Open Classes during Undergraduate Teaching Quality Month

 

By Zhang Haiyan, Zhao Yixiao

Translated by Guo Yishun

To advance undergraduate teaching quality and strengthen the integration of theory and practice in journalism and communication education, the School of Journalism and Communication at Shanghai International Studies University organized a series of open demonstration classes titled “Frontiers of Digital Communication and Journalism Practice” during the Undergraduate Teaching Quality Month. Four faculty members, Zhang Junfang, Liu Jia, Lin Yan, and Sheng Yingyan, delivered open classes as part of the program.

Amid the ongoing digital and intelligent transformation of journalism, Zhang Junfang’s class Digital Communication focused on the development of AI journalism, its application scenarios, and related ethical issues. The class reviewed key concepts and examined how artificial intelligence is applied in user engagement, content production, and information distribution, drawing on cases from organizations such as Xinhua News Agency and the Associated Press. The discussion also addressed the relationship between journalists and AI, emphasizing professional judgment, social insight, and ethical responsibility.

Liu Jia’s course is Advanced English News Writing and the demonstrative unit focused on a comparative study of Chinese and English news headlines and analyzed differences between Chinese and English headlines using recent sports news as examples. The class compared headline length, detail, sentence structure, and rhetorical strategies, and included translation exercises to enhance students’ understanding of audience awareness and cross-cultural communication.

Lin Yan’s course English Feature Writing adopted an integrated teaching model combining theory, fieldwork, and output. Using classic feature stories as references, the course examined topic selection, narrative structure, and language use. A field interview project in Dongxia Village of Songjiang District formed a key practical component, helping students develop interviewing, information gathering and research skills.

Sheng Yingyan’s course Advertising Research and Effectiveness Evaluation focused on measuring promotional activities and sales performance. The class introduced push and pull promotion strategies and outlined three main methods of advertising sales evaluation, including market testing, index-based analysis, and single-source data research, supported by case studies.

The open class series highlighted the school’s efforts in teaching innovation and practice-oriented education. By addressing topics such as digital communication, journalism practice, cross-cultural expression, and advertising evaluation, the program contributed to enhancing students’ theoretical understanding, practical skills, and professional awareness, and supported ongoing improvements in undergraduate teaching quality.