Editor's Notes: The Open University of China (OUC) has initiated a programme to nurture candidates for the inaugural session of "Outstanding Young Teachers," resulting in 104 teachers being bestowed with the esteemed title of "OUC Outstanding Young Teachers."
By sharing the stories of some of these young teachers and highlighting their experiences of learning and personal growth, our aim is to showcase the dedication and enthusiasm of all OUC teachers who are devoted to contributing to the establishment of a lifelong learning society for all.
Fang Fang is a teacher at Xuzhou Open University and a core member of the OUC Teaching Team. She is the responsible teacher for the Introduction to E-commerce course. She has edited three textbooks, published over 10 academic papers, and has led or participated in multiple provincial and municipal research projects. Her research achievements have been awarded the first prize for Scientific and Technological Information Research Achievements by the municipal authority. She has also been honored with the title of "Learning-oriented Teacher" by the city. The courses she has developed have been repeatedly recognized as outstanding courses. She is dedicated to providing teaching support and services to students at the grassroots level of open universities.
‘Three years ago, I became a candidate for the first Outstanding Young Teacher Training Programme at the OUC and embarked on a three-year training and nurturing journey. It has been a rewarding experience.’
1. Gather at the OUC, work hand in hand and make progress.
Self-motivation. The inaugural workshop for outstanding young teacher candidates at the OUC marked the beginning of my participation Outstanding Young Teacher Training Programme. Faced with the first selection and training programme for outstanding young teachers organized by the OUC, I developed a three-year development plan, clarifying goals and strategies, motivating myself to study harder and keep up with the development of the university's organisational system.
Although three years may seem short, being able to participate in workshops, interdisciplinary study tours, and specialized training with teachers from different professional backgrounds has been very rewarding for me. This mode of interactive communication among multiple disciplines breaks down the barriers between traditional academic disciplines and territories, promoting knowledge exchange and integration, and sharing academic approaches.
2. Study tours to broaden horizons
Study tours are an efficient learning mode for teachers, offering insights that cannot be replaced by any other form of training. Over the course of these three years, I have participated in three offline study and training programmes: the Beijing workshop, the interdisciplinary study tour in Chengdu, and the specialized training at Zhejiang University.
These study tours have allowed me to understand the opportunities and challenges faced by the OUC’s educational system. I have learned from the valuable experiences of sister institutions and renowned online education companies, motivating me to apply the knowledge gained to my daily teaching and management work.
3. Grounded in my position, honing myself
During the training period, as a professional teacher at the grassroots level of the OUC, I have demanded and enriched myself. By reading professional books, I have solidified my theoretical foundation to provide support for future professional research.
Additionally, I have studied five courses on the MOOC platform, with three of them achieving excellence. In the management of these three courses at the Jiangsu branch, I have effectively incorporated the outcomes of my MOOC learning. Under the authority of the responsible teacher, I have designed the ideological and political modules, interactive activities, and scoring assignments in a reasonable manner, reforming and designing the formative assessments of these three courses, which has yielded good results. Since 2018, the "Introduction to E-commerce" course that I am in charge of has been evaluated as an excellent course by the Jiangsu branch every semester.
Over the course of three years, I have published one paper in a core journal and two papers in general journals. As one of the main editors, I have contributed to two textbooks in the field of e-commerce. I have also participated in one research project funded by the Philosophy and Social Sciences Research Fund of Jiangsu universities as a major participant. I have led two projects sponsored by the Xuzhou Social Science Federation, which have been successfully completed. Additionally, I have obtained one software copyright related to e-commerce. These research achievements complement my teaching and contribute to mutual progress.
The three-year training has allowed me to engage in practical study tours across regions and institutions, providing more opportunities for learning and communication, and enhancing my enthusiasm for scientific research. I have truly experienced the sense of fulfillment that research brings. I will never forget my original intention, keep in mind my mission, adhere to moral principles, engage in lifelong learning, serve students, and contribute to society. I will make new contributions to the reform and development of the open university Chinese characteristics for a new era.
By OUC News Network