This article examines the nature and evolution of the term blended learning (BL), which encompasses numerous connotations, including its conception as a strategy, delivery mode, opportunity, educational shift, or pedagogical approach. Although much has been said in this field, very few studies examine the different types of blends behind their…

The aim of my study is to research information literacy that university students and school teachers expect to acquire for themselves and to teach their students in Japan. Examining the questionnaire conducted to them, they are willing to acquire skills to identify their task, to read information, and to present the result of task. However, they…

"Akogare" [desire] is a Japanese word laden with cultural and emotive values. In the recent TESOL [Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages] studies, "akogare" has been conceptualized to emphasize the Japanese specific desire for English or "the West" in general. This study not only leverages such a…

International knowledge and skills are essential for success in today's highly competitive global marketplace. As one of the key providers of such knowledge and skills, universities have become a key focus of the internationalization strategies of governments throughout the world. While the internationalization of higher education clearly has…

Based on case studies of China and Japan, this study undertakes comparative research on major aspects of university curriculum and instruction-teaching activities of academics, their role in curriculum development, and their perceptions of these activities--between a mass and a universal higher education system. Major findings from the APA…

Higher education is attracting more participation from an increasingly diverse student body. This diversity invites concerns on effective instructional delivery as the extent of students' engagement in learning now varies widely. Anecdotes on students' "undesirable" dispositions in course participation are not uncommon in higher…

Purpose: Although the relationship between leadership behaviors and team reflexivity has been investigated in prior research, little is known about the dimensions of reflective leadership or leadership behaviors that facilitate reflection in a group or organization. This paper aims to examine the interrelated characteristics of reflective…

This paper examines the challenges and strategies of twenty-three Japanese universities working towards the improvement of employability skills. These universities have been selected for the national project "Improving Higher Education for Meeting Industrial Needs" funded by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and…

Globalization has driven growth in the market for cross-border students. Mainland China, with a burgeoning economy and the largest national population, has become an important source of cross-border students. This study identifies ideal attraction in mainland China to destinations for cross-border tertiary education, as expressed by ideal first…

Online course tools such as WebCT or Manaba+R are popularly used in university classes and enhance learners' understanding of their course contents. In addition, teachers try to utilize these online course tools for their students such as giving their students online discussions, providing students with additional materials and so forth. However,…

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the views of exchange students from Japan about their sojourn experiences at an American university. The participants were eight exchange students from Japan (four males and four females). This descriptive-qualitative study was conceptualized within sojourner theory (Siu, 1952). The data…

This study aims to review the development of NWCCDL Project during the last 10 years from (2005 to 2014) and evaluate the effects of NWCCDL Project on the students' satisfaction of the project and their affective domain. The research data was analyzed from the results of the questionnaires which were conducted at the end of every semester. This…

Active learning is now gradually being adopted in many universities and colleges in Japan. This follows the release of the 2012 Central Council of Education (CCE) report that emphasized the need to introduce active learning and to reinforce educational management in academia. As a result, one of the most important problems in Japan's higher…

The purpose of this conference (organized by the Research Institute for Higher Education, Hiroshima University, and the Research Institute for Higher Education, Kurashiki Sakuyo University) was to share major findings from each national survey conducted on higher education in selected Asian countries. The following major issues were addressed: (1)…

This study investigates the role of motivation and learner variables in bilingual vocabulary development among first language (L1) Japanese students attending hoshuukoo (i.e., supplementary academic schools for Japanese-speaking children) in the United States. One hundred sixteen high school students ages 15-18 from eight hoshuukoo completed…