In order to enhance educational and teaching reforms and facilitate the high-quality advancement of degree-conferral English examinations, the Open University of China (OUC) organised a seminar on 13 May 2023.
The seminar focused on constructing a question bank specifically tailored for non-English majors pursuing a bachelor's degree. The event saw the participation of over 30 examination item development experts from various universities and OUC branches. Fan Xianrui, member of the Party Committee and vice president of the OUC, graced the occasion with her presence.
During the seminar, Fan Xianrui highlighted the university's unwavering commitment to prioritizing teaching quality as its utmost concern. She commended the Faculty of Foreign Languages for actively embracing the university's strategy for excellence and quality improvement. Recognising the digital strategic action as a valuable opportunity, the faculty has taken a proactive stance in driving innovative advancements and has made phased progress in constructing the Question Bank for Degree-Conferral English Examination.
Fan Xianrui emphasized the existing establishment of a standardized, scientific, and rigorous work mechanism for the current degree-conferral English examination. Furthermore, she urged the faculty to leverage the university's digital transformation to further enhance digitalisation in examination assessment, accumulate valuable experiences in teaching, assessment, and management, and develop replicable and scalable application models to support the university's digital construction. She expressed her hope for experts to collaborate and contribute their wisdom and experiences towards this collective endeavor. Additionally, she encouraged the Faculty of Foreign Languages to optimize the examination item development process, refine organizational arrangements, and ensure the effectiveness of question-setting to elevate the overall quality of the examination and promote continuous improvement in teaching and assessment practices.
During the seminar, the significance of the degree-conferral English examination was reaffirmed, and the utmost importance of maintaining confidentiality and standardization throughout the question bank construction process was emphasized. The examination item development process, requirements, and work arrangements were thoroughly interpreted and discussed. Experienced experts in examination item development provided comprehensive explanations of item requirements and key considerations, using real-life examples that aligned with both the national standards for large-scale examination item development and the specific context of the OUC's degree-conferral English examination.
The successful completion of the OUC's degree-conferral English examination is an essential requirement for adult education students to obtain their degrees. The examination was initially introduced as a pilot programme in 2018 and expanded nationwide by 2020. Notably, in the autumn semester of 2022, it was conducted online for the first time. The ongoing efforts in constructing the question bank aim to expand and enrich the existing pool of questions, establishing a solid foundation for the objective and equitable evaluation of students' English learning achievements. Furthermore, it serves as a stepping stone for the comprehensive implementation of on-demand examinations for adult students while accumulating valuable experience for the OUC in exploring intelligent assessment practices.
Written by Zhao Jianrong and photographed by Miao Miao, OUC