VI. Conclusion
This papers uses multiple research methods, including literature research, typical task analysis, group roundtable meetings, and expert interviews, to define 46 typical tasks in the three aspects of teaching preparation, teaching implementation, and teaching development. It then develops a competency model and competency dictionary for teachers in open universities through analysis of the competencies need to complete typical teaching tasks. It specifies forty-seven abilities in the competency standard of teachers in open universities from the three aspects of ethics and values, professional knowledge, and skills and abilities (including general abilities and distance teaching abilities). The teaching competency standard for teachers in open universities raised in this research can provide basis and reference for the university running system of open universities in their employment and introduction of teachers, teacher allocation and assessment and evaluation. It is able to promote the professional development and teaching ability improvement of teachers in the university system and provide fundamental basis for the teacher competency cultivation system made up of ability evaluation, ability certification, the cultivation of young and distinguished teachers, teacher training (including further study on course development), and others.
The disadvantage of this research is that the competency standard formulated is not yet equivalent to the teachers of various roles in open universities. However, the current school running system of open universities is in the process of reconstruction, and the reform of teaching mode and the operation mechanism inside the university system are still in exploration. There are also problems of “old city renovation” and “new city construction”, contradictions and challenges in faculty building. The issues are not defined as for the category and structure of teachers in the university running system, their responsibilities and divisions of labour, and allocation standard. They need to be further adjusted, defined and institutionalized. Our next focus of research is to formulate competency standard for teachers of various roles by building on this teaching competency standard. It is our expectation that the consistent researches on competency standard of teachers in open universities can promote the professional development of distance education teachers and serve the overall improvement of teaching quality of open universities.
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About the authors:
Feng Liguo, assistant research fellow, director of the Teacher Development Centre, The Open University of China
Tel: 13811884196
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Add: #75 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing100039, P.R.China
Liu Ying, lecturer, Teacher Development Centre, The Open University of China
Tel: 13661263797
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Add: #75 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing100039, P.R.China