qualities and
sense of responsibility of the faculty in the market mechanism.
2.2. The qualitative research method based on in-depth interviews of lecturers
in economics and business universities
The author uses the qualitative research method in this study. Information was
collected through the 15 in-depth interviews from July to August, 2015, and was
verified and analyzed in conjunction with the literature review. The respondents
were mainly lecturers in economics and business universities in Hanoi. At the
same time, the author also conducted in-depth interviews with the representatives
of the Managing Board, the Heads of the Department of Organization and
Personnel, the Department of Testing and Education Quality Assurance and two
students of the National Economics University. The interview contents were

2.3.1. The criterion sets and procedures of faculty performance assessment
Except the University of Economics and Business of the Vietnam National
University, Hanoi, the rest of five remain economics and business universities in
Hanoi have not established the criterion sets of their own because of incomplete
standards of information and no assessment criteria. At these universities, faculty
assessment has been conducted through two forms prescribed by the Ministry of

Education and Training. Most assessment results have not been used for the right
purpose.
2.3.2. Faculty assessment through student feedback
From the general perspective of the faculty, this form of assessment has been
ineffective. The information has been collected mainly through surveys on paper,
which requires manual and costly entry. The main drawback of online assessment
is that there has been no regulations that force the students to give assessment.
Assessment time has different among universities but all have limitations. All
universities have used assessment results for consultation in spite of costly
information collection and processing. Most of the lecturers have thought that the
assessment results are not reasonable.
2.3.3. The other sources of faculty assessment
All interviewed lecturers have agreed that the assessment for the purpose of
emulation and commendation are now inadequate. The form of faculty selfassessment includes vague criteria, making self-assessment become formalistics.
Many departments have not hold internal seminars or required class observation,
then there can be no grounds for authentic assessment from colleagues. Most of
universities put the responsibility of assessment from managers for the dean, but
most of lecturers say that the department head is the one in charge of specialization
and the one closest to the lecturers. On the use of assessment results, with the fact
that "everyone thinks that assessment results will be progressive for all, then there is
nothing to do”, consequently the education institutions can not achieve the
assessment objectives.
Through interviews, the author has found that faculty performance assessments are
stuck in: (1) Inaccurate criterion sets; (2) Assessment procedures that do not
ensure the responsible participation of all stakeholders.


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2.4. Commenting on the criterion sets for faculty performance assessment

Another drawback of the current assessment criteria is that they favor the quantity
more than the quality. Through literature review, combined with the situation of the
economics and business universities, the author has proposed that faculty
performance should be assessed in two aspects: (1) Assessment based on
competency frameworks; and (2) Assessment of lecturing and research results. The
majority of respondents support this proposal, but emphasize that the capacity
framework must be accompanied by capacity standards.

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The results of the faculty research: Based on the interview results, it could be seen
that we should reconcile different viewpoints, hence on the one hand articles in the
international journals should rank first in all types of published works, so that the
lecturers would be encouraged to reach this goal, and on the other hand locally
published works should still be recognized based on the conversion table of
number of research hours.
2.5. Suggested adjustment in assessment procedures of faculty performance
in economics and business universities

2.4.1. The criteria for assessing faculty lecturing performance

2.5.1. Assessment based on student feedback

Capacity framework of faculty lecturing performance

The assessment form for students should (1) be brief but must be adequate for
faculty activities, (2) display the criteria that students can comment, including
knowledges, skills and attitudes of lecturers in lecturing.

Knowledge: Compiled from the opinion of the respondents, the author classifies

knowledge in lecturing into groups of specialized knowledge, professional
knowledge, practical knowledge and knowledge associated with research.
Skills: The majority of respondents agree on the classification of skills related to
pedagogy, skills to use lecturing support tools, skills of classroom management
skills, skills to assess learning outcomes, skills to use foreign languages in lecturing.
Attitude: The faculty attitude in lecturing activities can be assessed in two aspects:
(1) the attitude towards students and lecturing in class: responsibility,
enthusiasism, seriousness, respectfulness and fairness; and (2) the attitude towards
him/herself and his/her colleagues: the spirit of learning, solidarity, collaboration,
sharing with colleagues.
The results of the faculty lecturing: The majority of respondents says that this
criterion should be considered based on the "completed lecturing tasks over the
assigned workload".
2.4.2. The criteria for for assessing faculty research performance
Capacity framework of faculty research performance
Knowledge: Most of interviewed lecturers think that the knowledge in research is
quite similar to the knowledge in lecturing, but (1) instead of knowledge of
lecturing methods, lecturers must have knowledge of research methods; and (2)
lecturers must have interdisciplinary knowledge.
Skills: Skills in research can be divided into the following groups: skills of
presentation and report of research results, skills to use research tools, skills of
searching latest data and knowledge of mankind, skills to conduct a research and
manage participants, skills to use foreign languages in research.
Attitude: All respondents agree that the right attitude in research should be
passionateness and creativeness; keenness of learning, sharing and cooperation;
seriousness and enthusiasism; honesty and objectivity.

Online assessment is a good choice for educational institutions. Assessment
systems must be integrated with personal pages by students enrolled on the system
of educational management.

How to attract the attention of students and to adjust the psychology of
assessment: the educational institutions should pay attention to their customers in
the aspects of ideological education, popularization of the significance of the
assessment, and that the assessment results must be given to the students so that
they could realize the value of what they had done.
Assessment time: the time after students finish the final session of a course would
be the most rational. The Department of Education Quality Assurance conducts
the assessment independently, just announces the assessment results after students
have had test results. This process is clearly informed so that students understand
and feel reassuring in assessment.
2.5.2. Other assessment sources
Assessment from colleagues: Educational institutions should have rules so that
lecturers can not select mutual assessment, and the Department Head must be the
one assigning one of the two assessors. The lecturers are notified of the aggregate
results from several different sources of assessment, but not of the direct results of
assessment from colleagues. This source of assessment is not only applied to class
observation but also to the whole feeling of the assessors in daily communication
and working.
Assessment from managers: This task should be assigned to the Department Head
with a full criterion set besides the comments section.
Assessment time: In terms of practicality in the economics and business
universities, the assessment should be conducted annually. However, the


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educational institutions should semestrally send the assessment results based on
student feedback to the lecturers.

3.2.1. The standard framework of faculty performance assessment in lecturing

2.5.3. The objectives and the uses of results of faculty performance assessment

Knowledge

A system of faculty performance assessment is essential for universities in general
and the lecturers in particular to be aware of the results and the quality of lecturing
and research. However, while the assessment system could be built on the basis of
a proper criterion set combined with standard procedures, it could not be
maintained without the policies of using assessment results in an appropriate way,
which can meet the needs of all stakeholders.
CHAPTER 3. PROPOSAL OF CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES OF FACULTY
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT IN ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS UNIVERSITIES

3.1. The system of faculty performance assessment
3.1.1. Context of faculty activities
Faculty activities are affected by the social and managerial environment (factors of
society, administrative units and specialized units educational institutions) as well
as professional and specialist environment (students, scientific institutions and
professional organizations).
3.1.2. The system of faculty performance assessment
The system of faculty performance assessment includes the elements of (1)
performance standards; (2) performance measurement; and (3) feedback. The
external factors may affect the assessment system include (1) The role of
stakeholders, such as the managing board, functional units, lecturers, the
beneficiary of educational services (i.e. students) and (2) The characteristics of the
faculty activities and the education environment.
3.2. The standard framework of faculty performance assessment

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A

- Ability to understand and select references for the lectures with the reasonable
required volume for students to read accordingly.
- Ability to understand as well as be able to solve and answer the problems related
to the subject effectively.
- Ability to understand and choose the appropriate methods and strategies to help
students apply knowledge in practice.
- Ability to understand methods and forms of testing to evaluate and monitor the
progress of students
- Achievement of the faculty standards required by the university.
Skill
- Lecturing skills: the ability to communicate, organize lecturing, improve lecturing
methods in line with the objectives and the requirements of high-quality education
- Class management skills: the ability to monitor classes, to use class time
effectively, to attract the attention of students, to encourage students to participate
in lectures in a more active, inspiring way.
- Assessment skills: the ability to evaluate students with diversity, objectivity and
rationality in content and duration in order to develop professional skills of students.
- Skills to analyze the exam results of the students to get feedback for themselves,
students and departments.
- Enthusiasm and commitment: expressed in lecturing, helping, advising and
guiding students to learn well.
- Fairness and objectivity in evaluation.

- Strict conformation to the rules of the university.

K
S

C
R
R

- Ability to communicate knowledge through lectures with good scontent,
matching the program objectives and updated modern knowledge.

Attitude

K

F

Lecturing capacity

A

Figure 3.2. Framework for assessing faculty lecturing and research activities
Source: author's synthesis

- Correct behavior in communicating with students.
- Respect for the independent thinking and initiatives of students
- Responsibility: careful preparation of lectures, giving students an overview of the
course, ensuring enough volume and content of the course.
- The spirit of continuous learning and improving lecturing quality

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- Lecturing sufficient minimum number of hours in comply with faculty standards.

from colleagues (including class observation and overall assessment); (5) assessment
from the dossier of lecturing and research. Based on the above standard framework of
faculty performance assess, in combination with the results of qualitative research and
the literature review, the author has developed a set of criteria of each source for
faculty performance assessment in lecturing and research.

3.2.2. The standard framework of faculty performance assessment in research

3.4. Proposed assessment scale

- The spirit of solidarity, collaboration with colleagues in lecturing
Lecturing results: Completion of lecturing duties, shown by:
- Lecturing a sufficient number of assigned classes and hours.

Research capacity

3.4.1. Suggestion of weights of each activity and assessment aspects

Knowledge

Table 3.6. The table of suggested weights of each activity and
assessment aspects for the National Economics University

- Ability to understand research methods and process, and how to design a research.
- Ability to understand updated knowledge, specialized theories and literatures in
the research field.

Activity
Synthetic

Skill

Lecturing

0.4

- Skills to guide undergraduate and graduate students in research

Research

0.6

- Teamwork skills in the group research.
- Skills in research: searching for literatures; using electronic databases; reading,
synthesizing and criticizing the research; research design; data collection;
scientific writing; presentation; searching contacts for publishing; research project
management...

Type

Total

Knowledge

Skills

Attitudes

Capability
Result
Capability
Result

0.8
0.2
0.3
0.7

0.3

0.3

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.4

0.096

0.096

0.128

0.054

0.054

0.072

Divided
Lecturing
Research

Capability
Result
Capability
Result

0.08
0.42

Total

- The ability to use foreign languages in research.
- The ability to use software tools to support data analysis.
Attitude
- The spirit of innovation and passionateness for the new.
- The honesty and objectivity in research.
- The seriousness, effort, perseverance and commitment to research.

- The spirit of cooperation and keenness of learning in research.
Research results
- Presiding or participating in research projects.
- Publication in workshops, conferences, journals ...
- Editing books, translating documents to be published or to be lectured...
- Having inventions that can be applied in lecturing and research.
- Participation in the activities of international scientific exchange.
3.3. Sets of criteria for faculty performance assessment in lecturing and research
The author proposes a model of faculty performance assessment of five sources: (1)
student feedback; (2) self-assessment; (3) assessment from managers; (4) assessment

Total

0.32
0.08
0.18
0.42
1

Source: Author's suggestions
3.4.2. Suggestion of weights of each assessment source
Table 3.7. The table of suggested weights of each activity and assessment source
Activity
Lecturing
Research

Capability
Result
Capability
Result

Student
feedback
0.3

Self-assessment
and dossier
0.3

Assessment from
managers
0.2

0.4
1

0.3

Assessment
from colleagues
0.2
1
0.3

Source: Author's suggestions
3.5. Proposal of assessment procedures for faculty performance in economics
and business universities (Described in Figure 3.5)
CHAPTER 4. PROPOSAL OF AN INFORMATION SYSTEM TO SUPPORT
FACULTY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT IN ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
UNIVERSITIES

Based on the above results, combined with the approach of analyzing and
designing information systems in Nguyen Van Vy (2004), Han Viet Thuan (2008),


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university. This information system has the interactions of information with three
existing management formation systems, i.e. the education management system,
the research management system and the personnel management system.

Assessment procedures for faculty performance

Begin

Determine the
purposes and sources
of assessment

Prepare means, tools,
techniques and scale of
assessment

Identify assessment
agents

No

Education management
system

Feasible?

Yes

Personnel management
system

Collect assessment
information

Self-assessment
assessment

Student feedback

Refine data

Assessment from
colleagues

Assessment from
managers

Assessment from the
dossier of lecturing
and research

Information system to
support faculty
performance assessment

Other concerned
objects
Research
management
system

Figure 4.1. The context model of the information system to support faculty
performance assessment
4.1.2. The conceptual model of the process of the information system to support
faculty performance assessment

Analyze data

Summarize and report
the assessment
information

End

0

Figure 4.2 shows the conceptual model of the process of the information system to
support faculty performance assessment. Besides assessment agents, the Department
of Education Quality Assurance takes the role of coordinating all activities related
to the assessment: collecting, processing and reporting assessment results.

Announce the
assessment results

Figure 3.5. Assessment procedures for faculty performance
Source: Author's suggestions
the author has built an information system to support faculty performance
assessment of lecturing and research in economics and business universities. The
research method includes the following stages: (1) Describe an overview of the
system; (2) Analyse functions through the business function diagram (BFD); (3)
Design the business model in system with the formulas of assessment points; (4)
Design the entity relationship model; (5) Develop the database of faculty
performance assessment; (6) Propose the technology platform for the system, and
(7) Create the final product: the web-based system to support faculty performance
assessment. In addition, the author has used several mathematical models for the
analysis and selection of assessment criteria.
4.1. The context model and conceptual model of the information system to
support faculty performance assessment
4.1.1. The context model of the information system to support faculty
performance assessment
Figure 4.1 illustrates “the information system to support faculty performance
assessment" as part of the overall management information systems in a

Figure 4.2. The conceptual model of the process of the information system to
support faculty performance assessment


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4.2. Designing and analysis of the information system to support faculty
performance assessment

4.2.2. Description
escription of the assessment procedures

4.2.1. Functional analysis through the business function diagram (BFD)
T

A

S

A

S

S

A

A

A

A

C

R

Example: Figure 4.11. Aggregate business process of lecturing assessment
essment
Source: Author's design

T

S

T

Figure 4.3. The decomposition diagram of operational functions of the system
Source: Author's design
As shown in Figure 4.3, the assessment procedures according to functional
decomposition diagram comprising the following components: (1) (through
sources of, , , and the), (2) (through sources of self-assessment, assessment from
managers, assessment from colleagues and); (3). Before being sent to the
managers, the assessment results will be sent to the assessed lecturer for their
feedback and will be checked in case of mistakes.


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4.2.5. The information system platform

4.2.3. Entity relationship model

Figure 4.17. Technology platform model

Source: author's proposal
4.2.6. The web interface of the system
Figure 4.15. Entity relationship model

Source: Author's design
4.2.4. The database of faculty performance assessment
SurveyPeriod

SurveyResult

ResearchResult

Survey

Account

Department

From the databases and the technology platforms mentioned above, the
author has designed the web interface of the information system of
assessment, which includes:
 Introduction (about the purpose and meaning of the system, the manual
functions in the system)
 Decentralization of assessment (only for the management)
 Self-assessment and enumeration of research results
 Assessment from managers (only for those decentralized as a manager)
 Assessment from colleagues
 Assessment from students (connected to the education management system)

SurveyObject

LecturingResult

Faculty

 Report
 System Administration (for the Department of Education Quality
Assurance)

SurveyItem

University

Figure 4.16. Physical database based on the MongoDB model
Source: Author's design

4.3. The formula for calculating faculty assessment points
The author has specified the scoring formula for each lecturing and research
activities, as well as the overall faculty performance.


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Chapter 5. EXPERIMENT OF THE INFORMATION SYSTEM TO
SUPPORT THE FACULTY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT AT
THE NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY

5.4. Feedback from participants in the experiment and the suggestions to

adjust the system

5.1. Experimental research methods
5.1.1. The need to conduct an experiment study
According to Kavanagh and Thite (2008), the researchers of human resource
management information system (HRIS) always emphasize the need to test
the users’ reaction to the processes of human resource management which is
performed via such systems.
5.1.2. The method and process of implementing an experiment study at the
National Economics University
- Collect forms of student feedback in May 2015 in NEU examination rooms.
- Collect assessment information from lecturers who joined in the experiment
from October 2015 to March 2016.
- Gather information about the user feedback to the system from November
2015 to March 2016.
5.2. Description of the experiment sample
5.2.1. Lecturers: The author has conducted the experiment on the sample of
52 lecturers, but there are only 34 faculty members participating fully in the
assessment activities.
5.2.2. Students: The author has collected about 50 sheets of student feedback
form for each lecturer in the sample, so that the obtained total is 2953 sheets
of student feedback form.
5.3. The table of faculty assessment results in the experiment

Figure 5.1. The table of the performance assessment result of a lecturer
joining in the experiment

5.4.1. The reaction of the faculty involved in the experiment in terms of
assessment criteria and procedures
The majority of the lecturers say that the criterion set covers all aspects of

lecturing and research activities of the faculty from two aspects of
competency assessment and result assessment. The lecturers mostly agree
with the statement that the assessment via such a system is clearer and more
transparent than the current year-end summations.
For criteria of self-assessment, most lecturers think that they are suitable and
the assessment results will be honest when lecturers know about the
comparison between the results of self-assessment and ones of assessment
from colleagues.
For criteria of assessment from colleagues, nearly half of the faculty members
have no clear opinion or think that they are not appropriate, for two reasons:
(1) Lack of information about colleagues; and (2) Fear of displeasing each
other. From the first reason, it should be confirmed that class observation
must be compulsory for this type of assessment. From the second one, the
assessment reports should be considered carefully, for example each lecturer
could see the results of summarized assessment, student feedback, selfassessment, but not the assessment from colleagues or managers.
5.4.2. The reaction of the faculty involved in the experiment in terms of the
online assessment system
Comparison between on-paper and on-line assessment: Nearly 91% of the
faculty involved in the experiment prefer the on-line assessment the assessment
on paper due to: (1) the on-line form makes it easier to check the obtained
working result; (2) cost savings and environmental protection; (3) fastness and
convenience. Technical factors related to the Internet is considered to be the
biggest barrier to the implementation of on-line assessment. Some other factors
that may affect the psychology of the users of on-line assessment include the
support of university leaders, the awareness of the faculty, age and occupation
characteristics.
Commenting on the complexity of the system: It is required that there must be
the guidance for the use of the system and that the responsible unit must
organize training sessions for lecturers on how to participate, utilize and
exploit the assessment system. The education institutions should not disregard

the manual stages which could be the channel of not only convincing faculty to


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participate in the system, but also supporting them in use of the system, so that
the busiest or oldest lecturers could feel less hesitative when participating in
the information systems of faculty assessment.

5.5.4. Assessment results should be notified to the interested people,
including students, and the results must be used to make real changes for the
faculty and the university.

5.4.3. Faculty opinions on the requirement of lecturing hours and research
hours in a research-oriented university

5.5.5. There are other solutions to increase the response rate in the student
feedback, i.e. integrating the assessment system to the educational
management system, weekly sending automated email to remind students
who have not given the feedback yet, confirming the security of on-line
assessment information.

According to the survey, it seems that NEU faculty has not been yet
"familiar" with the fact that the NEU is planning to become a researchoriented university. Most of lecturers joining the experiment think that
fulfilling all assigned lecturing hours is only “attaining the goal”, and they
should be added points if lecturing more than the assigned level. However,
the good signal is that ¾ of the faculty involved in the experiment agrees that
reaching the minimum number of research hours only means getting 5 points

on a scale of 10.
5.4.4. Student responses to the assessment system based on student
feedback
More than one third of the students say that the questionnaire is too long,
which requires a further study to shorten the questionnaire with the goal of
maximum 20-25 questions of student feedback. However, most students
believe that the given questions is appropriate and answerable. Over half of
the students say that the student feedback is necessary, that the students
understand the purpose of getting student feedback, and that this assessment
is not time-consuming for them. In spite of this, this ratio is not high and
senior students show the more pessimistic view of the purpose and
significance of getting student feedback than the junior.
The number of students preferring on-line assessment to on-paper assessment
is higher than the ones with the contrast opinion. On that fact, the author
could believe in the proposal of an on-line information system to manage and
support faculty assessment, in combination with solutions to increase the
response rate of students.
5.5. Some recommendations for managers
5.5.1. Place the faculty assessment system in the academic and research
mission of the university.
5.5.2. The system should describe in detail the questionnaires, how to
calculate the assessment points and the manual for lecturers and students.
5.5.3. The students should be educated and propagated about the importance
and significance of faculty assessment.

5.5.6. In an educational institute, collected and processed data should be
shared between individuals and departments directly and indirectly related to
the assessment.
CONCLUSION
Based on the literature review and derived from the situation of faculty

performance assessment in economics and business universities, the author
have proposed respectively:
(1) A set of criteria for faculty performance assessment that could be suitable
for economics and business universities.
(2) The feasible and standardized assessment procedures that could be applied
for all universities.
(3) A complete information system that could support data collection from
assessment sources and help to link information sources into a unified
database for the final assessment report of (1) the individual lecturer, (2) the
lecturers of a department, and (3) the whole faculty of the university.
However, due to limited time and budget, this research still has some gaps for
further study in the future.