Exploration and Practice on Innovative Education of Sino-Australian
Cooperation
Jian-zhong Lou 1,2, Jian-ping Li1*
1
2
Department of Bio-systems Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Department of Mechanical Engineering,Zhejiang Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Hangzhou, China
(loujz160@sina.com, jpli@zju.edu.cn)
Abstract - Sino-Australian cooperation is a new model of
vocational education. However, there are still some problems
such as teachers, teaching materials, resource utilization, as
well as English language teaching and the application of
advanced teaching methods. These issues have become the
bottleneck of the development of Sino-Australian
cooperative education. With the carrying out of cooperation
projects and the practice of Sino-Australian cooperative
education, creative education has became more and more
important in the new phase of Sino-Australian cooperation
Keywords - vocational education; innovation; SinoAustralian cooperation; distance education
affected vocational education, thus ignoring the position
of vocational education and the development of students.
The creative sense of students and entrepreneurial ability
has been restricted to some extent. Both selfconsciousness and innovative ability of students are weak.
They lack of learning ability, practical ability and
innovative ability. So strengthen the innovation ability of
students and emphasize the adaptable ability in future
career is particularly urgent in vocational education.
As an integral part of vocational education, how to
develop innovative education in Sino-Australian
cooperation at new era has become an important subject.
I. INTRODUCTION
Sino-Australian cooperation has been implemented in
our institute for four years. It has undergone a period from
exploration to maturity. In this process TAFE was
gradually penetrated in the teaching and management
mode. Teaching plan which was drawn up by our institute
(ZIME) and Boxhill institute in Australia has been
executed, Australia's evaluation methods, assessment
system and quality standards were used. Exploration and
practice on innovative education of Sino-Australian
cooperation determined the survival and development of
this model.
II. INNOVATIVE EDUCATION IS THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE NEW ERA
Innovative education is the education that looked the
spirit of innovation and creativity as a basic value
orientation. Vocational education should develop students
with innovation and creation [1]. National long-term
development plan for education reform has clearly put
forward for building an innovative country’s needs to
strive to improve their creativity ability and good
problem-solving ability [2]. Without the support of highly
skilled personnel and guarantee of high-quality and
innovative team, “Made in China” change to “China
create” will not be a reality.
It’s clear that China need more people with
innovative, practical, versatile ability. With the impact of
the traditional education, knowledge-based education
focused on getting good marks in the test. This model also
Author: Jian-zhong Lou (1973 -), male, lecturer in Zhejiang Institute of
Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Ph.D., Zhejiang University.
*Corresponding author: Jian-ping Li, Male, Professor.
III. THE MOST IMPORTANT INNOVATION LEADING FORCE
IN EDUCATION IS TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE TEACHERS
Innovative teachers are prerequisite for training
creative students. They are also the most important
leading force in innovative education [3-5]. Only innovative
teachers can undertake the task of innovative education
and training of innovative students. Research shows that
innovation education and innovative teachers are related
closely. If teachers have great creative potential, students
may get brilliant future possibly [6] [7].
The teachers are special because they taught students
with double languages in Chinese and English. But lots of
them are just graduated from school with master or doctor
degree. Although the higher education level, there are still
have some problems such as little experience of training
in enterprise. The knowledge they teaching come from the
books they have ever learned in the past. It is difficult for
them to combine the theory with practice, let alone
innovative. It is also difficult for students to have the
capacity of further studying with the existing knowledge,
thus constrained the development of student’s thinking [8]
[9]
.
It is the main reason of lacking professional teachers
in the Sino-Australian cooperation education that the
teacher should not only master the professional
knowledge but also familiar with English [10]. It’s also the
important obstacle to innovation which further restricts
the development of cooperative education with Australia.
For this reason, we should look it as an important
and long-term goal to further strengthen the construction
of teaching staff, fully attention to importance of
professional teachers in the professional construction and
innovative education.
A. Training in Australia
The teachers who training in Australia will not only
study and understand the advanced experience and
methods in Australian education, but also practice with a
given task and application when they come back, played a
leading role in this model of cooperation education.
B. Australia teachers involved in teaching in China
Australia teachers will increase the vitality in SinoAustralian cooperation education. Their advanced
teaching methods and ideas will inject vigor and energy,
combined with the professional teachers in our school
which will greatly strengthen communication of teachers
between China and Australia.
C. Teachers deeply participate in the research of
enterprise
Teachers in Sino-Australian cooperation should
deeply participate in the research of enterprise. They will
have both the high quality of teaching theory and practice
ability to adapt to the development of vocational
education in the future.
It is necessary to contact with local enterprise and
industry and focus on strengthening the base construction
of practical training. Then to establish stable training base
of Sino-Australian cooperation and combination the
teaching, production, management and service with each
other. Actively explore the mechanism of training bases
construction and approaches to creative education.
School has gradually accumulated a good reputation
in the community and the establishment of a wide range
of social relations in the development process, which has
made a good external guarantee in the implementation of
cooperative education. How to make full use of existing
resources, organic combination the classroom education
and on-site education which can directly access to the
actual capacity and production experience. So that
students can gain practical experience in social practice.
In the process of practice training, fully management was
established smoothly and efficiently, as shown in Figure
1.
In the process control system, “the four evaluations”
is the core of the evaluation system that means the master
evaluation, enterprise management evaluation, instructor
enterprise education sector
D. Multimedia used in classroom
Blackboard and chalk is the traditional teaching
methods teacher used in the old times, but this approach
has not suited to modern times. With the development of
electronic technology and computer network, multimedia
has been applied to classroom, the changes in the way of
education interested the students, while improved
teaching efficiency.
E. Distance-Education
The use of online education in domestic is general,
but it’s is a new phenomenon in international cooperation
education. It broken the national boundaries, and shorten
the distance. At the same time solve the problem of high
cost shortage of teachers in international cooperation
education.
IV.TO STRENGTHEN SCHOOL-ENTERPRISE COOPERATION
School-enterprise cooperation is the important
practical measures to seek self-development of institute
and gradually connect with the market, improve the
quality of education and purposeful train for skilled and
technical students. It reflects the most distinctive and
closest characteristics of vocational education, society and
enterprise, and it is the key to the current education mode
of vocational education reform and innovation including
teaching, training mode, evaluation mode. It also looked
as an important way to takes into account vocational
education as economic and social development and
industrial development planning, promote vocational
education scale, professional settings, and needs of
economic and social development. This model is worthy
of being referred in Sino- Australian cooperation.
workstation school-enterprise cooperation
master
parents
office of School-enterprise cooperation
students
instructor
head teacher
professional department
special working group
evaluation, student self-evaluation to determine final
result of students training.
Figure1:Diagram of the process control system
V.
PLAY
ADVANTAGES
OF
SINO-AUSTRALIAN
COOPERATION - STRENGTHEN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
TEACHING
For students in Sino-Australian cooperation classes,
on one hand he or she should have perfect English. on the
other hand they should have a solid foundation of
professional knowledge, so the training objectives should
be built from the knowledge, ability and so on.
A. Emphasizing the cultivation of English language
ability
Communication skill is the most important one in
English learning. But the English learning habit should be
change from passive learning to active learning.
English language environment plays a decisive role
in learning English for students. How to create effective
English language learning environment is what we should
consider. Teachers should bold to probe in the English
curriculum reform and innovation in an atmosphere of
respect mutually, using of new teaching methods.
B. Establishment of a competency assessment system
“Test is the evaluation”, this view is still deeply
rooted in Chinese students. The current evaluation system
focus on distinguish, selection and other functions,
ignores the improvement, motivation, development and
results was considered rather than process, too much
emphasis on similarities and general trends, ignoring the
differences between individual students. The practical
ability, study habits, psychological quality, innovative,
comprehensive quality assessment was neglected or the
lack of effective evaluation tools and methods. It is
important to establish a competency-based assessment
system. Combine routine testing, skills assessment with
each other and emphasis on assessing students the ability
of using knowledge to solve practical problems.
C. The integration of English and professional
English education cannot be divorced from
professional knowledge. Knowledge integration is the
goal of knowledge construction. Students in SinoAustralian cooperation general pay more attention to
English learning, but lack in professional knowledge, so it
is necessary to strengthen the learning of professional
knowledge and furthermore to apply their knowledge to
enable students to improve English learning initiative, to
expand, optimize and update their knowledge.
D. Material reflect the characteristics of the current
times
Materials is an important and indispensable
condition of teaching, materials used in Sino-Australian
cooperation generally use original materials from
Australian. For example, there is no suitable material
about the course of “Manufacturing Engineering”, and the
material
from
Australian
“MANUFACTURING
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY” have 1324
pages which related to materials technology, a variety of
cold and hot processing, advanced manufacturing
technology and other aspects, but the original material is
too detailed and too much emphasis on theoretical ability,
so it is not suitable for direct used as teaching materials
for college students especially for the students in
vocational education.
The students in vocational education are different
from the students in higher education. It also requires the
selection of materials in which theory is connected closely
with practice. So teachers should actively involved in
preparing their teaching materials and integration of
practical application in the teaching materials to
strengthen the contents and knowledge in order to reduce
the theoretical derivation, and fully reflecting the latest
developments and trends at the same time.
E. Play the role of network
Popularity of the network makes the information
transfer very quickly, which will help English learning.
Reasonable use of the network can expand information,
increasing knowledge at the same time, and can quickly
improve their English listening and speaking.
VI CONCLUSION
Innovation is a continuous practice of teaching and
long-term accumulation of experience, especially in mode
of the Sino-Australian cooperation. There is no existing
experience for reference. It relates the survival and
development of this model. At the same time, the SinoAustralian cooperative education is facing a growing
pressure of employment. It should continue explore
cooperation in professional construction and embark on a
road with its own characteristics.
Use of the network and multimedia and develop the
distance- education. Resolve the existing problems of
hardware and software in Sino-Australian cooperation as
soon as possible.
Form a student-centered teaching philosophy
gradually.
Continue to strengthen English learning and
stimulate interest and enthusiasm of English learning at
the same time.
Strengthen construction of teaching resources,
strengthen school-enterprise cooperation, and further
optimize the structure of courses and the teaching
resources.
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