How to Take Good Design/Application Courses

Author: Ying Aina
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Since 2000, China's new round of basic education curriculum reform has been underway for nearly four years. At this time, the Southwest Normal University Press published the series "New Perspectives on Art Curriculum Reform." Is this a train that arrived a bit late? Or perhaps a flower that bloomed out of season? Initially, I thought the same. But then I reconsidered—there are reasons for being early and reasons for being late, and "out-of-season" also has its unique value. As the curriculum reform deepens, people become more rational about it, engaging in profound reflection. The initial "hype" gradually fades, or it could be said that maturity sets in. Therefore, publishing a series of guiding books with practical insights and thoughtful reflections is highly valuable. At first glance, there are several reasons for this:
1. Curriculum reform requires enthusiasm, but it cannot rely solely on it. Art education reform is not achieved by raising one's arms and shouting—it takes time. When we implement experiments based on the new curriculum standards and textbooks, many practical issues arise. These issues can also be considered research topics. In a sense, the reform process is one of continuously solving problems, conducting research, and seeking breakthroughs. After several years of reform, we can now carefully review the emerging issues and use them as research and teaching research topics for rational reflection. For example, reform goals, improvements to the teaching system, the creation of new teaching models, and innovations in teaching methods and tools. If the above issues and topics seem too "broad" and "general," then specific questions such as the status of "basic knowledge and skills," the balance of "integration," and the implementation of "research-based learning" are also worth exploring. There is a strong need for in-depth theoretical and practical guidance now.
Going deeper, the value orientation of the reform itself and its guiding principles may also warrant reflection. Building a unique Chinese art education and teaching system faces severe challenges. We must make choices regarding issues like nationalization versus globalization, local culture versus diverse cultures, and tradition versus modernity. Against the backdrop of economic globalization, how can we promote the cultural values of our nation? While adhering to the national education value system, we must also learn from and absorb advanced international educational resources. These choices will permeate specific curriculum and teaching reform experiments, requiring us to judge, select, and innovate. How to deepen curriculum and teaching reform is a valuable topic for reflection and information for our teachers.
2. Over the years of reform experiments, from the top down—from the command structure to the frontline teachers—all must summarize valuable experiences. While summarizing experience requires a correct guiding ideology and theoretical grasp of curriculum reform, it is also essential to combine frontline reform experiences and outcomes, respect the living practice of reform, and make judgments and choices to facilitate further progress. After all, practice is the criterion for testing truth. Therefore, if we can invite research personnel and excellent teachers from the frontline of reform to summarize advanced and effective experiences, guiding teachers and their work, this would be a highly meaningful endeavor. This series of books embodies this objective requirement. From this perspective, the timely publication of guiding books after several years of reform experiments is truly appropriate. Only after years of practice can such guiding books be born. Looking at the compilers of this series, one can see the insight of the publisher and planners at a glance. The contributors include the hosts and drafters of the national art curriculum standards, as well as high-level local research personnel and excellent teachers. The logical structure of the series follows the theoretical guidance of experts and the teaching guidance of research personnel, integrating theory and practice, theoretical guidance, and practical operations organically. The first three volumes explain and guide the basic theories of curriculum and teaching (including concepts, value systems, goals, methods, tools, and evaluation), always keeping the direction of curriculum and teaching and its reform in mind. The following seven volumes provide practical, actionable guidance, achieving unity between theory and practice, the abstract and the concrete. This is also a distinctive feature of the series.
In conclusion, due to the authors' limited perspective and tight schedule, this series may have certain limitations, shortcomings, or even unavoidable errors. However, it is a timely and applicable book worth recommending, and even more so for fellow educators to read.