The annual conference on Chinese distance education, the China International Distance Education Conference 2010, guided by the Open University of China (OUC) and hosted by the Journal of Distance Education in China, was held in Beijing from the eleventh to the twelfth of November. Against the backdrop of the first National Education Working Conference of the new century and the National Outline for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020), the construction and development of open universities became one of the focuses of the conference.
Zhang Daliang, Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education (MoE), Zhang Yaoxue, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Director of the Office of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee, and Director of the Department of Postgraduate Education, and OUC President Yang Zhijian attended the opening ceremony of the conference and gave keynote speeches on the reform and development of education. Ruan Zhiyong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the OUC, Zhang Hui, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the OUC, Vice Presidents of the OUC Yan Bing and Li Linshu and others also participated in the conference. Yan Bing hosted the conference.
Zhang Daliang pointed out in his speech that the National Outline for Medium and Long- term Education Reform and Development (the Outline), newly published in July, gave new tasks and provided new opportunities for the development and reform of modern distance education in China. According to the general disposition of the Outline, in the future, the development of modern distance education should follow the requirements of national construction of a lifelong learning system and the construction of a learning society, and meet the needs of society, economic development and the lifelong learning of the people, to play an important role in narrowing the differences in education between urban and rural areas. As for the modern distance education of universities, Mr. Zhang emphasized that mechanism construction should be the priority, which must be accelerated step by step on the basis of strengthened research, overall planning and pilot experiments. Firstly, we should explore, improve and consummate a mechanism which can enhance the quality of modern distance education. Under the new conditions and requirements of enforced development of non-degree continuing education and the stable development of degree education, we should put people first, and take reform and creativity as new motives, deepen the reform of education, create new methods for education and support services, establish quality standards and quality supervision systems, and strive to enhance the quality of modern distance higher education. Secondly, we should explore and perfect a digital learning resources sharing and service mechanism. We should establish a digital learning resources center of continuing education, and construct a national platform to share and service quality continuing education resources. We should encourage higher education institutions to open their digital learning resources to members of society. Thirdly, we should explore and improve the mechanisms for the accumulation and transfer of credits in continuing education. We should establish a credit bank, to realize mutual-recognition and connectivity of achievements in difference fields of study, and accelerate the connectivity of education in different types and levels to meet the diverse needs of learners.
Yang Zhijian, President of the OUC, delivered a keynote speech, titled The Openness of Universities and the Open Universities. He discussed the origin and evolution of the open spirit of universities. The OUC has already formed education concepts and value concepts full of Chinese characteristics, that is to say, the pursuit of equal education opportunities for vulnerable groups in society and the nurturing of high quality and practical students to aid economic and social development. Mr. Yang said the issue and implementation of the Outline had undoubtedly provided a rare opportunity for our open university system. According to the requirement of making good open universities, as a national pilot unit in the educational field, the OUC is currently carrying out the research and design of open universitiies. Mr. Yang argued that an open university should be a university at first, with the same education functions and degree awarding authority as a normal university. However, it is not a university in the conventional sense, but a new kind of university established on the basis of modern information technology, facing all members of society, and has the twin missions of degree continuing education and non-degree continuing education. Furthermore, there are three aspects we should pay attention to in establishing open universities around China. Firstly, we should establish a technologically advanced and multifunctional web-based platform that can provide a one-stop service to students, teachers, service providers, administrators and public users. Secondly, we should construct a digital learning resources centre containing a wealth of information for degree continuing education and non-degree continuing education. Thirdly, we should establish a team of full-time and part-time professors with rich teaching experience and academic qualifications, a team of skilled administratives and a large number of devoted distance education support providers.
Zhang Yaoxue put forward the concept of making courseware as if making a film, and called for more material and spiritual investment in web-based teaching resources, with greater attention to design and production. Tan Songhua, a researcher in the State Education Research and Development Center, raised the problem of diversified distance education development in his report. Free time study will become a new aspect of distance education service. His new perspectives and ideas were very inspiring for the attendees.
In the conference's Summit Forum on Open University Construction and Development, representatives from open universities and relevant areas of distance education all over China sat together with experts and held a discussion on the issues of the transition and development of radio and television universities (RTVUs) to open universities, the construction mode of open universities, and creativity in the education system. Wang Yibing, a former expert from UNESCO Asia and Pacific Area Higher and Distance Education Planning, presented his opinions with an international vision. Concept shifts and the creation of new learning mechanisms are needed to transform RTVUs into open universities. With the autonomy of higher education institutions reaching a new level, more web-based teaching and blended teaching will emerge. How should open universities based on RTVUs face the new challenges? Peng Kunming, Secretary of the Party committee of Jiangsu Open University put forward thought-provoking questions which cannot be avoided in the construction of open universities, covering the issues of who should take charge of resources integration, how to conduct reform of current study systems and education management systems, and how to regulate open education.
By Li Lingqun, the OUC