Jia Jianbin is a Communist Party Member, Dean of the Experimental Primary School in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, and a Class A Teacher at the Primary and Secondary School Level (Senior Teacher at Primary School Level). From 2011 to 2013, he participated in the Open Education programme by upgrading from a junior college student to a university student through the provincial branch directly affiliated with Shanxi Radio and TV University (SXRTVU), majoring in education administration.

Jia Jianbin graduated from a sports school in Taiyuan and began working in 1997. Over the next 10 years, he devoted himself to the work and made a lot of improvements. He was honored as a Teaching Expert in Shanxi province, Academic Leader in Taiyuan, Model Worker of Taiyuan, and with other honorary titles. Since he began working, he engaged in distance learning with the Taiyuan Institute of Education and the Shanxi Normal University. In 2008, he was listed on the management team at his company. He then realized that he was weak in business theory and that this often made his work less effective. So, he aspired to continue studying by participating in professional training programmes. However, the company was busy with day-to-day business and the task grew complicated. It was difficult for him to dedicate himself to learning. After comparing various learning methods, he chose open education learning with the RTVU. He enrolled in Open Education at the RTVU in the spring of 2011, majored in Management, and graduated in July, 2013.

Recalling the three years of learning at the RTVU, it was full of sweat and hard work, immense gains, and happiness. The teaching methodology of combining network-based, face to face instruction and self-directed learning in the open education programme took students’ work and life situations into account, allowing him to make adjustments according to his own daily needs while providing access to knowledge via multiple channels. But because adult education tends to focus on key knowledge points, it’s far from enough for students to master course material by merely attending classes. One needs to not only prepare prior to classes and do exercises afterwards to solidify new knowledge, but also to actively search for relevant information. Also, for a student to learn well, immersion in the study is not enough. You must learn the "learning method." Once more, it’s far better to teach a man to fish than to give a man a fish and feed him for a day. The purpose of studying is to learn "how to fish." Whatever you do, think before you act. Consult others on anything you don't understand. After a period of time, Jia Jianbin felt deeply that with continuous effort, no obstacles to learning were insurmountable. After recognizing the above, instead of making excuses for slacking off, he looked for solutions to difficulties and achieved great results in all subjects. Meanwhile, as the monitor of the Education Management Class of Spring 2011, he actively worked with instructors, organizing students to exchange learning concepts and aid one another, promoting mutual development. In the meantime, he also put his teaching expertise to use by helping students with learning difficulties. One such example was during the course of writing graduation papers, several students’ papers lacked persuasive argumentation due to their insufficient teaching management experience. So the guide tutor Liu, asked Jia Jianbin to speak with the students. He readily accepted, found theoretical support, and offered his experience with the students. In the discussion on class management, he brought his wife, who has served as a class tutor for years, to discuss and exchange ideas with the students. While developing class regulations, class leaders training on how to form class culture had their doubts lifted and Jia Jianbin also greatly benefited.

Learning with the RTVU also brought unexpected gains to him by improving his work and personal business skills. After attending courses entitled, ‘Introduction to Public Management’ and ‘Human Resources Management,’ he felt more at ease making personnel work arrangements at the school and more organized in processing daily affairs as well. He is now responsible for the daily management of teaching instruction and research at the school. He also reorganized a programme allowing for experimentation with teaching subjects. Even though he had multiple important projects to do, he always took on more opportunities and handled them with a scientific approach. Temporary teaching assignments are a common routine at many schools. But, due to tutors’ large daily workload and comparatively small compensation, most tutors do not want to participate in the experiment. This has become a serious management problem over the years. Jia Jianbin integrated the experimentation into leave requirements, made scientific allocations of classes, and kept strict appraisal records. With his personal involvement and the measures taken, the problem was solved in a satisfactory manner. Teaching quality is the lifeline of a school. He engaged himself in in-depth learning of the ‘Modern Education Principle,’ put theories into practice, personally undertook practical teaching, and proposed that the key to improving teaching quality lies in classes. Furthermore he found that the decisive factor is whether the classes are efficient or not. Modern teachers need to see education, teaching, and students with an eye to development. Combining this vision with an experiment in “Happy Life Education” in schools will form a contented class view of "In-depth Participation, Sincere Cooperation, and Continued Growth." Led by this vision, the teaching quality at his experimental primary school increased each year, and the school has become a regional model. Access to many modern educational concepts and technologies has deepened his understanding of new curriculum reforms and promoted teaching improvement. In recent years, he has won the honorary titles of "Famous Most-Improved Teacher of National Primary Schools" and "Municipal-Level Academic and Technical Leader." For three years in a row, he was hired as a member of a panel of experts by the Academy of Educational Science at the provincial level to participate in offering training services to rural areas as part of the "National Training Plan for Primary and Secondary School Teachers." The research into and practice of the “Happy Classroom Teaching Mode” undertaken during his leadership was listed as a planning subject in Shanxi Province as well as a potential subject in Taiyuan City, and it was highlighted by the Shanxi Provincial Department of Education as a model case in national basic educational achievements. Not long ago, he was named by the Education Office of Shanxi Province to serve in the next cycle as "Provincial Level Subject Leader."

Three years of studying at the RTVU created a more healthy, positive, and confident Jia Jianbin. That confidence stems from strength. He is now methodical in his management, sophisticated and proficient in teaching, and fruitful in scientific research, all gains that were brought to him through open education at the RTVU. His guide tutor Mr. Jin considers him a hard working person, good at adapting knowledge into practical use. He is a helpful person and always forges ahead with a team spirit. He is humble and a critical thinker, which will help him continue his successes. The acceptance of the instructors and the motivation from his performance both strengthened his determination to continue working and learning throughout his lifetime, because he recognized that today's rapid social changes place an increasingly higher demand for varied talents. Only by using the development view to see things and continue studying can we adapt to the social developments, gradually perfect ourselves, and stand at the forefront of our time.

According to Jia Jianbin, "Studying in the undergraduate programme in the RTVU is not the end, but a means. I will use my knowledge to better serve my work and adapt theories to real practice to further improve the work. At the same time, I look forward to continuing with higher and further study." He swore to become a "Tide Surfer" of the times and a model for lifelong learning with his actions.