Lin Luotianji is a post-90s teacher of ideological and political theory at Hainan University. At the Hainan Provincial Teaching Skills Competition for Young Teachers of Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Universities, he delivered a lively lecture on Ideology, Morality and the Rule of Law. Taking trending cases such as a bubble tea shop in Hunan that was fined 30,000 yuan as a starting point, he developed an innovative teaching design that won the first prize in the undergraduate group .
After becoming a full-time teacher of ideological and political theory courses in 2021, Lin has conducted oral interviews and questionnaires with each new cohort of students to gather their suggestions. He found that many students initially considered the course “abstract and dull” and “obscure and difficult”. To change this perception, he has made it a practice to distribute pre-class questionnaires on topics related to the upcoming lesson and skillfully integrated students’ interest into his teaching. He also regularly checks students’ WeChat Moments and browses Douyin, Bilibili and Xiaohongshu for topics popular among young people born in the 2000s. In a class themed “Carry forward Fine Traditions and Promote Chinese Spirit”, he started with the questionnaire results and introduced figures familiar to students, gradually exploring deeper into the topic. Student Zheng Yichao described the class as “fun and informative”, with topics ranging from dating and bubble tea to anime culture skillfully integrated into the lesson.
This semester, Lin is teaching more than 1,300 students across the university, with a total of 430 class hours of theoretical and practical courses. The students come from different schools and majors and have diverse interests, so he carefully prepares lessons tailored to each class. In one survey, he asked, “If you could travel back to ancient times, which dynasty would you choose?” He found that most liberal arts students chose the Tang and Song dynasties, while science students preferred to remain in the present. Based on this finding, he incorporated relevant historical content into his lectures. He believes that outstanding teachers should not only capture students’ interests, but also avoid blindly catering to them. Over his four years of teaching, he has collected and compiled more than one million words of case materials and teaching resources. He also learns humbly from senior teachers to strengthen his theoretical foundation.
Nowadays, students’ evaluations of ideological and political theory courses have shifted from “boring and dull” to “fun and engaging” and “shaping people in a subtle and positive way.” He said, “Ideological and political theory courses are more than mere classes; they are key courses for fulfilling the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. I will continue to work hard to make the course ‘profound, thorough and engaging.’”
Translated by Lin Ye
Proofread by Zhu Yan
