The 11th Annual Conference on Global Higher Education at Lakeland University Japan
Presentation Summary
Engaging Students Through Co-Creation: A Collaborative Pathway to Enhanced Learning
2A • 11:30-12:55 • Engaging Technology
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, co-creation offers a powerful framework for fostering deeper student engagement and innovative learning experiences. This session will begin with a concise overview of co-creation in education, introducing foundational concepts and their relevance in higher education.
A case study featuring a collaboratively developed course from the WesBridge program at Virginia Wesleyan University will illustrate how structured discussions, Appreciative Inquiry, and digital collaboration tools like Mural can transform the student experience. By involving students in syllabus design, content creation, and assessment planning, the course encouraged active participation, critical thinking, and a sense of ownership
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Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to balance autonomy with curriculum requirements, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and dynamic learning environment that nurtures collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
Ultimately, this session aims to equip educators with the confidence and knowledge needed to collaboratively shape curricula, driving positive outcomes for institutions, instructors, and—most crucially—students alike.
Dr. Drian Glyde, DM, MBA, CFE, M.npn
Virginia Wesleyan University
Drian Glyde: dglyde@vwu.edu
Are Lecture Videos Still an Effective Learning Tool? Graduate Business Students’ Patterns and Preferences for Instructional Videos
2A • 11:30-12:55 • Engaging Technology
The goal of this proposed program is to present the findings of the study that seeks to find Indonesian graduate business students’ patterns in using online instructional videos, along with the discussion and recommendation on characteristics of videos that can be effective in the learning process.
Jonathan Nahum Marpaung, PhD
Jonathan Nahum Marpaung, University of Indonesia
jonathan.marpaung@okstate.edu
Podcasting and materials development: how academic interviews can be transformed into academic projects
2A • 11:30-12:55 • Engaging Technology
This presentation includes the initial research into the corpus of the podcast interviews, the materials produced from them, and suggestions of how they can be incorporated into either undergraduate or postgraduate courses or in a self-directed study program. The project aims to fill a niche in produced materials, such as textbooks or pay-walled websites, by providing free-to-access, free-to-download, and free-to-use Creative Commons items. Although less than a year old, we can already foresee avenues for collaborative research based on these materials. The presentation will conclude by demonstrating a potential course plan based on this and related materials.
Christopher G. Haswell
Christopher G. Haswell, Kyushu University
haswellkyudai@gmail.com
10 Tips for Creating Barrier-Free Classes
2B • 11:30-12:55 • Caring for Our Students
This workshop will offer teachers of all levels ten simple ways to engage their neurodiverse students. After highlighting the most common types of neurodiversity teachers are likely to be faced with in their classrooms, the presenter will introduce practical hints for teachers, such as how to organize their classes, which fonts they should use for materials, how students should be grouped, how to offer assignment choices, and much more. The suggestions are based on a summary of research done for the book Barrier-Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at all Levels of Schooling, published by Candlin & Mynard. Melodie’s hope is that teachers will come away with ideas that will help make their classes more accessible to all students.
Dr. Melodie Cook
University of Niigata Prefecture
Quiet rooms create loud benefits.
2B • 11:30-12:55 • Caring for Our Students
This presentation explores the multifaceted benefits of quiet rooms and their potential to foster inclusivity and support diverse needs. I will highlight how these spaces cater to neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing differences, by offering a safe environment for self-regulation. Beyond this, quiet rooms can serve as essential spaces for students seeking mental health breaks or a moment of reprieve, and even as prayer rooms for students practicing faiths such as Islam.
Jessica McDonald
Lakeland University Japan
From Admission to Integration: Helping Students Thrive in Japanese Higher Education
2B • 11:30-12:55 • Caring for Our Students
This presentation will describe some of the activities and policies put in place at the university and departmental level to assist students with the transition from secondary education to higher education at a relatively low-prestige English department at a university in Japan. These policies aim to ease this transition and assist students in achieving the basic levels of academic success and social integration critical for retention. The study investigates how students, and especially those students more at-risk for struggle and leaving, react to and take advantage of these programs and policies. The presentation will finish with a preliminary assessment of these programs and policies, with suggestions based on both student feedback and faculty discussion of how they might be improved to further improve students’ experiences during their first months at university.
David Laurence, Greg King
David Laurence, Chubu University; Greg King, Chubu University
Innovative Multicultural Developments Through Regional Studies in Japanese Higher Education
2C • 11:30-12:55 • Evolving Japan
This presentation discusses two graduate seminar projects focused on local multicultural coexistence society initiatives: one survey of multicultural resources and initiatives, and one experimental curriculum merging local studies with English.
Dr Debra Occhi
Miyazaki International University
Personal Narratives by Long-term Residents of Japan as a Springboard for Intercultural Discussions
2C • 11:30-12:55 • Evolving Japan
The presenter will provide an overview of a pilot course he created entitled “A Passion for Japan: Living, Working, and Thriving in Japan.” Implemented at a large nationality university, the course is open to Japanese and international exchange students and uses personal narratives by long-term foreign residents of Japan as a springboard for class discussions about themes such as intercultural communication, cultural identity, and the pros and cons of long-term residency in Japan.
John Rucynski
Okayama University
The Future English Language Curriculum
2C • 11:30-12:55 • Evolving Japan
Each university in Japan, or even each department at a university, designs its own English language curriculum, based only partially on suggestions from the government and/or from private organizations. Approximately 30 or 40 years ago, it was quite common to find university English language curricula with a strong humanities bent, particularly with a focus on literature studies utilizing a grammar-translation approach. Nowadays, this type of curriculum is rare, and universities offer English classes with more practical, professional, and academic contents (e.g., English for Specific Purposes). However, it can be argued that, with multiple societal, economic, technological, and industrial changes upon us, there should be a re-boot, a new English language curriculum for the modern world. This presentation is centered around what such a curriculum might look like, particularly in terms of the skills required and the content explored in our modern English language classes.
John Nevara
Atomi University
Improving Academic Writing Classes with Generative AI
3A • 2:35-4:00 • Issues of AI
This presentation will discuss how I have made collaboration with generative AI an core component of my academic writing courses. I will also briefly discuss student responses to the new curriculum.
Dr. Aaron Hahn
Kyushu University
hahn@flc.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Exploring the impact of generative AI on students Creativity and Critical thinking in Chinese Higher Education.
3A • 2:35-4:00 • Issues of AI
The research explored the use of Generative AI (GAI) technologies, like ChatGPT, Deep Seek, and other AI tools, is increasing in education. Due to the enormous benefits of these AI tools, students in higher educational institutions are increasingly using them for academic purposes. Recent research has highlighted the need for higher education institutions to understand the effects of these tools on students’ abilities, as they can have long-term impacts on students’ cognitive development. In line with this research, the aim is to explore the effects of AI tools on students’ key cognitive abilities, specifically critical thinking and creativity.
Dr. Sadia Irfan
Sadia Irfan, Faculty of Education, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road N.2, Beibei District, Chongqing, China.
Sadia Irfan, sadiairfan_21@outlook.com
Overview of AI in the Classroom
3A • 2:35-4:00 • Issues of AI
A general look at AI technology, its evolution, its impact on the classroom, and teaching solutions confronting the technology and its growing influence on higher education.
Luis Poza
Lakeland University Japan
Developing Student-led Communicative Interest Groups in a Self-Access Learning Center
3B • 2:35-4:00 • Students Outside the Classroom
A brief overview of factors and motivations leading to the planning and implementation of small student-led interest groups based around different forms of media in a self-access learning center, followed by implementation methods, improvements, and challenges faced during implementation.
Derrick Wong
Derrick Wong, Reitaku University
Engaging People Outside the Classroom on Environmentalism: The Hike and Lecture Series Experiment
3B • 2:35-4:00 • Students Outside the Classroom
We live in unprecedented times: our climate systems are buggy, we are losing important biodiversity, and we just shared the hottest summer ever on record. Humans were, for most of their 300,000-year history, directly interacting with the natural world. Over the past 300 hundred years, we have lost that connection, and I believe this is why major issues like Climate Change are failing to motivate serious action and hold limited interest for the public. As a university teacher focused on Global Environmental Studies, I have found the classroom to be an inadequate medium to truly capture student attention on these issues and, consequently, I have sought out ways to engage people outside the walls of a university. Thus, the ‘Off the Trail: Hike and Lecture Series’ was born. The event, held in November of 2024 in Kobe, Japan brought together students, the public, businesspeople, academics, and artists to share an experience in nature. During the hike, three lecturers shared their ideas about connection to nature and an interpreter offered a bridge between English and Japanese.
The presenter will offer an overview of environmental behavior change, introduce the field of ‘Language Education for Sustainable Development (LESD)’, and explain how the ‘Off the Trail’ event started a conversation around environmentalism. The presenter will also offer some preliminary findings from research carried out alongside the event looking at why people participated and their interest in environmental issues. This presentation will be of interest to teachers using environmental content in their classrooms.
Dr. Joshua John Jodoin
Joshua John Jodoin, Konan University
mrj@konan-u.ac.jp
What Do ‘Woke’ Students Really Know About Racism?
3C • 2:35-4:00 • Questions of Culture
In an era of rapidly shifting demographics, education must adapt accordingly. However, systemic racism, a key driver of global inequalities, remains a pressing challenge even in countries known for equality and quality education. In Finland, racism has become more visible with rising support for populist radical-right parties and increased racist violence. Despite this, there is a prevailing assumption that younger generations, with access to vast information, are well-versed in understanding this concept. This assumption is evident in Finnish universities’ programs focused on Global Education and Peace Education, where students are selected for their commitment to better global citizenship and social justice— traits that have also earned them the label ""woke"" in some circles. Confronting this assumption, this study questions the depth of these students' knowledge about racism after basic education. Drawing from six years of student coursework across two higher education programs in Finland in Global Education, this study examines initial and final reflections through essays on their understanding of racism. Preliminary findings reveal a pattern: these informed students feel hesitant or fearful to engage with the concept of racism. This study highlights the need for further work in demystifying and breaking down the complexities of racism in higher education programs, even for students who are presumed informed. Pedagogical and theoretical suggestions are made to support students in deepening their understanding of racism in educational contexts, and to better equip them to confront different conflicts and systemic injustice.
Dr. Audrey Paradis
Dr. Audrey Paradis, University of Oulu
Building a Shared Reality: Cultural Cohesion or Cultural Entropy
3C • 2:35-4:00 • Questions of Culture
This presentation uses a heuristic model to explain how social, political, and cultural movements attempt to define a shared reality to establish cultural cohesion within a community. The model is a version of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs adapted to explain a hierarchy of shared reality in a community. The presenter suggests that globalization has accelerated a process of cultural entropy, whereas global education can counteract the process to maintain peace, understanding, tolerance, and some semblance of cultural cohesion.
Dr. Brian J. English
Tama University, School of Global Studies
english@tama.ac.jp
Intercultural Competence for Professional Success: Voices from Japanese Global Jinzai
3C • 2:35-4:00 • Questions of Culture
This presentation will introduce results from exploratory interviews with Japanese professionals with vast international experience in a broad range of fields, including STEM, sports, business, hospitality, and diplomacy. It will discuss the challenges faced by professionals in these fields when working in intercultural environments, strategies developed for effective intercultural communication, and the global competencies educational institutions should foster in order to prepare students to successfully work across cultures in the career of their choice.
Dr. Ana Sofia Hofmeyr
Kansai University
hofmeyr@kansai-u.ac.jp
Gauging Student Responses to L2 Speaker Listening Content in Japanese University Classrooms
4A • 4:15-5:40 • Pedagogy and Curriculum
This study examines Japanese university students' perceptions of L2 English speaker listening content through homework assignments. It explores the assignments' relevance as learning content and the potential impact on students' self-perception as global English speakers.
Ferghal McTaggart
Reitaku University
Authenticity and TESOL: Curriculum Development in Japanese University Courses
4A • 4:15-5:40 • Pedagogy and Curriculum
This presentation covers questions of the decisions made and connections drawn between what courses are required to deliver and what they can provide based on the frameworks supplied in a department, institution, and national policy basis. We cover considerations on a curriculum, syllabus, and lesson content basis made on behalf of instructors. We will look at Learning Management Systems and their inherent limitations, textbook selections, and ideological implications, and then recommend that instructors re-take agency over their own course teaching decisions. We intend to spark discussion about maintaining our independence as educators within the restrictions placed upon us.
Christopher G. Haswell
Todd Beuckens
Christopher G. Haswell, Kyushu University; Todd Beuckens, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Christopher G. Haswell: haswellkyudai@gmail.com; Todd Beuckens: todd@ello.org
Making It Personal: What’s Good about Bad Reading
4A • 4:15-5:40 • Pedagogy and Curriculum
Making the study of literature by using reflective essays allows students to cultivate agency as learners, and demonstrate their development as subjects in response to the conflicts and socio-historical contexts of literary texts. Recentering the humanities in general around student-produced critical-creative tasks can generate a closer relationship between ‘good professional’ and ‘bad amateur’ reading practices, narrowing the gulf between academic and non-academic reasons for reading.
Myles Chilton
Myles Chilton, Nihon University
App development and study abroad ‘curation’
4B • 4:15-5:40 • Focus on Study Abroad
This presentation introduces a prototype app designed to inspire students studying abroad to explore their host environment on foot, and to foster collaborative knowledge creation. The app draws from insights shared by faculty and local peers, guiding students through their surroundings while encouraging them to document experiences through videos, photos, voice memos, and text notes. These recorded interactions serve as reflective materials for post-study abroad sessions, supporting continued language learning, cultural exchange, and intercultural communication. Methodologically, this approach integrates linguistic landscaping, semiotics, translanguaging, and multiliteracies, all emphasizing experiential, agential autonomous learning.
The app also features curated knowledge from local students, leading Japanese students to culturally significant sites. Interactive elements, such as quizzes and QR codes, enhance these “learning walks,” deepening engagement with local culture. It further promotes cross-cultural dialogue, allowing students to share aspects of Japanese culture with their hosts, thereby fostering agency and autonomy in language learning. Inspired by Freinet’s classe-promenade and Stiegler’s concept of a “journey of knowledge,” the project advances contemporary language education through art, research, computer-assisted learning, critical thinking, and intercultural exchange. It uses AI, augmented, and virtual reality technologies to enhance immersive learning and support meaningful engagement with language and culture in diverse settings.
Prof Dr. Joff P. N. Bradley
Redefining Study Abroad with Technology and Collaboration
4B • 4:15-5:40 • Focus on Study Abroad
In response to the global disruptions and economic challenges that have reshaped higher education in recent years, this presentation introduces a virtual study abroad program that prioritizes flexibility, accessibility, and meaningful international engagement. Developed through international collaboration and supported by immersive technologies and student-led research, the program has evolved into an online English course led by expatriate instructors in Japan. The course supports students in developing cross-cultural communication and academic skills essential for success in an increasingly uncertain and interconnected world.
Richard A. Lee
Richard A. Lee, Kurume Institute of Technology
Richard Lee: leera@kurume-it.ac.jp
Japanese students’ outlook on studying and working abroad
4B • 4:15-5:40 • Focus on Study Abroad
With a dwindling population, Japan aims at attracting international students who continue on to the Japanese job market upon graduation, this with mixed results. At the same time, Japan wants to send off an increasing number of Japanese students to experience studying abroad. Similar to the number of international students entering the job market, study-abroad numbers are not growing exponentially. With this in mind, this study analyzes how four cohorts (AY2021 (N=56), AY2022 (N=65), AY2023 (N=66), and AY2024 (N=78)) of Japanese freshmen look at studying and working abroad. The students are enrolled in a “career design” subject to start them thinking early on about their careers after university. Through an online survey, they were asked to indicate their willingness to go abroad, what they expect to gain from the time abroad, what they need to prepare for before their departure, and what they are concerned about. Preliminary results indicate that 1) eagerness dwindles as the suggested period abroad increases in length, 2) expected gains focus on language skills, 3) preparation centers around financial needs and communication skills, and 4) anxiety is expressed about language skills, financial and safety matters, and the ability to understand other cultures. In-depth analysis will revolve around 1) differences between Covid-19 (AY2021 and 2022) and post-Covid-19 cohorts (AY 2023 and 2024), and 2) the similarities between expected gains, needed preparation and reported anxieties. Especially the latter results can become recommendations for universities to substantiate during study-abroad preparation programs.
Ruth Vanbaelen
University of Tsukuba
Academic Inbreeding and the Pariah Stranger
4C • 4:15-5:40 • The Japanese University
In the context of internationalisation, academic inbreeding – universities hiring faculty from their own pool of graduates – combined with a preference for nationals of the same country is tantamount to aca(demic)eugenics. Of course, employing a single stock of thoroughbred brains from an onsite stable allows organisational cultures to seamlessly reproduce themselves. At the same time, acaeugenics is known to stifle research performance and teaching quality. It also presents an ethical paradox. Although universities solicit foreign scholars to denationalise their working ways, acaeugenics excludes them from the very organisational culture they are employed to regenerate. This paper considers the University of Tokyo, which exemplifies the ethical incongruity between acaeugenics and internationalising, proffering a solution to this double bind in the shape of the scholar as genocritical stranger.
Bregham Dalgliesh
Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo
NA
Internationalization of public universities in Japan: Trends and issues
4C • 4:15-5:40 • The Japanese University
This presentation firstly reviews the trends of internationalization at Japanese public universities. Secondly, it analyzes the reasons for the different levels of engagement in multicultural and international activities.
Takao Kamibeppu
Fukuyama City University
The Japanese University as a Monolingual Institution
4C • 4:15-5:40 • The Japanese University
The Japanese university is a monolingual and mono-cultural institution. Studying or working there requires fluency in advanced Japanese. There are a small number of exceptions to this rule, but in terms of both numbers and influence they are consigned to the margins. This paper will investigate both the causes and consequences of this state of affairs.
Professor Robert Aspinall
Doshisha University
Finding Balance in CLIL Classrooms: Developing a Framework for Self Assessment of CLIL Practice
1A • 9:50-11:15 • CLIL and EMI
This presentation follows the story of two CLIL teachers as they explore their own interpretation of the balance of language and content in CLIL. Through investigation of our own experiences, we developed a framework for assessing our CLIL practice to determine how close we can come to, if not an optimal balance, perhaps an optimal-ish balance between focus on content uptake and focus on language acquisition for the students in front of us at any given time. The presentation will outline our reflections and introduce a second-generation draft framework that builds on our previous research.
Julia Christmas, Howard Brown
Julia Christmas, University of Niigata Prefecture; Howard Brown, University of Niigata Prefecture
Julia Christmas jchristm@unii.ac.jp; Howard Brown: brown@unii.ac.jp
Engage, Explore, Present: A Flexible Framework for CLIL
1A • 9:50-11:15 • CLIL and EMI
This presentation introduces a practical framework for integrating Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) into English classrooms, focusing on the English-speaking world. It emphasizes active learning through thematic units, vocabulary scaffolding, and student-led presentations to foster cultural awareness and critical language skills. The framework includes three stages: engage, explore, and present, with activities like pre-reading exercises, independent research, and poster presentations. Attendees will gain a clear, adaptable structure for implementing CLIL, enhancing language learning and cultural competency.
Gregory A. King, Adam Martinelli
Gregory A. King, Chubu University; Adam Martinelli, Chubu University
Gregory A. King: gregking@fsc.chubu.ac.jp; Adam Martinelli: amartinelli@fsc.chubu.ac.jp
English-Medium Education: Lessons from an Experience
1A • 9:50-11:15 • CLIL and EMI
This presentation will focus on the personal journey of an instructor who transitioned from teaching Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) to English Language Teaching (ELT), and then to English-Medium Education (EME). The discussion will highlight key experiences including issues and successes encountered at each stage of this progression. It will also explore the types of institutional support that could have facilitated better outcomes for both students and instructor. By reflecting on these experiences, the presentation will contribute to a broader understanding of how institutions can better support instructors in EME programmes, ultimately fostering a more effective learning environment for all stakeholders.
Mizuka Tsukamoto
Ryukoku University
Effects of Generative AI in ESL Writing
1B • 9:50-11:15 • AI and Student Writing
This paper presents the results of a short study which examines the possible impact of AI on ESL student writing assignments completed outside the classroom. Japanese university students in an English literature class completed three writing assignments over the course of one semester, all with the same format and time limit. The first two assignments were completed in class, but the third assignment was done remotely via Moodle. A comparative analysis reveals that out-of-class writing showed notable improvements in length and grammatical accuracy, suggesting a high likelihood of AI assistance, but that accuracy of content, relevance to the prompt, and quality of literary analysis were not significantly different. These results suggest that in the case of instructor-guided prompts, the use of AI tools can effectively enhance student writing without sacrificing academic integrity.
Kelly Hansen
Kumamoto University
Testing Quantitative Authorship Attribution Methods for AI Plagiarism in Efl Writing Assignments - A Comparison of Computer Mediated and Non-computer Mediated Writing.
1B • 9:50-11:15 • AI and Student Writing
Testing lemma frequency analysis when comparing assignments written by students both inside and outside the classroom as a test for AI (or other) plagiarism.
Questioning the Value of English Writing Skills Classes: the Need for Solutions that Fit Today's Changing World
1B • 9:50-11:15 • AI and Student Writing
At a university in Japan, all first-year students are required to write and revise essays in English courses. However, with technological advances and changes in the landscape of higher education, the effectiveness of traditional essay writing has been questioned. This presentation will examine the results of a study on students' perspectives on their English courses, including their views on essay writing, the use of AI tools, and website building. The presenter will lead a discussion on the need to rethink language course curricula to develop intercultural communication skills and global competence, and how this might be realised in Japanese universities.
Huw Davies
Huw Davies, Rikkyo University
Developing a human development-focused framework for student wellbeing: developing a meaningful survey
1C • 9:50-11:15 • Student Wellness
We will present preliminary findings and difficulties related to the survey creation and data collection.
Francisco Naranjo
Jessica McDonald
Lakeland University Japan
The Role of Absolute Happiness in Higher Education: A Framework for Student Well-Being and Social Contribution
1C • 9:50-11:15 • Student Wellness
Education serves a dual purpose: fostering individual well-being and driving social transformation. This study examines the concept of Absolute Happiness in Education (AHE), which integrates personal fulfillment with a commitment to societal progress. By addressing the growing prevalence of mental health challenges (Maji et al., 2024) through evidence-based strategies that prioritize students’ well-being and resilience with social transformation behavior, AHE demonstrates its relevance to contemporary educational contexts. Rooted in the philosophy of Japanese educator Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023), AHE integrates personal fulfillment with a commitment to collective harmony and peace.
Alesse Nunes
Alesse Nunes, Soka University
Stronger and Smarter: The Role of Exercise and Physical Activity in Higher Education Success
1C • 9:50-11:15 • Student Wellness
This study examines how a structured exercise program impacts academic performance and well-being in Japanese university students. Using a year-long randomized design, first-year English majors are divided into control and experimental groups, with the latter following a professional training regimen. Apple Watches track physical activity, sleep, and heart rate, while academic performance is measured through grades and TOEIC scores. Early results suggest a link between fitness and academic success, informing future research and policy.
Dr. Max Praver, Dr. Ian Roth
Max Praver, Meijo University; Ian Roth, Meijo University
Max Praver, praver@meijo-u.ac.jp; Ian Roth, iroth@meijo-u.ac.jp