The Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Open University of China (OUC), in teaching the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has attached equal importance to the development of degree and non-degree education and to providing social services, leading faculty to explore the development of the university.

"Computer Assisted English Teaching and Learning", a course in the OUC Faculty of Foreign Languages, has completed its eighth semester on the MOOC platform for Chinese universities. This semester, the School of Foreign Languages of Xinjiang Normal University placed 215 English majors in three grades in the course, with credits being recognised. 146 finished the course with excellent grades, 53 tested qualified, and 16 failed (3 having never accessed the platform), for a pass rate of 92.6% and rate of excellence of 67.9%. Among universities this semester, Xinjiang Normal University placed the largest number of students, and attained the highest passing and excellence rates. Its students also showed a strong team spirit in terms of helping each other and seeking improvement together, attending class and preparing for the CET-4 examination, completing their homework, becoming involved in discussions, and all in all representing the positive spirit of Xinjiang Normal University in the new era! It was the third placement by Xinjiang Normal University of English majors in this MOOC, in which 500 students from the university have now participated. Their excellence has left a deep impression on the OUC teaching team and other learners.

Course Evaluation

“Computer Assisted English Teaching and Learning” is a practical course, with a focus on learning Office, Hot Potatoes, Voicethread, Wiki, and other software or cloud applications via case-based teaching to help learners design courseware that will assist English teaching and stimulate student interest. The course stresses the learning process, with formative assessment counting for the entire grade, and no final examination required. Over 23 semesters on the OUC learning network and the MOOC for China’s Universities, the course has been praised by everyone taking it, and become well known for the "cross-regional, one-stop, team-supported online learning" developed by Mr. Han Yanhui and his team. So far, the MOOC, with an evaluation score of 4.9 (out of 5), has served over 20,000 learners at home and abroad, and its innovations have attracted expert attention from within and outside the OUC system. Researchers from Peking University, Beijing Normal University, East China Normal University and Shanghai Customs College have published related research.

By Han Yanhui, OUC