Students’ Political Belief Education in Agricultural and Forestry Colleges and Universities in Network Environment: Taking Northwest A&F University as an Example

Long RAN

Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

Abstract The influence of the network environment on the education of political beliefs of college students in China cannot be ignored. Taking Northwest A & F University as an example, starting from the current situation of students’ political belief education in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities, the impact of network environment on the education of political beliefs of students in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities was analyzed, and the implementation path of improving political belief education in the network environment was explored, in order to provide a reference for improving the effectiveness of ideological and political education of students in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities.

Key words Network environment, Agricultural and forestry colleges and universities, Political belief education for college students

1 Introduction

The network environment has become a new environmental and production factor that affects human survival and development. It has a profound impact on the political, economic, social, military, diplomatic, cultural and educational fields of countries around the world, and has become a big pusher to influence and change people’s production and lifestyle and even an important source of public opinion. As we all know, "Internet+" has become a new growth point for countries’ economies. The formation of networked troops has been placed on the important agenda of large countries. Distance education has become a new channel for the development of education at home and abroad. Online novels and online music have become the new favorite of young people. The spread, game, arguing and confrontation and mutual influence of different political beliefs, different social systems and different cultural thoughts have become inevitable in the network environment. The network is neutral, and the key to what kind of impact a neutral network environment has is how it is applied. Undoubtedly, western political awareness and western values have strengthened global communication and penetration through the network environment, and they are even spread via mobile phones to incite unrest and subversion of society. Admittedly, the network environment has also produced a big impact on China’s young people, especially the political belief education of college students. In view of this, taking Northwest A & F University as an example, starting from agricultural and forestry colleges and universities, the political belief education of students in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities in the network environment was analyzed in depth, so as to provide a reference for improving the effectiveness of ideological and political education in agricultural and forestry college and universities[1].

2 Current situation of students’ political belief education in agricultural and forestry universities

In order to comprehensively and accurately understand the state of mind of students and improve the pertinence and effectiveness of the education and management of college students, in October 2016, the Student Work Department (Student Work Office) of the Party Committee of the Northwest A&F University, in cooperation with the College of Marxism, conducted a survey on the undergraduate students in the university. The survey was mainly conducted in the forms of online questionnaire and discussion. A total of 16 138 questionnaires were recovered from online survey, of which 16 017 were valid, with effective rate of 99.3%. The survey shows that in terms of the attitude of joining the party, although the students who chose to "actively seek" to join the party accounted for about 80%, more than 10% of the students adopted an "indifferent" attitude towards joining the party, and about 5% of the students adopted a "do not join" attitude. The two figures together accounted for more than one-eighth of the total number of students. From the perspective of motivation of joining the party, about 60% of the students chose "pursuit of ideals and beliefs" and "confidence in the party’s governing position and governing philosophy", but the students who chose "seeking career development" and "enhancing employment competitiveness" accounted for about 10% and 20%, respectively, and the two figures together accounted for more than a quarter of the total number of the students. The above data shows that the political beliefs of students in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities need to be paid enough attention. Although these data cannot all be attributed to the negative effects of the network environment, it is certain that if this situation is not effectively changed, the network will further solidify and even strengthen these students’ incorrect or obscure options[2].

3 Influence of internet environment on students’ political belief education in agricultural and forestry universities

3.1 Political belief education facing new challenges in the network environmentAt present, the political belief education system for students in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities is complete, and the teaching content is perfect. Taking Northwest A&F University as an example, on the whole, the effect of the school’s political belief education on students is positive. Under the background of profound social changes, rapid economic development, ideological and cultural surge, people’s ideology, moral values and values tending to be diversified and complicated and utilitarianism, individualism and money worship rising, college students are full of confidence in the theory, system and path of the leadership of the party, the reform and opening up policy, the core socialist values, the "Chinese dream" of the Chinese nation’s rejuvenation, the spirit of Yan’an and the spirit of the War of Resistance, they are proud for China’s withdrawing overseas Chinese from Libya, successful bid for Winter Olympics and military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and they believe that the theory and road of socialism with Chinese characteristics will surely lead the Chinese nation to achieve a great revival. Under the direct leadership of the party committee of the school, the teaching organization for political belief education is sound, and the teaching work is deep. Facing the characteristics of information dissemination in the network environment, how to understand and discover the political tendencies and behaviors reflected by college students in a series of processes of "browsing on the Internet-thinking and judging-follow up and expression" puts forward new challenges and new requirements for the education of college students’ political beliefs. It should be considered that the political orientation and expression of values of college students in the network environment is also a test of the effectiveness and pertinence of the current ideological and political education. For school party committee and political educators, how to take advantage of the situation to innovate education methods, change from passive to active, learn from the characteristics of the network environment (e.g. high interaction, high participation and being able to face sensitive and hot issues), and further consolidate and enrich the education of political beliefs to improve the ability of college students to respond proactively, identify authenticity and effectively resist the erosion of China’s political ideas and political system by the western world has become an urgent task to reform the current political belief education in colleges and universities.

3.2 Preventing risk amplification in the network environment is the focus of political belief educationYoung people, especially college students, are the most active groups in society. They have vigor, and are active in thought. They are at life’s full flowering, and have the passion to make comments on national events and help others for a just case. But also because of their simple thinking, having no experience in affairs of the world and insufficient knowledge accumulation,etc., they are prone to misjudging in the network environment and expressing some extreme speech. Especially when encountering some small risk issues or risk events, after the network’s radiant, multi-level and multi-angle propagation, the information obtained by young students may be completely out of the realities of risk, manifested as exaggeration, reduction or distortion of the perception of risk events. This has become the fuse of political belief’s swinging and radical expressions of some college students. In this regard, high precautions should be taken. Amplification of risk in the network environment is subjective, unpredictable, complex in cause and multiple in hazard. Once the risk is amplified by the network, secondary risk may take place, and it is more harmful than the initial risk. Therefore, considering the influence of network environment on the political belief education of students in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities, it is necessary to give top priority to prevention of amplification of risks in the network. In particular, we must educate students not to make rumors, believe rumors, or spread rumors in an online environment, but to adhere to political ideals and moral bottom lines and refute rationally[3].

4 Countermeasures for students’ political belief education in agriculture and forestry colleges and universities in the network environment

4.1 Improving the system and mechanism of students’ ideological and political education in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities to give pay to the guiding role of networkThe network environment is the new frontier of political education for college students in China. Facing the new online environment of "everywhere, everytime and everybody ", we must attach great importance to the long-term and complex influence of the Internet on the political beliefs of agricultural and forestry college students, and further improve the construction of the system of political and ideological education and the construction of teacher group. By learning from the army’s idea of forming a "network force", we can train a team for "evangelism, teaching and disabusing" on the Internet. In the process of spreading events such as the amplification of risks, we should dare to take responsibility and not be absent to give full play to the role of positive guidance. In recent years, to help teachers realize the flexible use of modern education technology in curriculum teaching and to promote the practice of new Internet technologies in teaching activities, the Teaching Development Center of Northwest A&F University regularly invites experts from inside and outside the school to give lectures and conduct training. This provides the possibility for improving teachers’ network application ability and forming a "networked" teacher workforce.

4.2 Strengthening the campus network management of agricultural and forestry colleges and universities and cooperating with public security departments to continuously purify the network environmentAgricultural and forestry colleges and universities should strengthen education on laws and regulations to enable college students to firmly adhere to the code of conduct that does not make rumors, believe rumors or spread rumors, to consciously maintain social and campus stability and to effectively put an end to the channels through which western political ideas penetrate, and serious investigation and punishment should be conducted against rumors and rumor spreaders in the school. The College of Marxism, Northwest A&F University requires that all teachers of ideological and political theory courses should take the initiative to occupy the position of online education and actively interact with students through the Internet, QQ, WeChat and other channels to keep abreast of students’ thinking trends and realize the blending of social and political beliefs and individual life beliefs of college students.

4.3 Innovating and reforming the existing ideological and political education to enhance the effectiveness of education

Changing the inadequate and passive state of political belief education for students in agricultural and forestry colleges and universities in the network environment is not to weaken or cancel the current political and ideological education work system and teaching work, but to face the network environment, further strengthen the current ideological and political education system and teaching work, give play to the advantages of ideological and political education in colleges and universities with Chinese characteristics, and consolidate and strengthen the Marxist political beliefs of college students to endow them with political composure to cope with shifting events. By imitating the media dissemination of "telling a Chinese story well", we should focus on telling "Chinese political and ideological education story" well, and educate and disseminate more lively to enable China’s political, ideological and educational stories to spread throughout the world through the Internet and help China develop peacefully.