On November 5, 2014, the 2nd Phase Co-Construction Work Meeting of the Cloud Classroom of The Open University of China (OUC) was held in Beijing, which marks full launch of the 2nd phase construction of the Cloud Classroom. In 2013 the OUC constructed the first 63 Cloud Classrooms on the western frontiers and in the economic developing areas covering over 40 prefecture-level cities of Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Guangxi and Guizhou, which facilitated greatly the carrying out of distance teaching, and brought high quality educational resources into the reach of students.

The Cloud Classroom has the functions of online teaching, synchronous distance teaching, synchronous recording and broadcasting of courses, Internet live teaching, video conferencing, distance interactive interviewing, online examinations, examination supervision and so on. The 2nd phase of construction will adopt the method of co-construction by headquarters and branches together, planning to construct 252 Cloud Classrooms in the 22 branches all over the country.

At the meeting, the work report on the 2nd phase co-construction of the Cloud Classroom of the OUC was delivered, and announced the technical proposal and assets management method of the 2nd phase, discussed its deployment and implementation plan, and made specific arrangements on the related tasks. 34 leaders and business leaders in charge of it from the OUC Tibetan School and other 21 branches of the OUC in Hebei, Gansu, Xinjiang, Xinjiang Corps, Hubei, Chongqing, Shanxi, Shaanxi and so on attended this meeting.

Yang Zhijian, President of the OUC, speaking from the perspective of the historical background of the Internet era, suggested that we should regard industrial development using Internet thinking, and analyzed the severe challenges that the OUC and the system of Radio and Television Universities (RTVUs) are facing under the general background. He pointed out that, the basis of open universities is the organizational system of running them, and the key is digitization, and the core is quality and brand. He emphasized that the system of open universities should take and consider educational digitization seriously by lifting it up to the strategic level of universities’ development. He also pointed out that the work of education digitization is a top leadership project, and we should regard the construction of the Cloud Classroom from the perspective of the general background of digitization. He said all those involved should make concerted effort to make sure the projects can be implemented as soon as possible, endeavor to promote the utilization of the Cloud Classroom and other projects, take advantage of the reform in teaching contents and teaching model led by digitization to highlight the deep integration of education and technology, and explore the new-style model of teaching and learning actively.

Jiang Guozhen, Director of the Information Technology Department, delivered a work report on the 2nd phase co-construction of the Cloud Classroom, an overall report with such points as project background, construction scale, construction progress, construction mode, efficient use and so on. Han Weiguo, Vice Director of the Department of Finance and Asset Management, gave an introduction to the bidding and contract signing of the project, the contract of co-construction, management of equipment and assets and other related questions. The relevant leaders in charge of it made statements respectively on the technical proposal, work arrangements, work inspection and other special work programmes of this project, and discussed certain questions with related leaders and business leaders.

All who attended agreed that the 2nd phase construction of the Cloud Classroom is an improvement and deepening on the basis of the 1st phase, because the Cloud Classroom is an important part of constructing the digital learning environment in the OUC and a significant measure of constructing the digital learning environment and serving the lifelong learning for all. All units of each level, according to the requirements of the deployment and implementation plan of the 2nd phase, would organize workgroups led by school leaders, actively carry forward the preparatory work of the environment for the 2nd phase construction, highlight the application features of the Cloud Classroom, explore the new way of distance education that suits the situation of China, and enhance the OUC’s strengths in the running of its schools.

By Wu Shuping, the OUC