This study designed a contrivance for argumentation, in the aim of curriculum development for multiple communication competence. The curriculum was implemented to university students in distant e-learning environment three times between 2003 and 2005. According to the analyses of implementation records, the curriculum was effective to a half of the class who were independent participants, not only in the area of knowledge but also in the area of reconstruction of value system by recognizing relative relationships between self and others. Further, three fourths of the class experienced these outcomes as the result of creation of learning community mediated by the teacher-feeling of unity in an intensive argumentation.

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This study considered the environment to support career development for workers in Japanese enterprises from the viewpoint of 'Legitimate Peripheral Participation'. Career development in this study is defined as acquirement of ideas and attitudes, which consists of identities on careers, motivations for career development and awareness of profession. While the importance of career development has been recognized, the environment to support career development is not well understood. In this study questionnaire survey and interviews are conducted for Japanese workers on their attitudes toward career and participation in communities of practice. The survey showed that reflection and participation in communities of practice will facilitate their career development. Especially, 'boundary crossing' and participation in 'emergent' communities of practice, where activities were consciously designed for member's diversity, were important. These results are useful for creating environments to support career development.

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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of blended learning (combining the traditional lecture method with e-learning) in higher education. The results are tabulated by means of the data of access logs and an end of the term questionnaire. An analysis of the results indicates whether the students' activities in class met the teacher's expectations and how effective they learned the material when they had unlimited access to the contents. The results of the questionnaires show that there are four factors which influence the blended learning: accessibility to computers, successful computer communication, student self-motivation and preparation, and an evaluation of the class quiz results. The scores of each factor and the frequency of the access to the contents indicate that students can be classified into three groups necessitating lesson plans designed for each group.

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We developed a Web-based learning material on compliance-gaining techniques for understanding human information processing in information education. The target learners are junior and senior high school students and other young people. We aimed to facilitate learners' interest in, comprehension of, sense of usefulness in, and metacognition on the learning of human information processing through thinking compliance-gaining techniques which involve manipulation of information to make rational judgment difficult. The developed material consists of basic explanation, a short video, further explanation of psychological mechanism, and actual examples of compliance-gaining. The preliminary evaluation of the material by 24 teachers suggested the effectiveness of the material.

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There is a great demand for developing human resources in scientific fields. Accordingly, universities are requested to play a more important role in fostering these resources with "practical competency", not just general knowledge in the field. Therefore, a focus should be shifted in reconstructing the system of developing human resources on campus. In this paper, we propose a system called "Role-Model based e-Portfolio (RMP)" which applies information of the graduates from Japan Women's University (JWU) over many years. Using information taken from those roll models in the database, it aims to set the evaluation gauge of the portfolio. Transcripts of those former students at the time of graduation are used as index, so the system features easy introduction and handling. In addition, it enables examinees (e.g. current students) to compare their ability at the point of use with that of roll models, sorted by occupation types. As a result, we can visibly confirm their ability by estimating distance from the standard. Thus, accumulated information through this system can be used for self-promotion on such occasions as job interviews, or for teachers in measuring achievements. The RMP system adopts an open source e-portfolio (OSP), expanding its analysis part.

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In this paper, a learning environment for procedures of multi-digit subtraction by posing problems is described. In the environment, a learner solves a problem of multi-digit subtraction and then poses a problem that can be solved by the same procedure with the solved problem. The results of the preliminary use of the environment in arithmetical classes are also reported.

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Briefly speaking, portfolios are learning files with specific purposes. In order to create portfolios, an instructional design is necessary. Using portfolios as an instructional tool, this study designed a learning program for English e-mail writing by 41 nursing school students. The program included some elements featuring portfolios: a) presenting guidelines to learners before the class started; b) utilizing goal cards for learners to write down their reflections on their learning; c) holding conferences which would help learners to reflect and share their learning; and d) intentionally teaching learning strategies to learners. Based on the data gathered using post-questionnaires, the results revealed: a) the program designed in this study was favorably evaluated by the learners, from the viewpoint of the ARCS model; b) it proved effective in reflecting on or correcting the learning in the process of creating portfolios. Furthermore, based on the data gathered using pre-questionnaires and post-questionnaires, the results indicated: a) that learners' awareness of more use of the learning strategies was confirmed. Moreover, based on the results of the pre-test and the post-test, b) the program utilizing portfolios was found to be effective in improving the English writing abilities of the learners.

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We investigated whether the changes of intending teachers' meta-cognitive knowledge of teaching was influenced by attending the pre-teaching practice focusing on observation lessons. The pre-teaching practice delivered by Faculty of Education, Hiroshima University to be examined and researched as a study case. Participants were 56 students who belonged to Program in Science Education. The 30 students attended the pre-teaching practice. The rest of students were a control group. Participants were asked for what was important to make the learning material of science before observing lessons, and after observing lessons. The results showed that the matters valued in making learning material changed from "encouraging the learning independently" into "preparing the learning materials in consideration of student's ability and study situation" by the pre-teaching practice. We could point out that these results were interpreted that the intending teachers obtained the practical views of teaching similar to in-service teachers.

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This study investigated how 6th graders regulate their learning activities depending on the difficulty of learning-goals (easy vs. difficult) and available time for learning (short vs. long). We examined children's learning activities in four different experimental conditions: (a) easy-goal & short-time, (b) difficult-goal & short-time, (c) easy-goal & long-time, (d) difficult-goal & long-time. As a result, in all 4 conditions, children chose items that they judged as difficult for their target items to learn. In the difficult-goal & long-time condition (d), they spent the longest time on the items judged worse. In the other 3 conditions, they spent the longest time on the most difficult items. These results suggested that 6th graders could not effectively change their learning strategies depending on the characteristics of the learning conditions. Yet, they regulated their learning activities by allocating study-time to the "region of proximal learning."

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In this paper, we describe the results of content analysis for the textbooks about "Information" in high school education. Based on these results, we try to clarify the description tendency common to these textbooks, and to detect each characteristic of them. About information A, chapters for the problem solving came to be described concretely and in detail. Additionally, descriptions to promote the independent-minded stance to utilize information increased. About information B, as for the descriptions about a function and structure of a computer, they were selected carefully. Some chapters about information technology in society were regarded as more and more important. About information C, the textbook authors' described extensively on issues related to the structure of an information communication network and the network communication.

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The major purpose of this study was to investigate how images of teaching, teacher, and children change before and after practice teaching. One hundred and fourteen practice teachers participated in this study. Major findings were, (1) four factors were extracted by factor analysis in teaching image and "mannerism" and "structure" factors changed, suggesting that students started to make a positive and active image for teaching. (2) Four factors were extracted by factor analysis in teacher image and "leader" factor changed, suggesting that students promoting comprehension for teacher role. (3) Six factors were extracted by factor analysis in children image and "creativity and activity", "pessimism and distrust", and "realism" factors changed, suggesting that students started to decrease their stereotypical image of children while creating a more realistic recognition considering both positive and negative characteristics of children.

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