IV. Innovating the Internet-based information consultation services model
It is well known that all kinds of education stem from meeting students’ learning needs. There can be no education if there is no need for learning. At the same time, the need for learning is determined by a student’s learning background, motivations, abilities, and their cognitive and emotional development . Information consultation services are designed to keep on meeting the students’ needs and guide their cognition.
1. Transition from traditional services to online services
According to the 35th Statistical Report on Internet Development in China released by China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), China has become an Internet powerhouse. As of June 2015, China's Internet proliferation rate had reached 48.8%. The proportion of users accessing the Internet via desktop and laptop is 70.8% and 43.2% respectively, and 85.8% use mobile internet. Internet-based services have clear advantages compared to traditional service channels, such as reduction of service costs, improvement of service efficiency, and a lack of time and space restrictions. The Internet era will feature Internet services as the dominant channel supplemented by traditional services to create a more complex system.
2. Transition from artificial services to intelligent services
Self-service web pages enable students to find, collect, analyse, and use information resources independently. With the transformation from traditional artificial services to Internet-based intelligent services, when a student raises a question through the knowledge based, an intelligent robot can push the answers to the student. If the robot can’t make an accurate judgment of the student’s question or push selective inquires, it will interact with the student until the student’s need has been understood correctly and a standardised answer has been given. The application of intelligent robots in distance education information services has obvious advantages; it can improve the student service experience, increase service efficiency, shorten the enquiry time, alleviate the pressure of artificial services, and reduce costs. Furthermore, it can provide a reference for the school by collecting data on students’ needs and behaviours.
3. Transition from non-academic services to academic services
As students master information technology, improve their knowledge, and become aware of the need to protect their personal rights, the students have more claims to the quality of information consultation services. They are not content to receive general education information; they also want professional knowledge. They want question-and-answer services related to their courses as well as non-academic consultation services. The future of information consultation services will involve the overall development of the school from all channels; progressively integrate non-academic consultations into academic support to the students; and connect the application of teaching resources, professional question-and-answer tutorials, and academic discussions, so as to meet the difficulties students face when studying for their majors head on. These difficulties include problems related to specialised content; questions about the selection of courses and majors; questions concerning learning plans, methods, skills and motives; and general questions about their scheduled courses.
4. Transition from individual services to group services
The information consultation services team is a major strategic part of the provision of information consultation services. In terms of creating the team, a solid personnel structure must be maintained, including service and management personnel, non-academic and academic staff, staff from headquarters and branches, consulting teachers, and class tutors. The roles of the OUC, the tutorial centres and the class tutors in providing the students with education information services should be made clear, so as to ensure that the students can obtain standardized information consultation services across all the different channels. For example, the OUC mainly provides information related to teaching, teaching management, and student support, and offers multimedia information consultation and inquiry services. The tutorial centres publicise information from the OUC headquarters, the provincial RTVUs, and the tutorial centres that is relevant to teaching, teaching management, and student support, and provide multimedia information consultation and inquiry services. The class tutors pass on information from the OUC headquarters, the provincial RTVUs and the tutorial centres to students, including information related to teaching, teaching management, and student support. They also provide information consultation services.
V. Conclusion
The two core elements of Internet-based distance education information consultation services are up-to-date information and convenient access. In the Internet era, information consultation services should avoid focusing on form at the expense of content. Although today there are many cutting edge technologies, technology is only a tool to deliver and express information; all service models must start from the basis of "students’ needs", with guaranteed teaching quality as their core principle, and the students’ successful completion of their schooling as their ultimate goal.
Today, we are beginning to see the impact of the Internet on both mankind and education. The continuous progress of information technology and the popularity of the Internet are fundamentally changing study, life, work, and entertainment. Similarly, Internet technology will make education more convenient and intelligent.
By Hao Heli, OUC