西部中小学远程教育项目的成功经验

Distance Education Projects for Elementary and Middle Schools in Western China: Some Successful Experiences

为促进中国西部大开发,中国教育部和香港李嘉诚基金会共同实施了西部中小学远程教育项目。经过近3年的努力,现已在中国西部12个省、自治区、直辖市,3个少数民族自治县,和240个贫困县的10000所中小学建立了远程教育示范点。本文对该项目的发生、进展进行了归因分析。

To promote the opening up and development of Western China, the Ministry of Education in China and the Li Ka-shing Foundation in Hong Kong have joined hands in introducing a number of distance education projects for elementary and middle schools in this less-developed region. After a period of three years, distance education sections have been set up in 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. 240 less well-off counties are also included. The success of these projects can be attributed to three factors. Firstly, the 10,000 distance education sections in these projects all adopt a framework which consists of the following two key elements: (1) two technologists provided for each county; and (2) a distance education learning resources center. The design of such a framework enables the delivery of computer network services to remote regions and represents a breakthrough in the development of distance basic education. Secondly, training of frontline teaching staff is emphasized. Well-trained staff together with facilities and equipment enable the elementary and middle schools involved to effectively and successfully deliver distance education services. Thirdly, learning and teaching resources have also played an important part in the development of these projects. Electronic resources are downloaded to computers through satellite data broadcasting and teachers can conveniently access model lessons, synchronous classes and information about curriculum reforms when they prepare class content. In this manner, teachers in remote regions can keep up with the pace of the basic education curriculum reform in the more developed regions of China and hence enhance the quality of their teaching. Lastly, the operation of these distance education projects is also supported by an appropriate organizational structure, facilities, equipment, resources and financial funding, together with assessment and evaluation which provides continuous feedback.