Ensuring the Sustainability of University Learning: Case Study of a Leading Chinese University

Yang Liu, Yu Zhang, Weifeng Qiao, Lu Zhou and Hamish Coates
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Yang Liu: Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Yu Zhang: Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Weifeng Qiao: Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Lu Zhou: Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Hamish Coates: Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: The spread of the novel coronavirus at the start of 2020 shocked higher education across China then around the rest of the world. To ensure sustainability of learning, this required an unprecedented shift from campus-based to emergency online education. This created an urgent need to learn more about the quality of online education, the provision of global education, and the transformation potential of universities. This paper analyses these matters, presenting insights from large-scale research conducted on a leading Chinese university, the first ever major research university to make this substantial transition. This research applied a mixed methods design, which combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. The results provide important insight into the nature, quality, and outcomes of online learning in major Asian research universities. They signal critical areas that require reform to ensure the sustainability of future higher education.

Keywords: COVID-19; online education; education evaluation; higher education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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