Development and History
Physical Education Department of Donghua University was set up in 1990. It has now a teaching and administrative staff of 34 people, among which 6 are associate professors, 20 are lecturers, 7 are assistant lecturers while 1 works as an assistant. The courses offered include: basic physical education, football, basketball, volleyball, soft volleyball, badminton, ping-pong, handball, rock-climbing, orienteering exercise, bicycle, baseball and softball, physical dance, martial art, body-building and calisthenics (aerobic exercise, hip-hop dance, ballet aerobics, Latin dance aerobics, pedal exercise), figure rope skipping, beach volleyball, swimming and other teaching and learning clubs; selective courses of health care, badminton, male bodybuilding, Taiji Push Hand, match and referring rules of football, rhythmic gymnastics, physical setting-up, ping-pong, football, yoga bodybuilding and calisthenics. For many years, the Physical Education Department has paid much attention to the construction of branches of learning and put the system of club into practice for the education of physical culture. From students’ selection of courses to their achievements of PE and health, all the information is subject to the management of computer. So the Physical Education Department can always go smoothly through the evaluation of teaching and learning of the physical education of colleges and universities.
Directed by the Decisions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Deepening the Reform of Teaching and Learning and All-round Improvement of Quality-oriented Education, Essentials of Guidance on Teaching and Learning of Physical Education of Institutions of Higher Learning of the Country, Standards of Physique and Health of Students and other documents, energetically supported by the leaders of the university and the Department of Academic Affairs and with the efforts of all the teachers of the university, the Physical Education Department has successfully seized the opportunity of reform and taken the lead in our university to conduct the reform of credit system with substantial bearing—implementation of club system with the characteristics of Donghua University for PE. In line with the conditions of our university, the club system for PE came into effect from Sep. 2002, the beginning of a new academic year. The reform is for all the students. Under the teachers’ guidance, the students have the freedoms of selecting courses, teachers and time of attending classes. The “three freedoms” can largely trigger the enthusiasm of the students to take part in physical exercises. At the same time, in accordance with the goals of PE courses prescribed in Essentials of Guidance on Teaching and Learning of Physical Education of Institutions of Higher Learning of the Country, the department has laid down a new evaluation system for the PE achievements of the students. This system is just under implementation and is widely welcomed by the students.
In order to meet the requirements of reform of institutions of higher learning and enforce the personal development of young teachers, the Physical Education Department has worked out a plan of on-the-job training for young teachers. Each term, a teaching instruction team formed by teachers having the academic ranks of associate professors and above will attend and instruct the teaching of young teachers. In actual work they are always required to undertake important duties. The PE Department holds lecturing contests every year among the young teachers below the age of 35 to improve their ability and level of teaching. At the same time some excellent young teachers will be selected to participate in the lecturing contests of the whole university for young teachers. With respect to scientific research, the teachers of the department have published more than 70 theses in various academic journals, university journals and other publications. The department has been awarded the title of Advanced Unit for many times by the Education Commission of the City, Ministry of Education and the State Physical Culture Administration.
Research
Arrangement of Courses
Our university has formally adopted the system of clubs for PE teaching and learning to give lessons from Sep. 2002.
Compulsory courses of PE are offered for the freshmen, sophomores and juniors. In the first term of Grade I, the male and female students all take basic PE courses while in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth terms a system of PE teaching club is adopted. In the third, fourth, fifth and sixth terms it is just all right for the students to choose one of the terms to attend classes.
As for PE lessons, the students can select courses on the local network and can enjoy the freedom to choose teachers, time of attending classes and items of sports.
Teaching and Learning Clubs Opened
For female freshmen, sophomores and juniors: PE teaching and learning clubs of basic PE, rhythmic gymnastics, calisthenics, basketball, volleyball, swimming, PE dance, badminton, ping-pong, handball, tennis ball, figure rope skipping, hip-hop dance and indoor rock-climbing.
For male freshmen, sophomores and juniors: PE teaching and learning clubs of basic PE, basketball, football, ping-pong, badminton, handball, calisthenics, swimming, martial arts, PE dance, baseball and softball, indoor rock-climbing, field orienteering exercise and bicycle.
Development:
In the future we will try to offer: the sports items such as kickboxing, karate and football favored by the students. The number of teaching and learning clubs of our department of physical education will reach 30 to 35.