2007.08.18 Weihai, China

WANG Shudong & Neil HeffernanHiroshima Shudo University

Japan

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education: Is China

Catching Up?

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education: Is China

Catching Up?

Research Purpose

– Delineate the current states of online 　

education in China and Japan

– Discover the gap between the two countries

in terms of online language education.

– Propose possible remedies

Research Purpose

– Delineate the current states of online 　

education in China and Japan

– Discover the gap between the two countries

in terms of online language education.

– Propose possible remedies

A Compartive Research On Foreign Language Education A Compartive Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Presentation outlines

– A comparison of the two governments’ policies

toward online education.

– Online LMS & CMS for language study

– Mobile online education

Presentation outlines

– A comparison of the two governments’ policies

toward online education.

– Online LMS & CMS for language study

– Mobile online education

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Japanese Government polices and strategies toward online education

– E-Japan (2001-2005)

– U-Japan (2006-2010)

- 2006, Improvement of ICT Efficacy in Education (OCW, LMS, CMS)

the Actual Effect of the above Strategies

Japanese Government polices and strategies toward online education

– E-Japan (2001-2005)

– U-Japan (2006-2010)

- 2006, Improvement of ICT Efficacy in Education (OCW, LMS, CMS)

the Actual Effect of the above Strategies

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

E-Japan (2001-2005)

– “E-Japan Strategy” aimed at making Japan the

world’s

most advanced country in IT infrastructure

within 5 years.

- The Japanese parliament passed relevant laws

to ensure

the enforcement of this plan.

E-Japan (2001-2005)

– “E-Japan Strategy” aimed at making Japan the

world’s

most advanced country in IT infrastructure

within 5 years.

- The Japanese parliament passed relevant laws

to ensure

the enforcement of this plan.

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

E-Japan (2001-2005)

– IT Strategy Headquarters （ IT 戦略本部）

– Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science,

and

Technology ( 文部科学省）

– Ministry of Internal Affairs and

Communications （総務省）

– The Japanese parliament.

E-Japan (2001-2005)

– IT Strategy Headquarters （ IT 戦略本部）

– Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science,

and

Technology ( 文部科学省）

– Ministry of Internal Affairs and

Communications （総務省）

– The Japanese parliament.

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

U-Japan

- The “u” represents “ubiquitous”, “universal,” “user oriented,” and “unique.” The plan focuses on “easy connection and to networks and

convenient learning anytime, anywhere, by

anything and anyone”

U-Japan

- The “u” represents “ubiquitous”, “universal,” “user oriented,” and “unique.” The plan focuses on “easy connection and to networks and

convenient learning anytime, anywhere, by

anything and anyone”

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Current situation and future goal of online education hardware in Japan

Current situation and future goal of online education hardware in Japan

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Items Current situation(2006.3)

Goal

Ratio of high-speed Internet connection

97.8% 100%

Campus LAN 75.5% 100%

Numbers of PCs 1PC/5.7 students 1PC/3.6 students

Ratio of teachers who are capable of using computes for teaching

67.3% 100%

Chinese Government polices and strategies toward online education Action Plan for China Education Development

toward the 21st Century (1999)

The Project of New Century Educational Reform

The Project of Modern Distance Education

National Pilot Curriculum Sharing Project (2003-2007)

Chinese Government polices and strategies toward online education Action Plan for China Education Development

toward the 21st Century (1999)

The Project of New Century Educational Reform

The Project of Modern Distance Education

National Pilot Curriculum Sharing Project (2003-2007)

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

2007 e-readiness rank2007 e-readiness rank

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Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

The gap of IT infrastructure between Japan China

2007 IT Competitiveness Rank No1: US, No2: Japan, China 49 Both US and 　　 Japan have the world best IT infrastructures

protection of instinctual property

The gap of IT infrastructure between Japan China

2007 IT Competitiveness Rank No1: US, No2: Japan, China 49 Both US and 　　 Japan have the world best IT infrastructures

protection of instinctual property

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

The gap of LMS usage

- Introduction to Moodle

- LMS/CMS usage in both countries

The gap of LMS usage

- Introduction to Moodle

- LMS/CMS usage in both countries

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Moodle

- Moodle is a free open source Learning Source Software which is wildly popular with language teachers. People can freely download Moodle and use it on any computer with any OS. This LMS is designed to help educators create online courses with opportunities for rich interaction (Moodle, 2007)

-As Moodle is free, it has the ability to cross platforms, is

easy to use, and is only gaining in popularity. Currently Moodle has 11,603,849 users in 182 countries as of July, 2007

Moodle

- Moodle is a free open source Learning Source Software which is wildly popular with language teachers. People can freely download Moodle and use it on any computer with any OS. This LMS is designed to help educators create online courses with opportunities for rich interaction (Moodle, 2007)

-As Moodle is free, it has the ability to cross platforms, is

easy to use, and is only gaining in popularity. Currently Moodle has 11,603,849 users in 182 countries as of July, 2007

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

The Gap of Using Moodle

On the Internet there are over 150 registered Moodle sites for language study in Japan while mainland China has only about 20 (of total 246), some of which have started to disappear.

The Gap of Using Moodle

On the Internet there are over 150 registered Moodle sites for language study in Japan while mainland China has only about 20 (of total 246), some of which have started to disappear.

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Mobile Online Education

-Mobile online education is bound to become the next most popular learning environment and the main means ofu-learning, meaning that education can happen anytime, anywhere.

Mobile Online Education

-Mobile online education is bound to become the next most popular learning environment and the main means ofu-learning, meaning that education can happen anytime, anywhere.

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Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Mobile Online Education

-Mobile users: Japan: as of January 2007, contracts with mobile phone

companies exceeded 95,315,200, which is roughly 78.5% of Japan’s total population. 100% of college students hold mobile phones or one or two other handy electronic devices.

China: China has the most mobile phones users in the world, 70% of mobile phones do not have the capability to connect to the Internet (17 million WAP users via 130 million mobile phone holders) (CNNIC, 2007). Only SMS (short message service) is universally available in China.

Mobile Online Education

-Mobile users: Japan: as of January 2007, contracts with mobile phone

companies exceeded 95,315,200, which is roughly 78.5% of Japan’s total population. 100% of college students hold mobile phones or one or two other handy electronic devices.

China: China has the most mobile phones users in the world, 70% of mobile phones do not have the capability to connect to the Internet (17 million WAP users via 130 million mobile phone holders) (CNNIC, 2007). Only SMS (short message service) is universally available in China.

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Mobile Online Education – Infrastructure Gap Japan: had completely entered 3G in 2004, cheap.

Internet browsing, emails are available.

China: Just started entered 3G generation, emails from to PC are not universal, expensive

Mobile Online Education – Infrastructure Gap Japan: had completely entered 3G in 2004, cheap.

Internet browsing, emails are available.

China: Just started entered 3G generation, emails from to PC are not universal, expensive

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Mobile Online Language learning Education, Japan

-Wireless LAN is being built and enhanced on university

campuses. U-learning has become an pervasive conceptsin educational institutions and among learners.

- Mobile oriented language learning is being carried out in many universities.

- Proof: QR Code

Mobile Online Language learning Education, Japan

-Wireless LAN is being built and enhanced on university

campuses. U-learning has become an pervasive conceptsin educational institutions and among learners.

- Mobile oriented language learning is being carried out in many universities.

- Proof: QR Code

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Mobile Online Language learning Education -China

-Mobile language learning has not been fully exploited

in China.

- University homepages/LMS platforms are not mobile oriented.

- Proof: QR Code and mobile phone oriented sites are very few.

Mobile Online Language learning Education -China

-Mobile language learning has not been fully exploited

in China.

- University homepages/LMS platforms are not mobile oriented.

- Proof: QR Code and mobile phone oriented sites are very few.

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Mobile Online Language learning Education -Experiment

Mobile Online Language learning Education -Experiment

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Figure : Among 30 randomly selected university website, 13 have mobile phones oriented

Mobile Online Language learning Education -Experiment

Mobile Online Language learning Education -Experiment

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

Figure 3 Among 30 randomly selected university websites, none have mobile phones oriented pages

Conclusion

Conclusion

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan

1. Chinese online education has fallen behind are due to the sluggish government polices, a lack of close collaboration between governmental departments,

2. Teachers’ motivation of using LMS.

3.Mobile foreign language education has not yet officially been launched in China.

Some of the main disadvantages in this regard include a lack of human resources engaged in online education, and government polices toward online education are bereft of detail. However, because of this slow start, online education in China is sure to become more and more developed in the coming years.

Thank you for your attention.

Thank you for your attention.

A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education A Comparative Research On Foreign Language Education

Wang & Heffernan @ Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan