After several rounds of narrowing down the field, through such means as online voting and expert selection, the “OUC's Top Ten News Stories of 2013”, hosted by the Open University of China (OUC) and China.org.cn, and organized by the OUC Channel of China, were announced a few days ago.
On July 31, 2012, the opening ceremony was held in the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People. It marked the beginning of strategic transformation from CCRTVU to the OUC. Full of ups and downs, the OUC Channel of China.org.cn (dianda.china.com.cn) recorded each step in the development of the OUC through various news reports last year. The top ten news stories included: the opening of a "Five-Minute Lectures" website, construction of cloud-based classrooms, the establishment of 10 industry colleges, the construction of the credit bank, the success of the ICDE conference, etc. These stories reflect the contributions made by the OUC to social and economic development, equality in education, the OUC's innovative spirit in distance education and teaching reform, and the new image and impact of the OUC.
Experts invited to remark on the top ten news stories included Wang Xuming, Proprietor of Language & Culture Press and former Press Secretary of Ministry of Education; Zhang Yi, Deputy Director of China Peoples Press; Xue Lisheng, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China.org.cn; and Li Defang, Deputy Secretary General of the China Group for National Modern Distance Education Collaboration and Professor at Beijing Normal University.
1. First Batch of Sergeant Distance Learning Machines Delivered to Sansha Forces for Any Time Any Where Study Programme
From March 7th to 9th, the OUC Bayi College presented 50 sergeants with their own Sergeant Distance Learning Machines, which they eagerly accepted. The Sergeant Distance Learning Machines are mobile learning machines independently developed for distance education by the OUC Bayi College. With a long battery life, ease of use, and informative interface, it is the perfect learning tool to accompany soldiers in their training, barracks, and at sea. Its content includes videos related to one's major, examinations, military films, military games, music, and more.
Wang Xuming: "It is a very warm news story. They have given the sergeants exactly what they need. What’s more, it embodies the characteristics of distance education."
Zhang Yi: "By taking advantage of their position, the OUC has brought education to coastal defense stations. By providing both the content and the tools needed for education, they have made great strides in providing training and modernizing our forces, which is worthy of praise."
2. OUC Establishes Over 60 Cloud Classrooms This Year
On March 14th, 2013, the OUC cloud classroom construction conference was held in Beijing. The OUC Work Focuses pointed out that in 2013 the OUC will establish the first 63 cloud-based classrooms and will begin construction on the following 100. The conference was held specifically to promote and support the continuation of such work.
Wang Xuming: "The reason why this news story is attractive is that the event itself is new and interesting. For ordinary people, the notion of “cloud classroom” is very new. We are looking forward to hearing more good news about cloud classrooms from the OUC next year."
3. The Establishment of the OUC Xinjiang School for the Disabled
On the morning of May 19th, the 23rd National Disabled Assistance Day, the OUC Xinjiang School for the Disabled, the first school providing higher education for the disabled in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was established. At the same time, the opening ceremony of the undergraduate class and junior college class for 113 students majoring in social work was held.
Xue Lisheng: "It's just as the students had hoped: “This school provides higher education especially for the disabled, which opens the door for disabled people to receive higher education.” In order to better meet the needs of the disabled, The OUC Xinjing College for the Disabled provides higher education and on-the-job training mainly by the way of distance education, providing a platform for the disabled to realize their dream. There are 85 million disabled people in China, among whom only 940,000 received higher education, accounting for only 1.13%. If they had access to equal educational opportunities, the disabled could also better integrate into society and make great achievements. For example, Yang Bozun, a student of Tianjin College for the Disabled, won three medals at the London Paralympic Games."
4. “Exhibition of the Initial Results of the OUC's First Year & Week of Cultural Learning” Held
The event “Exhibition of the Initial Results of the OUC's First Year & Week of Cultural Learning” was held in the WuKeSong distance teaching building from July 1st to 5th, 2013. The week-long event reviewed the work accomplished up to that point, summed up the experience gained, worked toward building a consensus, strengthening self-confidence, and promoting the development of the OUC.
Li Defang: "On July 31, 2012, the opening ceremony was held in the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People. It marked the beginning of a strategic transformation from CCRTVU to the OUC. Through a year of exploration and practice, all works have made positive progresses. The first step of the strategic transformation has been effective and solid. The appearance of new innovations like “cloud classrooms” and “Five-Minute Lectures” website” epitomize last year’s effort. It also shows the OUC’s confidence and pioneering spirit in open and distance education reform."
5. Microlectures Build Online University & “Five-Minute Lectures” of the OUC Formally Begin
On July 3rd, 2013, the OUC's “Five-Minute Lectures"” website was formally inaugurated. More than 3,600 five-minute lectures have been posted online, divided into ten categories of content including: literature and art, history and culture, philosophy and social science, life and recreation, and so on. It contains more than 50 series of lectures, including: “appreciation of poetry”, “acupoint massage”, and “western economics”.
Li Defang: "The opening of the “Five-Minute Lectures" website of the OUC is another highlight in ubiquitous learning and the “Micro-Age”, and is an important step in exploring mobile learning in the Internet Age. Just like the microlectures in many universities, the “Five-Minute Lectures” of the OUC will start a new trend in education. What’s more, it is also a successful collaboration in sharing online courses between the OUC and other ordinary universities. The "Five-Minute Lectures" website not only makes curriculum courses available online, but will also become a public platform for gathering, sharing, and learning from effective microlectures; thereby better serving the people’s need for lifelong learning and individualized learning."
6. New Measures for the Service of Three Rural Issues -- Study Website for Village Officials Officially Opened
On July 3rd, 2013, “Study Website for Village Officials from University Students”, hosted by the OUC, was officially opened. Drawing on the high quality education resources and rich experience of the OUC, the website provides nine different curricula (e.g. agricultural technology) with 24 sub-categories and related learning materials, such as instruction in document writing relevant to the work and study of village officials from university students.
Wang Xuming: "This news story is interesting, and the website is informative. I hope that more village officials can make full use of the website."
Zhang Yi: "The opening of the website reflects how seriously the OUC takes their social responsibility and fulfills the ideals of the slogan “serving for three rural issues through open and distance education”.
7. First Batch of Pilot Learning Outcomes Accreditation Sub-centres (Accreditation Sites) of the OUC Approved
On July 11th, 2013, the first batch of pilot Learning Outcomes Accreditation Sub-centres (Accreditation sites) of the OUC were approved, and the OUC’s accreditation service system construction was formally started. Through the learning outcomes accreditation service system the OUC’s credit bank provides accreditation services to society.
Zhang Yi: "New learning systems and management models like the “credit bank” are an important trend in education reform and development in many countries and attract a lot of attention. I hope that these new models can be explored through the construction of the learning achievement accreditation system."
8. 8445 Students Awarded Scholarships to CCRTVU (the OUC) in 2012
In 2012, 8,445 students were awarded scholarships to CCRTVU (the OUC). The winners came from 41 provincial radio and TV universities (RTVUs) and various schools of the CCRTVU, covering 68 majors and 1,446 teaching schools. Among them, there are 3,560 undergraduates and 4,885 junior college students. The number of minority students is 548. These students embody the hard-working spirit, persistence, and pursuit of excellence.
Xue Lisheng: "The RTVU (OUC) is both open and embracing. The fact that 8,445 students were awarded scholarships in one year, including 4 types of awards, shows how large the student number is. Besides a good teaching team and reasonable curriculum arrangement, the development of the RTVU (OUC) also depends on students from all corners of the country who are hungry for knowledge. Only when teaching benefits teachers as well as students and when teachers teach students in accordance with their aptitude and needs can the connection between Chinese continuing education and social needs reach its highest level. Undoubtedly, the students wining scholarships to the RTVU (OUC) are the best and set good examples for other students. Fine examples have boundless power and can lead students to realize their self-value and their dreams."
9. The 25th ICDE World Conference was Held in Tianjin & Yang Zhijian Illustrates “New Strategies and Advances in China’s Open and Distance Education”
From 16th to 18th October, 2013, the 25th ICDE World Conference, which was themed “New Strategies for Global Open, Flexible and Distance Learning”, was held at the Tianjin Meijiang Conference Centre. More than 1,000 representatives from 49 countries and regions on five continents, and 313 Chinese universities and education institutions attended the conference. The content of the keynote speech, entitled “New Strategies and Advances in China’s Open and Distance Education” delivered by Yang Zhijiang, President of the OUC, covered the changing environment, China’s strategies and choices, and an exploration of the OUC construction.
Li Defang: "As a high-level academic conference in the professional field of world open and distance education, the ICDE World Conference being held in China is a reflection of the rapid development and successful practice of the open and distance education in China for over 10 years. Setting up the open universities is the way for China’s open education to innovate and reform the learner formation model and educational services under the new circumstance of the rapid development of information technology. The keynote speech delivered by President Yang Zhijian, down-to-earth and expounding on the lofty future goals, was given from the angle of the development tendency of the global modern distance education and information technology, settles feet on the constructional practice of the OUC, analyzes the revolutionary change brought by information technology to education, expounds on the significance of strongly promoting the deep integration of open universities and information technology, puts forward the system framework, mechanism innovation and technical support model of the construction of open universities, elaborates the digital resource construction of open universities, the cloud-based technology support model, the “six-network integration” teaching model and the framework and thinking model of the construction of “credit bank”, and fully demonstrates the development characteristics and magnificent vision of the OUC.”
10. Industrial Colleges Founded by the OUC to Serve the Construction of the Learning Industry
The OUC has been actively advancing the construction of its school system since its foundation, and the construction of the industrial colleges has begun to take shape and promote the construction of a learning society. On November 26, 2013, the Seminar on the Construction of Pilot Industrial Colleges, which is part of the school system of the OUC, was held in Beijing, with the official founding of ten industrial colleges: the College of Coal, College of Social Work, College of Logistics, College of Textiles, College of Mechanical Industry, College of Automobiles, College of Casting, College of Information Security, College of Recycle Economy, and College of Software.
Xue Lisheng: "The foundation of industrial colleges under the cooperation of the OUC, industry associations, ministries and commissions, focuses on exploring the reform of learner formation and cooperation in running schools, and is expected to receive the encouragement and support of society. The current situation in which learner formation cannot satisfy the social needs is very grim: on one side there are thousands of graduates competing for one position, on the other side are businesses desperate for qualified professionals but unable to find anyone who can fill their needs; there are graduates with bachelor degrees who would take positions that pay only 2,000 yuan per month, whereas on the other side there are mechanics who graduated from technical secondary schools earning 8,000 yuan per month. This gap is leading to great changes in how society views education. Now the industrial colleges of the OUC, targeting the employed persons in corresponding industry systems and promoting non-degree continuing education as the entry point and promoting the professional skills as the core, leads in issuing industrial professional qualification certificates, and is cooperating in the development of a new kind of certificate for non-degree training, and exploring the mode and mechanism of effective connection between non-degree education and degree education, which we expect will lead to great changes in the future."
(Presented in Chronological Order)
By He Jing, the OUC