An ecological model of e-learning in a Chinese context: critical reflections of five years’ practice of e-learning management in the BIOE

Abstract

The paper presents critical reflections of five years’ hands-on experiences of setting up and managing an e-learning institute, the Beiwai Institute of Online Education (BIOE). It first spells out the Chinese educational context towards the end of the 20th century. This is followed by a critical review of the national ICT initiatives taken by the Ministry of Education, BIOE being part of the programme. The initial theoretical assumptions that underpinned the setting up of BIOE are analysed. The five years’ practice functions as a natural testing period, as it were, of the assumptions. Although the testing was in no sense equivalent to hypothesis testing experiments carried out in a laboratory, some valuable theoretical and practical implications are drawn. Also presented is an ecological model of e-learning, a holistic approach to e-learning, which is an outcome of the five years’ practice.

Acknowledgments

The research is funded by the MOE's project (02 JA ZJD740004).

Notes

1. These figures should not be taken as being highly accurate. They are approximate in nature. This applies to all demographic figures in this paper.

2. This section is based on Gu (2001).

3. Due to poor practice, some of the 68 universities had their online education licenses taken away.

4. Interestingly, this is the view held by Skinner (1958).

5. The 10 qualities are: (1) able to learn independently as well as collaboratively; (2) capable of self-discipline, self-management and self-monitoring; (3) capable of seeking resources and resource selection; (4) capable of resolving the conflict between study and other commitments; (5) capable of taking the initiative; (6) capable of applying interpersonal skills; (7) capable of seeking help; (8) confident and persevering; (9) capable of developing personal learning styles and strategies; (10) able to lead and control.

6. One of the 68 e-learning institutes mentioned above enrolled about 80,000 students in its first two years, thus making it the largest of all in number. It is this number that resulted in its total collapse and the ruining of its reputation in the third year. The downfall of this institute was largely due to the fact that its resources were far too limited, its support systems virtually non-existent and learning process monitoring almost unknown.

7. The first three year assessment was made by www.sina.com, the largest Internet service provider in China. The 2005 assessment was made by New Capital Daily, a Chinese national newspaper.

8. The factors that affect student participation in forum discussions were found to include: (1) the relation between the learners’ motivation and the purpose of the forum; (2) a desire to share experiences; (3) the forum topic; (4) job conflicts; (5) the tutor/facilitator's participation.