Recently, the Open University of China (OUC) hosted a meeting to advance the development of its professional programmes.
Li Song, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of the OUC, attended the meeting. Representatives from various academic departments, relevant teaching administration departments, and the Academic Affairs Department were also present.
Leaders or representatives from ten academic departments, including the School of Humanities, presented highlights, challenges, and recommendations for the development of their professional programmes. They discussed recent initiatives such as aligning professional courses with job requirements, integrating curses with certifications, faculty training, operational management of teaching teams, development of new digital resource, implementation of intelligent teaching methods, construction of virtual practice platforms, and leveraging competitions to enhance teaching. They also addressed issues like the need for timely adjustments in programme offerings, barriers to niche programme development, insufficient industry-education integration, inadequate practical teaching implementation, and the need for stronger IT support.
Li Song emphasised that professional programme development should be innovative, focus on quality, and exhibit distinctive features. He highlighted key elements for success: Firstly, clearly define the goals of talent cultivation, conduct thorough research on student needs and job market requirements to tailor teaching accordingly; secondly, ensure curriculum offerings are practical, contemporary, and forward-looking; thirdly, clarify practical teaching responsibilities at all levels, set clear teaching objectives, and ensure effective communication; fourthly, the faculty is central to programme development, requiring not only solid professional skills but also enhanced digital literacy and teaching capabilities; fifthly, deepen reforms in examination and assessment methods to diversify evaluation content, formats, and methods and tools for assessment, better meeting the needs of learners.
Contributed by Academic Affairs Department, photo by Zhang Jun, OUC