ABSTRACT

TheAgitationofUniversityConceptsandtheProspectofGeneralEducationinthe21stCentury

HUANG Junjie

Page 1

Abstract:The 21stcentury is a new era of unrest and vigorousness. With the resurgence of China, the international order has been reorganized, and the power structure map has been totally changed. Under the trend of economic globalization, the gap between the rich and the poor in the domestic society of various countries has widened, and the unemployment rate has risen, causing great suffering to the common people and arousing a strong wave of “anti-globalization”, which revives economic protectionism and political populism in many countries. In the field of education, one of the biggest changes in the 21st century is the change of university concepts and the agitation of old and new educational thoughts. The turbulence of the old and new university concepts has affected the new trends of higher education policies and university general education in various countries. At present, the number of universities in the world is huge, and there are so many types that it is difficult to generalize comprehensively. Therefore, this paper focuses on a few well-known universities in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan of China, discussing the agitation of university concepts in the 21st century and new prospects for university general education.

Keywords:general education; university concepts; traditional education view; modern education view

EnhancingStudents′Wisdom:TheConceptandPathChoiceofGeneralEducationinContemporaryUniversities

GONG Fang

Page 19

Abstract:The basic element of the higher education of any society and country is to satisfy the needs of personal and social development. It is hard to find a university which purely seeks rationality and idea, and completely excludes utility alongside the process of world higher education development. It is necessary to judge whether the so-called “practical learning” proposed by Chinese educator Gu Yanwu and Japanese educator Yuki Fukuzawa since modern times conforms with the needs of social development and the trends of historical transformation. Is it right or not for university education to emphasize “learning for practical uses”? It′s the bad things caused by the excessive emphasis on “utility” that needs to be corrected. It′s a mistake to deny the appropriateness of “learning for practical uses” merely because of some negative phenomena resulting from it. The pure pursuit for ideals of Confucius Age is outdated and can't be used to guide the educational practice of 21st century. Confronted with the so-called “rapid changes of the world never seen since a hundred years ago”, the talents cultivated by contemporary universities should be the ones as American educator Abraham Flexner described 90 years ago:“educated talents who could use all their wisdom and extensive perspectives to solve the ever-changing problems of their times”. As we admire the time-and-space penetrating far-sight of Flexner, we deeply perceive that the current general education curricula of a little more than 20 credits could hardly fulfill this profound task of talents' cultivation. We need to re-establish the missions and goals of university general education. We need to re-design and re-explore the methods to enhance students′ wisdom. Contemporary general education needs to be re-designed and carried out with multiple approaches. We need to provide students with diversified general education courses to avoid restrictions of their cognition. The students need to read the classical works of Chinese and overseas writers to promote themselves spiritually. Teachers and students need to communicate with each other more intimately to acquire the so-called “un-expressible potential” put forth by British philosopher Whitehead. It′s worth reflecting that the “teacher-student communication”, which has fundamental influence on human development and especially on “wisdom promotion”, has never entered the visual field of general education researchers and practitioners. The “Pleasantly Reading Classics” plan of Nanjing University has been implemented for 15 years. It has provided us with a successful example of multiple approaches to general education.

Keywords:general education; wisdom level; education idea; classical reading; teacher-student communication

TransitionofIdeasofUniversityandAspirationofGeneralEducation

ZHOU Hong, DONG Yunchuan

Page 37

Abstract:Between the traditional idea of university and the modern idea of university, there is tension theoretically and possibility of dynamic balance practically. Through the analysis the opposition between the two ideas of university at the space-time possibility, the authenticity of the opposition relationship, the external causes and internal causes of the collision, it is believed that the traditional ideas and the modern ideas of university have logical possibility and realistic necessity to keep self-consistent. As far as professional education is concerned, general education is not something complementary and antagonistic. General education needs to fully embody its basic role and leading value in relationship with professional education.

Keywords:ideas of university; general education; professional education; aspiration of education

TheGameinStudentEvaluationsofTeachingandItsReforms

SUN Ao, SUN Youzhi

Page 47

Abstract:Under the policy of bundling teachers′ interests with the scores of student evaluation of teaching, the game between teachers and students will lead to the simultaneous inflation of the scores of student evaluation of teaching and students′ grades, while the game among universities will lead to an observable fact that universities tolerate their own teachers to fawn on students. However, the game between universities and their regulator will encourage universities to insist on the policy. The fundamental solution to the failure of evaluation teaching is to realize a reform from evaluating teachers to instructional consultation. Teaching consultation is the counterpart of the management consultation of the firm in higher education. Its essence is the consultative services aiming at improving the teachers' performance provided by specialized consultants to teachers. Its three basic stages are as follows: diagnosing the teachers′ performance problems, formulating and implementing strategies aiming at improving the teachers′ performance. It is also a continuous process of diagnosing, measuring and developing the teachers′ performance. Its core is the consultative feedback provided by specialized consultants to teachers. The premises to establish and implement effectively the teaching consultation system are to forgo the policy of bundling teachers′ interests with the scores of student evaluation of teaching, implement efficiency wages for teaching consultants, and redesign the forms of student evaluation of teaching for instructional consultation.

Keywords:game; score inflation; teachers′ performance; teaching consultation

AComparativeStudyoftheDevelopmentofChineseAgricultural-relatedDisciplines

ZHOU Jingfang, LIU Hui, FENG Yongping

Page 57

Abstract:The agricultural-related disciplines in China ranked ESI world′s top 1% were taken as the research objects. The ESI data from March 2015 to March 2019 were analyzed quantitatively. The development trend of agriculture-related disciplines in China was studied referring to the indexes like the shortlisted disciplines, the shortlisted institutions and the relative rankings. The results show that the number of disciplines related to agriculture, shortlisted institutions and their proportion increased rapidly. Though the types of the shortlisted institutions were limited, the proportion of the shortlisted universities was decreased. They still remained as the main force of the scientific research output among the agricultural disciplines. The geographical distribution of the universities was unbalanced, and the number of the top 1 ESI disciplines was small. The cooperation between agricultural disciplines and radiation effects need to be further strengthened. The number of papers was more competitive compared with ranking. However, the total cited frequency and the average cited frequency of papers were relatively low. It is suggested that the competent educational authorities and the selected institutions should increase their investment in agricultural-related disciplines, establish a reasonable evaluation system, improve the R&D capabilities of enterprises, encourage problem-oriented cross-integration, and strengthen international cooperation.

Keywords:agricultural-related disciplines; ESI; discipline development; international cooperation

TheSustainableDevelopmentoftheFaculty′sProfessionalCompetenceinHigherEngineeringEducation

ZHU Weiwen, GONG Xinhe

Page 68

Abstract:Sustainable development has become the core concept of global economic, social and environmental development. Promoting the faculty's professional competence in higher engineering education needs to uphold the core concept of sustainable development, which can not only meet the needs of sustainable development of society, economy and environment, but also meet the needs of individual sustainable development. Through a questionnaire survey, the current status and existing problems of the faculty′s professional competence in engineering education in Chinese colleges and universities are analyzed, and it is found out that the lack of sustainability is a practical problem encountered in the improvement of the faculty′s professional competence in higher engineering education, which is manifested in three aspects: system, environment and individuals. It is necessary to seek countermeasures in terms of the sustainability of development goals, mechanisms and motivations of the faculty′s professional competence in higher engineering education, in order to continue to promote the development of the faculty′s professional competence in higher engineering education and the construction of higher engineering education connotation.

Keywords:engineering education; faculty′s professional competence; life-long learning; professionalism

TheInterpretationofPolicyFrameworkforLearningAnalysisinEuropeanHigherEducationInstitutions

GAO Fei

Page 77

Abstract:Learning analysis is the application of big data in the field of education, and is helpful to explain learning behavior, evaluate influencing factors, provide personalized feedback, and promote innovation and improve quality. Basing on the current situation of universities and colleges, the European research project team “Supporting Higher Education to Integrate Learning Analytics” combines six dimensions of Rapid Outcome Mapping Approach, which are mapping political context, identifying key stakeholders, clarifying desired behavior changes, formulating engagement strategy, analyzing internal capacity and establishing monitoring and learning framework. Based on the three fields of action, challenge and policy, a theoretical framework is proposed and typical cases are selected for interpretation. In short, university learning analysis policies should be based on the combination of technology and system, with the help of multiple dimensions of joint support and relying on rich and diverse university practices.

Keywords:learning analysis; policy; European higher education institution; big data in the field of education; educational integration

TheOrigin,ValueandEnlightenmentofElectiveSysteminAmericanUniversities

SHAN Yuanyuan, ZHENG Changlong

Page 87

Abstract:In the mid-nineteenth century, the United States faced the crisis of a sharp decline in enrollment and declining student academic performance. Harvard University took the lead in introducing an elective system, and other American universities have also implemented it. The elective system that has a lasting impact on American higher education conforms to the needs of different student groups and society, effectively promotes the reform of American university courses, and takes into account the value pursuit of personal and national development. Observing this development process from a historical perspective and discovering the educational and social significance behind it can give us a better insight into the true meaning of the rapid development of American universities.

Keywords:elective system; curriculum reform；higher education；talents cultivation

SPOCTeachingModeinthe“Post-MoocEra”

KONG Xiangyu

Page 95

Abstract:This paper, starting from the connotation of SPOC teaching mode, analyzes the current teaching situation of SPOC mode from five aspects including learning input, learning resources, learning interaction, learning achievement and satisfaction, and learning platform. It points out the differences in learning input of learners, differences in perception of learning tasks, and habits of learning interaction, and analyzes the reasons for their formation. In response to the above problems, it is proposed that the thinking mode should be changed in the SPOC teaching model; the course should be focused on the flipped classroom; the internal drive and self-control of learners' independent learning should be improved; SPOC course assessment methods should be refined, and the intelligent learning function construction of the curriculum platform should be promoted.

Keywords:SPOC; MOOC; current teaching situation; assessment indicator

AnEmpiricalAnalysisoftheStudents′EntrepreneurialCompetenceinApplication-orientedUniversities

WANG Zhijun, WU Yiying

Page 105

Abstract:Based on the questionnaire data from10 application-oriented “Pilot Universities” in Zhejiang Province, this study analyzed the students′ entrepreneurial competence of application-oriented universities as well as the difference of students′ entrepreneurial competence in terms of gender, disciplines and internship time. The result shows that the students′ entrepreneurial competence are at medium level while their basic and core entrepreneurial competence need to be improved. Overall, there is no significant influence on the students' entrepreneurial competence in terms of gender, disciplines and internship time. However, specifically, gender and disciplines have significant influence on students′ core entrepreneurial competence and internship time significantly influences students′ social response ability. Accordingly, it is necessary for the application-oriented universities to strengthen the students′ basic and core entrepreneurial competence, to promote the core entrepreneurial competence for the female students and students of the humanities and social sciences, and meanwhile, to ensure sufficient internship time to develop the students′ social responsibility.

Keywords:application-oriented universities; students′ entrepreneurial competence; entrepreneurial education; educational practice