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The combination of work and study has been hailed as crucial to ensure that youth develop the skills required on the labour market so that transitions from school to work are shorter and smoother. This paper fills an important gap in availability of internationally-comparable data. Using the 2012 Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), it draws a comprehensive picture of work and study in 23 countries/regions. Crucially, it decomposes the total share of working students by the context in which they work (VET [vocational education and training], apprenticeships or private arrangements) and assesses the link between field of study and students' work. The paper also assesses how the skills of students are used in the workplace compared to other workers and identifies the socio-demographic factors and the labour market institutions that increase the likelihood of work and study. Finally, while it is not possible to examine the relationship between work and study and future labour market outcomes at the individual level, some aggregate correlations are unveiled.

The main objective of this Working Paper is to show a set of indicators on the knowledge-based economy for China, mainly compiled from databases within EAS, although data from databases maintained by other parts of the OECD are included as well. These indicators are put in context by comparison with data for the United States, Japan and the EU (or the G7 countries in case no EU totals are available) and data for some of the Asian neighbours of China (Korea, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong) where data for these countries were readily available. This document draws heavily on the Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard, copying many of the indicators presented there and borrowing a substantial amount of contextual and methodological explanations. After listing the main outcomes of this study, the paper starts with a section on the economic structure of China and the other economies, followed by a set of trade indicators, showing the opening up of China's economy and the growing importance of trade in high-technology products. Two indicators of foreign investment in China are examined: foreign affiliates and foreign direct investment. Recognizing the importance of human resources to a knowledge-based economy, a range of human resources indicators is presented. Final sections present indicators on R&D (as one of the inputs to the innovation process), and patents (as one of the outputs). A statistical annex brings together a selection of tables of the main indicators shown in the document. OECD database information is also annexed. (A bibliography is included. Contains 11 footnotes, 60 figures, 5 boxes and 26 tables.)

The "Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education" were developed and adopted to support and encourage international cooperation and enhance the understanding of the importance of quality provision in cross-border higher education. The purposes of the "Guidelines" are to protect students and other stakeholders from low-quality provision and disreputable providers (that is, degree and accreditation mills) as well as to encourage the development of quality cross-border higher education that meets human, social, economic and cultural needs. The "Guidelines" are not legally binding and member countries are expected to implement them as appropriate in their national context. Based on a survey about the main recommendations of the "Guidelines", this report monitors the extent to which Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and a few non-member countries comply with its recommendations. The Survey was sent out in June 2010 to all OECD countries. The main conclusion of the survey is that (responding) countries report a high level of compliance with the Guidelines recommendations. On average, responding OECD countries conform to 72% of the main recommendations made to governments, tertiary education institutions, and quality assurance and accreditation agencies. The level of compliance decreases to 67% when recommendations to student bodies are included, but the level of missing information, and thus uncertainty about actual compliance, increases significantly. Appended are: (1) Country Overview of Compliance Levels with the Guidelines for Different Stakeholders; (2) Country Overview of Compliance Levels with Six Key Objectives of the Guidelines; (3) Methodology; (4) Country Answers to the Survey; (5) Overview of National Contact Points; and (6) Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education. (Contains 2 tables, 12 figures and 1 footnote.)

This publication outlines content, objectives, and evaluation procedures for a two week unit of study on modernization in Japan which can be used in high school social studies courses. The teacher must select and adapt the content of the course from six volumes published by the Association for Asian Studies. The volumes, which are not included in this publication, are comprised of 85 articles focusing on six themes: attitudes toward modernization, political development, economic development, social change, cultural change, and dilemmas of growth in prewar Japan. An outline cites the topics to be studied in the course and the corresponding articles which the teacher must read. For example, to acquire information on the topic of perspectives on modernization, the teacher must read the article "Changing Japanese Attitudes Toward Modernization." Although some of the articles in the six volumes may be appropriate for the advanced high school student, most are suitable for teacher use only. A bibliography of student materials is included in the unit. The teacher is expected to choose materials to use in the classroom from this list. No specific teaching strategies are recommended for the unit. Teachers must choose their own teaching strategies by reading sources cited in a bibliography on "Approaches." Tables match course content to specific objectives which are placed in the three domains of cognitive, affective, and social behavior. The unit discusses and contains tests and evaluation procedures. Bibliographies are also included on objectives and evaluation procedures. (Author/RM)

This paper discuses how to integrate games into junior high school English classes in Japan. The first section, "The Present Situation," explains both external and internal influences on the current situation of English education in Japanese junior high schools, proposing solutions and introducing the advantages of using games to teach English as a Second Language. The second section, "Definition and Categories of Games," focuses on games in the areas of vocabulary development, grammar, pronunciation, and a combination of the above (which ask students to use their knowledge about several language skills). The third section, "Criteria for Games," explains how teachers should select and use games (how to integrate games into class material, how to succeed using games, and how often to use games). The fourth section, "Practice," makes suggestions for ways that teachers can adapt games to fit into their existing class materials. (Contains 16 references.) (SM)

This paper outlines Japanese children's preconceptions to communication media. In a study, the function of media was divided into two categories--one is an "informational receiving" function and the other is an "informational sending" function. Preconception (consciousness about degree of liking and level of difficulty) of media was investigated in Japanese students. The receiving media activities are as follows: reading books, listening to people, watching TV or videos, and using computers and the Internet. Findings suggest the following three conclusions as a result of researching 649 elementary and junior high school students: (1) traditional media, writing and reading, in regards to both sending and receiving functions, are liked and are not difficult, but new media, the Internet or computers, are not liked for sending or receiving by students and are difficult; (2) school children with experience in using the Internet like the Internet and computing and do not find them difficult; and (3) in regards to both sending and receiving, students who like a particular type of media do not find it difficult. (Includes 11 tables and 3 figures. Contains 13 references.) (NKA)

Japanese education, including preservice teacher education, is incorporating instructional technology as an effective, systematic way to enhance planning, teaching, and learning. Japanese researchers developed a framework for using instructional technology to develop lesson plans for autonomous learning. Preservice teachers in Japan tend to hold rigid images of teaching from their own schooling experiences, and in the beginning stages of instructional design, then tend to refer to such images to generate lesson plans. New types of software, such as PowerPoint, provide ways for preservice teachers to express ideas in a flexible manner and revise them with ease. Repeated revisions enable them to refine their ideas and make them relevant to instructional events observed during teaching. The design procedure proposed here consists of four components: images, concepts related to each other by graphic representation, models, and propositions (ICMP). These components form the sequential steps in the ICMP method of instructional design and analysis. This paper describes how the framework was used in a preservice course on instructional technology. The instructor used PowerPoint for lesson planning and presentation, though students did not use any information technology. (SM)

Ways to improve the role-playing conversations found in most second language textbooks are outlined. It is argued that the conversations are often restrictive, dull, and repetitive, and students respond to them in kind. The teacher can make the target language used more interesting by creating new characters, situations, settings, or objectives. This can be accomplished by using dice to assign attributes, physical characteristics, and abilities to characters, or to change variables in the situation such as country in which the scenario is set, actions taken, time period, or physical environment. The teacher can create categories corresponding to elements in the textbook conversation, list options, and have students use dice to choose them. For example, in a conversation about a trip, variables might include country of destination, length of stay, places visited or activities while traveling, and money available or spent. Interesting role-playing situations can also be created without reference to the textbook: following a map on a board; giving descriptions of places or buildings; or giving descriptions of travel. The techniques reflect theoretical principles of second language teaching and learning. (MSE)

Classroom techniques for encouraging native Japanese-speaking learners of English to begin the writing process in English, rather than depending on translation from Japanese, are offered. They consist of short, structured exercises with parameters based on spelling, word length, syllable count, alphabetization, pronunciation, letter shape, and other untranslatable aspects of English. At the beginning of each class meeting, a new exercise is presented. For example, students are given one or two model sentences in which every word begins with a certain letter, or are asked to rephrase a sentence without using a given letter. Successful attempts are written on the board to encourage students. After these exercises, students proceed to regular classroom writing tasks. Twenty-six exercises are described, organized according to the untranslatable feature on which they are based, as noted above (spelling, etc.). Contains 41 references. (MSE)

An English-as-a-Foreign Language instructor's repertoire of effective classroom activities is extended not only through acquiring useful, new ideas, but through adapting these activities (new and old) for varied needs and purposes. This article focuses on the potential for adaptation of one popular, communicative activity: "Find someone who..." Suggestions for modification include: employing different grammar points, increasing linguistic complexity, decreasing linguistic support, broadening the information gap, using follow-up questions, one-word cues and picture cues, looking for "no" answers, using information questions, doing indirect questioning, linking with follow-up activities, developing topical themes, and using trivia quizzes and personalized cues. Together, these modifications exemplify how many activities can be adapted to better reach our students and respond to the various needs we encounter. (Contains 13 references.) (Author)

This paper examines cultural differences between Japan and the United States and presents materials designed to help learners of Japanese understand patterns of behavior in that country through realistic episodes and situations. Understanding status differences is important for effective social and business communication with the Japanese. Status differences are reflected not only in the Japanese language, but in the way that Japanese think and act in social and business settings. The Japanese emphasis on distinction is closely linked to personal interdependence. Japanese attitudes towards reservation and hesitation, initiative and presumption, and group belonging are also examined. Two appendixes present examples of typical business situations in English and Japanese, focusing on the problems that many Americans have in dealing effectively with Japanese social and business customs. (MDM)

The challenge of funding a high quality higher education system, ensuring it has the capacity to help meet the increasing demand for high level skills in our economy and the aspirations of our students, has been an ongoing concern for successive Australian governments over many years. This paper reviews the findings and recommendations of significant reviews of Australia's higher education funding system from the 1988 Dawkins white paper through to the 2014 "Review of the Demand Driven Funding System." It summarises the challenges identified and responses proposed across that period as well as some recent international literature about higher education reform. What is clear from the survey of major reviews from 1988 to the present is the similarity of issues that were of concern to governments of the day. Successive governments have sought to build and fund a higher education system to meet the need for high level skills and innovative research for the Australian economy. The challenge for all governments has been how to enable greater numbers of students to access the benefits higher education offers--in terms of employment, earnings, social and cultural opportunities--while ensuring the system remains fair, high quality and affordable for both individuals and taxpayers. The number of domestic higher education students has more than doubled since 1989, reaching just over a million in 2014. International students comprised another 350,000 students in 2014. As student numbers have grown, they have come from more diverse social, economic and academic backgrounds. The number of providers and their diversity has also grown, with around 20 new public universities since the late 1980s and the emergence of significant numbers of non-university providers. The proportion of the Australian working age population with a bachelor degree or higher qualification has tripled since 1989 to just over 25 per cent. Direct Australian Government funding for teaching, learning and research has grown both in absolute and real terms, rising from $3.2 billion in 1989 to $15.4 billion in 2014, more than doubling when adjusted for inflation. Australia is not unique in facing this growth and higher education systems around the world are increasingly moving from elite to mass systems, and beyond to universal systems.

With just a few materials, building a paper model of the International Space Station (ISS) can become an excellent group, troop, or class project. This publication contains a brief overview of the ISS, its parts, the science that occurs on board, instructions, and extensions for an interdisciplinary technology experience. Discover more about the Station. Explore fun facts, simulate building the Station, and learn about the international partners. NASA hopes to whet users' appetites for more space exploration through these materials. Teams of students can take on the roles of international partners and/or engineers as they learn about and assemble portions of the model. Once each team briefs the group about their section of the model during a mock summit, then it's time to ensure "Assembly Complete." Also included is a worksheet with Web links (and an answer key) to help students process what they learn. The end result is an international, team-building experience to construct a 3-D paper model of the Station. With a bit of nylon fishing line or string, the model can hang suspended and seemingly float below the ceiling. Various links to multimedia experiences are included to extend the experience and further bring the Station to life. Students can visit the links to play a spacewalking simulation game, find out how to view the Station from their backyard, and see pictures of the inside of the Station using a program called Photosynth. [This document was created for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by NASA Headquarters and Johnson Space Center.]

This paper discusses how Japanese teachers of English can help students acquire real oral communication skills by challenging and changing their teaching approaches, reflecting on their teaching styles, understanding the situation in their language classrooms, and taking steps to solve the problem of authentic oral communication. The paper explores how secondary level Japanese English teachers can help students learn real oral communication skills effectively by optimizing language learning conditions. Four sections focus on: (1) "Reflections on the Situation and Problems in My Class"; (2) "Optimum Language Learning Conditions" (exposure, use of language, motivation, and instruction); (3) "Solution: Task-Based Learning" (defining a task, how the task-based learning framework operates, how task-based learning optimizes four language learning conditions, a variety of task types provides rich opportunities and experiences, and acquiring communication strategies); and (4) "Conclusion" (teachers must help students improve not only accuracy but also true communicative abilities). A lesson plan, "Focus on Oral Communication," is appended. (Contains 17 references.) (SM)

This book discusses two major approaches to social science research: quantitative research, which involves converting observations to numbers and analyzing them statistically; and qualitative research, which looks at participants' opinions, behaviors, and experiences from their own points of view and in a more subjective way. In the book, particular emphasis is put on research related to communication and language teaching/learning. Following an Introduction, under Part I--Looking at Science--are these chapters: (1) What Is Science?; (2) Aims and Methods of Science; (3) Science, Common Sense, and Ways of Knowing; (4) Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Under Part II--Quantitative Research--are these chapters: (5) Variables and Hypotheses; (6) Constructs and Variables; (7) Getting Started and Choosing Your Approach; (8) Writing Questionnaires; (9) Doing Interviews; (10) Making Observations; (11) Variance, Control, and Threats to Validity; (12) Threats to Internal Validity; (13) Faulty Research Design; (14) Analyzing Results of Quantitative Research--Descriptive and Statistical Significance; (15) Analyzing Results of Quantitative Research--Comparative Statistics. Under Part III--Qualitative Research--are these chapters: (16) Designing Qualitative Research Studies; (17) Using Observation in Qualitative Research; (18) Practical Aspects of Observation in Qualitative Research; (19) Using Case Studies; (20) Analyzing Data in Qualitative Research: Word-Based and Scrutiny-Based Approaches; and (21) Analyzing Data in Qualitative Research: Linguistic Features and Tactile Approaches. Appendixes contain information about writing research papers; citing sources and avoiding plagiarism; sample research papers; doing a presentation on your research; titles, abstracts, and biodata; and answers for exercises. (NKA)

This document contains three papers from an international conference on "ways and means for more employment." The first paper, "Employment Policy Comparisons and Policy Advice" (Ulrich Walwei), covers the German labor market in the second half of the 1990s and requirements for longer-term employment success through coping with structural change and addressing employment possibilities for less competitive, low-skilled workers. The second paper, "Employment Policy Successes with Different Framework Conditions and Concepts" (Heinz Werner), considers the following questions: Are there constant "model countries"? Is a high level of employment necessary? What is meant by successful employment policy? What conclusion can be drawn from international experiences? What are the consequences of different wage-replacement benefits in the event of unemployment? The final paper, "Figures and Graphs on the Labor Market Development in Selected Countries" (Ingeborg Konig), contains graphs and charts focusing on the following:(1) unemployment rates in selected industrial countries, 1983-1999; (2) employment trends in selected industrial countries, 1983-1999; (3) employment rates in European Union (EU) states, the United States, and Japan in 1999; (4) gross domestic product and persons in civilian employment, 1983-1999; (5) growth rates of gross domestic product and civilian labor force in Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Netherlands, and the United States, 1983-1999; (6) economic growth, employment growth, and change in unemployment in the European Union states, the United States, and Japan, 1991-1995; and (7) economic growth, employment trends, and unemployment rate in each of the European Union states, the United States, and Japan, 1986-2002. (KC)

A university teacher of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japan draws on teaching experience and a classroom experiment to discuss how a socio-historical analysis of culture can be combined with intercultural communication and global issues to supplement learning and teaching in the college-level EFL curriculum. Students were asked to make a list of five things about culture that they would like to know by the end of the semester. Participants in three teacher training workshops were asked a similar question about teaching. Results indicated students wanted answers to highly specific questions, whereas teachers had more general questions reflecting greater abstraction. This suggests a Vygotskian view of developmental changes in thinking processes and, in particular the theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Implications for ZPD in pedagogy and diagnosis of student developmental level are examined, and classroom techniques are discussed briefly. (Contains 40 references.) (MSE)

Two solutions for teaching college-level German instruction in Japan are described. The first solution is the TALK Learning System, materials designed for use in large classes. Instead of a course book, each learner has a manual in Japanese, three tool cards for each of four topics (one with dialogue patterns, a question card, and a data card), a glossary, and a tape containing the content of all cards. Using a portable tape player, students follow study tips in the manual to fulfill certain tasks, which usually lead from understanding of the content material through writing and pattern practice to a presentation in class. Students work in pairs, with three pairs working together throughout the course. The second solution, The Frankenstein Project has small student groups develop profiles of fictitious Japanese university students and present them to the class, then respond to teacher-posed questions about the profiled student's attitudes and behaviors. This leads to classroom discussion and comparison of cultural context, lifestyles, and beliefs. Contains 4 references. (MSE)

Class activities and games designed to stimulate student interest and provide feedback in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESOL) pronunciation and phonetics are described. They are intended to address specific challenges of a typical Japanese, ESOL classroom--low student motivation and inadequate feedback--and to supplement conventional language drills. It is noted that most vocabulary teaching games (crosswords, mazes, "hangman," bingo) can be adapted for pronunciation practice. Examples offered include: (1) an articulatory jigsaw puzzle; (2) a dialect identification game; (3) a ball game; (4) dart game and contest; (5) flash card games; (6) use of local children's; and (7) party games, and some student-produced ideas such as stories and dialogues, tongue-twisters, and limericks. (Contains 13 references.) (MSE)

Use of authentic content-based videotape recordings to integrate content with English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) instruction and English for academic purposes in college-level courses is discussed, particularly as it is relevant to the Japanese university context. Focus is on adaptation of techniques used in the United States for sheltered English instruction and on selection of appropriate video materials. Ideas are offered for choosing and customizing documentaries, movies, television commercials, public service announcements and government films. An example of each of these video types is offered, with specific classroom activities suggested. Contains three references. (MSE)

Problems in teaching English pronunciation to large groups of university students in Japan are discussed, and some solutions are offered. Pronunciation instruction requires close individual interaction between teacher and student, difficult if not impossible to achieve in a typical Japanese university classroom. However, it is possible to get feedback from a large number of students and enhance their motivation for and interest in English pronunciation and phonetics by applying some less traditional techniques and tasks such as phoneme cards, pronunciation-based quiz games, using a form of sign language, using materials prepared by the students, encouraging students' reports on various aspects of pronunciation and phonetics, and introducing elements of the discovery learning technique. Examples are offered. (Contains eight references.) (Author/MSE)

At Tokai University (Japan), an English-as-a-Second-Language course in global issues through video uses the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's monthly video magazine "News in Review", published eight months a year for use in Canadian English-medium schools. Of the four segments in each magazine, usually two are about Canada or international issues as they relate to Canada; the remainder are on a variety of international topics, all documentary in approach, educational, and presented in a way that demonstrates the power of television in shaping social conscience and global consciousness, an element needed in Japanese society. A supplementary resource package for teachers helps use the video materials. The teacher's intention is to have students comprehend not only the language and content of the segments, but also the issues, concepts, and values within them, and to express feelings and opinions and ask questions based on that understanding. Classroom activities are designed to exploit information, reasoning, and opinion gaps experienced by the students. In using video, teachers are advised to use short sequences, provide repeated viewings, treat the video as both visual and aural text, and plan pre-viewing, viewing, and post-viewing activities. Contains six references. (MSE)

A National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant funded a study to establish an International Humanities Curriculum that would serve as a model of curricular internationalization upon which interested observers might draw for revision of their own curricula. This curriculum revision project introduced the study of texts, ideas, themes, and issues from China and Japan into the literature curriculum of Robert Morris College. China and Japan seemed obvious choices for enhancing the international dimension of the humanities curriculum at that college. China, which is both the oldest and the largest country in the world promises to exert a major economic and cultural influence upon global affairs in the future, and since rebounding from World War II Japan has become a model of industrial efficiency and success. Goals for this business-focused curriculum included (1) enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of the human experience as it has been lived in two major world cultures; and (2) building a valuable foundation of contextual knowledge for making sense of professional practices, strategies, issues, and obstacles that students will face on an international scale as workers and leaders in business and industry. The study and the interdisciplinary collaboration which was essential to its implementation led to the conclusion that curricular internationalization provides valuable common ground between disciplines traditionally indifferent or hostile towards each other. Participants further concluded that forging meaningful interdisciplinary partnerships not only requires rethinking traditional notions of disciplinary borders, but also requires learning to cross those borders. (Four tables are included.) (SAM)

Designed for grades 4-6, this teaching unit explores children's rights from a comparative perspective by focusing on the rights of Japanese children as revealed in a collection of stories written by Japanese junior high school students. The unit outlines a series of lessons that explore the nature of children's rights and inquire about the extent that young people in Japan enjoy those rights. The unit contains a set of 20 stories that depict the daily lives of Japanese young people. Supplementary materials include: (1) the text of the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of the Child; (2) text of the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child; and (3) selected news articles related to children's rights in Japan and published between 1989-90. Four introductory activities and two additional activities provide ideas for working with the stories and text. (CK)

A variety of games for beginning second language learners are described. The games are designed to develop the student's confidence in communicating in the target language and to help establish his interlanguage. They include: a bilingual guessing game, to be played by a learner and a native speaker; a game to match words, pictures, and definitions; a conundrum in the form of a physical puzzle; a description/object guessing game and variations; a geography guessing game; an exercise in reconstructing a story from mixed sentences; and a word/picture matching game. Several related books are listed. (MSE)

The method used by the American Graduate School of International Management (AZ) to select participants for internships with Japanese companies is described and some case studies are offered as illustrations. The composition of the selection committee is noted, the interview process is discussed briefly (focusing on elicitation of student attitudes, expectations, and cultural adaptability), and the kinds of criteria used to evaluate applicants are examined. These criteria include: (1) attitudes toward an internship and toward interviewers; (2) personality traits that can promote success or create problems; and (3) rules and requirements to be met in each of three departments (world business, modern languages, and international studies). Internship participants' suggestions for successful experiences are offered. They include a sense of humor, willingness to participate actively, and low expectations because of the short duration of the internship. It is noted that the internship in Japan differs from an internship in the United States in that the Japanese internship is likely to be non-task-oriented. (MSE)

Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a successful formula when it comes to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education? In this report, the authors challenge the nation's approach to STEM education and argue that reforms are urgently needed to better match the talents of students, the needs of employers, and its goals. (Contains 19 tables, 42 figures, and 623 endnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Intel Corporation. For "Refueling the U.S. Innovation Economy: Fresh Approaches to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Executive Summary," see ED521736.]

During this five-day unit, students will enter the world of a Japanese classroom. They will talk about school uniforms, "fill" their backpacks with school items, and learn how to do a simple self-introduction in front of their peers. Students will participate in the cultural customs of a Japanese classroom and view pictures, videos, and commercials that illustrate Japanese school life. For an interpretive assessment, students will listen to a description of the items in a particular backpack and choose the matching backpack from a variety of choices. For an interpersonal assessment, students will participate in an oral question and answer game in which they have to make sure they have everything in their respective backpacks or go get it from the "teacher" (another student). Finally, students will introduce themselves using a standard Japanese presentation format, saying a greeting, their names, grade level, and "nice to meet you." This will function as a presentational assessment in this short unit. Through the context of meaningful and engaging activities, carefully scaffolded lessons, and lots of comprehensible input, students will have many opportunities for success with the language in this short period of time. [Funding for this paper was provided by the National Security Agency.]