e-Learning Initiatives in China: Pedagogy, Policy and Culture

14: The Informationization of Higher Education in China: Present Situation and Challenges

The Informationization of Higher Education in China 221 14 The Informationization of Higher Education in China: Present Situation and Challenges Huang Ronghuai, Jiang Xin and Zhang Haishen Introduction China has achieved significant advances in social and economic development in recent decades. In 2005, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 18.23 trillion RMB,1 and Premier Wen Jiabao pointed out in his 2006 Work Report that “China has entered an historic stage where we should rely more on technological advances and innovation to boost our social and economic development, and should place the acceleration of scientific and technological development in a more paramount strategic position.” Informationization is the term used in China to refer to this process of applying information technology widely throughout society. The aim is to enhance productivity and work efficiency so that the quality of every citizen’s material and cultural life can be improved. The introduction and integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into the education system is known as educational informationization, and the Chinese government regards this as essential for transforming the heavy population burden into valuable human resources (Chen 2003–04). China’s main strategic aim is to invigorate the country through science and education and through human resource development. Clearly, education has played, and will continue to play, a crucial role in China’s social and economic development and its sustainable development. For this reason, a breakthrough is needed now (Zhang J. 2005) in terms of increasing investment, maintaining balanced educational development, improving the infrastructure and implementing systematic reform, because all these efforts will contribute to the improvement of overall labour quality and skills, the construction of a civilized and harmonious society as well as the application of modern technology. Only in this way can China’s education system undertake its current responsibilities and fulfill its historic mission. 222 Huang Ronghuai, Jiang Xin and Zhang Haishen Higher Education in China at Present China’s educational system is composed of five levels: pre-school education, basic education, special education, higher education and continuing education. In higher education (HE), the main forms of study are regular HE, adult education, self-study HE examination,2 and distance education. There are 2,004 institutions of higher learning at present in China, and HE is set to grow very rapidly in the near future. The educational arena in China is thus complex and multilayered, meeting a range of different student needs and set for continued growth and change. The expansion of higher education and widening participation HE is currently expanding at a phenomenal rate. As Table 14.1 shows, the number of students at regular institutions of higher learning3 jumped from 3.409 million in 1998 to 13.335 million in 2004, and the gross admission rates rose from 9.8 percent to 19 percent. In 2004, the number of regular institutions of higher learning reached 1,731, and combined with institutions of adult education this gave a total of 2,236. The total number of enrolled students surpassed 20 million (13.34 million at regular institutions of higher learning), and the number of enrolled postgraduate students in these 20 million students reached 3,263,000, an increase of 574,000 on 2003 and a rise of 21.35 percent. Table 14.1 Number of Regular Institutions of Higher Learning and Enrolled Students Number of regular Growth Number of enrolled Growth institutions of rate students at institutions rate higher learning of higher learning (million) 1998 1022 0.2% 3.41 7.4% 1999 1071 4.79% 4.13 21.27% 2000 1041 –2.80% 5.56 34.51% 2001 1225 17.68% 7.19 29.31% 2002 1396 13.96% 9.03 25.63% 2003 1552 11.17% 11.09 22.72% 2004 1731 11.53% 13.34 20.29% Despite this expansion, there are still regional differences in HE, just as there are regional differences in China’s social and economic development. If we look at the figures for the number of enrolled students per 10,000 people in different regions from 1999 to 2001 (see Table 14.2, p. 223), it can be seen that there is still a problem of poor geographical distribution of HE resources (Chen 2005). The Informationization of Higher Education in China 223 Despite these continuing problems of differences in regional provision and uptake, it is important to note that China has made great achievements in the following five...