[Feature: The Future of Digital Education] Satoshi Atobe: The Light and Shadow of Digital Education—Practice at Keio Futsubu School

2021/11/05

In 2021, Keio Futsubu School established a system where all students bring their own personally owned iPads to attend classes.

In this article, I would like to provide an overview of the status of digital education at Keio Futsubu School from the 1990s, when I first took up my post, to the present day, from the perspective of an English teacher specializing in foreign language education using media.

I believe Keio Futsubu School is an institution that has pursued the essence of secondary education for over 120 years since its integrated education system was established in 1898, even as it transitioned from a five-year to a three-year system after the war.

A school is a mechanism that separates students from their families and the outside world, allowing them to concentrate on learning in an isolated space.

School education is characterized by being systematic, limited in content, and mandatory within a school-centered space, which distinguishes it from community education. Part of the rules include the fact that one must not write a science report during English class, and while it may be acceptable to walk around while working during art class, sitting down during math class is considered "correct." These rules are not limited to explicit ones; there are many implicit rules formed through the behavior of students. Furthermore, student behavior can never be controlled solely by instructions from teachers.

A fundamental rule at Keio Futsubu School is "do not bring anything unrelated to class." Mobile phones and smartphones are not brought in because they are not necessary for class. Manga and magazines are also prohibited, except for those in the library collection.

Students engage in learning activities in an organized and exclusive environment, learn about human relationships among the same members of a fixed class group, and grow by influencing each other while sharing hardships. While not quite like ascetics removed from the secular world, we want to strip away unnecessary things as much as possible.

In such a school, discussions regarding iPads progressed rapidly last year. The school recommended and specified models for first and second-year students, and more than 80% of households ended up purchasing new ones. This fiscal year, all students have begun bringing their own individual devices, and the outside world has arrived right next to them.

Various terms such as IT, ICT, and e-learning have been used in education using information technology. "Digital" is the adjective for "digit," meaning a number or numeral. In the 1970s, "digital" referred to calculators or cutting-edge wristwatches. The reason the word "digital" is attracting attention again today stems from the concept of "Digital Transformation," abbreviated as DX—the orientation toward fundamentally changing people's lives and improving them in every aspect. It is a broad topic involving the replacement of inefficient existing methods with digital technology.

The GIGA School Program promoted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (GIGA stands for Global and Innovation Gateway for All) aimed to realize an educational ICT environment that is individually optimized for each person and fosters creativity. It planned the construction of high-speed, high-capacity school networks and the provision of one device per person. The original five-year plan starting from 2019 was accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which acted as a tailwind. It did not take long to realize that this new wind had the impact to change the fundamental rules and common sense of the school.

Incidentally, purchase costs ranged from 40,000 yen for a standard model to the 80,000 yen range for a model including a keyboard, pen, and a three-year warranty pack; the 132GB model costing 60,000 yen was the most popular choice.

Looking back roughly at the last 30 years of information education, I feel as though we have climbed three steps, creating layers. The keywords are programming education, information literacy, and information ethics.

The core of information classes is programming education. It is enjoyable for interested students to take elective classes, learn what can be done with computers, and put it into practice.

Information education for all students began in earnest in the late 90s. A "Computer Science" department was established at Keio Futsubu School, and compulsory classes to learn information literacy began. Originally, in library and information science, the term information literacy refers to the ability to search for and scrutinize necessary information using information tools to solve problems, but in Japan, it is often used in the context of computer literacy or IT literacy.

With the advent of Windows 95, classes started with the basics of keyboard usage, using word processors and spreadsheets. In elective classes, students learned HTML to create web pages and enter contests. If we didn't teach the difference between half-width and full-width characters, some students would write entire English sentences in full-width. The term "digital divide" was born, and there were concerns that social and economic disparities would arise based on information processing capabilities.

Entering the 2000s, the issue of information ethics came into focus. Slander and defamation on bulletin boards, impersonation, harmful sites, posts on "underground" school sites, cyberbullying, the handling of personal information, chain emails, copyright, and crimes such as fraud and fictitious billing became social issues alongside the spread of SNS. The areas to be covered expanded infinitely. It became important for educators to learn the latest knowledge, including case studies, not only to protect students from becoming victims of crime but also to prevent them from becoming perpetrators by understanding what constitutes a crime and what kind of damage occurs.

The digitalization of school facilities accelerated in the early 2000s. In English, cassette tapes became CDs and MDs, and in 2002, the LL (Language Laboratory) classroom was abolished to create a multi-purpose classroom where laptops could be connected via wired LAN.

However, compared to cassettes, which allowed for easy speed adjustment and cueing, CDs were less user-friendly. The benefits of digital were only truly felt with the advent of MP3 players.

The use of electronic whiteboards (Interactive Whiteboards) began with the introduction of Smart Boards in 2008. Using dedicated software, not only text but also audio and video materials could be embedded on the screen, and one could write directly on slides with a touch pen. Because of the novelty, student concentration increased, and some commented that the class felt like it ended in an instant.

Later, taking the opportunity of the main building reconstruction in 2015, projectors with electronic whiteboard functions were installed in all classrooms. These devices are suitable for simultaneous instruction, as they eliminate the need to erase the blackboard, allow all board writing to be saved, and enable a quick review of the previous lesson at the start of class. However, in Japanese-style homeroom classrooms where teachers move between rooms every hour, electronic whiteboards required screen adjustments every time, taking time to start. Much like setting up and wiring non-permanent laptops each time, it was a laborious task, making them unsuitable for daily use until wireless connections became widespread.

Around 2010, Learning Management Systems (LMS) came into the spotlight. In classes at Keio Futsubu School, we use Moodle, established by the Research Center for Foreign Language Education, to present materials and submit assignments online.

Moodle is an open-source platform used in over 200 countries, overwhelming other systems in terms of supported languages and number of sites. It has over one million users worldwide, and academic societies have been established in Japan to research its utilization. Based on the idea of social constructivism, it provides activities and resources helpful for forming learning communities.

In my classes, I use the forum function for writing instruction, which is useful for students to read each other's writing and submit revised versions. The Center's Moodle courses are kept for four years, and I believe it is excellent in that students can visualize and reflect on their learning records and changes (differences) even after graduating from Keio Futsubu School.

The operation of "personal accounts," which standardized user IDs that were previously different for each system into one per student, began in 2019. The use of G Suite for Education (now Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals) started, and IDs in email address format with restricted email functions were assigned.

The core system is Google Classroom (GC), a system that allows for everything from distributing and submitting assignments to communication and video conferencing in a centralized manner. GC began being used in subject classes and expanded to homerooms, school events, and club activities.

During the temporary school closure period from March to early June last year, regular classes could not be held, so GC was fully utilized. To ensure assignments could be submitted via GC or Google Forms, all teachers began using them, creating a foundation for online classes. It felt as though two years' worth of digital transformation occurred at Keio Futsubu School in just two months.

We attempted to set up "office hours" using on-demand distribution and video conferencing, and to identify and follow up with students who were not adapting well to online classes.

There were also failure stories. When a teacher checked submissions or answered questions late at night, the notification function worked instantly, and there were requests from students who said they couldn't sleep because they were worried about it at night. As the volume of questions and submissions increased, it generated a massive amount of work, and we experienced the difficulty of controlling time in non-face-to-face classes.

LoiLoNote School is used in multiple subjects alongside GC. LoiLo is a system that can easily visualize the thoughts of each individual student; when all students create and submit cards simultaneously, the cards can be shared with everyone instantly. It becomes clear at a glance who understood what and how.

Since images and videos can be pasted onto cards, if students record and submit footage of a speech they filmed themselves, it is possible for everyone to perform presentation assignments at the same time. Activities that go beyond the framework of simultaneous instruction became possible during class. Recently, perhaps due to the increase in classes using various systems besides LoiLo, a dilemma has arisen where traffic volume increases, slowing down the network and causing connection issues during class.

In English classes, we use flashcards called Quizlet for recitation. The evolution of speech synthesis is remarkable, with almost no awkwardness. In writing instruction, the AI system that provides feedback for Cambridge Write & Improve is new. It uses sentences written by non-native speakers as a corpus (database), points out errors that are likely to be made based on big data, and allows students to rewrite and submit as many times as they like.

The use of diverse systems has increased mechanisms to supplement limited class time and connect it to home study. A Flipped Learning style has become possible, where explanations and lecture-style elements previously done in the classroom are shifted to home study, allowing for more time for exercises and collaborative learning during class.

Upon the introduction of one iPad per person, the following rules were established at the beginning of the fiscal year.

1. Do not take it out of your bag when commuting to and from school.

2. Do not use it without the teacher's instruction or permission.

* When not in use for class, keep it in your locker or Keio Futsubu School bag.

* Do not use it without permission during class or do unrelated things.

* Use outside of class is permitted only in the presence of the subject teacher.

Concerns were also discussed, such as game addiction, late-night use, and viewing inappropriate sites. These were (supposed) to be solved with a remote management system called MDM (Mobile Device Manager). It is possible to remotely distribute necessary apps all at once, restrict downloadable apps, and control the sites students can view. Camera functions can also be controlled, and it is said that most anticipated concerns can be addressed. Previously, we had to check the charging and settings of each device one by one before class, so being freed from that task provided benefits to teachers that far outweighed the disadvantages.

In fact, the situation where all students have a tablet device at hand and can use it immediately in class is welcomed by many students. In a questionnaire survey using Google Forms conducted during the first class of the second semester on September 13 (answered by 211 third-year students), 170 (80%) evaluated it as "helping to acquire information utilization skills," and 106 (50%) as "enabling individually optimized learning tailored to each person's understanding and ability."

When asked to list the good points of learning using iPads etc. in the free-response section, more than 30 students mentioned points such as being notified of assignment deadlines or being able to submit assignments online. Additionally, more than 20 students mentioned that "I can look up things I don't understand immediately on the spot." Other points raised by students included "I can see the board writing at hand through screen sharing," "I can review the board writing after class," "I can take photos and record during experiments," and "The number of paper materials has decreased and my bag has become lighter."

On the other hand, 93 (44%) answered that "Multi-tasking devices with various functions are distracting and reduce concentration on learning," 85 (40%) that "Using digital devices causes high fatigue," 80 (38%) that "Using digital devices leads to a disruption of lifestyle," and 68 (32%) that "Long-term internet use has a negative impact on brain development." In the free-response section, more than 20 students pointed out that "I get distracted because I can do other things like games and web surfing" and "I end up watching unrelated things like YouTube during class," with some mentioning that "The presence of such students makes the school atmosphere worse."

More than 10 students answered that they "cannot concentrate and succumb to temptation," and a similar number mentioned that "eyes get tired and eyesight declines."

Other comments included: "I wasted time by looking at unnecessary sites for a long time," "Even though I have something easy to use at hand, I can't use it during breaks; I want to be allowed to use it more," "Since I stop taking notes, I find regular board writing very tedious," "There are times when I can't submit assignments due to the internet connection status," and "I often see people using them secretly in school," pointing out non-purpose use during class and the inability to follow rules for use during breaks.

Although the questionnaire survey conducted this time was simple, it was meaningful to have the opportunity to hear the raw voices of the students. If they can acquire the ability to understand the pros and cons and get along well with information devices and the internet while using them, there is no greater harvest.

With the increase in time spent at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the most noteworthy issue now is likely related to the long-term use of the internet.

Ophthalmologists point out that an unprecedented "era of extreme myopia" has arrived. One cause of myopia is the increase in time spent on "near work," looking at things at a close distance of within 30 centimeters. As a result, the "length of the eye" from the cornea to the retina—the "axial length"—stretches, and the number of people with "axial myopia" is increasing. In fact, I also experienced hospitalization and surgery for retinal detachment in October last year and still suffer from inconveniences such as distortion as aftereffects. As someone who has experienced this, I believe that long-term use and eye problems are issues that must be cautioned against.

And another issue can be said to be related to internet addiction. This is a problem where life becomes prioritized around internet use, leading to an uncontrollable state that results in sleep disorders or depression, or where family relationships deteriorate due to verbal abuse or violence toward family members who caution them. In the case of students, it can lead to being unable to continue their studies due to tardiness, poor grades, or school refusal. On the website of the Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center (formerly National Kurihama Hospital), which has worked on the research and treatment of addiction for many years, there is a screening test for internet addiction, which I introduced to the students and had them answer. When I had them include their scores anonymously in the survey, the average value was 47.8 out of 100. While 30% of students were average users with a score of 39 or less and had "no problem," 60% scored 40 or more, indicating "some problems," and 7% scored 70 or more, indicating "serious problems." This test consists of 20 items and was developed in the US in 1998, so some parts are slightly old and do not fit current circumstances, but I introduced it in the hope that it would raise awareness.

When interviewing parents of students whose grades had plummeted, there were stories of being troubled because rules that were previously agreed upon until 10:00 PM had been broken, with the excuse that there were online assignments. As a school, we should not be giving out assignments that must be done at night, but there is a tendency for it to become an excuse for children.

In an era where the internet and information devices have become generalized as social infrastructure, it is clear that there are limits to how much a school can regulate them. With devices within reach anytime and anywhere, the possibility of falling into an uncontrollable state is the same for both adults and children. In such times, it is becoming necessary to prepare systems where families and schools can provide support, offering counseling and various options for guidance. Deepening such knowledge can be cited as one of the future challenges.