The network classroom was packed with hundreds of students nailing their eyes to the screen with avid concentration while ticking the preferred option among the given alternatives in all seriousness. Don't get it wrong. This is by no means an examination, but a test-and-assessment-time for the students to give marks for their teachers' teaching. This is what the reporters exactly saw at the PLA Institute of Foreign Languages on Feb. 5. In fact, this is part of the unique "quaternary appraisal" (leaders' appraisal, experts' appraisal, students' appraisal and fraternities' appraisal) the institute has embraced in recent years to make full-course assessment of the teaching, which has clearly achieved tangible results.

　　Based on the results of "quaternary appraisal", the institute will select "Top 10 Young Teachers", "Outstanding Teaching Prize" and "Teaching Reform Achievement Prize", and award the prizes to the winners at a grand gathering attended by the entire faculty and all the students. Those teachers who flunked in the assessment will be retrained.

　　By Ma Chenwei and Wu Jianbin

　　(Feb 6, PLA Daily)