Research on the Construction Status, Objectives and Innovative Development Paths of the Virtual Teaching and Research Office for College English

Abstract

In July 2022, the Notice of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education on Launching the Pilot Construction of Virtual Teaching and Research Offices explicitly stated that virtual teaching and research offices (VTOs) serve as the core carriers for the innovation of grassroots teaching organizations in the “Intelligence +” era. As a pivotal initiative for foreign language education in universities to respond to the national strategy of connotative development of higher education, the construction of VTOs for College English is not only an inherent requirement for advancing the reform of English teaching modes, but also a critical pathway to enhance the quality of foreign language education. Current academic research in this field primarily focuses on the exploration of macro-models among universities included in the pilot list of the Ministry of Education, whereas there exists a notable deficiency in studies summarizing practical experience of non-pilot universities and conducting micro-level research on content construction. Based on this observation, the present study systematically sorts out the construction patterns and development features of domestic VTOs for College English, clarifies their core construction objectives, and constructs practical and operable development paths from four dimensions: the innovation of teaching and research forms, the deepening of teaching research, the co-construction of high-quality resources, and the professional development of teachers. This study aims to provide theoretical references and practical paradigms for universities to deepen the reform of foreign language education and teaching, and to facilitate the high-quality development of higher education.