Education

This course examines pedagogical theories, strategies, and applications related to blended learning in formal and informal science learning environments. Students will engage in a blended learning science practicum, developing and implementing a blended learning science module for upper elementary school students.  

The extensive independent study field research paper produced by the student is both the centerpiece of the intern's professional engagement and the culmination of the academic achievements of the semester. During the preparatory session, IFE teaches the methodological guidelines and principles to which students are expected to adhere in the development of their written research. Students work individually with a research advisor from their field. The first task is to identify a topic, following guidelines established by IFE for research topic choice. The subject must be tied in a useful and complementary way to the student-intern's responsibilities, as well as to the core concerns of the host organization. The research question should be designed to draw as much as possible on resources available to the intern via the internship (data, documents, interviews, observations, seminars and the like). Students begin to focus on this project after the first 2-3 weeks on the internship. Each internship agreement signed with an organization makes explicit mention of this program requirement, and this is the culminating element of their semester. Once the topic is identified, students meet individually, as regularly as they wish, with their IFE research advisor to generate a research question from the topic, develop an outline, identify sources and research methods, and discuss drafts submitted by the student. The research advisor also helps students prepare for the oral defense of their work which takes place a month before the end of the program and the due date of the paper. The purpose of this exercise is to help students evaluate their progress and diagnose the weak points in their outline and arguments. Rather than an extraneous burden added to the intern's other duties, the field research project grows out of the internship through a useful and rewarding synergy of internship and research. The Field Study and Internship model results in well-trained student-interns fully engaged in mission-driven internships in their field, while exploring a critical problem guided by an experienced research advisor.

This course introduces concepts and practical applications in multilingual education, allowing students to understand multilingually and to examine the characteristics of multilinguality that monolinguals cannot experience in general. The course will help students to recognize themselves as multilingual agents, to explore how to use languages, and to realize how this process affects their identities. Topics include language acquisition and multilingualism, multilingualism identity formation, language use and code-switching, technology and multilingual education, case studies, current research in the field, and practical applications. Assignments include case study analysis and designing a multilingual curriculum. 

This course focuses on the integral connection between play, creativity and the arts for children and adults, and the essential role they contribute to lifelong learning. Through practical workshops students will use a variety of art media including digital technologies. To understand and learn how to facilitate a focus on children’s engagement through play and the arts, involves students co-playing, co-making and co-imagining in mentored immersive interactions with children in our arts studios. The experiential nature of the course is supported by knowledge drawn from a range of disciplines incorporating theories of engagement, play and creativity, learning, artistic creation, and human development. 

This course offers a basic and applied overview of research methods, data collection and treatment of educational information, and its analysis and interpretation using specific IT tools to confront the challenges that future education professionals face. The course is focused on challenge-based learning, where students engage in real-world scenarios, to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

This is a seminar course focusing on developing future leaders of domestic and international business. Through seminar-style dialogue with alumni association members, the course is designed for students to deepen their practical understanding of the work and the industry while helping students form their own career views. By interacting with alumni association members, students also have better understanding of Japanese business culture, ethic, and challenges that Japanese companies are facing.  The class is divided into a group of 10-15 people depending on topics discussed. 

This course introduces the theoretical and practical aspects of sport and exercise coaching. Through active participation in lectures and movement laboratories, students develop a basic understanding of training and performance, with reference to a variety of groups. Students also learn how to evaluate and improve their own coaching performance by applying reflective and analytical skills. Topics examined in this course include coaching pedagogy, training principles, session planning, basic concepts of sports science, and ethical issues. 

This class focuses on helping one understand PHONETICS and PHONOLOGY as they apply to language learning and teaching. Phonetics and phonology, or the study of human speech sounds and sound systems, are the foundation of all study of language. Because this class is taught in English, it starts with English pronunciation then it will contrast this with Japanese and other languages. Students will have the opportunity to explore the common pronunciation difficulties that speakers of particular languages (such as Chinese, French, German, Korean, Thai, and any language of interest) can have when speaking English or Japanese.

This course examines schooling across cultural borders; theories of development; New Zealand’s trade/aid relations with less developed countries; postcolonial theory and Western and Indigenous knowledges; the politics of English language teaching in non-English speaking settings and global flows of students/teachers and educational ideas.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the nature of second language learning and current theoretical explanations for second language learning. It also considers principles of classroom second language instruction in light of current empirical research. The course also examines various positions towards second/ foreign language teaching that have been developed since the 20th century and considers the relationship between second language acquisition theory, research on second language learning, and second language teaching practice.