Week 7 China and distance learning part 1

In the1960s the capital of China Beijing, between 1960 - 1966 over 8,000 students had graduated and 50,000 students had completed single courses in the Television Universities (TVU).

However as the Socialist Modernization Project came into China in 1976 it meant that 3.5 million teachers were trained up- "Such a huge task of training so many qualified people cannot be fulfilled by relying solely on conventional colleges and universities within a limited time-scale." With this in mind the council introduced higher education to the CRTVU - 'the Central Radio and Television University'.

The CRTVU has five levels here you can see how:

"The CRTVU: (a) makes long-term plans for the development of the TVU system and yearly plans for admission; (b) guides teaching administration of PTVUs and co-ordinates academic work shared by more than one PTVU; (c) makes teaching plans to be carried out nationally and produces programmes to be broadcast nationwide; (d) develops and publishes printed teaching materials, and produces and distributes audio- and videocassettes for courses offered nationally; (e) prepares unified entrance and end-of-semester examination papers and marking standards; (f) organizes training for teachers, administrative staff and technicians of the national TVU system; and (g) conduct distance education research and exchanges experiences with similar institutes at home and abroad.

The PTVUs: (a) guide teaching administration of their branch schools, system work stations and television classes directly attached to them; (b) organize the implementation of the teaching plans made by the CRTVU, and make teaching plans for courses offered provincially; (c) produce and transmit teaching programmes for regional use; (d) develop and publish printed teaching materials, and produce and distribute audio- and videocassettes for courses offered provincially; (e) organize entrance and end-of-semester examinations and the marking of examination papers; (f) admit students and issue diplomas/certificates; (g) train teachers, administrative staff and technicians of regional TVUs; and (h) conduct distance-education research and exchange experiences with each other.

Branch schools: (a) guide teaching administration of work stations and television classes directly attached to them; (b) implement teaching plans made by the CRTVU and PTVU; (c) organize the subscription and distribution of teaching materials; (d) conduct examinations and tests; (e) admit and register students, and keep their study records; (f) employ tutors and train them; and (g) oversee tutorials, laboratory work and field studies. Work stations: (a) organize television classes and guide their management; (b) organize tutorials, laboratory work and field studies; and (c) distribute teaching materials.

Television classes: (a) administer teaching and learning classes; (b) draw up time-tables for every term; (c) organize viewing and listening of teaching programmes, tutoring, laboratory work and field studies; (d) encourage students to take part in physical training and recreational activities outside class; and (e) maintain contact with work units from which the students come.
China's radio and television universities at five levels share their responsibilities on the basis of balancing centralization and decentralization with the CRTVU as their centre. Along with the development of the TVU system, the number of its staff has been increasing."