Technology and Curricular Reform in China: A Case Study

Abstract

This article reports on a 5-year study of a technology-enhanced educational reform initiative at a university in eastern China. A faculty team attempted pedagogical and curricular reform to better prepare English majors to use new technologies for international communication, collaboration, and research. The team developed several project-based courses and incorporated technology into traditional lecture courses. Within a broader study of the reform program, two project-based courses were examined using participant observation, interviews, surveys, and text analysis. The project-based instruction improved learning processes and outcomes by increasing authentic interaction, allowing learners greater autonomy, and providing content more relevant to students' lives and careers. However, few faculty were willing to teach project-based courses because such instruction demands a great deal of time and effort and because student-centered learning clashes with more traditional norms and incentives in Chinese higher education. The study concludes by assessing the reform effort's overall gains and shortcomings and its implications for future educational restructuring in China.