Introduction

Founded in 1982 and renamed in 1995, “Open Education Research ” is an academic journal publicly issued at home and abroad, aiming at disseminating new ideas, conceptions, technologies and methods in open and distance education. For decades, “Open Education Research” adhered to the aims of the journal, that is, “International perspective, High quality, leading academic research, and Striving for excellence,” took the road of characteristic development through a combination of internationalization and professionalization, and became one of the “Dual Core Journals” in the fields of open education, adult education and vocational education in China. The amount of papers reprinted and excerpted by the famous secondary publications, such as “Xinhua Digest”, “Information for Social Science by RUC” , ” Education Abstract Card “, “Education Digest Weekly” and “CUAA (China University Academic Abstracts)”, and its academic impact factor is always among the tops in this field. “Open Education Research” was ranked as “Outstanding Academic Journals in China with International Impact” , and became one of the top journals in China.
——Outstanding Academic Journals in China with International Impact
——Chinese Social Science Citation Index (CSSCI) Source Journals
——Educational Journals of A Guide to Chinese Core Journals
——Core Academic Journals of Chinese Science Evaluation Research Center (RCCSE)

Main subjects

Open education, Distance education, lifelong education, adult education , Learning society

Main columns

【Top Interviews】This is a high-level regular column planned by our correspondents who will interview with international academician in open and distance education. So far more than 60 well-known scholars have been our guest interviewees, including James Taylor, Terry Anderson, Eugene Rubin, Michael G. Moore, Sharan B Merriam, Charlotte N. (Lani) Gunawardena, Max van Manen, Alan Tait, Tony Bates, Badrul Khan, Joseph D. Novak, Greville Rumble, Thomas Hulsmann, Paul Clark, Aminudin Zuhari, Diana Laurillard, Robin Mason, and Pan Maoyuan , Chen Dehuai and Chinese-American Hu Jixuan. It is an important window to absorb and produce new ideas, concepts, technologies and methods.

“Features” In this section, there are key articles which features the focal and forefront themes of open and distance education, and are highly recommended by the editorial department. The main parts of the articles in this column are arranged in advance with the authors for their contribution by the editorial department, and supplemented by other contributions . For the latter part, we look forward to the high-quality contributions that meet the standard of the feature.

【Development strategies】 In this section there are themed discussions focused on the urgent, contemporary, strategic core themes in development of open and distance education. This requires the authors to compare between the core and non-core issues, urgent, non-urgent or ordinary academic themes in the field of distance education, so as to make professional thinking. We published strategic and cutting-edge research articles, for example, “How to Establish Open Universities with Chinese Characteristics” by Wang Yibing, ” Research on the Development of China’s Higher Education Scale from 2013 to 2030—Based on Analysis of Population of the Right Age and Economic Level” by Li Shuohao and Li Wenping.

【Theoretical research】 This is the classical columns of the journal. We are extremely welcome the multifaceted theoretical researches on distance education, higher education, and adult education with multidisciplinary perspectives, so as to build a new educational theory with distance education contributions. Faced with this emerging field of open and distance education, many researches on the current theoretical issues need to bring forward, learn, compare, explore and to guide practices from the help of other disciplines. Among so many ideas or theories, we tend to focus on some basic, cutting-edge theoretical issues. “What is Learning really about—-A Research Outline on the Multi-Discipline Perspective on Learning” by Sang Xinmin “Classification, Comparison and Integration of Classical Thinking Skills Instructional Processes” by Zhao Guoqing are the best examples in our publications.

【Research Reports】This column features solid researches on some important topics, including rigorous research design, hypothesis, research implementation, research methods and data analysis. Although the conclusions or data of these reports may be controversial, or even disputable, however, they are objective reflections of educational practices in a way. Moreover, empirical studies need not only more investments in time, human and funds, but also careful preparation and design. We strongly support and advocate such researches . Any articles on good topics (with clear, practical significance), based on rigorous research design, research hypothesis, explicit research questions, scientific research methods, analysis in depth, and clear arguments will be listed as priority candidates for publishing.

【Teacher Education】This is our key column. Good teachers are often fundamental to the quality assurance of education, and the construction of a powerful teaching staff is also an important guarantee for the healthy development of open and distance education. How to cultivate excellent teaching staff and promote professional quality construction and professional development of faculty have been what we think about. Building good teaching staff relies not only on improving the professional quality, but also updating and development of education concepts, pedagogies and professional development theories and methods of teacher groups. We always pay close attention to such articles about teacher education, like, “Characteristics Depiction and Benefit Analysis of the Distance Learning Course Team Growth” by Zhao Tingting & Yin Zhiying; “Case Study of the Hierarchical Model of Teacher Decision Making in teaching” by Lu Feng & Xu Xiaodong. and look forward to more outstanding contributions .

【Learning support】This is our traditional column. Distance education is the product of the development of Internet and communication technology. Its separation between teaching and learning, teachers and students, spaces and time determines the birth of the concept and practical behavior of “learner -centered self-guided learning”, and has a profound impact on the traditional educational philosophy and practice. Learning support are by no means exclusive to Distance education, and distance education should do it better, so this column should be the birthplace and diffusion place where the theories and practices of distance and non-distance learning support can be co-shared and co-produced. Learning Support is not only just a concept, but more important the action under the guidance of the concept. For all learners , all for learner, has evolved from the concept into the action of learning support, including all visible and invisible elements permeating the whole teaching and learning process, and therefore, this column welcomed the Empirical research results of learning support .

【Technical support】This section focuses on the development and application of advanced technologies in distance education, emphasizing paying close attention to the effectiveness of pioneering application of technology rather than a set of application ideas. Technological support is indispensable to distance education, in other words, “Technology inserts education the wings of Informationization”. As a journal specialized in open and distance education research, we are extremely concerned about the development and further applications of advanced technologies in distance education. We are concerned more about the educational applications of technology rather than the technology itself, due to the educational nature of our journal.

【International forums】This is the column of keynote speeches and thematic papers authorized by the speakers, and academic reviews by our stringers or correspondents who participated the conferences in person. It is a platform of academic values with international vision, focusing on and sorting out distance education conferences and related international conferences in China, reflecting the contemporary academic hot themes and research focuses.

【Lifelong education】This is our competitive column. Open education is not only about the openness of enrollment, but also includes learning objects, learning styles, places, even the concept of learning (the concept of education, in other words). Open Education can be categorized as lifelong education. Taking the booming lifelong education as the subject for discussion, we deeply hold that it will be a major flaw of our understanding doing open education research without lifelong education. Thus, we advocate the famous masterpieces of ideas, thoughts, methods, and efforts of the development of life-long education at home and abroad.