In July 2000, BFSU was authorized as an experimental university of modern distance education by the MOE. In December 2000, the Institute of Online Education (BeiwaiOnline) was formally established. The combination of the University’s strong educational resources, together with its use of modern educational technology, has enabled BeiwaiOnline to establish a unique Learner-constructed Modular Educational System through 3-M learning design (multimodal learning via multimedia in multiple environments) that provides both degree and non-degree courses according to learners’ own learning ecology. This makes a genuine “five-any” learning possible: anybody, any time, any place, any mode, and any need.
Through years of development, BeiwaiOnline has become a brand name of online language education expert in China. It has been one of the leaders with a comprehensive educational system, diverse programmes, advanced technologies, and rich resources among institutes of online education in China. BeiwaiOnline will continue to develop vigorously and innovatively to promote quality language education to the public.
In January 2024, as one of the exemplary cases, BeiwaiOnline’s practice has been included into ISO/TR 29996:2024 “Education and Learning Services – Distance and Digital Learning Services (DDLS) - Case Studies”. Based on years of online education practices, BeiwaiOnline initiates Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association, China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese (ChinaCALL), International Conference on CALL yearly and Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning (JCCALL).
