Knowledge-hungry kids to get online tuition
Print Edition
SCHOOLCHILDREN with a passion for knowledge beyond the boundaries of the classroom will soon be able to quench their intellectual thirst via an online training program launched yesterday by the city’s education authorities.
The “massive open online courses” are available free of charge to all middle and high school pupils across Shanghai, Jia Wei, deputy director of the Shanghai Education Commission, told a press conference to announce the launch.
The initial offering comprises 21 courses — covering everything from art and literature to mathematics, technology and social sciences — but the total is expected to grow over time, he said.
While the subject matter is academic in nature, the courses are not designed to be an extension of the school curriculum, but rather to offer children the opportunity to broaden their learning in a structured, but more relaxed way, he said.
“There is no requirement for students to take any of the courses, but we hope to establish a platform through which they can learn about the things that interest them,” he said.
“In fact, children are allowed to register for no more than four courses at a time so that they don’t become too much of a burden,” he said.
Each course comprises between eight and 10 “episodes,” which might be anything from a standard lecture to a video presentation, Jia said.
Course tutors might also sometimes arrange live, online discussions through which the students will be able to air their views or ask questions.
To ensure the courses do not eat into the time children would normally spend on their regular studies or homework, the episodes will be available to watch only at weekends — between the hours of 8am and 8pm — and during the school holidays, he said.
Jia was also keen to remind parents that while the courses are intended to educate and stimulate their youngsters, they do not count toward their formal academic scores, nor do they contain a “homework” element.
“We don’t want anyone to be pushed into taking a course, but we hope that they inspire children to become more independent in their learning, and show them how to make best use of the technologies and resources available to them.”
All of the courses have been developed by four of the city’s top schools, namely Shanghai High School, No. 2 High School of East China Normal University, High School Affiliated to Fudan University and High School Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the official said.
One of them — on the subject of astrophysics — was produced by Zhang Yu, a senior pupil at the Jiao Tong school who last year won first prize at the 30th Shanghai Adolescents Science and Technology Innovation Contest.
All of the courses are scheduled to begin on March 5, though anyone interested in taking part should register now, Jia said.
Full details are available at http://gzmooc.edu.sh.cn and also via the websites of the participating schools.
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