Global Journal of Human Social Science, G: Linguistics and Education, Volume 23 Issue 8

as the internal connections between the things and other things. a) The definition of online education Online education is a new type of education method which combines network, multimedia, and multiple interactive methods for systematic teaching and interaction. It consists of computers and basic network facilities, teachers, teaching platforms, teaching content, and learners. It has a wide audience and supports fragmented learning. According to the American 2000: an Education Strategy published by the United States Department of Education (1991) 4 , online education 1, refers to the process of providing education and related services through the Internet. 2, Online education provides learners with a new way to learn, enhances the feasibility of learning anytime and anywhere, thereby providing the possibility of lifelong learning; online education changes the role of the teacher and the relationship between teaching and learning. Therefor the essence of education is also changed; 3, online education can help to achieve certain educational goals, but it cannot completely replace traditional classroom teaching, nor will it replace school education. Online education is different from the traditional school teaching model. Online education breaks through the limitation of time and space. What’s more, it takes the advantages of the Internet flexibility, allowing users to take control of the learning progress autonomously, as well as arranging time to meet the users’ personalized needs. Through sharing online teaching videos, online education can meet the growing needs of users for high-quality education and allow users to enjoy better and fairer education 2 . b) The development of online education in China The online teaching can be traced back to the beginning of this century. One of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) professors Wang said in an article that the Ministry of Education of China started the construction of quality courses around 2004. Then the Ministry of Education have selected nearly 5,000 national-level courses, and tens of thousands of provincial and school-level excellent courses among those quality courses in 2010. Li wei jian and other scholars 2 mentioned in their article that, in recent years, with the continuous improving of network technology, China's online education has grown rapidly, and the number of people who take the online education has shown an increasing growing trend. In 2014, the number of online education users in China was only 50 million, and it has reached approximately 140 million by 2018. According to Ai Media Consulting data, the number of online education users in China is expected to reach 296 million in 2020. In recent years, with the prosperity of online education, the education mode becomes diverse. The forms of Online Education mode applied in China can be classified as the synchronous online teaching mode, asynchronous online teaching mode, collaborative learning mode based on learning community, precision teaching mode based on academic analysis tools, online flipped classroom teaching mode, autonomous learning mode based on subject tools, exercises based on questionnaire survey tools teaching mode, subject- inquiry teaching mode based on learning resource websites, scaffolding teaching mode based on cognitive tools, and interactive teaching mode based on the Internet. Over the past three years has been marked by significant growth and innovation in the development of online education in China. One major development in the online education landscape in China has been the proliferation of MOOCs. These online courses that are open to anyone, free of charge, and can be accessed by learners from anywhere in the world. MOOCs have been embraced by both learners and educators in China, with top universities and educational institutions offering a wide range of courses and degree programs. Another important trend in the development of online education in China has been the rise of online learning platforms, such as Tencent Classroom and DingTalk. These platforms provide a comprehensive suite of online learning tools, including virtual classrooms, live streaming lectures, and interactive learning materials, enabling learners to access high- quality education from anywhere with an internet connection. In addition, online education in China has seen the emergence of new technologies and pedagogical approaches, such as adaptive learning and artificial intelligence. These technologies have the potential to personalize the learning experience for individual learners, providing targeted feedback and support based on their individual learning needs and preferences. c) Constructivism Learning Theory Constructivism is a learning theory that emphasizes the active construction of knowledge and understanding by learners. It posits that learners are not passive recipients of knowledge but actively engage in constructing their own understanding of the world around them through a process of meaning-making and sense-making. Constructivism emphasizes the role of social interaction in learning, arguing that learning is a collaborative process where learners engage in dialogue, negotiation, and cooperation to construct meaning and understanding. In addition, constructivism stresses the importance of the learner's active participation in the learning process, encouraging learners to take ownership of their learning and engage in self-directed learning. Volume XXIII Issue VIII Version I 18 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 G © 2023 Global Journals Online Education in China during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Light of Constructivism Learning Theory