Learning Analytics is a new field of research developing through the rise of online education，growing amount of educational data and the economic desire for evidence based education reform. This paper reviews this emerging field with background，definition，frameworks，data and practices.

View full abstract

　In higher education，e-portfolios have been introduced for quality assurance and enhancement of education. K-12 education has also begun to foster student learning and assessment using learning records，which are the so-called e-portfolios. Students create e-portfolios with ICT devices throughout their learning process. On the other hand，learning analytics using learning logs is attracting public attention. However，learning analytics has not been clarified from an educational point of view. For example，what kind of data should be collected，analyzed，and put in e-portfolios and how should the results of the analysis be visualized and presented to the students. In this paper，I therefore clarify learning analytics of learning using e-portfolios. Moreover，I describe educational big data and “e-portfolio 2.0”，which is a new concept in e-portfolio systems.

View full abstract

　With the advancement of information and communication technologies，we can now collect a large and wide variety of data that was unimaginable in the past. However，when it comes to data relating to human behavior，an essential issue is that the availability of large data sets may not lead to meaningful findings. Without solving this issue，it is highly possible that big data research will make little progress. This paper addresses why big data research aiming to advance human behavioral prediction needs to transition from a quantitative to qualitative approach in the next stage. It will also introduce a new approach，“scheduling，” which helps to solve this issue in the field of education. Further，through an experiment applying this new methodology，individual learning processes are now visualized for the first time，by collecting and analyzing large and detailed longitudinal learning data (micro-big data) from individuals. We have high expectations for the future use of this data，as utilizing it to prepare feedback tailored to individual learners helps to fundamentally solve challenging issues such as declining academic abilities and motivation to learn，as well as the problem of absenteeism. The facts introduced in this paper powerfully illustrate that an enhanced quality (accuracy) of big data can lead to more strengths. Conversely，we believe that it would be a great loss to the social sciences if we failed to leverage this potentially powerful big data in the field of education.

View full abstract

　This paper describes the current status and challenges on information environment for teaching and learning, based on our practices and experiences through daily activities and long-term strategic planning, especially focusing on the effective use of learning analytics in the future.

View full abstract

　Learning Analytics has been featured for this decade to variety usages in learning, education and training. It focused on log data as actual learning activity on e-Learning. From the perspective of validity in instruction, it is important to review the relationships among instructional design, its execution and actual learning as learning quality. However, instead of closed individual researches, there are a lot of barriers to use and establish a set of technologies, and to spread it widely. So, organizing an information flow for education and learning through e-Learning from quality engineering approach, it is needed to develop and standardize data item, schema and interface for education and learning activity log data.

View full abstract

　Eight universities in Shikoku established e-Knowledge Consortium Shikoku （eK4） for realizing educational collaboration by e-Learning on the purpose of human resource development for Shikoku region. The e-Learning Infrastructure of eK4 has features of distributed LMS and Shibboleth identification. eK4 has started e-Learning based on credit transfer system since 2010. As a future works of eK4, it is important to analyze data stored in the e-Learning infrastructure of eK4. In this paper, the former part explains the features of eK4 and then the latter part describes the consideration on the utilization of learning log data in LMS of the e-Learning Infrastructure of eK4, focusing on Educational Cloud and Learning Analytics.

View full abstract

　Recently, the learning analytics are applied to the learning data of a class. Is it possible that learning analytics can be applied to the bigdata which are integrated the data of many classes？ It’s a fundamental question of this paper. The academic analytics which grasps the learning activities of the whole learner from a macroscopic viewpoint and the learning analytics which visualize the learning activities of an individual learner from a microscopic viewpoint should be considered in the same discussion. This paper describes the possibilities and the difficulties of collecting and analyzing the data beyond the borders of organizations in the academic and learning analytics. And the paper also shows the examples of F-LECCS, which is a cooperative project of the higher educational institutes in Fukui prefecture, and the works on the academic analytics beyond the institutes. Finally, the paper proposes a methodology, which leads to the learning analytics beyond the organizations, to unify the visualized hypotheses.

View full abstract

　The purpose of this case study is to report a lecture that introduced the cloud-clicker using smart device，and to examine the operational issues by investigating university students' consciousness on smart device. The analysis revealed the following: （1）many students replied affirmatively about the use of cloud-clicker in a lecture; （2）some students are not in favor of BYOD（Bring Your Own Device）; （3） the primary concern in BYOD at university is battery charge of a smartphone.

View full abstract

　This study aims to improve the teaching ability of the inexperienced teacher by using groupware application. The inexperienced teacher reflected on the lesson after class and a senior teacher provided feedback by using groupware. This system can improve the teaching abilities of the inexperienced teacher. She can also receive support remotely by using versatile groupware. After use of the application，the new teacher reported that the system has effectively contributed to her reading development.

View full abstract

　International students have various kinds of anxieties before they first come to study in Japan. It will make them start their lives in Japan much more smoothly if prior to coming to Japan, they have learned a certain level of Japanese daily conversation and obtained some information on the place they will live in. For that purpose, Saga University has tried to establish a Japanese e-learning system through which international students coming to Saga can learn Japanese conversational expressions so that they can enhance their motivation. This paper, based on the survey about the overseas trials of this Japanese e-learning system（Moodle）in 2013 and 2014, clarifies how effective this Japanese e-learning system is for international students prior to coming to Japan and examines some points to be improved.

View full abstract

　It is important for Foreign Language Activities in Elementary Schools to increase interests and concerns through learning. This study used computer and networks for elementary students’ focusing on voice database construction and practice with well-known English loanword cognates. From this study, we found that students’ understanding of English pronunciation and interest were significantly increased. Additionally, we also found that students used their own recordings for self-evaluation, and to learn from others recordings by using the database.

View full abstract

　This study aimed to enhance pre-service teachers’ instructional design skills （as fundamental elements of “practical teaching skills”） with the implementation of flipped learning for higher order thinking. Results of the study show that participants understood flipped video lectures，showed increased interest in designing classroom lessons，and were satisfied with the “flipped” course design. Results also suggest that participants spent enough time studying outside class and they spent a lot of time studying cooperatively in class. And their instructional design skills significantly increased compared with students who learned via classroom lectures.

View full abstract

　We have developed and released a web-based clicker system named "bgClicker" that can push the students’ feedback to teachers in real-time during the lectures. Students use their own smartphone/tablet devices in order not only to respond to teachers’ questionnaire but also to push their feedback such as opinions，questions and requests to the teachers’ receiving device. The teacher will set threshold values beforehand，so that he/she will be notified (by an alarm) when the particular number of students push the particular feedback button. "bgClicker" is relevant to improve students’ appropriate comprehension in large classes and is available for free in non-commercial use.

View full abstract

　Railway companies in Japan have been facing various troubles and accidents due to rail car aging，natural disasters or human errors. Nowadays such troubles and accidents tend to be immediately reported to the public in the media after they occur. Although each company takes measures of the highest possible level to ensure passenger safety，it will be still impossible to remove all the troubles and accidents completely. In this research，we build a database to collect railway accident data in Hokkaido. We visualized the accident scene using the database，and found several features many accidents trend. Through this research，the authors try to offer a proposal of a possible improvement activity to railway companies，specifically，a technical-college-version of education program for railway operation so that these troubles and accidents can be avoided as much as possible. This paper reports as an interim step on how the authors have been gathering railway accident records and building their database.

View full abstract

　Young students and workers need to have a good knowledge of formal Japanese language（honorific expressions）in order to communicate effectively. There are many websites dedicated to teaching honorific expressions. They teach students by providing questions and answers. Students learn by reading answers to the questions they got wrong. However, existing methods don’t take into consideration the students’ knowledge level coming in to the lessons. We built a website that first tests the students. The test result was then used to decide the difficulty level of the questions presented to them. For numerical analysis we compared three question generating methods: the system offers questionnaires which is chosen randomly, which refers to questionnaires answered correctly, and which refers to questionnaires answered wrongly according to the past result. Out of these, the method which generated questions based on test questions the students got wrong was the most successful in teaching the students honorific expressions.

View full abstract