Bluebook calls for smarter education

A reporter tries on a mixed-reality headset during the World Digital Education Conference in Beijing on Monday. 

As China moves toward a modern country with a strong education sector, smart education must see greater growth, according to a new bluebook.

Digital technologies are the bedrock for smart education, which features diverse data application and sharing, and calls for the collective creation and sharing of digital education resources and a renewed commitment to a global community of smart education, said the China Smart Education Bluebook 2022.

The bluebook was released by the China National Academy of Educational Sciences during the World Digital Education Conference, which was held in Beijing from Monday to Tuesday.

As digital technologies integrate deeper into education, countries will be able to draw on each other's strengths, allowing smart education to benefit all, the bluebook said.

More efforts are needed to integrate new technologies seamlessly into teaching to meet the needs of learners. The use of technologies, facilities and devices should not be the sole focus in the efforts to create a smart learning environment, and improving teaching methods and practices is also important, it said.

The integration of digital technologies in education results in a fundamental shift in teachers' roles and functions. Efforts to nurture smart teachers should focus on reshaping their ideas, awareness and digital competency and enabling them to become more competent in guiding students' development, the bluebook said.

It is essential to prioritize the construction of digital education infrastructure in rural, remote, impoverished areas, and digital skills training should be incorporated into the education system to improve the digital literacy of all people, especially students, said the bluebook.

The bluebook stressed the need to conform to technology ethics and protect data security to ensure the healthy growth of smart education. It is vital to define the boundary for AI applications in education, and measures should be taken to avoid information cocoons and algorithmic discrimination resulting from misuse of algorithms in smart education, it said.

The bluebook suggested including smart education in the broader agenda of China's transition to a digital and smart society.

While national public service platforms like the Smart Education of China should play a central role in enabling lifelong learning for all people, it is also important to engage the private sector in smart education, increase the connectivity among different platforms and develop more applications in this area, the bluebook added.