This paper describes the use of screencast feedback to enhance teaching presence and weekly self-reflection surveys to enhance social presence among students and build a community of learners. These approaches were found to diminish the feeling of isolation in online learning environments. Further findings indicated that this multimodal approach…

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and English as a medium of instruction (EMI) are emerging as the preferred contexts of language learning. CLIL and EMI classes continue to proliferate in schools around the globe. The aim of this paper is to investigate the current research trends in studies of motivation to learn within EMI and CLIL…

This paper explains details of a creative writing project aimed at increasing students' motivation to write in English and develop collaboration skills. Forty-eight first-year -- A2-B1 Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level -- English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners enrolled in a reading and writing course at a…

The study presented in this paper explores the impact that a geographically situated digital storytelling project has on community awareness and engagement. A mixed method, exploratory case study approach was adopted for this study. Data was collected during in-class and fieldwork observations, with self-assessment surveys, open-ended…

Problematic smartphone usage has been widely recognized (e.g. Al-Barashidi, Bouazza, & Jabur, 2015; Chóliz, 2012). However, few researchers have investigated the relationship between students' feelings towards their smartphones and their acceptance of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL). This exploratory study of thirty-six Japanese…

Digital portfolios can provide a space where evidence of a learner's competency is stored and digital badges can be used in their portfolios as valid indicators of accomplishment, skill, knowledge, or interest. The authors issued "digital badges" to our students who successfully completed the modules of a Medical English Terminology…

In Japan, like most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, students have few opportunities to use English in daily life, and this limits their ability to develop their language skills. To address this, many teachers provide homework tasks and guide students towards autonomous learning. In an effort to do the latter, a private Facebook group…

The authors conducted a needs analysis to investigate their medical students' needs and preferences for using mobile devices for their English study. The analysis showed the students' expectations of mobile learning were very high and two-thirds of them were interested in building medical English terminology through mobile learning. Then, the…

This study analyzed effective test formats that utilized tablets for tests in university information basic subjects in blended learning environments. Specifically, three types of test were created: (1) multiple-choice, (2) fill-in-the-blank, and (3) a mixture of multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank. An analysis focusing on university students'…

"Blended learning" has been attracting academic interest catalysed by the advance of mixed-media technology and has significance for the global educational community and evolutionary development of pedagogical approaches to optimise student learning. This paper examines one aspect of blended teaching of Japanese language and culture in…

This paper was written to clarify misconceptions that East Asian students are somehow less autonomous than learners from other cultural backgrounds. Specifically, based on motivational levels, it examines Japanese university students' perceptions of their responsibility and ability of autonomous English learning and what they can do inside and…

In 2014, the University of Aizu was accepted for participation in Japan's national TOP Global University (TGU) initiative. In this paper, we describe our use of video interviewing to prepare Japanese students for our Global Experience Gateway study abroad TGU project. Our university specializes in computer science education at undergraduate and…

The study of motivational tendencies in second language learners is complex because of the varied and dynamic nature of motivation. This paper attempts to add to the research by conducting a survey of a population of Japanese learners of English in Japan at both the senmon gakko and university level. The survey measured integrative and…

This study compared the managerial motivations of library and information science (LIS) students in the United States with LIS students in India, Singapore, and Japan. The students responded to a questionnaire containing 41 statements on managerial motivation. These statements were divided into 10 categories: task orientation, fear of success,…

This cross-sectional study examined Japanese children's action-related beliefs about school performance and compared them with comparable data available from studies of German, Russian, and American cultures. A total of 817 Japanese children aged 8 to 13 years completed the Control, Agency, and Means-Ends Interview (CAMI), which assesses general…