Going Online? China’s Response in Higher Education System to the Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Since the early march of 2020, higher education institutions around the world shut down quickly because of the outbreak of covid-19. This article addresses China’s response to this unprecedented pandemic in terms of a nationwide school closure. This article introduces how Chinese higher institutions use different strategies to launch online education under the initiative entitled “Ensuring Learning Undisrupted when Classes are Disrupted” from the Ministry of Education. The article also provides brief introduction on China’s online education initiative in a global context. Concerns of online education discussed in this article include equitable access to online education, challenges of curriculum design, and academic integrity. Practical suggestions are therefore offered based on North American experience. Finally, this article concludes the critical impact of online education on Chinese higher institutions during and even after this pandemic.