To further advance the thematic educational campaign on studying and implementing Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Information Technology Department of the Open University of China (OUC) partnered with OUC Online Education & Information Technology Co., Ltd. (OUC Online) to conduct seven rounds of user studies on the OUC Smart Learning Platform.

These studies involved users across the OUC educational system, encompassing 45 branches, the Experimental School, Postal School, School of Automotive Engineering, School of Social Work, and 103 grassroots study centres.

The investigation revealed that the achievements of the OUC in rapidly developing the Smart Learning Platform over the past two years and promoting its comprehensive use are widely recognized by teachers and students within the OUC educational system. The integrated platform, designed based on the complex operations and business processes of open universities, has enhanced the unity of the education system, improved teaching management and governance levels, and reduced the workload at the grassroots level. This significant achievement lays a robust foundation for the development of a digital university at the OUC. Additionally, faculty and students have provided suggestions for further improvements and optimizations to the system, resulting in over 700 pieces of feedback being collected.

In response to the issues gathered from the survey, the Information Technology Department promptly teamed up with OUC Online to form a specialized task force, ensuring users' concerns were addressed in a timely fashion. This team dedicated their efforts to analyzing and examining the problems, identifying technical solutions, and tackling each issue individually using a "small wins" strategy.

The introduction of new features, tailored to the core needs of users by the Smart Learning Platform, has greatly improved the efficiency of both teachers' work and students' learning. This is a significant advancement in the digitalisation of the teaching process and management services. Going forward, the Information and Technology Department will remain committed to addressing the urgent needs, difficulties, and expectations of teachers and students. In collaboration with related departments, they will focus on technological breakthroughs and enhancing technical and service support, aiming to provide an improved quality of service that is more convenient and efficient. This endeavor supports the mission of building a digital university.

By Wu Shuping, OUC