From 13 to 15 June, 2018, the Open University of China (OUC) held a conference in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia on the criteria for evaluating graduation theses in Computer Science and Technology.

20 people attended, including Computer Science and Technology staff belonging to the Science and Engineering subcommittee of the OUC’s Degree Evaluation Committee; people in charge of Computer Science and Technology in some of the branches of the OUC system; and thesis supervisors.

Yuan Wei, the Deputy Director of the OUC Faculty of Science and Engineering, delivered a report on identifying problems, enhancing quality, and undertaking planning and support for the final phase (the thesis phase) of academic work in computer science. It analysed the problems teachers face and that dissertations encounter, and suggested a thesis quality-assurance mechanism. Li Huan, a senior engineer with Capital Normal University, introduced the general requirements of the thesis phase for Computer Science undergraduate programmes at regular colleges and universities in terms of guidance and evaluation, analyzed common problems, suggested solutions, and shared relevant experiences.

Six teachers from the OUC headquarters and branches in Zhejiang, Tianjin, Xi’an and Dalian gave speeches that covered thesis evaluation and thesis guidance. The other teachers there also exchanged views on the criteria for and guidance of graduation papers at their institutions, and made suggestions on teaching and system guarantees, process control, and learning exchanges in the thesis phase of Computer Science and Technology. A “Plan for Improving the Quality of the Thesis Phase in Computer Science and Technology" was put forward, and it included the establishment of a teaching team responsible for this phase, detailed rules for implementing it in Computer Science and Technology, construction of network-based courses, and teacher training with an emphasis on standards and quality. The aim was to ensure the quality of thesis work in the OUC’s Computer Science and Technology major, and to enhance its overall level.

By Wang Li , Photographer: Wang Qian, OUC