Make use of information technology such as 5G and artificial intelligence, and further integrate information technology and education

Q: Could you please tell me about what the OUC, as a new type of university supported by information technology, has done in practice to further integrate information technology and education and what progress it has made in recent years? In the face of new technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, what developments will the OUC make in the future in combination with the Guiding Opinions of 11 Departments Including the Ministry of Education on Promoting the Sound Development of Online Education?

A: Not long ago, Sun Yao, a member of the Party group and vice minister of the Ministry of Education, underlined that the new era needs new achievements to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the OUC. The OUC shall make full use of modern information technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence to promote the further integration of information technology and education and teaching, to integrate and share quality educational resources throughout the country, and to benefit more learners. With the approval of the State Council, 11 departments, including the Ministry of Education, have jointly issued Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Sound Development of Online Education and proposed the development goal of “realising the further integration of modern information technology and education, shaping a networked, digital, personal, and lifelong education system, and making major progress in the construction of a learning society” by 2022. This will provide new opportunities for the development of the university awhile also creating new and higher requirements for the university.

As a university supported by modern information technology, the OUC has always been committed to promoting the profound integration of information technology and education and teaching in order to expand the coverage of high-quality resources and provide equal access to education through information technology. In recent years, the OUC has formed a three-in-one technology-supported model incorporating “cloud, network, and terminals” and built the web-based “six-network integration” learner development model to meet the development trends of modern information technology. In terms of the digital learning environment, primary explorations have been made to build a one-stop service and integrated-operation cloud platform representing teaching, learning, management, research, and services, which has enhanced the construction and sharing of digital learning resources. A multifunctional "cloud classroom" has been developed. So far, 538 cloud classrooms have been built in 31 provinces throughout mainland China, which mainly cover Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Sichuan and other western regions, creating China’s largest cloud classroom system. Furthermore, cloud classrooms have also been built in Tanzania, Pakistan, and other countries along the route of the Belt and Road Initiative. A pilot project for mobile learning environment construction has been explored. The OUC O Learning Pad has been provided to 19,000 rural college students in Hunan for pilot application.

By relying on renowned teachers, experts, and distance teaching teams from universities, research institutes, industries, and enterprises, the university has built a strong network for the construction, gathering, and sharing of digital learning resources. The National Digital Learning Resources Centre has been built with 255 sub-centres set up nationwide, bringing together more than 50,000 different courses from institutions of higher learning, vocational colleges, open universities, and social education institutions in China and abroad. The "five-minute micro-lectures” brand has been created and more than 30,000 courses suitable for mobile learning, personalised learning, and fragmented learning have been built, covering 11 categories including literature, arts, history, and culture. A digital library has been built offering an “anytime, anywhere, anyone” style digital learning environment for all the teachers and students in the OUC educational system.

At present, new modern information technology, such as 5G and artificial intelligence, is bringing about revolutionary changes in all areas of life. We are studying the new opportunities for and potential effects on education with the new technology. The university will make use of the aforementioned technologies to gather and integrate high quality online education resources; to serve veterans, new professional farmers, disabled people, the elderly, and other groups; to improve the targeted education supply and service level; to provide the majority of members of society with access to more open, flexible, and convenient learning methods and diversified multi-level educational services; to improve the quality of the nation; and to promote educational equality.

Run education by taking root in the vast land of China and contribute to a learning society with lifelong learning for all

Q: Could you please discuss the OUC’s future development, taking into consideration China Education Modernisation 2035?

A: In light of the requirements of the Party Group and Minister Chen Baosheng of the Ministry of Education, we must uphold the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era and operate education rooted in the vast land of China. We must focus on China Education Modernisation 2035 in combination with our 40 years of experience in order to polish the OUC brand and to make the OUC a major channel for lifelong education. We must follow the OUC’s development path in line with China's national conditions and strive to develop the OUC into a well-respected university full of vitality and vigour.

To be specific, we must start by building a team of OUC people who are loyal to the Party's educational cause, value political construction, prioritise implementation, seek breakthroughs, and are highly dedicated. We should improve the "two capacities,” namely, the capacity to identify and apply global teaching resources and the capacity to manage and govern “internet +” education and teaching. We should build “three systems,” namely, a cybersecurity guarantee system, a quality evaluation and monitoring system, and an innovation-driven development system. Finally, we should implement three major strategies, including a strategy to create excellence and upgrade the quality of degree education, a strategy to enhance the development of social training, and a strategy to optimise and strengthen the university for the elderly.

The OUC will work hard to follow the development goals set out in China Education Modernisation 2035, pay more attention to being oriented towards all people, lifelong learning, integrated development, and joint construction and sharing, so as to make greater contributions to the construction of a lifelong learning system for all and the construction of a country with a powerful education system and high-level talented professionals.

By China Education Daily
Page 3, 12 October 2019