2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Integrating English Study With the Learning of Basic Principles of Politics and Economics: A Self-Study System for Individuals and Small Groups of Japanese University Learners
| Project/Area Number |
19K00804
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| Research Institution | Meiji University |
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Principal Investigator |
マーク ケヴィン 明治大学, 政治経済学部, 専任教授 (30409429)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
George Johnny 明治大学, 政治経済学部, 専任講師 (10565659)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | EMI / e-learning / curriculum design / self-development / language learning / learning portfolio / LMS / university education |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
This project is offering practical examples of a new approach to curriculum development. It offers a new approach to English Medium Instruction (EMI) by showing how the core principles and information associated with subjects that students are studying in Japanese can be simultaneously studied in simplified form in English. It demonstrates how an e-learning "portfolio" approach to a university English curriculum can support learners in ways that go beyond language and academic study: the processes and content of study can also help them to focus on personal development in areas such as self-confidence, thinking and note-taking skills. The system also makes it possible for face-to-face classes to be much smaller, and to reduce the burden on both English teachers and the teachers of other subjects. The possibility for an e-learning system to be dynamically responsive to students' and teachers' needs is also practically demonstrated by this system. By reducing the burden on teachers this research addresses the long-standing problem for university teachers of reconciling the learning needs of their students with their own need to pursue research. Another important aspect demonstrated by the system is its economic viability and ease of implementation.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The online teaching conducted over nearly two years had a big impact on the project. While it required rethinking the way data was gathered, it actually expanded the research possibilities of the project significantly. Replacing the development of an LMS based on Filemaker with the use of a commercial LMS proved to be a wise decision that has opened new doors and alowed the researchers to concentrate on the core educational prinicples of the project and spend less time on technical aspects.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In the last year of the project the emphasis will be on the creation of a subtsantial range of study materials for studying English with an EMI approach that includes study units on personal development, an introduction to the study of politics and economics, and also units on world history (taking the "Big History" approach) and the development of note-taking skills.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The project still requires the use of the Talent Learning Management System, with a plan that allows for a high level of support from the company.
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