A new version of the "E-Learning Educator Training" course platform (http://etutor.ouchn.edu.cn/) has been officially released after several trials and improvements over the past year. The Research Institute of Open and Distance Education is in charge of the development issues, and the Information Technology Department provides technical support for the platform. Based on Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle), the platform is designed for the vast majority of teaching staff in the e-learning (distance learning) education sector, providing them with a learning platform of educational services. It is user-friendly, easy to operate, easy to modify and expand, and suitable for in-service personnel to use.


On January 8, 2015, a seminar to evaluate the OUC's 2014 Plan for Data Collection and Dissemination of Teaching Quality Factors was held in Beijing. Vice President of the Open University of China (OUC), Mr. Li Linshu, together with experts from 14 branches(schools)of the OUC, experts from relevant departments, and staff members from the Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Centre at the OUC headquarters attended the meeting. The meeting was held to discuss the 2014 Plan for Data Collection and Dissemination of Teaching Quality Factors for the OUC and the future work thoughts.

“English for E-Learning Practitioners” is one of the courses in the series “E-Learning Practitioners Training”. After the pilot run in 2013 and some course adjustments, the second training class was successfully held from 17 November 2014 to 22 January 2015, and was made up of 23 learners from eleven separate departments of the Open University of China (OUC), such as the Academic Affairs Department (Examination Centre), Shanxi RTVU, Guangxi RTVU, and the Open University of Japan. All of the students highly praised the contents of the course and considered the multi-media courseware to be refreshing. During the training, QQ group voice real-time interaction was integrated to enhance chances for learners to practice their oral English.

Where is the United States located in relation to China? To the east? No, to the north. What is the name of the ocean that separates China and the United States? The Pacific Ocean? No, the Arctic Ocean. These were the answers given by Hao Xiaoguang, who was invited to attend “Science and China: Expert Lectures” held recently by the Open University of China (OUC). Hao Xiaoguang is a researcher from the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics (Chinese Academy of Sciences).

On 17 December 2014, a team led by Vice President Zhang Hui of The Open University of China (OUC) went to the School of Tibet to carry out training in the application of the digital library in the Linzhi Learning Centre of the school. Teachers and staff members from the School of Tibet and the Linzhi Learning Centre took part in the training, which was the first application and promotion activity in the school initiated by the OUC as part of its “Year of Digital Library Promotion” event.

On December 15, 2014, academician Mr. Lin Qun from the Research Institute of Mathematics and Systems Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) paid a visit to the Open University of China (OUC) and engaged in a discussion on how to produce five minute calculus lecture. President Yang Zhijian of The Open University of China (OUC) presented Mr. Lin with a letter employing him as a member of the Technical Committee of the OUC Research and Development Centre for Digital Learning.

On November 19, 2014, a coordination meeting on the introduction and sharing of The Open University of China’s (OUC) library databases was held in Beijing. The theme of the conference was standardizing the mechanism for the introduction and sharing of the digital library databases in support of the growth of the OUC.

In order to discuss the implementation of the “Notice about Collecting Units to Join in the Construction of such Specialties as Software Engineering” (OUC School of Software [2014] No. 2) issued by School of Software of The Open University of China (OUC), the OUC held the School of Software professional seminar on November 20th of 2014.