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Seamless Learning Research and Development in China Jun Xiao Lamei Wang Hong Wang Zhimin Pan Shanghai Open Shanghai Open Shanghai Open East China Normal University University University University China China China China [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT As a new learning model in the digital era, seamless learning has developed rapidly in China in recent years alongside mobile learning and ubiquitous learning. The objective of this paper is three-fold: i) provide an overview of the research trajectory on seamless learning in China foregrounding its developmental process; ii) discuss the status of academic research in seamless learning; and iii) analyse two cases on seamless learning research. In China, most of seamless learning studies take place in higher education and lifelong learning. The research orientation of seamless learning mainly focuses on the theoretical foundations, design of seamless learning environment, and applications of seamless learning. Case studies in seamless learning research at Shanghai Open University (SOU) to foster lifelong education and higher education were analysed and presented in this paper. In lifelong education, functional design of supportive system and effects of learners' application were primary concerns. The system built in SOU integrating online learning and various learning resources enabled learners to leverage distributed learning resources and one-stop access services. This made it possible for students to learn with the Internet, mobile, IPTV and digital TV. Many other channels for seamless learning, diversification, personalized learning to meet users’ needs and built-in ubiquitous learning network. As for higher education, a WeChat- based Mobile learning ecosystem enabled teachers and students to easily participate in instructional activities anytime and anywhere. In the future, with emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and big data, seamless learning research in China may shift its focus to the combination of online and offline learning environments and active intelligent learning design. Author Keywords seamless learning, mobile learning, lifelong learning, ubiquitous learning INTRODUCTION In November 2014, Tencent, one of the largest Internet integrated service providers in China, put forward the slogan of "Connecting Everything" at the World Internet Conference, aiming to make Tencent a global internet connector. It is expected that in 2020, the number of things connected to the internet will be more than 26 times the human population. The 'connectivity' of everything thus makes the internet an important driver of future human development. With the continuous development of cloud computing, big data, the internet of things, mobile computing and other new technologies, the pace of informatization in the field of education is also accelerating. In this context, seamless learning has been researched by many scholars. At the same time, the Chinese government's education plans also reflect the importance of seamless learning. The national medium and long-term education reform and development plan outline (2010-2020) put forward a "modernization of education, and formation of a learning society by 2020" goal, to develop effective sharing, covering national digital instructional resources for all types of education at all levels and public service platforms, and to establish a lifelong learning network and service platform. The ubiquitous learning concept of "everyone, everything, all the time, everywhere" emphasizes that human learning is embedded in the daily work and living environment; displaying the characteristics of adaptability, authenticity, naturalness, sociality, and integration, and breaking down boundaries between formal and informal learning, school learning and lifelong learning (Han, Wang, & Zhang, 2015). There are many other names for seamless learning in China, such as ubiquitous learning, mobile learning, and everywhere learning. There are also many studies on seamless Learning in China, which tend to focus on mobile learning and u-learning. To some extent, these studies follow the same concept. Some researchers believe that ubiquitous learning covers seamless learning, and that seamless learning is a special form of ubiquitous learning. Other researchers (Chan et al., 2006) believe that the combination of seamless learning and mobile technology enables students to learn under different conditions at any time, and learners can thus combine and switch between different learning environments with the assistance of mobile devices. Seamless learning integrates formal learning and informal learning, provides the environment for a variety of teaching methods and activities, and forms a seamless platform for learning methods. It can be seen that China's research on seamless learning involves many fields. This paper analyzes and summarizes the state of research in seamless learning in China, and combines the practical case of seamless learning at Shanghai Open University to offer a comprehensive view for international researchers to understand research into seamless learning in China. SEAMLESS LEARNING IN CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Kuh (1996) first proposed the concept of a seamless learning environment in the field of higher education. With the continuous development of mobile technology, Chinese researchers believe that in a seamless learning space, students can easily and quickly switch from one learning environment to another using personalized mobile devices as a medium (Yu, 149 2003). In recent years, the research on seamless learning in China has become more and more diversified, and the level of research has also become more in-depth. This is reflected by the publication of numerous papers on seamless learning, the hosting of conferences and the rapid development of seamless learning technology. The Development Process of Seamless Learning Research and Academic Exchange This study used CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure),the world's largest Chinese database as the retrieval source, and "seamless learning, ubiquitous learning and mobile learning" as the keywords to identify and analyze the literature from 2008 to 2018. The results show that in terms of the number of papers, in 2008, there were 111 papers on seamless learning in China and 1,229 in 2018. In terms of growth, the growth rate reached its peak in 2014, reaching 849 papers, 1.63 times the number of papers published in 2013. In terms of development trends, Chinese papers on seamless learning are on the rise as a whole. In 2008, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission-sponsored innovative key project "research into the ubiquitous learning mode and its application for lifelong education", and the National Education Science "Eleventh Five-year Plan" 2008 "development and application of digital learning resources in ubiquitous learning" planning project, both advanced the development of seamless learning application research. In 2011, the 10th mobile and situational learning world conference hosted by Beijing Normal University was successfully held in Beijing. The keynote speech and special topic of the conference reviewed the structural model, key technology, resource model and innovative learning model of seamless learning spaces, is a new trend within mobile learning research and practice (Liu, Qiu, Yu, & Xi, 2011). In 2014, the Shanghai International Conference on Ubiquitous Learning, co- sponsored by the National Committee of UNESCO China and Shanghai Open University, was held at Shanghai Open University. The conference theme was ubiquitous learning: opportunities, challenges, and countermeasures. It attracted nearly 200 representatives from over 20 countries. In 2018, the 22nd Global Chinese Conference on Computers in Education (GCCCE) discussed the topic of creating a one-to-one mobile and seamless learning environment, innovative practice examples of mobile and ubiquitous learning, learning effect analysis, ubiquitous learning activity design and other such topics. The convening of these conferences has strongly promoted the development of seamless learning in China. The rapid development of seamless learning and accompanying research is also inseparable from the development of the internet of things, cloud computing, big data and other new technologies. In addition, with the construction of smart cities in China and the advancement of smart education, seamless learning will also generate new research fields. The Development Process of Seamless Learning Technology Seamless learning is facilitated by mobile technology and smart devices, enabling learners to switch back and forth between different scenarios and maintain the continuity of learning. The development of seamless learning technology in China can be broadly divided into three phases: i) the seamless switch between different terminals; ii) the organic integration of different learning environments and resources; and iii) the establishment of a seamless learning system (Dong, Liu, Han, 2016). The first phrase is mainly focused on enabling “seamlessly switch” between different devices. With the advent of computers, mobile phones, and other devices, and the transformation from network transmission to wireless communication, which makes learning less limited by time, space and equipment, and provides an opportunity for innovation of learning models. By leveraging the convenience and mobility of learning devices to push and transfer learning content and resources,

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