The Development and Application of Regional Education Informatization in China

Abstract

Education informatization has become a significant symbol of educational modernization. Over the past 20 years, China has made remarkable achievements in the development of information technology infrastructure, resources, and personnel training. Despite the initial success on the education informatization management, China is still facing many challenges in primary and secondary schools’ education informatization: ineffective digital educational resource sharing mechanism (lack of public information technology service platform), insufficient quality education resources (i.e., campus network infrastructure and teachers’ information technology capabilities), poorly integrated education informationalized system management (i.e., slow deployment and limited functionality), insufficient information capabilities training for the teacher, imbalanced development in regional education informatization (i.e., funding shortage in rural areas), and lack of sustainable development policies. Thus, how to resolve these challenges and to prepare primary and secondary schools for the 21st century classroom has become an urgent issue in reaching China’s ambitious goal of 100% network connection. By examining the current status of education informationalized development in three different economic areas in China, this chapter collects, complies, compares, and evaluates the application and development of regional education informatization including information technology hardware, informational network, information capabilities, and education informatization development funds in primary and secondary schools. Recommendations are made to improve the process of education informatization development and application; to reduce the regional gaps in education informatization; to accelerate the development of network resources, network infrastructure, and informationalized platform; to improve information technology capability training; and to establish better policies for sustainable development of education informatization in China.