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Digital technologies for education in China: National ambitions meet local realities

Schulte, Barbara LU orcid (2018) In MERICS Papers on China 6 (October 2018). p.31-38
Abstract
China has been a pioneer in including information and communication technologies for educational purposes (ICT4E) in national educational policies. Having recognized the role technology can play in education in the late 1990s, the country has by now emerged as an international leader in propagating the benefits of ICT4E. At the levels of the school and individual learner, however, ICT4E still play a subordinated role. This mismatch between political ambitions and educational realities can largely be attributed to contradictions within the Chinese education system, which attempts to reconcile diverging political, social, and pedagogical objectives.

The paper will begin by introducing the reader to these contradictions, to then... (More)
China has been a pioneer in including information and communication technologies for educational purposes (ICT4E) in national educational policies. Having recognized the role technology can play in education in the late 1990s, the country has by now emerged as an international leader in propagating the benefits of ICT4E. At the levels of the school and individual learner, however, ICT4E still play a subordinated role. This mismatch between political ambitions and educational realities can largely be attributed to contradictions within the Chinese education system, which attempts to reconcile diverging political, social, and pedagogical objectives.

The paper will begin by introducing the reader to these contradictions, to then briefly outline what ICT4E entail in general, and how they are relevant in China. The subsequent sections will describe the goals, initiatives, and policies related to ICT4E in China particularly since 2012/2013 – the time when Xi Jinping took over as head of party and state; identify actors and their interests; shed light on implementation, experiments, and outcomes; and conclude by discussing the global implications of Chinese ICT4E initiatives. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
China, social service provision, education, ICT4E, information and communication technologies
host publication
Serve the people. Innovation and IT in China’s development agenda
series title
MERICS Papers on China
editor
Stepan, Matthias and Duckett, Jane
volume
6 (October 2018)
pages
31 - 38
publisher
Mercator Institute for China Studies
project
Digital China
Nation state versus ethnicity: educating ethnic minorities in South-West China
Family, Migration and Welfare
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4a0c27bf-218f-47a9-994b-237c8fd65a4f
date added to LUP
2018-10-18 11:29:11
date last changed
2019-03-08 03:21:25
@inbook{4a0c27bf-218f-47a9-994b-237c8fd65a4f,
  abstract     = {{China has been a pioneer in including information and communication technologies for educational purposes (ICT4E) in national educational policies. Having recognized the role technology can play in education in the late 1990s, the country has by now emerged as an international leader in propagating the benefits of ICT4E. At the levels of the school and individual learner, however, ICT4E still play a subordinated role. This mismatch between political ambitions and educational realities can largely be attributed to contradictions within the Chinese education system, which attempts to reconcile diverging political, social, and pedagogical objectives.<br/><br/>The paper will begin by introducing the reader to these contradictions, to then briefly outline what ICT4E entail in general, and how they are relevant in China. The subsequent sections will describe the goals, initiatives, and policies related to ICT4E in China particularly since 2012/2013 – the time when Xi Jinping took over as head of party and state; identify actors and their interests; shed light on implementation, experiments, and outcomes; and conclude by discussing the global implications of Chinese ICT4E initiatives.}},
  author       = {{Schulte, Barbara}},
  booktitle    = {{Serve the people. Innovation and IT in China’s development agenda}},
  editor       = {{Stepan, Matthias and Duckett, Jane}},
  keywords     = {{China; social service provision; education; ICT4E; information and communication technologies}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  pages        = {{31--38}},
  publisher    = {{Mercator Institute for China Studies}},
  series       = {{MERICS Papers on China}},
  title        = {{Digital technologies for education in China: National ambitions meet local realities}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/53116904/digital_technologies_for_education.pdf}},
  volume       = {{6 (October 2018)}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}