Editor's Note: In order to further study Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC); carry out the spirit of the speeches of the general secretary at the National Conference on Ideological and Political Education and China's National Education Conference; implement the fundamental task of ethical education, further strengthen the construction of university teaching,
enhance the abilities of head teachers, and give play to their role in the implementation of teaching processes, the Open University of China (OUC) has selected 618 head teachers who have made outstanding contributions to the cause of education at the OUC for this purpose.
A head teacher disseminates the OUC's teaching principles and learner-development model, facilitates the implementation of teaching processes, organises student activities, and provides comprehensive learning services, making up part of the teacher team that keeps the closest contacts with OUC students. The OUC website and its official WeChat account will present the accomplishments of some of the top head teachers in order to publicise their roles as pacesetters, promote respect for teachers and their work within the OUC, enhance their feelings of responsibility and mission, and improve the quality of the management and services provided by teacher teams at the OUC.
In 2012, Li Fengmei began work at the Beichen School of the Tianjin Branch, and has served as a learner guide ever since. From 2012 until the fall of 2019, she guided the learning of as many as 875 students in 48 classes and 11 undergraduate majors, 14 junior-college majors, and 3 majors of the “One College Student Per Village” programme. From the spring semester of 2017 to the fall semester of 2019, a total of 277 students were enrolled in 30 classes.
In 2018, Li Fengmei was named an excellent open-education learner guide by the Tianjin Branch; in 2017, the school's research project, Introduction of Open Education to New Students, in which she had taken part, was given an “Award of Excellence”, and that same year she was honoured for her organisation of student activities; in 2016, her thesis Learner Guidance: A Magic Weapon for Community Tutors was recognised among a selection of top theses submitted by the learner guides of the Open University of China (OUC); and from 2013 to 2019, her successes enrolling students at the Tianjin Branch were acknowledged.
By learning from the excellent practices of senior teachers, and continually exploring her own, Li Fengmei has set up a scientific and efficient approach to learner guidance, aiming to do well, to be praised and trusted, and to promote enrolment.
To make learner guidance standardised, scientific and simple, Li Fengmei manages student QQ groups using a real-name registration system. She sends messages via the Xiaoxuntong (in-school messaging) app and QQ bulletin, and never leaves anything out. She analyses and introduces the examinations, scheduling and other aspects of each semester’s courses in a Word document, collates student data, and supervises the progress of every student. Each semester, Li Fengmei publishes learner guidance, assigns and schedules tasks, and creates two honour rolls and one set of warnings for incompletions. Teachers and students become familiar with one another through pleasant and timely interactions.
Open education differs greatly from other means of education in offering fewer opportunities for face-to-face interaction of teachers and students, and learner guidance cannot take place by way of conventional in-class methods. Li Fengmei insists on warm, timely and diverse communications. The most important thing she has learned is to stay positive and uplifting. Over the past few years, she has been encouraged by the many students who have said, “You are really kind, and always patient. Sometimes, we ourselves feel we must be annoying, but you have never taken offense. Thank you!”
There were as many as 69 students in the 2017 spring-semester undergraduate Administration Management class. It was Li Fengmei’s third undergraduate class in this major, and being familiar with it allowed her to give highly standardised and efficient learner guidance. The first step was to set up a QQ group using a real-name registration system and to develop a group-management system. OUC Learner Guidance is an open course for new students. Li Fengmei’s original intention in offering the course was to give students an overall understanding of the OUC, with students taking the course and its examination online. Having gotten inspiration from the course, she then made an electronic version of the Guide for New Students. With warm words and detailed analyses, she introduced new students to the course arrangements, examinations, scheduling, and a variety of do’s and don’ts. She also gave them her contact details and times of availability, and the document, uploaded to the QQ group, became required for new students. Each student was reminded to download it via Xiaoxuntong News and the QQ group bulletin.
Since everyone wishes to do better and has a sense of honour, Li Fengmei makes use of the honour roll to motivate students. One student exclaimed, “I had never been praised before, and felt very excited to see my name on the honour roll. I want to thank the teacher!” Some students who volunteered to give others guidance were given access to the administrator’s accounts of the QQ group, which, after a period of ice-breaking, remained in good order and discipline.
Li Fengmei insists on supervising the learning process. She helps students complete their education through scientific processes and a careful and patient approach. Once, a diploma-to-degree student, having finished her studies, sent her a screenshot of her achievements, but Li Fengmei could not find a record of them. From the screenshot she then saw that the student had completed the courses under her junior-college student ID, and she alerted her that she needed to complete the courses and avoid the consequences of make-up examinations. Li Fengmei is strict and scientific in her learner guidance, scheduling and supervision, and helps students complete their education successfully. In the spring semester of 2017, not one student in the six classes failed, and two students succeeded in passing the English examination for a Bachelor degree. Some students continued to sit for this examination in an attempt to get the degree.
In open education, students are enrolled twice a year. The period of final-term examinations is the busiest time, since communication for enrollment starts then as well. At the beginning of enrollment for the 2017 autumn semester, Li Fengmei communicated via QQ and WeChat, and her students joined in. Li Fengmei identifies strongly with her work. For seven years, she has been focused on one task, and as the warm-hearted learner guide, she has not only received many honours, but also the trust of students. This is her source of motivation, and she says that she will continue to strive to make her guidance even more standardised, scientific and simple, and her communication even more efficient.
By OUC News Network