Recently, the International Cooperation and Exchange Department of the Open University of China (OUC) has offered assistance to several OUC departments including the Experimental School, the Learning Resources Department, and the Education Research Institute by hosting associate professor of the University of Leicester (UL), Palitha Edirisingha, professor of Korea National Open University (KNOU), Kwang Sik Chung, and associate professor of Taiwan Open University, Lin Gaoyong, for a short-term scholar exchange activity at the OUC headquarters, its branches, and the university press.

Professor Palitha discussed important topics such as "Promoting Learners' Online Course Learning Strategies and Enhancing Learning Participation" at the Experimental School. He gave an academic lecture entitled "Online Course Construction: Effective Use of the Teaching Framework of Learning Technology" to the school's teachers and researchers and shared successful experiences obtained from and challenges facing distance education. Professor Palitha also gave advice for future course construction based on the Transactional Distance Theory (TDT) and the seven step method for online course construction. The course coordinators for the Experimental School introduced Professor Palitha to the online courses and collaborative teaching model under construction in the OUC and discussed how they support learning for a large number of students and maintain a better learning experience with less input from teachers. Professor Palitha was also invited to visit Chengdu Radio and TV University, where he exchanged views with relevant personnel on the planning and research of the project of building a learning-oriented city.

Kwang Sik Chung has conducted many academic exchanges with the Learning Resources Department and the OUC Press on topics including the research and practice of digital textbooks, a cloud service framework for digital textbooks, interactive practical teaching resources, and technical standards sharing. The International Cooperation and Exchange Department, the Learning Resources Department, and Professor Chung are planning to jointly submit an application to the KNOU Press for using Professor Kwang Sik Chung's research results in the cooperative research programmes, so as to further deepen the cooperation between the two universities.

Professor Kwang Sik Chung also delivered a lecture entitled "Digital Textbook Service and Learning Analysis,” in which he shared research results about digital textbook services, intelligent learning, digital textbook platforms, and learning analysis based on the needs of learners. The participants came to understand the latest developments in the field of digital teaching materials.

Lin Gaoyong conducted academic exchanges with relevant personnel about distance education teaching models and their development in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, online teaching quality assurance, course certification mechanisms, MOOC courses, and non-academic education. He gave a report on the theme of "Diversified Adult Education in Taiwan,” introducing beneficial practices for developing continuing education, adult education, and lifelong learning in Taiwan. Lin Gaoyong also visited Dalian with relevant personnel from the Education Research Institute to participate in a working seminar for the learning city research centre and gave a special report entitled "Introduction to Universities for the Elderly and Community Universities in Taiwan.” He also went to Taiyuan Experimental School for a "Course Construction and Appliance in Teaching" investigation and gave a report entitled "Diversified Adult Education in Taiwan" at the school.

Written by Du Qian, photographed by Xie Jun, Cheng Gang and Tan Wei, OUC