Lookout | The "Chinese Teacher Path" of the New Track of Digitalization of Wrestling Education - An Interview with Xia Lixin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Central China Normal University

Xia Lixin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Central China Normal University

Research and development of intelligent cloud integrated learning and other key technologies, the National Engineering Laboratory of Education Big Data Application Technology into the new sequence of the National Engineering Research Center, the National Natural Science Foundation of China ranked first in the country in the field of "Education Information Science and Technology" for five consecutive years... In line with the global development trend of artificial intelligence, Huashi is striving to build an internationally renowned and domestic leading education and innovation highland in the field of "artificial intelligence + education"

With the goal of "data-driven, integrated innovation", the Chinese teacher has promoted digital teaching assistants, student assistants, management assistants, and research assistants, which has driven education into the construction of world-class disciplines

Text | "Outlook" Newsweek reporter Li Wei

Chunhua Qiushi peach Li Fang, hundred twenty seeking to step on the song. Central China Normal University (hereinafter referred to as Hua Normal University), founded in 1903, Zhonghua University founded in 1912, and the School of Education of Zhongyuan University founded in 1949, is a key comprehensive normal university directly under the Ministry of Education, a key construction university of the "211 Project", a "985 Advantageous Discipline Innovation Platform" and a "Double First-class" construction university of national teacher education.

Over the past 120 years, the school has emerged academic masters such as Wei Zhuomin, president of Huazhong University, Qian Jibo, master of traditional Chinese studies, Gui Zhiting, famous physicist, Zhang Kaiyuan, famous historian, and Xing Fuyi, a famous linguist, and other academic masters, cultivating 600,000 talents for the country.

In the new century, the Chinese Normal has advanced the layout of the research field of information technology and education integration, and has been approved as the first national digital learning engineering technology research center, the first education informatization strategic research base, the first national engineering laboratory for education big data application technology, becoming the first batch of undergraduate college informatization pilot units and pilot excellent units in China, and won the first special prize of the national teaching achievement award for higher education in the history of the Ministry Normal University...

In the new journey of China's modernization, how to seize new opportunities for the digital transformation of education, explore new paths for education digitalization, and drive the construction of world-class universities leading in teacher education? The reporter of "Outlook" Newsweek interviewed Xia Lixin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Central China Normal University.

Comprehensively improve the quality of independent training of teacher training students

Outlook: What are the new practices of Chinese teachers in cultivating first-class teacher training students?

Xia Lixin: Teacher education is the "working machine" for the development of education. Teacher education is the "background" of Chinese teachers, and in this regard, it is necessary to show the "color" of the ministry's normal university.

Implement the "Plan for Strengthening Teachers in Basic Education in the New Era". Implement public-funded education for normal students, excellent teacher training plan, and talent plan, prepare to establish a national teacher education experimental teaching center, and lead the establishment of the Hubei Province Teacher Education Innovation and Development Alliance to promote excellent teacher training. Since 2021, 150 students of the "Excellent Teacher Program" will be enrolled every year to cultivate excellent teachers for the grassroots level and consolidate the talent foundation for the high-quality development of education and the construction of a strong country.

Explore a new model of "artificial intelligence +" teacher training model. Artificial intelligence is a powerful technical lever for building a modern teacher education system. We carry out the pilot of artificial intelligence to promote the construction of the teacher team, build a leading and intelligent comprehensive teacher education experimental training platform in China, build a teaching system based on big data that integrates preparation, teaching, learning, examination, evaluation and management and an intelligent supervision platform for classroom teaching, carry out intelligent education demonstration applications, and promote the connotative development of teacher training students.

Promote cross-integration and cluster innovation in teacher education. With first-class disciplines in education as the main core disciplines, strengthen the construction of advantageous directions such as educational theory and experiment, educational policy and service, smart education and future teachers, and educational information science and technology, explore the teacher education discipline system with "Chinese characteristics and world-class", and create a Chinese teacher school of "artificial intelligence + education".

"Outlook": Focusing on cultivating a "reserve army" of "four haves" good teachers and good teachers in a big country in the new era, how does the Chinese teacher guide teacher training students to aspire to teach for a long time and teach for life?

Xia Lixin: Implement the fundamental task of cultivating virtue and cultivating people, establish the professional ideal of normal students and teachers, cultivate future-oriented "four haves" good teachers and good teachers in big countries, and carry forward courageously with the mission of Chinese teachers on their shoulders.

Red school history casts soul. We deeply excavate historical resources, vigorously carry forward the tradition of Chinese teachers, include the history of red schools in the "first lesson of new students", rehearse the red stage play "Yun Daiying", open the "Yun Daiying Elite School", hold Chinese teacher story exhibitions, and lead teachers and students to continue the red spiritual bloodline.

"Mr. Big" leads the way. Invite senior professors such as Zhang Kaiyuan, Xing Fuyi, Xu Yong, Ma Min to give reports, organize scholars and famous teachers to teach "golden courses" such as "Education to Power the Country", organize teacher training students to face with national training teachers, observe elite teachers and other activities, so that "Mr. Big" can become the guide of teacher students.

The five educations are integrated to promote learning through competition. A group of students have won many awards in the National Normal College Normal Student Teaching Skills Competition. Establish the Aesthetic Education (Art) Education Center and the Physical Education (Health) Education Center for College Students, promote the collaborative education of "ideological and political + aesthetic education", "ideological and political + sports" and "ideological and political + labor education", and Guizishan "Aesthetic Education Festival" and "Sports and Culture Festival" have become brand activities for normal students.

High-level base hardening. The National Collaborative Innovation Experimental Base for Teacher Development, the Training Base for Famous Principals of the Ministry of Education, and the Internship Practice Base jointly built by the Collaborative Quality Improvement Program for Teacher Education have become the "new classrooms" for teacher growth. Here, they have seen the world, opened their eyes, weathered ups and downs, been educated, and have grown their talents, and their determination to teach for a long time and teach for life has become more firm.

Build a benchmark university for education informatization

Outlook: As early as the beginning of this century, Chinese Teacher advanced the layout of the research field of information technology and education integration, launched the reconstruction and practical exploration of the university talent training system that deeply integrates information technology, and won the special prize of the National Teaching Achievement Award for Higher Education in 2018. In the past 20 years, what experience has Chinese teachers had in promoting education informatization?

Xia Lixin: Chinese teachers accurately identify changes, respond scientifically, take the initiative to seek changes, and actively embrace the information age.

The first is to reconstruct the new system of talent training in "eight dimensions". Revise the training plan and build a student-centered talent training model; Reconstruct the teaching environment and realize the deep integration of "physical, resource, and social" spaces; Carry out advanced training to improve teachers' informat-based teaching capabilities; Enrich teaching resources and provide more open education; Innovate teaching methods and promote blended classroom teaching; Reform the evaluation model and carry out comprehensive data-based evaluation; Optimize management services and build a new ecology for educating people; Set up teaching festivals to create a teaching culture.

The second is to build a "resource pool" and "service pool" of scientific research informatization, promote the integration of science and education and research and application, and explore a new paradigm for the application of scientific research resources. We have strengthened the cross-integration of new technologies and humanities and social sciences, and explored the development concept of transdisciplinary thinking. For example, build a think tank platform for China's rural development, build five subsystems such as China's rural social survey system, and realize the "digitalization of rural surveys". The cross-integration of new technology and science is strengthened, and multivariate computational support is provided for high-throughput virtual screening of pesticide lead compounds.

The third is to build a "UGSB" (university/scientific research institution-government-school/user-enterprise) collaborative innovation mechanism supported by "industry, education and research" to expand the new space for running schools. Establish a collaborative innovation center for education information technology, and a collaborative innovation center jointly built by the province and ministry for the balanced development of informatization and basic education, and jointly promote the development of education into a more open new space.

The fourth is the "Five Ones" project optimization governance model. We build a "big platform + micro-application" public service platform, build a unified identity authentication platform including the "five ones" project (one authentication port, one service hall, one process table, one decision-making platform, one data database) and other public service and management service systems, and promote the transformation of data-driven school governance models.

Outlook: In May 2020, Huashi established the first artificial intelligence education department in colleges and universities across the country. At present, what important progress has the school made in the field of "artificial intelligence + education"?

Xia Lixin: In order to comply with the global development trend of artificial intelligence, implement the national artificial intelligence development plan, and cultivate talents in short supply such as artificial intelligence and education big data, we have established the Department of Artificial Intelligence Education and strive to build an internationally renowned and domestic leading education and innovation highland in the field of "artificial intelligence + education".

We carry out organized scientific research and have successively developed a number of key technologies such as intelligent cloud-integrated learning. The National Engineering Laboratory for Education Big Data Application Technology was included in the new sequence of the National Engineering Research Center. The National Natural Science Foundation of China has ranked first in the country in the field of "education information science and technology" for five consecutive years, and has been approved as the first major project and key project in this field.

We have also participated in the preparation of documents such as the Education Informatization 2.0 Action Plan, and formulated more than 10 national and international standards for education informatization. It has built platforms such as the National Intelligent Society Governance Experimental Base (Education) and the Ningxia Artificial Intelligence Education Research Institute to help the construction of the "Internet + Education" National Demonstration Zone and the National Smart Education Demonstration Zone.

Exploring the "Chinese Teacher Path" of Education Digitalization

Outlook: What opportunities and challenges will the digital transformation of education bring to higher education and teacher education?

Xia Lixin: Digital transformation is a new stage and new feature of the deepening development of education informatization, a major strategic action to open a new journey of Chinese-style modernization, and a general trend and reform direction to implement the "trinity" strategic deployment of education, science and technology, and talents.

The digital transformation of education will provide students with more personalized and high-quality education services through new technologies, and the university's first-class courses can also break through campus boundaries and "fly into ordinary people's homes", empowering the construction of a learning country and a learning society.

Of course, the digitalization of teaching scenarios, teaching processes, and teacher development needs to improve managers' data-driven decision-making governance capabilities and teachers' education and teaching capabilities supported by digital literacy. Issues such as education and data ethics also need to be paid great attention.

Outlook: How can Chinese Teachers seize opportunities and take the initiative to promote the construction of first-class universities through the digitalization of education?

Xia Lixin: This is a process of active change. In 2020, we formulated and implemented the School Education Informatization 2.0 Plan. In December 2020, it established the development goal of building a world-class university leading in teacher education, and proposed to "adhere to the use of informatization to promote modernization, seize the commanding heights of education informatization, and create the peak of artificial intelligence education". At the beginning of 2021, a leading group for the construction of "Digital Chinese Teachers" was established to coordinate and promote the digitalization of education.

With the goal of "data-driven, integrated innovation", and adhering to the principles of "intelligent environment, ubiquitous resources, personalized teaching, collaborative scientific research, scientific evaluation, refined management, humanized service, and all-round moral education", we strive to open up the "Chinese Teacher Path" of education digitalization.

The first is to promote digital teaching assistants and upgrade education and teaching space. Deepen the application of grand prize achievements and create a data-driven personalized talent training model. 150 smart classrooms have been put into use, and new teaching modes such as hierarchical collaborative teaching and "APCT teaching" have been explored. Independently developed the "Xiaoya" intelligent teaching platform, offering more than 45,000 courses and nearly 100,000 users. For example, Dai Jinjun's "Linear Algebra" "1+N" synchronous class set a record of 15 classes in one semester. He chooses one classroom at a time, but in any room he can guide, explain, and personalize the instruction. Tian Yuan's team has developed a teaching interactive tool "Micro Teaching Assistant" that integrates classroom sign-in, answering questions, discussion and other functions to create a learning atmosphere of teacher-student interaction and peer assistance. At present, more than 2,000 college teachers have used "micro-teaching assistants", benefiting more than 9 million students.

The second is to promote digital education assistance and create a space for intelligent learning development. Create a discipline-oriented smart education environment and build a future learning center. Develop a library of digital teaching resources and launch "cloud courses". The "Chinese on the Cloud" public welfare digital self-learning platform developed by the faculty team of the Faculty of Letters has launched a number of high-quality courses, case databases and digital resources, making the Chinese of "learning everywhere" a reality.

The third is to promote digital management assistance and expand the governance space of new schools. With data governance as the core, establish a budget investment mechanism of "bank-school cooperation" and a collaborative management mechanism of "dual project managers" for business and technology, and promote the construction of "digital Chinese masters" in one of "points, lines and surfaces". Optimize the process for service scenarios, gather more than 200 micro-application points, and comprehensively promote "one-network handling"; Promote the digital transformation of core business lines such as teaching and scientific research for business scenarios, and build a data middle platform that integrates business processes. Build a digital cockpit for managers at all levels such as school leaders, build a "digital Chinese teacher" intelligent operation center and a digital twin campus, data has become an important basis to support accurate management and scientific decision-making, and school governance has changed from "informationization" to "digitalization".

The fourth is to promote digital research assistance and create space for discipline development. Integrate education, psychology, information science and other disciplines, build a platform group supported by 12 high-level platforms, and build a scientific and technological innovation system for basic theoretical innovation, key technology research and development and application demonstration in the field of intelligent education. This system has supported the construction of education into a world-class discipline, and has been approved as a major project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China "Research on the Theory and Key Technologies of Artificial Intelligence Empowering Teaching and Learning", and a major project of the National Social Science Foundation of China "Promoting the Balanced Development of Compulsory Education and Research on the Integration of Urban and Rural Areas".

"Outlook": More and more colleges and universities are wrestling with new digital tracks for education, how will Chinese teachers make efforts in the future?

Xia Lixin: The road is obstructed and long, and the road is coming. We will adhere to the overall promotion, improve the top-level design of school education digitalization, comprehensively build an intelligent education environment and intelligent public basic service platform, comprehensively promote digital transformation, and comprehensively improve the level of school governance. Adhere to data-driven, comprehensively promote the construction of the second phase of the "Digital Chinese Division", and implement data-driven mechanism innovation and evaluation reform. Adhere to integration and innovation, continue to promote the in-depth application of new technologies in the field of education and teaching, improve the quality and efficiency of teachers' teaching and education, accurately empower students' innovation and development, take new steps in the construction of first-class universities with education digitalization, and make new contributions to the construction of an educational power. ■