Under the Ministry of Education’s guidelines for moving classes online at this critical stage of epidemic control, the new semester officially began at CFLC on February 17. On the first day of the new semester, 122 classes at CFLC were conducted online, including 53 specialized courses and 69 general language courses.
In order to ensure the smooth transition to online instruction, on February 4, CFLC administrators established a steering group for courses during the coronavirus epidemic, as well as a contingency work group for undergraduate courses. The two groups worked out detailed arrangements for online instruction at CFLC, and all CFLC faculty made meticulous preparations; they set up contact groups on social media platforms to maintain close touch with students and publicized course materials on XMU’s integrated online instruction platform.
On the afternoon of April 14, CFLC held a video conference to review preparations for online instruction and the conformance with the teaching requirements set by the university. This ensured that all faculty members were adequately prepared for online instruction. At the meeting, Dean Chen Jing stressed that online instruction should be conducted without compromising the quality of the course and that a strict student attendance policy would be implemented. A number of senior faculty members were also assigned to give online demonstration courses to familiarize other faculty members and all students with the procedures of online instruction.
Also at the meeting, CFLC associate dean Li Meihua emphasized that online teachers need to work with all the technical aspects of e-learning while still delivering great content to their students. CFLC put together a list of teaching tips prepare and deliver lessons. Associate dean Li pointed out that one of the biggest differences between teaching in a regular class and an online class is the technology involved. Online teaching requires dealing with computers, webcams, software, hardware, platforms and so on.
Associate dean Xin Zhiying pointed out that as the primary key to ensuring the quality of online instruction, instructors need to adjust their attitudes to teach online, understand what qualifications are needed, and know what they can do ensure the quality of online instruction. An instructor’s attitude, motivation, and true commitment affect much of the quality of online instruction. High quality online instruction encourages discovery, integration, application, and practices. Instructors need to discover students’ learning preferences, integrate technology tools, apply appropriate instructional techniques, put them all into practices, and generate the most suitable method for individuals.
To ensure the quality of online instruction, an interactive online teaching-learning community should be developed by the instructor. Unlike instruction in the traditional classroom, in online courses, greater attention must be paid to the development of a sense of community within the virtual classroom in order for students’ learning to be successful.
CFLC normally offers a total of 495 courses per semester, including 418 for undergraduates and 77 for graduate students. To ensure smooth online instruction, CFLC’s technical staff provided strong technical support. They are aware that the Internet and associated hardware and software components are the lifeblood of online learning and serve as the medium for content delivery and communication. They made available a wide variety of support mechanisms which enable instructors and students develop the technical skills necessary to navigate online courses, receive assistance when they run into technical difficulties and barriers.
