“Beep——” Xiao Wen, a student majoring in Computer Applications at Dongyuan County Vocational and Technical School, was scanning a QR code to open the Guangdong Lifelong Learning Platform. After carefully browsing the courses on the platform, he said excitedly, “Great! I wanted to create a Douyin account to document my life but didn’t know where to learn AI short video production. Now I’ve found a free learning channel.” This scene took place during an event promoting the Guangdong Lifelong Learning Platform in Dongyuan County.
Building a lifelong learning system in Guangdong is a key livelihood project planned by the provincial party committee and government based on the long-term development of the province. It aligns with the public’s aspirations for a high-quality spiritual and cultural life and serves as an important lever to enhance the comprehensive literacy of the entire population and empower high-quality economic and social development. Guangdong Open University, as the institution responsible for the learning platform, adheres to the educational philosophy of “openness, inclusiveness, lifelong learning, innovation, flexibility, and convenience,” continuously accelerating the construction of a lifelong learning ecosystem.
Recently, Dongyuan County and Guangdong Open University have taken the “Double Hundred Action” university-local cooperation as an opportunity to deepen collaboration. Through a series of measures, they have promoted the learning platform across the county, bridging the “last mile” of lifelong learning services and supporting the development of a learning society in Dongyuan and the high-quality growth of the county’s “Hundreds, Thousands, and Tens of Thousands Project.”
Focusing on Campus Education, Building a Foundation for Youth Lifelong Learning
Mastering a skill to achieve growth and success is the goal for vocational school students. For students at Dongyuan County Vocational and Technical School and Dongyuan Health Vocational and Technical School, they are most delighted that Guangdong Open University has brought high-quality teaching resources to them through the “Double Hundred Action,” giving them access to better learning opportunities. However, relying solely on university outreach cannot fully meet their daily learning needs. Now, with joint efforts from the county and university, these schools utilize high-quality vocational course resources on the Guangdong Lifelong Learning Platform to improve talent cultivation methods. They integrate online digital learning with offline classroom teaching and vocational skill training, allowing students to log in anytime and learn skills from master craftsmen and industry experts.
Addressing Diverse Needs, Expanding Promotion Dimensions
Based on the learning characteristics and needs of different groups, Dongyuan County carries out targeted platform promotion through various offline key activity scenarios. With coordinated efforts between the county and university, regular platform promotion is conducted through activities such as family tradition volunteer training and opening ceremonies at Dongyuan Open University. Detailed explanations of the platform’s core functions and learning advantages are provided to volunteers, adult learners, grassroots residents, and other groups, encouraging people of all ages and industries to actively engage in online learning. This fosters a social atmosphere where everyone enjoys learning and pursues lifelong education. Volunteer Xiao Li, responsible for promoting the learning platform, said, “The platform connects to the province’s unified identity authentication system and integrates with the credit bank’s data interface, recording all learning outcomes. After certification, these can be converted into credit for academic programs. This helps us improve our qualifications in the future, and I’m also continuously learning.”
Building a Three-Tier Coordination System, Achieving Full Grassroots Coverage
Leveraging a three-tier coordination mechanism at the county, town, and village levels, Dongyuan County, together with Guangdong Open University, uses grassroots venues such as countywide New Era Civilization Practice Stations and volunteer service posts to regularly carry out comprehensive and immersive platform promotion. This extends high-quality lifelong learning services to every village and community. Village cadres and volunteers provide hands-on guidance to residents on using the platform, bringing provincial learning resources down to the grassroots and benefiting thousands of households. In Hongguang Village, Xiantang Town, 72-year-old Uncle Pan said, “I usually like to browse my phone when I have free time, but I worry about encountering fake information. Since volunteers recommended this platform to me, I can watch videos online without worry.” Uncle Pan has learned about health preservation, Chinese classics, and other courses tailored for seniors on the platform.
Leveraging Local Resources, Enriching Platform Course Offerings
As one of the first batch of typical counties for the “Hundreds, Thousands, and Tens
