E-LEARNING+POLICY+(JAPAN+TERTIARY)

toc
 * [[image:Button-Previous-icon.png width="64" height="64" caption="E-Learning Policy and Practices (NZ Tertiary)" link="E-LEARNING POLICY (NZ TERTIARY)"]] || [[image:Button-Next-icon.png width="64" height="64" caption="Discussion" link="DISCUSSION"]] ||
 * E-LEARNING POLICY (JAPAN TERTIARY) **

ICT in Japan


Despite a sophisticated technology infrastructure, a highly educated populace and a desire to lead the way in terms of e-learning, Japan has not yet embraced the power of Internet and Communications Technology (ICT) to improve educational outcomes in the 21st century. While there are many factors to consider when appraising the reasons for this deficiency, the influence of policy is one of the most significant.

An annual study conducted since 2000 by the Economist Intelligence Unit has analysed the quality of ICT infrastructure and the ability of consumers, businesses and governments in a particular country to use ICT in a beneficial way (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2010). In 2003, Japan was ranked 23rd in the world, behind four other Asian countries, which was described as a “great shock” (Suzuki, 2009). By 2010, Japan had risen to 16th due to a heavy investment in the “generation of Internet infrastructure” (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2010).

This ranking is in contrast to statistics which show, for example, that the Japanese telecommunications company NTT alone has more than a quarter of the world’s high-speed fibre based broadband accounts. Clearly Japan is a world leader in providing “reliable, convenient and affordable access to voice and data services” yet it lags behind in deriving the greatest educational benefits from this hardware advantage (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2010, p. 9).

Policy


Government policies have emphasised the importance of ICT in schools. In 2009, the “New Deal Plan” was announced by the Japanese government and aimed to advance ICT in primary schools in part by reducing the ratio of pupils per PC from 7 to 3.6 in order to facilitate greater access (Suzuki, 2009). Yet this emphasis on ICT in the primary sector is not yet reflected in the tertiary sector. Japan’s National Institute of Multimedia Education ([|NIME]) reported in 2001 of a strong desire for multimedia use to be “deployed more rapidly in the future, riding on the recent wave of the IT Revolution and educational reform” (Sakamoto, 2009). Yet by 2005, a study by NIME found that a mere 18% of national universities had e-learning programs on offer and these were in only three disciplines (Schnack, 2005). Some five years later, less than 10% of students enrolled in undergraduate programs in Japan were studying by distance (Aoki, 2010b).

Distance education at the tertiary level in Japan was started with the purpose of serving those who either could not afford or were otherwise unable to attend university on campus (Aoki, 2010a). It was considered to be inferior to a regular university education which had mandatory attendance requirements. A preference still remains for traditional educational methods such as the memorisation of information and the measurement of learning through examinations (Nakayama & Santiago, 2004). These attitudes have continued to influence e-learning in Japan despite the policy changes made at a national level and it may be some time before ICT and a systematic approach to instructional design are an integral part of the Japanese education system.

However from a global perspective, Japan has been described as having “mature policy development processes in place” (Anderson et al., 2006). These processes include comprehensive policy frameworks but also implementation strategies and mechanisms, measurement indicators and a commitment to providing resources for infrastructure access, connectivity, training and software development. Anderson et al. (2006) highlight Japanese government policy as unusual in emphasising the importance of both infrastructure (supply) and public awareness of the value of e-learning (demand). In most other countries, government policy focuses primarily on supply rather than demand.

Conclusion


It is clear that Japan has the infrastructure already in place to take advantage of the attributes of ICT in education. Furthermore, government policy has clearly laid out the path for e-learning to play a major role in many aspects of education in the future in Japan. However, e-learning remains a fringe element of education due in part to cultural expectations. Japan is a nation which embraces technology in many areas while remaining true to tradition in many others. It remains to be seen if e-learning will be embraced by learners in Japan or if it will remain a widely acknowledged but unpopular method of education.

media type="custom" key="23599054" align="center"

In this video, [|Keisuke Kamimura], associate professor of the Center for Global Communications (GLOCOM) at the International University of Japan, describes new developments in ICT, their impact on the educational environment and future plans. A written summary of the video can be found [|here].

Recommended Reading


The [|2005-2006 E-Learning White Paper] (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2006) discusses overall trends, issues being faced, and new trends, in both higher education and enterprise (corporate) education in Japan. It presents several specific tertiary level case studies (see pages 25 - 29) which outline primary trends in tertiary e-learning in Japan.

The paper [|E-Learning in Japan: Past, Present and Future] (Suzuki, 2009) reviews various statistics related to e-learning in Japan and compares these with international trends.

media type="custom" key="23637456" align="center"


 * [[image:Button-Previous-icon.png width="64" height="64" align="left" caption="E-Learning Policy and Practices (NZ Tertiary)" link="E-LEARNING POLICY (NZ TERTIARY)"]] || [[image:Button-Next-icon.png width="64" height="64" align="right" caption="Discussion" link="DISCUSSION"]] ||