The Chinese Society of Degree and Graduate Education organized the 2024 Master of Education Graduate Instructor Seminar on May 11, 2024. Over 150 experts and scholars from 90 universities specializing in modern educational technology attended the seminar to discuss the guidance of master’s degree theses in this field.

The following individuals attended the meeting: Jiandong Miao, the deputy director; Huixian Xia, a member; Dongsheng Zhai and Jiaqi Wang, secretaries of the National Education Professional Degree Graduate Education Steering Committee; Yingfeng Cai, the vice president of our school; Keding Zhong, the director; Wei Zhao and Bochang Zhong, deputy directors; and Pengze Wu, Yong Mie, Xiangchun He, and Fan Wang, members of the Expert Committee of Modern Education Technology.

During the keynote report, Professor Keding Zhong from Beijing Normal University analyzed the guidelines, challenges, factors, and remedies related to the selection of topics for professional master’s theses in the field of modern educational technology. He highlighted several issues in writing a master’s thesis in modern educational technology, including the broadening of the research scope in educational technology, the lack of focus and limitation in research problems for the Master of Education program, and the tendency to prioritize trends and practicality in research direction. “Adherence to the curriculum concept and requirements outlined in the Compulsory Education Information Technology Curriculum Standards (2022 edition) is essential. The chosen topic keywords should accurately represent the scope of educational and teaching research, encompassing both basic education and secondary vocational education. Additionally, the keywords should indicate the application of technology in education and reflect the integration of various disciplines.” Zhong stated.

Professor Bochang Zhong from South China Normal University identified several issues in the literature review of professional master’s degree theses based on an analysis of 38 theses on modern education technology from the past five years. These issues include inadequate comprehensive literature research, insufficient in-depth literature mining, lack of international perspective, and a lack of timeliness in the literature. In the field of research design and execution, several issues arise, including a lack of problem awareness, flawed instrument design, inaccurate research design, and insufficient description of teaching practice. He proposed utilizing the double tutorial system as a foundation and emphasizing the integration of theory and practice. By combining “learning by doing” and “doing while researching,” he aims to enhance educational practice. Additionally, he seeks to provide strong support for achieving training objectives through course offerings.

Professor Fan Wang from Jiangsu Normal University has conducted a comprehensive study on the selection of master’s degree topics in modern educational technology in China for almost two decades using CiteSpace software. The study involved analyzing the development trends and evolution of current master’s degree thesis topics in modern educational technology. Based on the findings, Professor Wang has proposed countermeasures and suggestions. These include examining the issue from a policy perspective to understand the prevailing trends, considering the mission of the current era to determine the direction, and addressing the existing challenges to clarify the thought process.

Using Northeast Normal University as an illustration, Professor Wei Zhao introduced the notion of creative education and discussed the comprehensive training approach for interdisciplinary education talents, aiming for a “solid foundation, strong skills, and excellent research” outcome. This approach encompasses training objectives, fundamental requirements, training methods, and curriculum structure.

Professor Pengze Wu from South China Normal University has proposed a coping strategy for writing a thesis on the Master of Education in modern educational technology. The approach involves a three-dimensional practical teaching system that focuses on gathering potential and empowering individuals, combining knowledge and action, and promoting cooperative education.

Professor Yong Mie of Shaanxi Normal University addressed the issues in guiding master’s theses in the field of modern education technology. He used the Modern Education Technology program at Shaanxi Normal University as a case study. He proposed solutions such as reading specialized literature, enhancing writing skills, improving data analysis abilities, and implementing stricter quality control measures for research papers.

Professor Xiangchun He from Northwest Normal University proposes that colleges and universities should actively engage in the development of a modern educational technology teaching case database. This can be achieved through collaborative efforts, such as joint construction, collaborative course offerings, or individual course offerings.

The seminar established five sub-forums and conducted an extensive debate on the topic of “Training of Master of Education in Modern Educational Technology.” (School of Teacher Education)