On Inspiration And Reference To Build A Modern Vocational Education System In China From The Dual Educational Function Of American Community Colleges

The dual educational function, i.e. transfer credit education and vocational education, plays a positive decisive role in the construction and development of community colleges in the United States, which helps the popularization and popularity of American higher education. The two functions can converse mutually and complement each other. Students are able to learn basic courses through transfer credit function in the first two college years to prepare for further study in four-year universities; it is also possible to acquire the theoretical and practical work experience through vocational educational function of community colleges, and thus to have better employment in society.This paper systematically combing through the course of development, evolution and forms of dual educational functions in American Community Colleges in different historical periods. It analyses cases of the functions and operation mechanism of transfer credit educational function in American community colleges, focusing on the valuable experiences of dual educational functions in American community colleges. The paper manages to summarize some useful laws to provide inspiration and reference for the construction of a modern vocational education system in China.This study is divided into five chapters as follows:The first chapter, an introduction, mainly introduces the research background, research significance, research actuality, research contents and methods.The second chapter, an overview of the dual education function of American community colleges, mainly analyzes the development and characteristics of American community colleges as well as the generation of dual education function.The third chapter is about the present implementation situation of vocational educational function in American community colleges. It mainly analyzes the present development situation of vocational educational function in American community colleges in the tendency of professionalism, low tuition and flexible curriculum. It also discusses the implementation and improvement of vocational education in three aspects:implementation mechanism, functions and basic features.The fourth chapter, the focus of the paper, analyzes operation mechanism of the transfer credit educational function in American community colleges with case studies. First, the development of transfer credit educational function is introduced in three aspects: emphasis on general education, diversified forms of course selection, flexible transfer between majors as well as colleges. Secondly, the guarantee mechanism of transfer credit education is introduced in two aspects:policy guarantee (including relevant regulations promulgated by the federal government, supplemented by inter-state governments and inter-college credit transfer agreement system), and organization guarantee (including certification bodies of higher education, and evaluation institutions of higher education). The last part of the chapter analyzes the operation and realization of credit transfer educational function, which involves the establishment of the core curriculum system, establishment of multi-system cooperation (such as transfer information system, transfer advisory committee, transfer appeals process). The realization form of transfer credit education includes associate bachelor’s degree transfer credit education and credit transfer education.The fifth chapter summarizes the successful experiences of the dual educational function of American community colleges and the inspiration and reference to build a modern vocational education system in China, and further proposes optimization strategy.