The Anhui Branch recently successfully completed remote thesis defences for undergraduates graduating in the 2020 spring semester. The remote defence, carried out smoothly under the guidance of the principle of "No Suspension of Classes Despite School Closure" attracted the participation of a total of 7,774 students from 22 majors in the Radio and TV University (RTVU) system in Anhui Province, of which 1,190 students participated in the dissertation defence.
The thesis defences were carried out remotely according to the requirements of epidemic prevention and control by upper level authorities. The Anhui branch, which attaches great importance to thesis defence work, has established a leading group to guide practical teaching work. Requirements for implementing work related responsibilities have been clarified in order to ensure the smooth development of the defence work. Based on the requirements of the Notice on Practical Teaching Arrangements for the Spring Semester in 2020 issued by the Open University of China (OUC), the Anhui branch developed a detailed defence arrangement plan. According to the plan, each college is expected to set up its own leading group and defence group for the remote defence, which is supported by technical personnel. The defence process should be strictly managed, all related files should be archived, and quality control of remote dissertation defences should be strengthened. In addition, subdivisions should, according to the requirements for remote defences, designate secretaries for defence work, who will complete verification of students' identities and engage in other organisational work. These measures have ensured the smooth, orderly, and efficient development of thesis defence work.
In order to help the defence work progress smoothly, each of the Anhui branch's colleges made careful arrangements, requiring defence teachers to carefully review students’ papers before the defence and thoroughly coordinate students' on-site statements and teachers' questions. The students participating in the defence reported their main research concepts, research content, and points of innovation to the defence teachers, who then raised questions and put forward opinions and suggestions for further improving the paper. Most of the students who took part in the online video defence had made active preparations to answer the questions raised by the teachers, with opinions clearly presented and well organised. The communication between teachers and students was smooth in the process of oral defence. And the students expressed that they had learned a lot from the defence.
The defence work is an active exploration and attempt to realise online teaching and learning support service by using modern information technology during the period of epidemic prevention and control. It is welcomed and praised by students and fully affirmed by defence teachers. The work has also laid a solid foundation for Anhui Branch to comprehensively deepen its teaching reform and pull together efforts to improve the quality of teaching in its entire system.
By Anhui Branch