On November 15-17, 2015, MOE Research and Training Centre for Community Education (hereinafter referred to as the Centre) held a seminar on promoting the community education teaching model and construction of the community education experiment centre (base) in Xiamen.
The seminar was intended to strengthen the construction and management of the community education experiment centre (base) for national open universities, promoting the practice of community education teaching model, and exploring the working mechanism of community education. Vice President of the Open University of China (OUC) and Director of the Centre Zhang Shaogang, and heads from Jiangxi RTVU, Shenyang RTVU, Inner Mongolia RTVU, Wuhan RTVU, Chengdu Community College (RTVU), and Qingdao RTVU attended the seminar. More than 200 representatives from the community education experiment zone, demonstration zone, the OUC's experiment centre (base), i-experiment lab, local RTVUs, and education administrative departments from all over the country attended the seminar.
The seminar was presided over by the Executive Deputy Director of the Centre Zhou Yanjun. He said that community education is an important part of promoting the construction of lifelong learning and a learning society; an important means of boosting social governance innovation; and an important step in promoting the fairness of education. These concepts are arousing great attention from the CPC and the government. The operation management model of community education is led by the government, with social participation. In recent years, according to the deployment of the central government, local governments and education administrative departments at all levels are focusing on community education. The open universities (RTVUs) are actively participating and striving to promote community education, which has built up good development momentum. For example, more and more regional community education guidance centres have become affiliated with local RTVUs every year. Thus, the social service functions of local RTVUs are increasingly strengthened. The community education experimental base caters to the demands of local social and economic development, actively developing distinctive community education projects, trying to explore the community education model and making remarkable achievements. I-experiment labs strive to improve the platform construction, carry out rich and colorful online and offline teaching activities, community service, benefit the people, and have made significant progress.
He pointed out that as a functional department of community education, the Centre has adhered to the principle of "consulting, services, and guidance", carrying out a series of tasks. The Centre has compiled and published China Community Education Development Report (2013-2014) and has completed the "community education satisfaction survey". The Centre also published The Future of Lifelong Learning for All - 2014 Community Education Satisfaction Survey Report, which gives an overview of community education development in our country. It provides data support for national decision-making and robust promotion of community education work. This year, "First Traditional Culture Enters into Communities Micro Video Contest" was well received by all. The contest has played a positive role in promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture and the construction of a harmonious community. In order to summarize the experience and locate the problems in promoting community education, the Centre intends to carry out qualification assessments of the approved community education experiment centre, base, and i-experiment lab from 2016, so as to promote construction, reform, and development through evaluation and promoting the development of relevant community education.
At the seminar, Li Huiqin from the research office of the Centre gave further explanation on the forthcoming evaluation tasks of the community education experiment centre (base) and community education i-experiment lab. She also introduced the evaluation indicators and the evaluation form. The evaluation indicators include three indexes, of which five indicators are listed as the first-level, about 15 indicators for the second-level, and 3 for the third-level. Qualification evaluation is one of the important tasks to be carried out in harmony with the establishment of the Centre. The evaluation objects include the first approved 14 experiment centres, 39 bases, and i-experiment labs that have 3 years of history as of 2016.
Exchanges at the seminar were also arranged. Peng Haihong, Director of Shanghai Service & Guidance for Learning Society Construction, Jing Shengqi from Nantong RTVU, Wang Daoji from Jiulongpo RTVU in Chongqing, Song Liyan from Heilongjiang RTVU, and Yang Yongqing from Quanzhou RTVU delivered speeches at the exchange meeting. Their experience and thinking have benefited the participants a lot. At the exchange meeting, i-reading lab, i-ecological garden lab, i-health lab, i-creative design lab, and other organizations introduced the exploration and practice of community education i-experiment lab from different angles, giving the representatives much to think about.
During the seminar, the representatives visited the national community education demonstration zone (Jialian Street, Siming District, Xiamen), their reading rooms, S&T experience centre, the public fire safety education room, etc., showing the process of citizen learning + experience, and also showing the various functions of the community education service & guidance centre. The representatives also visited Haihong community college at Haicang District of Xiamen and Yuanqian community. The community education model at Haicang District combines the construction of new rural society and rural community education. The effectiveness of the teaching model left a deep impression on the representatives.
During the seminar, the representatives also watched the final contest and the performance activities of "First Traditional Culture Enters into Communities Micro Video Contest".
China RTVU News enjoyed full participation and promoted the activity. Community education will be an important focus in their news reporting.
It is learnt that for the purpose of exploring model, resource integration, project development and practice research for the RTVU system’s participation into community education, since 2009, the OUC (formerly, the Central China Radio and TV University, CCRTVU) has established 45 community education experiment centres at local RTVUs in three batches. This has the effect of helping RTVUs become an important partner in helping local government to carry out community education. The community education service guidance centre and community colleges were also attracted to the local RTVUs. To continue to promote the community education of the RTVU system, expand the school operation field and the social service function, and boost the construction of a learning society, the OUC began to launch a new round of experiments and fresh methods for the experiment centre and the base in 2013. So far, 14 community education experiment centres for provincial and deputy provincial RTVUs and 45 municipal and county-level RTVU community education experiment bases were established in two batches. They are managed dynamically in the form of commitments, for the experimental period of 4 years. At the same time, in 2012, the Centre carried out the new community education teaching model "i-experiment", which is oriented at communities and households, with the online and offline interaction based on the Internet; with learning and experience as a whole; with competition and activities as the main line. In cooperation with the undertaking units, so far, there have been 23 i-experiment labs to carry out activities.
By Li Huiqin, OUC