The Open University of China (OUC) recently invited two experts on online course development, Ms. Yao Xueqing from the Learning Resources Department and Ms. Liu Hongwei from the research institute of Sunflower Online Education Technology Co., Ltd, to give special reports and conduct seminars for its faculty and staff to improve the quality of the development of course resources and their application effect, as well as to further understand the cutting-edge of online course development so as to advance the construction of “gold courses.”
In her special report entitled “Sharing a Case Study of the Construction and Blended Teaching Application of Online Gold Courses,” Yao Xueqing provided an in-depth introduction to and summary of the concept of gold courses, based on the current state policy, the changing times, and the needs of students. She said that the core characteristic of “gold courses” is the sense of achievement, which is also the best interpretation of “gold courses.” Research on courses and users and the design of activities are essential for course design. Ms. Yao also shared some in-depth case studies on the instruction of several specific courses.
In her special report entitled “The Construction Path and Effectiveness of Gold Courses Against the Background of Digital Education,” Ms. Liu Hongwei traced the development history of “gold courses” and introduced their status quo via case studies. She believes that the significance of the construction of “gold courses” lies in the fact that they are results-oriented, benefit both teachers and students, energise teaching, and offer ongoing improvement. She suggested that there are four layers of issues that the OUC should deal with in the construction of “gold courses,” namely the characteristics of being scientific and innovative and combining practicability with ideological education. She also shared various case studies.
In their communication with the two experts, the participants said that the event answered many of the questions that teachers face in their work on course construction. The topics mentioned in the seminar, such as labour division by groups in course development, building teams based on projects, and making collaborative technological breakthroughs, offered great inspiration for future course development.. The participants hoped that more could be learned from such seminars if they could be combined with their current course development work.
By Gao Minghui, OUC