International student exchange is integral to internationalization at higher education institutions and global human resource development in Japan. However, border closures and restrictions on physical mobility since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced universities to adopt virtual mobility models to deliver international exchange programs.…

Although information technology (ICT) education is being strengthened based on the national context, there are reports suggesting a decline in young people's communication skills. This phenomenon can be attributed to the rapid development of informatisation, which includes the diversification and spread of information tools, as well as the…

Relying on the background of big data, this paper introduces the blended teaching model into the secondary vocational Japanese oral classroom and explores whether the teaching model is conducive to the improvement of the secondary vocational Japanese oral learning effect and teaching effect. In order to make this research more scientific and…

Since the turn of the millennium it has become clear that the Asia-Pacific Region is, economically, the fastest growing continent in the world, and is likely to remain so for some time despite the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Asia-Pacific's share of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) doubled from 15 per cent to 30 per cent between 1970…

Flipping classrooms is a popular teaching method in universities to increase active learning and retention as the popularity of traditional lectures decline. Although many studies discuss the process for flipping courses and the student reaction to such courses, much fewer studies examine the effect on student performance. This study conducts a…

This paper describes the effects of a pairing method based on digital textbook logs and learners' artifacts in conceptual modeling exercises. The authors developed a digital textbook system called Smart E-Textbook Application (SEA) and a conceptual modeling tool called KIfU 3.0 to collect conceptual modeling activity logs in exercises. This study…

This pilot study utilizes 360° camera and viewer technology in a science content-based EFL class at a Japanese University. Due to a lack of initial knowledge on how to best incorporate this technology into a content driven EFL class, a co-development strategy was devised between the teacher and students to dynamically design a course over…

This study used class practices to verify the applicability of a web application specially developed for the observation in general elementary school classes of the blooming of cherry blossoms with time-lapse digital images. The learning effects of class practices on children's perceptions of the connection between familiar phenomena and climate…

Although multimodality has received vigorous attention and debate in English as a foreign language (EFL) research and classroom pedagogies, the practicality of using multimodal activities in curricula that are designed to teach language skills rather than multimodality is under researched. This paper contributes to the ongoing need for practical…

Speech-to-text applications have great potential for helping students with English language comprehension and pronunciation practice. This study explores the functionality of five speech-to-text (STT) applications (Google Docs voice typing tool, Apple Dictation, Windows 10 Dictation, Dictation.io [a website service], and "Transcribe" [an…

This paper discusses findings from online surveys completed by parents of 0-3-year-old children in Norway, Portugal and Japan concerning their young children's use of touchscreen technology. The study investigated parental practices, views and perspectives related to children's digital practices and explored these in relation to wider cultural…

A bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy advocates student's unrestricted classroom access to their own technology devices to assist in the completion of learning objectives. Literature illustrates that implementing BYOD can cause trepidation at the administrative and teaching levels due to the potential negative consequences and distractions that it…

Online vocabulary learning tools have been gaining popularity in EFL classrooms. Although a considerable number of research papers have showed its effectiveness, the amount of research on learner progress in terms of productive skills is scarce. Little is also known about what types of learners make progress after using these tools. This is…

In this pilot study, two second year writing classes at a university in Japan completed two group writing tasks using Microsoft Word and Google Docs. After both tasks were completed, the students (N=45) completed a short survey containing Likert scale items about their preferences when writing under the different conditions. Willing individuals…

The impetus for this study was the need to provide effective training for English teachers on the use of Google Drive-related apps at a Japanese school. This training was necessary as the school embarked on creating a Japanese government-required information and communications technology (ICT) educational environment at the school. To address this…