CC BY
16
УДК 378 ББК Ч480.27
Ван Чжи,
бакалавр, доцент, Хулунбуирский колледж (Хулунбуир, Китай), e-mail: [email protected]
Лян Сюмэй, бакалавр, доцент, Хулунбуирский колледж (Хулунбуир, Китай), e-mail: [email protected]
Ли Сюэфэн, бакалавр, доцент Хулунбуирский колледж (Хулунбуир, Китай), e-mail: [email protected]
Ван Ин, бакалавр, доцент, Хулунбуирский колледж (Хулунбуир, Китай), e-mail: [email protected]
Реформы и инновации в схеме развития талантов в учебных заведениях, готовящих бакалавров прикладных профессий (на примере Хулуньбуирского института)
В статье представлены итоги научного исследования, осуществлённого в 2012 г. на базе Хулуньбуирского института. Авторы доказывают эффективность разработанной модульной системы проведения занятий, направленной, в том числе, на осуществление реформы системы кредитов в схеме тренировки талантов бакалавра прикладных профессий. Предлагаемый опыт является новым в парадигме прикладного высшего образования в Китае и может быть интересен для специалистов других образовательных учреждений, работающих над внедрением схемы тренировки талантов учащихся в учебный процесс.
Ключевые слова: подготовка бакалавров прикладных профессий, схема тренировки талантов, образовательная программа, реформа, инновация.
Wang Zhi,
Bachelor, Assistant Professor, Hulubuir College (Hulubuir, China), e-mail: [email protected]
Liang Xiumei, Bachelor, Assistant Professor Hulubuir College (Hulubuir, China), e-mail: [email protected]
Li Xuefeng, Bachelor, Assistant Professor, Hulubuir College (Hulubuir, China), e-mail: [email protected]
Wang Ying, Bachelor, Assistant Professor, Hulubuir College (Hulubuir, China), e-mail: [email protected]
Reforms and Innovations in Talent Training Scheme in Application-Oriented Undergraduate Colleges (Exemplified by Hulunbuir College)
The paper presents the results of research carried out in Hulunbuir College in 2012. The authors prove feasibility of the newly-designed module-structured system of courses and the compatible credits system, aiming at fulfilling the needs for the reform of credit system in talent training scheme for the application-oriented professions. The practice suggested is new in the paradigm
© Ван Чжи, Лян Сюмэй, Ли Сюэфэн, Ван Ин, 2013
249
of applied higher education in China and can be interesting to specialists from other types of educational institutions working on introduction of talent training scheme to educational process.
Keywords: training of application-oriented undergraduates, talent training scheme, educational program, reform, innovation.program, reform and innovation.
With the arrival of knowledge-driven economy and information age, application-oriented undergraduate education emerges at the times demand. Application-oriented undergraduate education is a kind of newly-established colleges and universities with undergraduate education as their main parts, aiming at training applied talented personnel, serving the local economy and industries. It includes the local newly-established colleges and those upgraded from training schools. According to researches, at present application-oriented undergraduate colleges occupy one-third among the total number of undergraduate colleges in China, and the enrolled students in the former account for about 67 % of the total students in undergraduate colleges and universities. Compared with the traditional undergraduate colleges, application-oriented ones focus on “application”, in which courses meet the needs of industries and professions, teaching methods stress the connection between theories and practices, and then evaluations reflect the orientation of application. These colleges train the application-oriented talents, solving all kinds of problems arose in local economic and social development, and meeting the needs required by the society on the higher education.
Based on such conditions, the reforms and studies on the training scheme for the application-oriented talents have become the key for teaching reforms in application-oriented undergraduate colleges. From 2008 to 2012 when Inner Mongolian higher education colleges and universities pushed on the reform of credit system in an overall way, Hulunbuir College carried out the reforms on the training scheme for the application-oriented talents and worked out a new training scheme. After a series of studies, practices and revisions, the new schemehas become one that accords with the orientation of training personnel, gives play to teaching resources, and benefits the progress of students. The new training scheme has pushed the reform and creative studies forward from the following aspects.
I. Curricula represent an all-round develop-ment---morally, intellectually and physically.
According to statistics, most of the students in Hulunbuir College come from rural or pastoral areas, so many of them are affected by the pressure of entering higher colleges, they are restricted by the school conditions and have to
take the exam-related courses only and miss those training their comprehensive qualities. Therefore, considering the physiological and psychological characteristics of college students, and the comprehensive quality education, Hulunbuir College has fulfilled the following reforms and innovations.
1.1. Fulfillment of the reforms on public elective courses stress application and development
Public courses are the ones receiving the most students, so enhancing the quality of public elective courses will benefit more, and the college carries out the reforms on curricula setting and classroom teaching involving Political Theory Course, Public English, Public Computers and Physical Education.
One reform is to change the teaching mode from theory teaching to both theory and practice, thus improving the students’ capability of practice. For example, Ideological and Political Theory Course is divided into classroom teaching, inside-school practice and social practice without changing the teaching hours and credits. After taking the classroom classes, the students are asked to do some discussions, debates, researches and social surveys, which improving their conceptual knowledge and ability to analyze and solve problems. Public English adds the training courses for listening and speaking ability. Public Computer Courses are given in the computer rooms where the students can practice while learning. The reform aims to improve the students’ capability of practice.
Another reform is to push forward a motivation system-obtaining a certificate instead of subject examination, encouraging the students to take the certificate test instead of take the examination in the college. Public English takes the National Band 4 or 6 in college English tests Public Computer Courses - all kinds of the National Computer Tests. The students who obtain the certificates can be exempted from the examination for the corresponding courses. Such methods encourage students to study, improve and check the students’ capability to apply acquired knowledge. Physical Education Department sets up several clubs, so the students can choose clubs and instructors freely, thus enhancing the students’ interests and ability to participate in Physical Education.
In accordance with the above reforms, the teaching hours and credits for Public selective courses include two parts---theory and practice, improving the students’ ability to apply and transform acquired knowledge.
1.2. Optimization of Public Arts Curriculum stress appreciation and participation
To improve effects of Public Arts teaching, Public Arts courses experienced the following reforms. One is to optimize the curricula, including Calligraphy Appreciation into Distributional Electives, Chinese national and folk square dance into practical courses, Movie and TV Appreciation, Music Appreciation and Drama Appreciation into free electives. The other one is to regulate the arts activities and practice, training the students’ ability to participate in arts activities and level to appreciate arts. College Students Arts Festival and Chinese National and Folk Square Dance provide the ordinary students chances to improve their abilities to appreciate arts, offer the students with arts specialty opportunities to display their talents and communicate with others, improve the students’ accomplishment by appreciating and participating.
Public Arts teaching is responsible for introducing and popularizing some basic concepts about arts, but arts practical activities improve the students’ ability to show themselves and to appreciate arts.
1.3. Adjustment of curriculum structure stress practice and elective course
From the above form, it can be easily seen that the module deals with the relationship between general and specialty knowledge, be-
Specialty courses include two parts: theory and practice. The former is divided into obligatory and selective, and the latter experiment, fieldwork and practical training. According to the requirement of professional training in applied-orientation education, the credits for practice are increased to guarantee the students’ capability to practice. The credits for obligatory courses are decreased to raise the students’ level in specialty, while the credits for selective courses are increased to widen the students’ development. Such reforms are determined by the purposes that the specialized theory is good if it is enough for the students to know the specialty, and the practice is good if it meets the needs of the specialty. Therefore, the students can combine theory with practice meeting the requirement for the students of applied-orientation undergraduate education.
II. Modules-setting reflects the harmonious development of knowledge, capability and quality
Courses module consists of general education, professional education, comprehensive education and practical training. Course property is classified into obligatory and selective. Obligatory courses are divided into public and specialty, and selective ones are divided into distributional and free. Considering the current condition of Hulunbuir College, the arrangement of credits and proportion can be seen in the following form.
tween theory and practice, between knowledge and capability, and between quality and innovation in a better way. The arrangement of courses
Obligatory Selective Total
Theory teaching Practice Theory teaching Comprehensive
General education Specialty General education Specialty
Science and Engineering Courses for non-teacher training credits <35 <35 >53 >16 >28 8 175
% <40 >30 >25 5 100
Non- Science and Engineering courses for nonteacher training credits <35 <41 >43 >16 >27 8 170
% <45 >25 >25 5 100
Science and Engineering for teacher training credits <40 <30 >53 >16 >28 8 175
% <40 >30 >25 5 100
Non- Science and Engineering courses for teacher training credits <40 <36 >43 >16 >27 8 170
% <45 >25 >25 5 100
Total % <70 >30 100
module sticks to the training principle that combines knowledge imparting, capability training and quality improving, and meets the requirement for the talents personnel to possess sufficient theoretical knowledge, highly practical skill and fast adaptability in application-oriented undergraduate colleges. The structure of the training scheme represents the following revolutions and innovations.
2.1. Knowledge Module grasps the depth of theory and considers the future development of the students
Drawing on the experience of the international classification of education, some researchers clarify the higher education in China into research-based, application-oriented and vocational schools. In the application-oriented colleges, the depth of theory is weaker than that in research-based ones, and stronger than that in vocational schools. On such an orientation, the training scheme in the application-orientation undergraduate colleges must determines the theoretical knowledge with a reasonable depth, which is different from both that in the traditional academic colleges where all efforts are devoted to serious studies of basic theories, and that in the vocational schools where job skills and operation are focused, so it combines theory and practice reasonably. As the foundation, knowledge can help students get potential to succeed in the future, so the basic and practical knowledge of theory should be provided to students. Thus, setting public basic courses and specialty basic courses, the training scheme must limit the number, refine the quality, and determine the reasonable depth of courses, because a reasonable depth of theory lays a sound foundation for the progress of the students.
2.2. Ability Module reflects practice and enhances students’ advantages in the job markets
Ability is the direct measure with which the employers choose the staff, and the ability to practice determine the opportunity to obtain jobs, the application-oriented undergraduate colleges should define the talents training on application, training students to be capable in practicing, excellent in professional skills and in their future jobs. However, if the application-oriented colleges simply pursue the practical ability, they will become the vocational schools and lose their own features. That is to say, in four years, the higher proportion of practice will result in the weaker knowledge of theory, so when setting the ability module, the application-orientation colleges must have accurate orientation, distinctive features and justified height, so that they are
able to guarantee the undergraduate level, cultivate students with practical abilities and advantages to getting jobs.
In other words, the application-oriented undergraduate colleges should offer not only the practice training but profound theoretical knowledge, and train students to be competent now or in the future.
2.3. Quality module reflects the comprehensive qualities and promotes students’ healthy progress
The human qualities are classified into six aspects: ideological and ethical quality, the scientific and cultural qualities, physical fitness, psychological conditions, aesthetic competence and laboring skills. Quality education must cover the above six qualities to develop students’ overall quality. As Bucket Theory says that, the capacity of a bucket is determined by its shortest schemek, so the comprehensive quality is determined by the weakest aspect. Therefore, the talents training scheme sets a module for quality, involving ideology and morality, culture, science and technology, physical and psychological health, and labor and aesthetics. It is fulfilled in these ways: scientific research, certificates, competitions, activities, innovations and inventions. This module sticks to the principle that education focuses on students morally and intellectually, affects them artistically and physically, combining theory and practice. In all, quality module manages to help develop in an all-round way and accomplish the cultivation education as well as the major teaching.
III. The overall design of the training scheme reflects the central theme of the applied talents training
The application-oriented undergraduate education is a professionally general education, concerning the scientific qualities and practical capabilities. The former refers to the studies and reserves of the systematically firm knowledge, laying a long-term foundation for students’ future development. The latter focuses on students’ ability, helping them prepare for their future jobs or business starting. It aims to make students more innovative so that they will be able to adapt themselves to the current situation or the industrial development and technological revolution in the future. Therefore, with the students’ ability to practice, transform knowledge and innovate as the core in the talents training in the application-oriented colleges, the overall design of the training scheme centers around the point, and reflects the balance between theory and practice
teaching. To this end, the college carries out the reform and creative studies in accordance with characteristics of the college.
3.1. Increase the proportion of practice and combine study with practice
Cultivating the talented personnel for the society is one of the principal functions of higher education. Can the talents be accepted by the society, by the employer and fulfill their selfrealization only if they meet the social development, so cultivating what kinds of talents is determined by social requirements. Therefore, the Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Education and five more departments printed and distributed Opinions on Strengthening the Cultivation Talents by the Practice Education in Institutions of Higher Education, requiring the institutions of higher education to increase the proportion of practice teaching, specifically the credits for the humanities and social sciences undergraduate courses are no less than 15 % of the total credits (teaching hours), the credits for sciences, technology, agriculture and medicine courses are no less than 25 %, and the educational practice of teachers-training courses is no shorter than one semester. This policy reflects the essence that students should understand society, specialty and posts, and grasp the practical ability to qualify their future jobs. In view of this requirement, Hulunbuir College acts in ac-
The system shows that the students are asked to take different kinds of practical training from entrance to graduation, involving compre-
cordance with the opinions, increasing the proportion of practice by 5-10 %, the credits for the humanities and social sciences undergraduate courses up to at least 25 %, the credits for sciences and technology up to at least 30 %, and the educational practice no less than one semester. Such high proportions give higher demands for teachers, conditions, base construction, management of practical teaching of experiment and practice. In 2011 when the college was open to qualified assessment of undergraduate teaching by state education commission, it paid enough funds for instruments and equipment for teaching and scientific research, the reform of laboratories, a series of advanced laboratories and training rooms, extension of practice bases, improvement of practical teaching condition, which guaranteed the teaching reform with higher percent of practical teaching.
3.2 Build up the practice system and stress the practical ability
The higher proportion of practice teaching requires a teaching system in accordance with the current situation of school running, the characteristics of the students and specialty needs in Hulunbuir College. Since 2008, after cycles of teaching practice, the practice teaching system with the characteristics of our college has been set up. This system can be seen in the following form.
hensive qualities, professional skills, vocational skills, curricula extension, mixture of industry, instruction and research, and social practice. Each
Sequence Practical contents Credits Week Semester Department
1 Military training 2 2 1 Students’ Affairs Office
2 Laboring 3 3 To be decided Students’ Affairs Office
3 Practice of Ideological and Political Theory Course 4 4 2nd summer vacation Marxism School
4 training for Chinese national and folk square dance 2 2 2 All schools
The 5 Public school training 3 3 1, 2, 3 All schools
Practice Teaching System 6 Practice for College Students' occupation development and employment guidance 1 1 Department of Recruit and Employment
7 Experimental teaching All schools
8 Practice and training All schools
9 Curricula designs (term papers) All schools
10 Dissertation (Graduate design) All schools
11 Professional social practice 2 2 1st and 3rd summer vacations All schools
practice is specified as the objective, fulfillment of each step, and equipped with special training scheme, measures and assessment scheme. During their practices and trainings, students are instructed to obtain vocational qualification certificate, participate in activities of industry, instruction and research, do social practice and complete papers. Thus, the system helps cultivate students’ capability to practice, fulfill in their jobs, apply obtained knowledge and adapt them to society, which reflects the characteristics of applied-talents training.
3.3 Set the item for the comprehensive quality and encouraging cooperation and innovation
The item for comprehensive quality refers to the formative education received in the afterclass activities and studies. It involves many kinds of qualities, such as scientific researches, obtaining certificates, contests, innovations and inventions. It represents the needs of quality-oriented education and cultivates students’ capability to cooperate and innovate instead of being restricted to textbooks and classrooms. Giving the
corresponding credits to this part can encourage students to participate in all kinds of activities and balance their development so that they can improve themselves in all-round ways.
So, during the research and study of curricula construction in the talent training scheme, the scheme takes its social significance into consideration that the college adapts it to the needs of the local construction and social development, trains the applied talents who possess profound theoretical knowledge, excellent practical ability, professional quality and strong adaptability. What’s more, in view of characteristics of region, specialties, teachers and students, and school running, the college should structure the curricula modules and systems elaborately, arrange credits and teaching hours reasonably, and ensure the accomplishment of the applied-talents training target by combining the target with the process.
Статья поступила в редакцию 20 июля 2013 г.
