The study also found that some learners at the teaching terminal learn completely by themselves. This is because class teaching can’t be carried out by community teaching managers due to too few learners in the major or a lack of local teaching staff. Based on the interactive learning theory and interactive control theory of Moore, Keegen and Garrison, the study proposes that RTVUs get rid of the separate platforms and build a national multi-dimensional learning platform to create a highly effective and interactive virtual learning environment for learners. See Figure 7 (Yang Yongjian, 2013).



Figure 7 Multi-Dimensional Teaching and Learning Interaction Supported by Learning Platform

“Based on the learning platform, a number of actions can be taken: 1) teachers can interact with learning resources, designing, producing, supplementing, and updating the structured learning resources of the courses, and excavating and integrating unstructured learning resources. 2) Teachers can interact with learners, giving guidance on learning content, learning approaches, learning strategies and learning skills, giving timely feedback on learning activities or practical results, and solving problems for learners via online Q&A. 3) Teachers can also interact with teachers, organizing course teaching team, and working jointly on learning resources construction, learning guidelines and online questions and answers. 4) Learners can interact with learning resources, receiving open and distance education philosophy and learning concepts through the transmission of learning resources, thinking and exploring learning contents by way of autonomous learning and cooperative learning with various methods and strategies. 5) Learners can interact with teachers, solving practical problems in learning through guidance, feedback and Q&A. 6) Learners can interact with learners, obtaining relevant information, exchanging learning experiences and encouraging each other for common progress. A number of unstructured learning resources are formulated between and among learners and teachers. Since they are inherently related to structured learning resources, they function as promotion, feedback and reference to the latter. Similarly, the design, production, and application process also promote the interaction of teaching and learning between the different parties.” (Yang Yongjian, 2013)

V. Reflections and prospects

The Research on Dropouts from Open and Distance Education project has lasted for three years, fulfilling the objectives and tasks of research, and answering questions related to open and distance education dropout. The comparison of open education dropout research and practice in China and UK shows that there are similarities as well as numerous differences. The similarities reflect the universal rules of open and distance education dropout rates, while the differences embody distinctions between the national conditions of the two countries, signifying the summary and extraction of open education dropout rates and retention theories and experiences with Chinese characteristics. Since the OUUK first began recruiting students, the trend of dropout rates shows a decrease in graduation rate; by contrast, since the pilot open education project in 1999, the dropout rate of the sample universities used in the study shows a declining trend, which implies the improvement of retention and learning supporting services in the practice of open and distance education in China. Simpson underlines that dropouts occurs in the early stage of course learning and the courses is his analysis. The research completed in China draws the same conclusion, but places more emphasis on the dropout concentration period of the first two to three semesters. Students’ academic performance in the first semester has a significant influence on dropout rates, so the research highlights the appropriate choice of course in the early stages. The basic study results reveal quite similar reasons for dropout rates in both China and the UK, but Simpson prioritizes the students’ learning motivation as the underlying reason, while the research in China not only makes an in-depth study on the gradual weakening of learning motivation but also formulates a dropout explanation model and a relationship diagram of essential factors for retention, thus giving a more profound understanding of the dropout occurrence and retention mechanism. The understanding of dropout target groups or high-risk group in both countries are basically in agreement. The target group proposed in the UK is those with low prior education, while the target group proposed in China is those who lack learning skills (e.g. information literacy, time-management ability, teacher-student interaction). Though the two views do not directly correspond, they are of high correlation. Pertinent to the differences of educational practice in the two countries, both studies formulate a retention formula that demonstrates their own features and characteristics. With regard to dropout re-entry, both studies give timely responses and countermeasures in line with the different reasons for dropouts to help with re-entry, with the case study descriptions of the Chinese study being especially vivid and straightforward. The value of the Chinese study also lies in the deep reflection and exploration of the teaching systems of distance education universities in China, and in the examination and consideration of the 10 years of open and distance education practice. Thought this is not a domain involved in the dropout research from the UK, it is an inevitable reality and problem in the research of open and distance education dropout in China. Based on this given research background and environment, the achievements of the project can be specifically applicable to preventing and solving the problem of dropout rates in China.

In 2014, the achievements of the Research on Dropouts from Open and Distance Education Dropout project were collected for publication in the book Research on Dropouts from Open and Distance Education Dropout. Professor Sun lvyi, Director of the OUC Academic Council and former Vice President of the OUC, wrote the preface for the book. He said in the preface: “This book shall be a new starting point for Open and Distance Education Dropout Research”. The writer of this paper believes that the new starting point begins with the research and exploration of dropouts from the English major and other core majors after the CCRTVU was renamed the OUC. It is the teaching reform as well as a follow-up and experiment for improving student retention. It is the reform and advancement of teacher support, learning evaluation, and learning resources in open education. Standing at the starting point, we are filled with hope for the future of open and distance education in China and we are filled with a sense of mission and responsibility to the development path of open universities.

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