Parasitic infections are declining in Japan, resulting in fewer hours of parasitology instruction in medical laboratory science and medical schools. However, there are growing concerns that the parasite identification skills of medical laboratory technologists and the diagnostic skills of physicians may be compromised as a result. Effective…

Virtual reality (VR) has attracted increasing interest for its potential to enhance second language acquisition through immersive and interactive experiences. However, effectively integrating VR with established language teaching pedagogy remains a critical challenge. This study addresses that gap by embedding the principles of task-based language…

International graduate students reluctantly partook in the distance learning with the closure of national borders with the outbreak of COVID-19. Different instructional modes (in-person, online, and hybrid) and timing of the online learning exposure would play a role in international students' academic achievement considering the expectations and…

Universities across the U.S. have increasingly emphasized internationalization, leading to rising numbers of international students attending U.S. institutions of higher education. However, these students tend to gravitate toward larger research-intensive universities with many other institutions seeing no increase in international student…

This study examines the relationship between Japanese children's inquiry skills and their participation in various after-school programs. Inquiry skills--encompassing the ability to explore, analyze, and synthesize information--are essential competencies in 21st-century education. However, limited research has explored how different types of…

This study investigates the effects of short-term study abroad on affective changes for Second-Language English (SLE) research students participating in a five-week intensive TESOL certificate program in Australia. Changes in individual differences among the participants, including anxiety in using a second language, willingness to communicate…

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a common and proven way to treat anxiety. In language learning settings, CBT has been shown to remedy students' anxiety and help them actively engage with a new language. However, research is inconclusive on how to best approach CBT-based interventions for language learning, and how to cater to students'…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an exploratory mixed-methods study was conducted on the reading attitudes, perceptions, and outcomes of 50 first-year Japanese EFL university students participating in an online extensive reading (ER) enhanced curriculum using Xreading in order to better understand its affective and cognitive effects. Quantitative…

Despite widespread remote psychological interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the difference between the effectiveness of remote digital and face-to-face methods in school-based intervention programs remains unclear. This study examined the difference between the effectiveness of video and face-to-face based problem-solving training on…

Although robots' social behaviors are known for their capacity to facilitate learner-robot interaction for language learning, their application and effect have not been adequately explored. This study reviewed 59 empirical articles to examine the contexts and application of various social behaviors of robots for language learning, and conducted a…

Learning assistance is an essential part of higher education. Tutors, the core of the assistance staff, need to have learning assistance skills. If the potential for these skills can be identified when selecting tutors, the training method will be more efficient. Also, learning assistance skills are thought to be related to learning skills.…

This project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an academic success center at a Japanese public university, in terms of the reciprocal learning that took place during academic writing and reading tutorials and the academic achievement of tutees. Using a multi-method design, the researchers analyzed feedback data from tutors and tutees, and…

This paper describes the initial findings of an exploratory research project investigating the use of the cooperative digital puzzle game Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes as a means to facilitate Second Language Acquisition (SLA). A qualitative case study approach was taken to closely examine the linguistic interaction between three L2 learners of…

In this paper, an effort is made to explore the authors' involvement as resource persons and facilitators in an exchange programme between Japan and India. The 15-day programme was created to understand the culture and rich heritage of India, particularly Rajasthan, by involving Japanese participants in a Tour based student exchange programme. The…

This study investigated three Japanese L2 learners who joined a government-funded, short-term study abroad program in the USA during their first year of college. Four years after the program, we interviewed the learners about their overseas experiences. We also asked what they had done during their university years after the program. We then…