On June 30, 2015, the Open University of China (OUC) held the “Six Networks Integration" information technology application show. 64 projects from 22 faculties and departments of the OUC were presented at the show. The colorful exhibition attracted many members of the OUC’s faculty and staff.
The show focuses on the practice and innovation of teaching, assessment, management, services, and R&D supported by technology, and aims to promote the deep integration of modern information technology and open and distance education. Secondly, it aims to build the "Integration of Six Networks" model, with online courses, online learning spaces, online teaching teams, online learning services, online learning tests, and online teaching management at its core. Finally, it is designed to promote the overall enhancement of teaching, management, and services. The detailed content of the show is as follows:
Courses and resources, including online courses, micro-courses, digital textbooks, MOOCs, digital library, and other aspects of innovative practice as well as related platforms and tools. For example, the “Large-Scale Web-based CAI and Online Collaboration” project from the School of Foreign Languages aims to resolve the issue of insufficient grassroots teachers by attempting to have students cross-examine each other’s homework. Students can create an online version of English teaching courseware through assisted English teaching software or cloud applications. They can then cross-assess each other’s work. The project has seen good results, and mutual assessment among students demonstrated their online collaboration. The “best-selling mobile reading scanner” from the Teaching Resources Management (Library) Department shows a mobile e-book reading and lending machine. The machine is preinstalled with 2,000 exclusively licensed books. These e-books are released at the same time as the paper version. 100 e-books will be updated every month. Readers can scan a QR code to download the book to their mobile phone, allowing them to read anytime, anywhere.
Teaching includes the online teaching team, learning assessment, cloud classroom, practical teaching, mobile learning, i-experiment teaching, collaborative learning, and other innovative practices, platforms, and tools. For example, the School of Engineering’s “physical and virtual practical electrical engineering teaching resources” from the School of Engineering shows a series of practical teaching resources for electrical engineering disciplines and courses. These resources are based on both computer network technology and the real experimental environment, combining virtual experiments and micro-lecture video recordings, which aim to help students put what they’ve learnt into practice and improve their learning skills. The “cloud classroom application model” from the Information Technology Department and Academic Affairs Department demonstrates connected cloud classrooms that rely on cloud platform construction and integrate ordinary multimedia classrooms, recorded classrooms, and interactive video classrooms into one.
Support services include online learner support services, distance reception, learning supervision and promotion, student organizations, student activities, and other innovative practices, platforms, and tools. For example, the Learner Support Centre’s “official OUC WeChat account” demonstrates the OUC’s WeChat platform. The platform selects and promotes content from the viewpoint of the students, aiming to create a service platform that integrates announcements, publicity, learning guidance, information queries, and interaction.
Scientific research includes information research, collaborative research, data analysis, data processing, and other innovative practices, platforms, and tools. For example, the “Online Learning Platform Course Experience Evaluation System” project from the Education Research Institute is a phased achievement created for the special subject "Experience and Research of Online Learning Platforms". The subject identifies domestic and international online learning and online teaching development trends, providing a reference for transformation, building consensus, deepening "student-centred" web-based education teaching reform, and enhancing the core competitiveness of the OUC. The “online learning platform course experience evaluation system” is based on the “online learning platform course experience index”. The system can collect information about course evaluation from course participants, and analyze and summarize the experience of evaluation. Based on in-depth research, the indicators of course evaluation can be adjusted and improved, serving as a big data collection and analysis tool for the participants of the OUC’s course platform. Through data mining, it understands the preference and requirements of the platform experience of different learners, providing data support for the continuous improvement of the courses.
Management includes online teaching management, quality control, data-based decision-making support, and other innovative practices, platforms, and tools, for example, “A dimensional analysis of OUC students” from the Academic Affairs Department; non-degree education resources construction, such as “Experiential Training for CPC Cadres: Xibaipo, Where New China Comes From” from CPC Office and Research and Development Centre for Digital Learning; “An Integrated Display of Non-degree Continuing Education Programmes” from the Department of External Education and Vocational Training; micro-lectures website, general education website (http://www.tongshike.cn/) , and the MOOC learning website from the Digital Learning Resource Centre; and the pilot mobile learning app from the OUC Press.
By JinHongyu, OUC
President of the OUC Yang Zhijian visits the application show
Party Secretary of the OUC Li Ling visits the application show
Deputy Party Secretary of the OUC Zhang Shaogang visits the application show
Teaching staff visit the show
Teaching staff visit the show