A student does her schoolwork online via her home computer. XINHUA
Like most senior high school students in China, 17-year-old Liu Yu, from Yantai Development Zone Senior High School, Shandong, had planned to resume her studies earlier this year to prepare for the upcoming gaokao.
和大多数中国高中生一样，来自山东烟台经济技术开发区高级中学的17岁学生刘瑜计划今年早些开学，为即将到来的高考做准备。
However, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced in late January that the spring semester for all schools would be postponed due to the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, forcing students like Liu to stay at home.
然而，1月下旬教育部宣布，由于新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情，所有学校春季学期延迟开学，这令像刘瑜这样的学生们不得不待在家里。
Rather than falling behind their original plan, Liu and many others have already begun studying full-time again – only from home – in what may have become the largest online teaching trial the country has ever seen.
刘瑜和许多学生并没有拖延他们的原计划，而是再次开始了一整天的学习 —— 只不过是在家里 —— 这或许是我国目前规模最大的一次在线教育试验。
To go with students’ new learning environment, a “cloud platform” was launched on Feb 17 to provide students in elementary and secondary schools with education resources covering all major school subjects, noted Lü Yugang, head of the ministry’s Department of Basic Education. “Students will be able to attend classes online or study via television,” he told China Daily.
教育部基础教育司司长吕玉刚指出，为配合学生们全新的学习环境，从2月17日开始，一款“云平台”将正式开通，为中小学学生提供涵盖所有主要科目的教学资源。“学生们将通过网络或者电视进行课程学习，”他在接受《中国日报》采访时如此表示。
For students in remote or rural areas with poor internet accessibility, a television channel by China Education Television started airing classes on Feb 17 so they can study at home, Xinhua News Agency reported.
据新华社报道，对于偏远农村地区，特别是网络信号欠佳地区的学生，从2月17日起，中国教育电视台将播出有关课程学习资源，以便学生们居家学习。
But the online platform and TV channel don’t just offer school knowledge. Students can also learn about epidemic prevention and control tips during the period, and receive education on patriotism, life and psychological health, according to a guideline issued by the MOE.
但这些在线平台与电视频道不仅仅限于提供课本知识。教育部印发的相关指导意见指出，在此期间，学生们还能学习疫情防控知识，接受爱国主义教育、生命教育和心理健康教育。
For some students, the chance to study from home has had some unexpected benefits. Yuan Siyi, who lives in Hubei province, used to get up before 6 am on school days, but since starting online courses, she gets more hours of sleep each morning. “I like online teaching because I have more freedom at home,” Yuan, who began her all-day courses on Feb 3, told TEENS.
对于一些学生而言，居家学习的机会有着意想不到的好处。来自湖北省的袁思怡上学时早上不到6点便起床了，但自从上网课以来，她每天早上都能多睡几个小时。“我喜欢在线教学，因为在家里更自由，” 袁思怡从2月3日便开始了全天的课程，她在接受本报采访时如此说道。
However, online teaching and learning has its weaknesses compared to studying in a physical classroom. “My motivation to study is stronger when my classmates are around me and all working very hard,” Yuan said. According to the MOE, online courses are only temporary measures taken during the epidemic. “When the new semester begins, schools will not replace classroom teaching with online classes,” Lü added.
但与课堂教学相比，在线教学也存在着劣势。“当身边的同学都在努力学习时，我的学习动力会更强，”袁思怡说道。教育部表示，网课只是疫情期间的临时措施。“正式开学后，学校将不会以网络教学代替课堂教学，”吕玉刚补充道。
