An academic seminar about the construction of a curriculum system for the Computer Science and Technology of the OUC’s School of Engineering was held in Beijing on March 21, 2013.

A number of experts were invited to attend the seminar, including Prof. Chen Ming from the China University of Petroleum, Prof. Liu Qiang from Tsinghua University, Prof. Yang Shulin from the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Prof. Liu Shifeng from Beijing Jiaotong University, Prof. He Jingsha from Beijing University of Technology, and Prof. Guo Wenming from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.

The experts pointed out that the Programme of Computer Science and Technology should break away from following the development models of conventional universities. As the experts said, curriculum resources form the core of the OUC’s competitiveness, so innovative online courses should be uploaded as soon as possible. They also called for individualized education targeted at lifelong learners.

The development of IT and the widespread use of the Internet have made online education possible. The OUC should seize this opportunity and produce high-quality online courses that both benefit OUC students and attract other teachers and students from conventional universities. The OUC should also provide a suitable platform for students and teachers to access and upload related resources.

The experts also commented that the aim of the construction of a curriculum system for the Computer Science and Technology is to educate application-oriented professionals. Modular, multi-level courses should be designed so that learners can tailor their education to suit their own lifelong learning needs. Resources can also be taken from wider society to develop new knowledge and technology.

Yuan Wei, vice dean of the School of Engineering, thanked the experts for their suggestions and vowed to reform the OUC’s teaching methods, improve the curriculum system and perfect the modules and courses on offer. All the teaching staff from the Department of Computer Science and Technology attended the seminar.

By Wang Jiao, the OUC