A Case Study: The Development of MOOCs in China
Wang Ying
The Open University of China, China
Key Words: MOOCs; case study, higher education, China; The Open University of China (OUC)
1. Introduction
The appearance of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has, in a manner of speaking, aroused the great attention of education, business, and academic circles in China, stirring up the higher education establishment like “a magic wand”. This case study sets out to observe the related focus groups of MOOCs and systematically analyze MOOCs' development in China based on current understanding. Meanwhile, overviews are made on the practical exploration, experience of The Open University of China (OUC)’s MOOCs.
2. Attention from Chinese Industries
The concept of MOOCs, raised in 2008 and developed since then, has spread throughout the world. Because of the impact of MOOCs and the challenges that still lie ahead, Chinese universities, non-governmental organizations, academic organizations, enterprises and various social circles are closely watching and promoting their development. They are trying to support the growth of MOOCs in the hope that they will be able to optimize their future competence and make good use of them to create new development space.
2.1 Positive Response from Universities
The year 2013 was known as “MOOCs Start-Up Year” for institutions of higher education in China, with traditional walled universities, in particular, gradually pushing more of their quality courses online. Tsinghua University and Peking University cooperated with edX; Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University cooperated with Coursera, of the United States. In addition, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Taiwan University also joined the overseas MOOC platform. Peking University joined hands with DeDao Group to develop MOOC courses with a view to creating a MOOC course system synchronized worldwide to provide all-round online and offline learner support. In October 2013, the OUC convened the“Think Tank and Seminar: Mind to MOOCs”, with executive members of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), including international representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the European Federation for Quality in e-Learning (EFQUEL), Open University UK, National Technological University (UTN)of Argentina, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of the United States, Athabasca University of Canada, African Virtual University (AVU), University of South Africa, University Terbuka of Indonesia, and so on, conducting special in-depth discussions on MOOCs, specifically, how to use MOOCs to deliver equal access to quality courses to people anywhere in the world who are interested in learning. Furthermore, practical exploration into MOOCs has also been carried out in China by way of the University Alliance Joint Platform: Southwest Jiaotong University works together with Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu,Taiwan, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and Northern Jiaotong University in the unified construction of open MOOC platform, utilizing the various advantages and characteristics of the five universities in developing quality course resources. This provides a method of combining capabilities and expanding the social influence of Jiao Tong (communication) universities.Shanghai Jiaotong University united 12 universities, including Peking University,Tsinghua University,and Fudan University, and others to form the Online Course Sharing Alliance to help facilitate the sharing of quality online courses and to carry out the education and teaching reforms needed for MOOCs.
2.2 Participation of Enterprises in the Building of MOOC Platforms
The MOOC platform is similar to a “new continent” of higher education. Several special MOOC platform suppliers have poured in initially and more were brought in later as course content suppliers. Different from the universities who wanted to set up their own websites for open education resources in previous open education resource campaigns, the appearance of these special platform suppliers this time has lowered the initial investment threshold and reduced financial input. At present, “kaikeba” (an online professional ICT training website) has reached agreements on course accreditation and credit transfer with several universities, and will provide learner support by relying on an online learning and offline examination model. Their service is aimed mainly at university students. Some enterprises also make use of their own platforms and resources for open classes. Moreover, enterprise platforms like xue.taobao.com, jiaoyu.baidu.com, and duobei.com are marketed directly to individuals, encouraging them to attend classes and learn on their platforms. Although enterprises have joined in the MOOCs movement, they have different identifications and roles. There are platform suppliers, especially serving universities or individual client groups; there are also content suppliers, recommending their own resources and providing tailor-made services with the help of cloud-based platforms. With the development of U-learning, further observation needs to be made on the willingness, timing, and methods by which terminal suppliers may also enter the market.
2.3 Participation of Scholars in research of MOOCs
MOOCs has aroused positive attention from the majority of scholars and learners worldwide, leading many scholars to rationally analyze the role of MOOCs. Some scholars indicate that this new type of online education could become one of the core means for future education, and will greatly influence China’s future talent development prospects. “Just think of having thousands of young people who are able to receive systematic instruction from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University via high quality cheap online education in such countries as India. In contrast, most of the students in China are still learning in traditional second and third class universities. How can our next generation compete with elites in the world market?” Some scholars have noted another positive aspect to MOOCs. Not only can high quality courses inside the universities be shared with the world, seizing the opportunity to participate in MOOCs has also led to innovations in reforming China's university teaching models. “MOOCs have removed university walls, and we have to think proactively about how to better fill the relationship between education and society and how to fill their needs”. Other scholars say that they feel threatened by MOOCs from abroad, and that Chinese universities must take relevant countermeasures as soon as possible. Some people hold that “the MOOCs launched in the United States have shaken the foundations of traditional education, and will reshuffle the university system resulting in a completely new structure”. Some scholars also believe that the impact of MOOCs on universities is shown more in teaching strategies and teaching methods, since they are more closely related to interaction and problem solving. Currently, the three major MOOC websites mainly offer science and engineering courses as well as humanities courses, and the interaction between the teachers and students is not greatly emphasized. Therefore, there are many theoretical and practical problems worthy of in-depth discussion. Some scholars point out that the MOOC model will not have a great impact on China because many people pursue higher education mainly for the credentials, not just the knowledge alone. Until now, MOOCs are unable to provide a comprehensive range of degrees. It is thought that, for this reason, MOOCs won’t have a great impact on traditional higher education in China [2].