Information technology has changed the educational environment and created the future of education

The first member representative conference of the Education Branch of the China Information Association and the Future Education Summit Forum were held in Beijing. 

China Education News, Beijing, December 10th (Reporter Zhang Chunming) "The essence of education is to enable people to lead a happy and fulfilling life. But our current goal is to get a good score and enter a good school. We are at a turning point. This is an era changed by the Internet and information technology. With the development of modern science and technology, especially the advent of the Internet era, it provides a vast space for future education." On December 10th, at the first member representative conference of the Education Branch of the China Information Association and the Future Education Summit Forum, Zhu Yongxin, the vice chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Democratic Promotion Association and the honorary president of the Education Branch of the China Information Association, said. 

Zhu Yongxin said that in the future, traditional schools might cease to exist and transform into learning centers. Through a course registration system, after completing self-study courses, one would obtain a graduation diploma. This would not require entrance exams; everyone could learn through the internet. Of course, if one prefers offline learning, they can make an appointment with a teacher for guidance. If future schools cannot become resource centers, experience centers, or places where students and teachers can communicate and grow together, they might be phased out. A new batch of learning centers will replace traditional schools. 

At the forum, Li Zhimin, director of the Science and Technology Development Center of the Ministry of Education, said that informatization not only changes the form of industries but also brings about a brand-new lifestyle for humanity. The impact of technological development on education is reflected in the gradual change of the course structure, with knowledge impartation taking place in the classroom and knowledge internalization occurring outside the classroom. The "form" of classes is also gradually changing, from 45 minutes per class to 90 minutes per class, and even to 20 minutes or 10 minutes per class for teachers' lectures. 

Li Zhimin believes that learning (education) can be roughly divided into three categories. The first category is interpersonal communication learning, such as language, etiquette habits, and moral cultivation. This type of learning relies on imitation and habit formation, and the learning environment is very important. With a good learning setting, the learning efficiency will be much higher. This type of learning should not be the main function of schools. The second category is knowledge inheritance learning, such as literature, history, and language. This type of learning depends on face-to-face teaching by teachers and requires the summary, deduction, and induction of knowledge by predecessors. Classroom teaching is highly efficient and should be the main function of schools. The third category is civilization development learning, such as scientific exploration, engineering technology, and philosophy. This type of learning requires systematic basic knowledge, inspiration, insight, and imagination, as well as experimental sites and equipment. From the perspective of the above three learning categories, Li Zhimin believes that MOOCs are more suitable for higher education, where learners are adults with a strong desire for active learning. However, primary and secondary schools are not only about knowledge education but also about the cultivation of discipline, collaboration, respect, and habits. MOOCs can be used as supplementary means but are not suitable for full-course learning. 

"The Internet has brought about fundamental changes in the functions of universities, shifting from functions such as talent cultivation, scientific research, and social services to knowledge exploration, knowledge verification, and examination certification, and then to the virtualization of schools, the ubiquity and globalization of teaching and management," said Li Zhimin. "Education should play a leading role in human civilization." 

Yang Zongkai, the president of Central China Normal University, director of the National Engineering Research Center for Digital Learning, and director of the Academic Committee of the Education Branch of the China Information Association, proposed that technology is far ahead of education. The advancement of information technology has led to a mismatch between educational productivity and production relations. The focus of informatization lies in the "transformation". At the quantitative change level, it is the extensive application of information technology in the field of education. At the qualitative change level, it is the deep integration of information technology with education and teaching. The supporting system for educational reform under the background of informatization involves several links such as standards and evaluation, curriculum and teaching, professional development, and learning environment. Curriculum system reform is the core of deepening educational reform. Under the informatized environment, educational environment, training objectives, teaching content, teaching models, and teacher-student relationships will all change, but what remains unchanged are the essence of education, the functions of schools, and the profession of teachers. 

Experts believe that the ever-accelerating progress of information technology not only alters the educational environment but also shapes the future of education. However, information technology serves education; it is not education itself. The informatization of education should not only bring about changes in learning methods but more importantly, meet the strategic requirements for educational development in contemporary and future societies, and fulfill the need for the effective development of the individual wisdom of every student and citizen. Therefore, future education requires a correct direction and continuous innovation, as well as policy support and effective guidance that promote both fairness and efficiency simultaneously. 

The conference also displayed the calligraphy work presented by Mr. Gu Mingyuan, a renowned Chinese educator, honorary president of the Education Branch of China Information Association and former president of the Chinese Society of Education, to the Education Branch of China Information Association. Guests such as Qu Zhenyuan, president of the China Association of Higher Education and honorary president of the Education Branch of China Information Association, and He Cuiqin, president of China Information Association, as well as over 400 representatives from various educational institutions and well-known educational information technology enterprises across the country attended the meeting. The conference elected 134 council members, 55 executive council members, as well as a secretary-general, vice presidents and a president. 

It is understood that the Education Branch of China Information Association (hereinafter referred to as "the Branch") is a social organization approved by China Information Association, aiming to promote the high-quality, efficient and precise application of information technology in serving the progress and transformation of education. The Branch will be based on national strategic demands and the rapidly changing social environment faced by education, effectively integrating national policy resources, information technology industry resources (especially those of the educational informatization technology industry), and resources from national and regional education systems. Through the construction and application of overall and specialized educational informatization standards, it will actively guide the development direction of the educational informatization industry, continuously improve the quality and level of educational informatization services for education, and accelerate the development and progress of education and teaching under the state of simultaneous improvement of fairness and efficiency. The Branch will observe and study educational informatization from multiple perspectives, guide information technology enterprises and educational institutions to develop educational informatization products "centered on education", and promote the healthy development of educational informatization.