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This paper reports on combining semiotic and discursive approaches to reification in classroom interactions. It focuses on the discursive characteristics and semiotic processes involved in the teaching and learning of square roots in a ninth grade classroom in Japan. The purpose of this study is to characterize the development of mathematical discourses in a series of mathematics lessons in terms of the "commognitive framework" and the model of semiotic chaining. To achieve this objective, the notion of reification is revisited from cognitive, semiotic, and discursive points of view, and classroom activities are observed and analysed in terms of the combined theoretical framework. The results suggest that the model of semiotic chaining is not incommensurable with a strong discursive approach and the changes of meta-discursive rules--an essential aspect of the reification of new signifiers--that take place in the phases of the learning of addition on square roots.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has led the way in constructing the East Asian region with China, Japan, and South Korea, and an inter-regional entity with the European Union (EU)--known as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). The initial aims were security and trade. Recently, however, higher education has been brought into these regionalising processes, largely as a response to the globalising of neoliberalism. The paper argues that regions are social, economic, and political constructions shaped by both material forces and cultural factors. It emphasises the importance of the latter and explains three mechanisms at work: "harmonisation" to build intra-ASEAN higher education cooperation; "socialisation" to create the ASEAN+3 region; and "mutual learning" to engage with the EU in shaping an "ASEM Education Area". These mechanisms influence the ways in which regional actors form new conceptions of self and other, negotiate norms, and (re)construct their identities and interests, thus creating new forms of cooperation and community. Particularly, "mutual learning" generates the outcome of a deeper negotiation for an equal partnership between the "Asia" and the "Europe" in ASEM. Hence, higher education regionalism emerges as a way to reposition Southeast Asia.

We aimed to survey the findings of phenomenological studies built up in the field of diabetes care in Sweden. This is a meta-synthesis of phenomenological studies on experiences related to diabetes in Sweden focusing on learning to live with diabetes. We proceeded by reference to the seven phases of Noblit & Hare. We examined papers from seven phenomenological studies on learning to live with diabetes in Sweden. From the papers, which describe the experience of living with diabetes, three overarching themes were selected—perception and awareness of the body; integration and responsibility; and presence of others who provide support. From those describing the expert's experience, an overarching theme emerged—encouraging reflection in persons with diabetes. We interpreted each of these themes in phenomenological terms and compared them with theories in Japan. Persons with diabetes take responsibility for coping with a range of things brought on by the illness and learn to live with diabetes. Experts support these persons so they can see their world objectively and critically scrutinize it. By building a model of diabetes care in Japan that references Scandinavian human science, it will be possible to find new approaches that support learning at the existential level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scene text detection has been widely studied on haze‐free images with reliable ground truth annotation. However, detecting scene text in inclement weather conditions remains a major challenge due to the severe domain distribution mismatch problem. This paper introduces a domain adaptation curriculum learning method to address this problem. The scene text detector is self‐trained in an easy‐to‐hard manner using the pseudo‐labels predicted from foggy images. Thus, our method reduces the pseudo‐labeling noise level. Then, a feature alignment module is introduced to help the network learn domain‐invariant features by training a domain classifier. Experimental results show that our method improved significantly on both synthetic foggy data sets and natural foggy data sets, outperforming many state‐of‐the‐art scene text detectors. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A research project on chemical AI, called the Molecular Cybernetics Project, was launched in Japan in 2021 with the goal of creating a molecular machine that can learn a type of conditioned reflex through the process of classical conditioning. In this project, we have developed a learning method for the network of such learning molecular machines, which is reported in this paper. First, as a model of a learning molecular machine, we formulate a logic gate that can learn conditioned reflex and introduce the network of the logic gates. Then we derive a key principle for learning, called the flipping principle, by which we present a learning algorithm for the network to realize a desired function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the information age and the progress of science and technology, the traditional education model cannot meet the needs of teachers and students for richer knowledge and diversified teaching methods in the new era. The traditional basic Japanese teaching mode has not matched with the current form of social development. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a new basic Japanese teaching model. The development of multimedia brings the Internet mixed teaching mode, which just fills the gap of this kind of teaching method and provides new ideas and ways for the reform of teaching methods. The application of multimedia network assisted teaching in basic Japanese teaching plays a great role in promoting basic Japanese teaching. In the multimedia network environment, how to let students learn independently, find and raise problems by themselves, and analyze and solve problems at a deeper level has attracted the attention of many educators. Improving the practicability of Japanese teaching is very important for Japanese teaching in colleges and universities. Therefore, this paper studies media teaching, analyzes the current and existing problems of multimedia teaching in Japanese teaching and the principles that should be followed in order to develop, finds the limitations of using multimedia teaching methods in the current Japanese teaching and learning process, and puts forward targeted suggestions and application strategies on these limitations, and builds a new model of basic Japanese teaching under the multimedia network environment., Competing Interests: The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 JianXue Xia.)

This paper reports on an exploratory case study to help facilitate a culture of dialogue in Japan. There is an emphasis on proposing methods for polyphonic dialogue among citizens, and between citizens and experts, to effectively manage the environment. This paper argues that a culture of dialogue is essential to pluralistic participatory environmental governance. A random sampling-based citizen dialogue—involving experts and citizens—regarding radioactive waste disposal was held in Japanese cities. Three proposed methods—politeness-based facilitation dialogue, evidence-based and position-explicit presentations by experts with differing views and experts reflecting in tandem with citizens engaged in dialogue—might lead to enhanced positive attitudes toward dialogue with others holding different views, as well as better internal self-deliberation. Attitudes for dialogue were measured empirically. The current research suggests that explicit treatment of pluralistic positions and views among citizens and experts would be a key factor for quality social learning and resilience for uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As learning analytics research has become active both in Japan and abroad, there is a growing demand for data analysis that contributes to the improvement of learning environments that utilizes evidence based on the collection of the results of such analysis. However, in order to accumulate evidence for effective improvement of learning environment, data analysis and practical studies are needed to be utilized for improvement of learning environment. This explanatory paper reviews research on evidence-based improvement of learning environments through learning analytics and introduces examples of learning analytics research conducted by the authors to support learning and improve teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential of learner-initiated exploratory practice (EP), which encourages learners to set their own investigative agenda based on their curiosity-driven puzzles. A case study was conducted in a remedial course for undergraduate students at a university in Japan. Data included student puzzles, posters, and reflective questionnaires. Student investigations of their puzzles remind teachers and researchers of the affordances of learning from learners. The results suggested that, despite their previously disoriented attitudes towards learning English, this form of fully inclusive practitioner research, EP, provides learners with an opportunity to realize their curiosity and reinvigorate their motivation towards language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A growing body of research demonstrates that adapting the popular entertainment activity "escape rooms" for educational purposes as an innovative teaching method can improve the learning experience. Escape rooms promote teamwork, encourage analytical thinking, and improve problem solving. Despite the increasing development and use of escape rooms in health sciences programs and academic libraries, there is little literature on the use of this method in health sciences libraries with health professions students. Case Presentation: Staff at a health sciences library collaborated with faculty to incorporate escape rooms into library instruction in a variety of settings (in-person, hybrid, online) and formats (team, individual) with health professions students from various disciplines (optometry, pharmacy, medicine). The escape rooms described in this paper offered unique experiences for students through active learning. Discussion: Important considerations when planning escape rooms for health sciences library instruction include deciding on team-based or individual design, calculating potential costs in time and money, deciding on an in-person, hybrid, or online format, and determining whether grades should be assigned. Escape rooms can be an effective strategy for library instruction in the health sciences, working in multiple formats to bring game-based learning to a variety of health professions students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is presenting a part of the results obtained between 2021-2022 within the Capacity building Project "Challenges of Maritime Digital Leaders in the Algorithmic Age (DIGITAL LEADER)", research grant by the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) and the Nippon Foundation in Japan. Anticipating the structurally change of careers choice from sea to shore-based employment, in order to increase the attractiveness for studies, maritime educational institutions expand the focus of teaching technical core competences and knowledge necessary for on board jobs, to those competences needed for an array of on-shore jobs, complementary to seafaring. Some of the objectives of the study were to establish most in-demand skills for maritime digital leadership and to propose updated operational training methods for maritime training necessary to increase the students' attractiveness for maritime transport studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of English as a Lingua Franca is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As a result of the rushed transition to remote teaching because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers have suddenly been forced to design mobile-assisted language learning (MALL; m-learning) activities, mostly for the first time in their careers. However, it is imperative that instructors realize that the challenge is greater than simply converting paper-based assignments into a digital format. There has been very little research done examining the cognitive effects of writing on a smartphone, compared to writing on paper. The current study therefore sought to examine how recollection of content differed depending on the medium used for notetaking. A population of 138 Japanese university students of English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) were asked to transcribe a short text, either by paper or by smartphone, and then quizzed on the content immediately afterwards. Students who wrote the text by hand were found to have significantly greater recollection of the content compared to those who had 'tapped' on smartphones. These results follow precursor research which indicated that Japanese students compose significantly slower on their phones in English (Lee, 2020b), and wrote significantly less in writing tasks (Lee, 2019, 2020a) than handwriting counterparts., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Children with epilepsy often show some degree of cognitive impairment. In this study, we investigated their learning skills to clarify the characteristics of the difficulties related to learning in Japanese-speaking children with focal epilepsy., Methods: The study included 13 boys and 17 girls of mean age 9.7 years (standard deviation 2.61; range 6-14 years) with focal epilepsy and a normal magnetic resonance brain scan. None of the patients had any other neurological disorder., Results: Twenty-two children had "learning difficulties", i.e., an intellectual disability or low scores on a learning abilities task. Significant differences were found in age (P = 0.030), age at onset of epilepsy (P = 0.033), and electroencephalographic findings, as well as between bilateral vs. unilateral (P = 0.028) and right-localized vs. left-localized or bilateral (P = 0.014) involvement between subjects with and without learning difficulties. Seven (88%) of eight children with low scores on a learning abilities task showed abnormalities in reading speed., Discussion: More than half of Japanese-speaking children with focal epilepsy need learning assistance. This finding points to a need for learning support in children with focal epilepsy regardless of language. Measurement of reading speed is useful in children with learning difficulties to identify those who require early intervention., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. All rights reserved.)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide quantitative evidence of natural disasters’ (NDs) effect on corporate performance and studies the mechanisms through which the supply chain moderates and mediates the link.Design/methodology/approach Using two major NDs as quasi-experiment, namely the 2011 Japanese earthquake-tsunami (JET) and Thai flood (TF), and data over the period 2010Q1-2013Q4, effect of these events on end assemblers’ performance is studied, with a focus on the personal computer (PC) supply chain. The moderating influence of delivery and sourcing – as supply chain flexibility and agility – are examined through end assemblers’ and suppliers’ inventory. The suppliers’ mediating role is captured as disruption in obtaining PC components through their sales.Findings Only JET had any negative effect, further quantified as short-term and long-term. The TF instead portrays an insignificant but positive aftermath, which is construed as showing learning from experience and adaptability following JET. Inventory matters, but differently for the two events, and suppliers only exhibit a moderating influence on the assemblers’ disaster-performance link.Originality/value NDs, as catastrophic vulnerabilities, are distinct from other vulnerabilities in that they are hard to predict and have significant impact. Since little is known about the impact of NDs on firm performance and how supply chain mechanisms moderate or mediate their impact, they should be distinctly modelled and empirically studied from other vulnerabilities. This paper sheds light on supply chain resilience to such events with the role of dynamic capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear power has remained a hugely controversial energy technology since the 1970s and became particularly so after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. Engaging citizens in making energy decisions have thus become an increasingly important governing approach to post‐Fukushima energy transitions in many countries. Deliberative participatory processes and learning through social interactions have been increasingly regarded as critical elements of effective public engagement. Yet, little is known about who learns what, how they learn, and what impacts learning has on nuclear governance. Even less is known about the contextual factors influencing social learning. Advancing the literature on nuclear governance, deliberative participation, and social learning, this paper proposes a learning‐oriented framework to evaluate the outcomes of deliberative participation in the context of nuclear governance. We apply this framework in a case study of a national deliberative poll (DP) on energy conducted in Japan in 2012. We critically examine the extent to which and how social learning occurs under the influence of pre‐existing government‐industry‐society relations as a key contextual factor. Mainly based on a qualitative analysis of transcribed materials from a two‐day deliberation over the DP involving 285 citizens, this study has three main findings. First, participating citizens of the DP were able to acquire all of the three orders of social learning through deliberative processes in the DP process. Second, the provision of multiple sources of information, access to diverse perspectives, and the availability of plenty of dialogic processes are identified as factors that were found to facilitate advancement toward higher orders of learning. Third, the "nuclear iron triangle"—a pro‐nuclear coalition—appeared to constrain social learning impacts in the wider socio‐political systems of nuclear governance in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has influenced many aspects of tertiary educational institutions in Japan. Many Self-Access Learning Centers (SALCs) at universities are also required to change their operation and support systems. This paper introduces how the SALC at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) has supported students during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses successful points and limitations of the online support system, which is characterized as emergency remote support (ERS). The research analyzes survey and interview data collected from five Japanese peer advisors (PAs) who work at the SALC. We find that ERS at the SALC can sufficiently provide students with individual support in learning and practicing languages as well as some psychological support via a videoconferencing tool. However, we also identify that ERS cannot create an environment for socialization and social learning compared to the usual SALC in which students gather and socialize with others freely while developing their language and communication abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the turn of the century there has been increasing interest in educational assessment and the ways in which it can encourage or discourage effective learning processes. Much of this interest has centered around formative assessment and those practices which can promote student learning through the act of being assessed. Societies that have a Confucian heritage culture are widely believed to prioritize summative assessment at the expense of formative assessment. This will inevitably impact the ways in which students from these countries approach and engage with assessment tasks. The present study seeks to understand the dispositions of students from one Confucian heritage culture though the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The conceptions and experiences of university students in Japan were studied in order to provide direction for the development of formative assessment practice. Two data collection instruments were used: a self-report survey and a narrative frame task. The results indicate that students from Japan approach assessment tasks in a way that is at odds with some popular Confucian categories, such as intense competition, a desire to please the family, and the priority of book knowledge above practical skill. The paper concludes with pedagogical implications for teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feature of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, which aims to internationalize Japan and to improve the English-speaking ability of its students, is the hiring of Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) who are described by the Japanese government as native-level speakers of English working in Japanese classrooms. By using critical applied linguistic which focuses on questions of power, difference, access and domination in the use of the English language (Pennycook, 2001), this paper examines the motivations of the Filipino teachers as ALTs, the processes of international teacher recruitment and how their 'nonnativeness' reconfigure their identity as nonnative English speaker teachers (NNESTs) and Filipino migrants. Data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions of Filipino ALTs and Japanese teachers show that English is both motivation and vehicle for migration and settlement for the Filipino teachers. "Nonnativeness" requires from them reconfiguration of their identity which entails them to sound native, counteract perceived forms of discrimination and assess their roles in the spread and use of English. This "nonnativeness" is a repudiation of their skills and qualifications as English teachers thus, paving the way for an interrogation of language ideologies, and of linguistic and racial identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the past limitations on clinical practice training during the COVID-19 pandemic, a hybrid format program was developed, combining a time-lapse unfolding case study and high-fidelity simulation. This study assesses the effectiveness of a new form of clinical training from the perspective of student nurses. A questionnaire was administered to 159 second-year nursing students enrolled in the "Basic Nursing Practice II" course. Text mining was performed using quantitative text analysis for the following items: (1) aspects that were learned more deeply, (2) benefits, and (3) difficulties encountered with the new practice format. The new clinical practice format enhanced participants' learning related to the daily changes required in nursing care and improved their nursing competency through simulated patient interactions. However, the participants faced difficulties dealing with patients accompanied by secular changes. Moreover, they found remote group work challenging. These findings can be applied to the development of new educational strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocabulary knowledge is of paramount importance when learning a second language. It requires effective and practical classroom vocabulary learning methods for long-term acquisition. Specific learning aspects helping the learner remember vocabulary such as spaced repetition and retrieval practice have shown efficacy but are often disconnected from practical in-class methods that can be used repeatedly. This study looked at data from 74 university students in Japan studying English vocabulary with the GoldList Notebook Method, which incorporates spaced learning and retrieval practice. The study was conducted over a nine-week period and consisted of a pre-test of target L2 idioms, a lesson teaching the idioms, the implementation of the GoldList Notebook Method, and a post-test on the target idioms. The data collected were analyzed through fixed effects with a generalized linear model in R version 4.0.3 and R Studio 1.2.5. In addition to quantitative data collected through the pre- and posttests, qualitative observational data was compiled on the use of the GoldList Notebook Method in the classroom. The findings showed efficacy in using the method and found particular merit to spaced learning over two-week intervals. The study further addresses problems teachers may face implementing the method in the classroom and possible ways to alleviate the issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning how to read kuzushiji is the most important skill for studying the history of pre-modern Japan and classical Japanese literature. However, the difficulty of acquiring this skill has prevented both scholars and amateurs from other fields and countries to work on classical Japanese writings. The kuzushiji project is an attempt to provide accessible resources and training on mobile devices for learning kuzushiji, and available for free. KuLA, the learning app we developed, has already been downloaded more than 36,000 times since its release in February 2016. In this paper, we describe our background, aims, and approach of our project, as well as the implementation of KuLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a central objective, problem-solving skills are important in the mathematics curricula of many countries. However, such skills tend to receive limited and rarely systematic attention in mathematics lessons, including in the Netherlands. To address this gap, the authors adopt a specific approach that defines problem solving as integral to mathematics: Teaching mathematics Through Problem solving (TTP). In Japan, teachers often learn about TTP by performing Lesson Study (LS), an approach in which teachers work in teams to design and conduct a research lesson that allows them to learn collectively about students' learning processes. TTP offers a promising, structured, didactical approach to introducing problem solving in mathematics lessons, and LS appears to represent an effective means for teachers to learn about TTP. To test this proposition, the current study entails a TTP- and LS-based intervention implemented in two secondary schools in the Netherlands, with an explicit focus on problem-solving skills. The central research objective for this study is to determine whether this TTP-LS-intervention helps mathematics teachers incorporate problem-solving skills into their lessons and how design characteristics and mechanisms of the intervention affect the outcomes. Interviews with teachers provide insights into which characteristics of the TTP-LS intervention fostered the implementation of problem solving in their teaching practice, as well as which did not. The collected data show that the teachers regard TTP as a valuable pedagogy to teaching mathematical problem solving. They report that the joint development, implementation, and evaluation of TTP lessons in the LS cycles, and especially observations of students, has given them more tools for applying TTP pedagogy and that they use these tools to promote problem-solving skills. Elements of the TTP lessons that the teachers perceived as difficult were the lesson phases that featured discussions on solution strategies rather than finding the "right" answers. Teachers regarded LS as a suitable approach for learning about TTP. Some points for improvement also emerged from the data. For example, more support should be given to TTP-LS-teams to explain the problem-solving skills they want to target in their lessons, and to practice especially the classroom discussion and summary phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author examines the experiences of learning about Japanese elementary education from the perspective of a Canadian teacher. She suggests through a year-long study in a Japanese third grade classroom that the teaching practices and philosophies underlying curricular and pedagogical decisions made by teachers are shaped by the culture and society of which schools are part, such that learning about Japanese schooling highlights the influence of social, societal, cultural, linguistic factors outside, as well as inside, school. In line with narrative inquiry research practices, the author also acknowledges her own stance as a certified elementary level teacher who was educated and certified in Canada, in contributing to shaping her analysis of teacher knowledge of her teacher participants. She argues that the process of learning about schooling in a country or culture different from the one in which an individual was educated and learned to teach, involves immersing oneself into the research context to learn about the experience from the perspective an insider. Realization of the extent to which this expansive interweaving of school and society is apparent in many aspects of schooling in Japan, in turn, reinforces the idea that this interconnection may also underlie schooling in other societies as well, such that one's experiences in one's own culture may form the foundation for understanding and interpreting knowledge gained about schooling in another culture or community. The notion of cross-cultural teacher knowledge, then, may be grounded in personal and professional experience of teaching and being taught in one's own culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the fast development of globalization, more and more attentions has been paid for foreign language study especially during higher education stage. Japan as the biggest developed country in Asia has friendly communication with China, while the education of Japanese in China is not match its importance. Combined with the teaching practice experience, the computer aided language learning strategy could be applied widely in Japanese education. The following paper will begin with the current situation of Japanese teaching in university and provide reasonable recommence. The poor ability of Japanese application is mainly caused by the lack of actual situation in learning process, which could be remedied by computer technology. The computer aided language learning platform could provide various learning material by multimedia software, which is the breakthrough points of specific measurements in university Japanese learning as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Philippines, the K to 12 program has begun as basic education since 2012. Scientific inquiry is emphasised in the science curriculum to develop scientific literacy. Even in Japan, the current course of study and the new one that will be enforced from 2020 also emphasise scientific inquiry. Hoiv do the teachers of both countries think about scientific inquiry in their curriculum? The purposes of this survey are to understand teacher's view on scientific inquiry and to understand how often teachers provide opportunities to do each process skill. The relationship between the tiuo items in the survey will be considered in this paper. We conducted a survey for this. Science teachers at G7-G10 in Pangasinan Province, Philippines and science teachers at G7-G9 in Chiba City, Japan participated in this survey in the period of January to April 2017. They completed the questionnaire comprising of questions about scientific inquiry and process skills. The answers were analysed to compare the characteristics of both countries. As a result, it was found that teachers from both countries evaluated themselves as strong users of inquiry-based leaning methods, tending to practice process skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proof validation is important in school mathematics because it can provide a basis upon which to critique mathematical arguments. While there has been some previous research on proof validation, the need for studies with school students is pressing. For this paper, we focus on proof validation and modification during secondary school geometry. For that purpose, we employ Lakatos’ notion of local counterexample that rejects a specific step in a proof. By using Toulmin’s framework to analyze data from a task-based questionnaire completed by 32 ninth-grade students in a class in Japan, we identify what attempts the students made in producing local counterexamples to their proofs and modifying their proofs to deal with local counterexamples. We found that student difficulties related to producing diagrams that satisfied the condition of the set proof problem and to generating acceptable warrants for claims. The classroom use of tasks that entail student discovery of local counterexamples may help to improve students’ learning of proof and proving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a theoretical model of interaction between individual and collective levels of entrepreneurial learning. We conducted a qualitative study on SoftBank Academia (SBA), an institute for human resource development to develop potential successors to Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank Group in Japan. In SBA, there's simultaneously a high level of competition and cooperation. Results suggest that the entrepreneurial learning process, which spans individual and collective levels, features elements of SoftBank Group's business process such as 'comradely association' and 'Cluster of No. 1 Strategy'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Race to the Top (RTTT) program incentivized states to use innovation for systemwide improvement of student outcomes, but little is known about how RTTT-funded innovation was sustained after the RTTT program ended. This mixed-methods study examined state and district approaches to sustaining an international innovation called lesson study, a teacher-driven, collaborative, inquiry-based teacher learning process imported from Japan and promoted statewide in Florida. While the state's role in sustaining lesson study was limited, we found that districts that integrated lesson study into the district instructional system through a clear expectation and strategic adaptation, supported school and teacher ownership of lesson study practice, and provided necessary support and funding were more likely to sustain lesson study. In contrast, the districts that focused on implementation fidelity and district-led facilitation eventually phased out lesson study. Policy implications for sustaining federally funded professional development innovations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the Tokyo Olympic Games postponement, has created unprecedented challenges for Olympic level athletes. Given the adversity athletes have faced since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the construct of psychological resilience is a useful framework for understanding athlete experiences during this time, and is conceptualized by Fletcher and Sarkar as an individual's ability to protect against the negative effect of stressors. The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of Canadian athletes preparing for the Tokyo summer Olympic Games during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Interviews were conducted with 20 Canadian athletes across individual and team sports. The participants spoke of the multiple ways they were taking care of themselves and developing resilience throughout the pandemic, highlighting the complexity involved with managing an adversity. Four narratives illuminate the athletes' experiences: the critical role of context, the essential nature of social support, the importance of being more than an athlete, and the relevance of learning to reflect on one's life. For these athletes, factors such as Olympic qualification, stage of their career, physical and mental health, and access to resources influenced their experience of the pandemic, demonstrating the importance of both individual and environmental factors when exploring resilience. Importantly, the athletes did not manage this adversity on their own, but received strong support. Therefore, sport psychology consultants can assist an athlete's development of resilience by providing expertise and taking into account an athlete's personal context. Lay summary: Twenty athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympic Games during the COVID-19 pandemic were interviewed and four narratives are presented. All athletes were experiencing the pandemic differently based on their personal circumstances and were managing the adversity with social support, reflection, and pursuits beyond sport. Develop resources for coaches, athletes, and sport psychology practitioners to become competent in understanding and developing a high-performance sport environment that is both challenging and supportive Recognize the importance of social support in learning how to effectively reflect and develop pursuits outside of high-performance sport Understand and develop resilience, in a way that promotes, rather than diminishes, mental health [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to COVID-19, Japanese self-access learning centers (SALCs) rapidly shifted their in-person consultations entirely online. While online consultations were scarce prior to 2020, there still existed few attempts. Yet, this prior history has not been considered in recent studies. Additionally, while researchers have recently addressed the role of online consultations, there is insufficient data from students regarding their experiences and future needs. Instead, the discussion has positioned online consultations as a temporary solution without considering their continuation. Therefore, this study assesses the effects that online consultations have had on students and addresses their future role, considering the history while soliciting students’ perceptions. Data collection included a survey consisting of closed and open-ended questions administered to eighteen students at a university in Japan who voluntarily participated in multiple online consultations at a self-access facility. The main findings indicate that students would still prefer to attend online consultations in the future and see them as playing an integral role in their self-access learning. Additionally, students’ experiences with online consultations have been positive, and motivation and language learning are unhindered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exists a language learning industry in Japan that caters to adult learners. However, a significant number of adults do not engage in such services but rather study on their own. By better understanding this segment of the population, more effective resources can be developed and made available to L2 learners who struggle after they have left formal education. In this study, eight adult learners who engaged in self-directed learning (SDL) were asked to track their learning activities over the course of three weeks by maintaining a language diary. This was followed by interviews to gather information about the reasons behind their choices and the strategies they employed during the activities within the context of the SDL process (Reinders, 2020). The initial results showed that few learners used strategies to enhance their L2 learning, as the resources and activities were often chosen based on reasons unrelated to language learning, such as entertainment. This suggests that they may benefit from some form of guidance to enhance their self-directed learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus pandemic has instituted mandatory online education across Japan and many parts of the world. Using a semi-structured interview, we collected and analyzed students’ reactions to online education across high-rank, mid-rank, and low-rank universities in Japan to determine learning outcomes among undergraduates with different pre-existing learning engagements. Our analysis revealed that online education proved effective on students with pre-existing learning engagement outside of class, which in compliance with prior research, only students at high-rank universities were found to possess. Therefore, we inferred that the implementation of online education has been successful at high-rank universities but not at others. This study refutes that the gap in learning outcomes between different university levels occurring as a result of the mandatory shift in the online education is a legitimate phenomenon. This study would serve as a new perspective and evidence for future discussions on equity in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Akdeniz University Faculty of Communication / Akdeniz Iletişim is the property of Akdeniz University, Faculty of Communication and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper we investigate the potential to predict future scenarios in the Japanese software industry, making use of a hybrid method: that is, we try to develop a new research framework by integrating data obtained from large-scale fact-finding surveys, statistical analyses based on dynamic modelling, and simulations. On this basis, we suggest guidelines for a global technology strategy for Japan's software industry, with a view to winning a sustainable competitive advantage. Also, it should be possible to develop evidence-based visualisations of industry growth scenarios by integrating intellectual instruments such as management theory, research surveys, statistics, and simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-based Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs emerged in North America and have not traditionally focused on embodied learning processes that are situated in the learners' contexts and lived experiences. Thus, we present evidence and advance the case that transferable social-emotional competencies are inherently culturally responsive or situated in learners' authentic experiences and are inherently embodied. We also introduce a conceptual model grounded in bioecological and embodied theoretical frameworks to help guide future research and practice for culturally relevant SEL. Research findings: We used parts of the scoping review methodology to search and screen the published empirical literature on SEL and embodied learning. Findings highlight the increase in SEL research over the past 2 decades but with extremely limited work done outside of North America, particularly in Japan and South Africa. Consequently, we explored what culturally responsive, situated, and embodied SEL would look like across three different cultural contexts (i.e., in North America, Japan, and South Africa). Practice or Policy: While the principles, goals, and key skills of SEL might apply to most or even all cultures, an emic approach where culture-specific values, beliefs, or customs drive the development and implementation of SEL curriculum, and incorporates the meaningful inclusion of key community members is needed to be effective for specific groups of students. To implement and facilitate effective SEL programs within diverse and multicultural settings, policies and practices related to SEL curriculum need to consider the backgrounds and needs of the children, families, and communities that are being served. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working in Japan is one of the goals of students in the Japanese Department, due to Japan's strong appeal. Is the material learned in this department enough to help the alumni diaspora in living their lives? The purpose of this study was to describe the implications of learning about the Japanese language and culture for the lives of the alumni of the Japanese Department living in Japan. Qualitative descriptive methods were used, with data collected through questionnaires. The analytical technique used was interpretative description. The results found that the language and culture learned during the lectures was quite helpful in living in Japan. The speaking courses (kaiwa) were highly used. Furthermore, the materials provided in the courses on Japanese grammar (Bunpo), Japanese society, public communication, management and work ethic, as well as conversation, were felt to be very helpful in living in Japan. This was evident from the understanding of the Japanese language used by diaspora alumni in communicating with Japanese people. In addition, the alumni diaspora did not experience obstacles in living in Japan. From these findings it can be concluded that learning about Japanese language and culture was very helpful for the alumni diaspora living in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the process of learning in the practice of palliative care among university nursing students and to identify the elements necessary for training healthcare professionals working in palliative care. Methods: Practicum records of nine nursing school students who cared for cancer patients receiving palliative care in a general ward were included in the analysis using the qualitative synthesis (KJ) method. Results: The process of learning palliative care by nursing students was characterized by a sense of inadequacy in holistic integration and realization of a deepened relationship, which allowed them to see the benefits of care in the patients' calmness. This allowed them to achieve a sense of satisfaction in mastering the nursing process. At the same time, some students felt the importance of each day in terminal phase nursing and had regrets about terminal phase nursing. Discussion and conclusions: Two challenges were identified in palliative care education: (1) The need for specific educational support for students who had trouble in interacting with dying patients and had regrets about terminal phase nursing, and (2) the lack of effective coping methods for students who experienced internal conflicts due to ethical issues surrounding terminal patients and their families. Reflection and consultation are needed to (1) sublimate the thoughts of students who have trouble in interacting with dying patients and regrets about terminal phase nursing into motivation for future learning, and (2) explore coping methods to deal with ethical issues and resolve the ethical conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the fourth and final part of an autoethnography about how I tried to enrich my vocabulary and improve my listening skills through French language songs. I made a learning plan and followed the same Study Use Review Evaluate (SURE) learning cycle as my students in a self-directed English course at a university in Japan, over a period of six weeks. Throughout the project and in the course of writing it up, I made comparisons and identified connections between my learning and that of my students. In this installment, I first compare the difficulty levels of the vocabulary in the three songs I studied by finding the lexical frequency profile of each. Next, in revisiting my trouble with understanding spoken French while in France, I discuss how cultural awareness, in addition to linguistic knowledge, is necessary for intercultural communication. After that, I briefly explore empathy as a factor in advising students, and particularly how learning in the same way as them (as in this project) can assist a teacher/advisor in better understanding and helping their students/advisees. Finally, I discuss the writing process as a method of inquiry. I feel that writing this autoethnography has transformed me into a better learner, teacher/advisor, writer, and researcher, and in this way, I hope to help others benefit from this method too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends diffusion studies by developing the concept of heterogeneity in practice adaptations, defined as the differences in how adopters adapt to a new practice post adoption. I first propose that the combination of organizational learning and legitimacy construction leads to the curvilinear effects of heterogeneity in practice adaptations on the subsequent adoptions. Second, I argue that its effect varies depending on the stage of the diffusion process. I test this argument using the context of the diffusion of an informal corporate governance practice—the executive officer system—in Japan from 1997 to 2013. The findings demonstrate that the effect of heterogeneous adaptations is curvilinear with an inverted U-shape, and that its effect in the early stage differs from that in the late stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on computer-mediated communication often compare the affective affordances of different technologies with face-to-face communication. This study aimed to understand how three different computer-mediated communication modalities may affect EFL learners' foreign language anxiety (FLA). Using a counterbalanced 3 by 3 factorial design, 30 undergraduate Japanese university students participated in this study, completing a spot-the-difference task in three different oral synchronous computer-mediated communication modes: voice, video, and virtual reality (VR). Upon completing each task, participants responded to an FLA questionnaire and answered questions regarding their learning experiences. Finally, a post-experiment questionnaire asked participants to explicitly compare their experiences of learning within each modality. Results suggest that although all three modes were successful in reducing learner FLA, no statistically significant differences were found between mean scores. However, the results of the learner perceptions questionnaire suggested that VR was the easiest environment to communicate in, was the most fun, and the most effective environment for language learning. Participant responses to an open-ended question suggested that learner dispositions to technology as well as their affective characteristics may be responsible for differing opinions regarding the affordances of VR for language learning. The study concludes with a call for more research in the area of learner affect and technology use, including studies that more effectively utilize the technological affordances of VR, and also qualitatively assess which elements of VR may affect learner FLA and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has challenged every aspect of our "normal" lives. COVID-19 requires us to make behavioral and attitudinal changes to coexist with the coronavirus. Universities have been affected substantially, and online teaching and learning have become the "new normal." The strategies to achieve this "new normal" and how they are received depend on the sociocultural context. This preliminary qualitative inquiry explores how, during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, university teaching and learning were maintained and social distancing became a learning opportunity. The voices of first-year graduate students in this inquiry enable us to understand the dynamics of their responses and show their resilience, particularly their ability to turn challenges into creative opportunities. The implications are that shared values and beliefs will help us to get through this crisis together, and collective action will help us to continue to move forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Needlescopic surgery (NS) is a minimally invasive technique for colorectal cancer. NS may be easier to perform than other minimally invasive surgery such as single-incision laparoscopic surgery and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery because the port setting is the same while the shafts are thinner than in conventional laparoscopic surgery. We evaluated the capability of introducing this surgery for sigmoid and rectosigmoid colon cancer by assessing the learning curve in Japanese Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System (JESSQS)-unqualified surgeons.Methods: In this retrospective study, 112 cases of sigmoidectomy and anterior resection were performed by NS from October 2011 to December 2015 in our institution. Surgical outcomes including operation time, blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, perioperative complications, and overall survival were compared between JESSQS-qualified surgeons (Group A) and JESSQS-unqualified surgeons (Group B). The learning curve for NS was established using the average operation times in JESSQS-unqualified surgeons.Results: Groups A and B comprised of 41 and 71 patients, respectively. Ninety patients underwent sigmoidectomy and 22 patients underwent anterior resection. No conversion to open surgery occurred. The operation time was significantly shorter in Group A than B (P = 0.0080). There were no significant differences in blood loss, the postoperative hospital stay, perioperative complications, or overall survival between the two groups. These variables were similar even when NS was considered relatively difficult, as in patients with obesity (body mass index of ≥ 25 kg/m2), bulky tumors (tumor size of ≥ 50 mm), and stage III/IV cancer. The average operation time in JESSQS-unqualified young surgeons was significantly shorter in the ninth and tenth cases than in the first and second cases of NS (P = 0.0282).Conclusions: NS for sigmoid and rectosigmoid colon cancer was performed safely by both JESSQS-qualified surgeons and JESSQS-unqualified surgeons. Even JESSQS-unqualified young surgeons might be able to quickly learn NS techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of online authentic language data has played an increasingly important role in language teaching. These include freely available online corpora such as the British National Corpus and the Corpus of Contemporary American English. However, students are easily overwhelmed by the enormous amount of incomplete sentences (concordance lines) contained therein and therefore may fail to consult keywords and expressions as a resource tool. As an alternative resource a new web-based platform for English language learning, called Sketch Engine for Language Learning (SkELL), has been developed. Unlike the aforementioned corpora, SkELL generates sufficient amount of complete sentences which help students learn multiple examples of lexical and grammatical items in context. However, little research has been conducted as to how Japanese students with lower English proficiency assess the efficacy of SkELL. This study aims to examine the potential and limitation of SkELL in the language classroom for Japanese students who have almost no online experience in educational settings. The findings indicate that there is a close relationship between students' view of the utilisation and efficacy of the resource and their attitudes toward English education. The study concludes with a discussion of pedagogical implications of the use of SkELL as a valuable educational tool for students who are accustomed to traditional English language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]