The Open University of China (OUC) held a teaching-research seminar on reform of examinations and assessment of English courses on 7 and 8 May 2021 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, covering not only reforms to the English programme and public English courses, but also construction of degree-conferral English examination questions. Yang Xiaotang, OUC vice president; Tang Chunlai, vice president of the Hubei Branch; Xiong Kun, vice president of the Shenzhen Branch, and about 100 teachers and administrators attended.

Yang Xiaotang stated that examination and assessment are essential parts of education. As stated in the Plan for Reform of Education Evaluation in the New Era, “evaluation is key to setting the direction of education”. He added that the seminar would start by examining English courses, and aim ultimately to enhance examinations and assessment in relation to the characteristics of open education, including flexibility and wide availability, while also attending to discipline construction and further enhancing the status of the OUC as a world-class open university.

Professor Li Yanglong, of Beihang University, and Professor Zhang Bao, a military-college instructor, lectured on formulating degree-conferral English examination questions, and gave examples in order to enhance clarity.

Chen Kun, deputy director of the OUC Academic Affairs Department, reported on the reform and development of degree-conferral English examinations, covering basic orientation, concepts, construction procedures, paper generation via the online system, staff involved in creating and reviewing test questions, schedules, and other topics.

Zheng Jipeng, vice dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, gave an overview of the status of English examinations in terms of implementation, performance, standards, and emerging demands. In addition, Zheng spoke of the implementations the faculty would be undertaking in terms of examinations and assessment, programme reconstruction, teacher development, and teaching reform.

Every teacher attending the event participated in group discussions on examinations and the creation of test questions, offering suggestions based on their teaching practices, with the ultimate goal of promoting and enhancing student-centred education.

Written by Liu Ning; Photos by Zhang Yi, OUC