On 4 December 2018, the Open University of China (OUC) held a meeting related to the 2018 teaching evaluations.

Following the guidance of the document “Teaching Evaluations 2018” (Guo Kai Ping Gu [2018] No. 8), the OUC organised six groups of experts to conduct evaluations at 12 branches and schools with reference to their management needs and self-assessments.

In accordance with changing requirements for degree continuing education, the 2018 evaluations have focused on study centres, the use of quality-related teaching data, and on rectifying problems already found during self-assessment and headquarter evaluations. Following regulations, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission will check Beijing study centers in 2019, covering eight branch universities and four industrial schools with study centres, and aiming toward standardisation and improvement of the entire system.

Evaluation makes use of the following enhanced approaches: evaluation of qualifications and listing of problems, as well as combining of overall with specific evaluation, of diagnosis with steps toward rectification, and of targeted with random inspection. On-site inspection is combined with written reports, and units are evaluated in multiple dimensions.

Those inspected in 2018 included the branches in Jilin, Changchun, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Henan, Gansu, Qinghai and Ningxia; the schools of Coal, Automotive Engineering, Postal Service and Mechanical Industry; and local schools and study centres. The work groups conducted holistic, comprehensive and meticulous on-the-spot inspections of 49 study centres at 12 branches and schools by listening to reports and lectures, referring to archives, and conducting teacher-student roundtables. Oral feedback was given to the inspected units, which were required to submit timely reports on steps taken to rectify the problems.

At the meeting, OUC vice president Lin Yu listened to the reports of each team. Director Han Yi of the Centre for Quality Control and Evaluation presided, deputy director Qi Wenxin introduced the year’s evaluations, and representatives of each team reported highlights, problems, suggestions and other aspects relevant to their work.

Lin Yu pointed out that quality can be guaranteed in a variety of ways, and expressed the hope that a framework of standards would be formulated. He also stressed the importance of finding and analysing problems, and ensuring that study centres dealt with them seriously. Finally, he asked the Centre for Quality Control and Evaluation to produce a report on the evaluation work as a guide for future inspections.

Han Yi gave the closing speech, stating that the main problems branch schools face relate to implementation of face-to-face tutorials, examination of enrolment qualifications, and standardisation of graduation requirements. Meanwhile, the branches have complained about the usability of platforms and resources, as well as gaps between the teaching materials of some majors and national regulations. The general trend has been for awareness of quality to be enhanced, system construction to be strengthened, and the building of study centres and use of data to be given more and more attention.

By Cui Ming, OUC