Offered via distance education for the first time in September 2011, JAPN 100 – Beginning Japanese I introduces students to the Japanese language by emphasizing its basic grammatical structure, as well as its social aspects. This highly interactive course is supported by a number of online tools and features. Students are able to fully participate in the process of developing communicative competency by listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Using only headphones and a microphone, for example, students are able to practise their oral Japanese, record speaking assignments, present skits with a partner, and receive feedback from the instructor.
Interactivity has been built into the different learning modes used in the course, wherever possible. Embedded audio files allow students to learn vocabulary by listening to words and phrases as recorded by native Japanese speakers. Online quizzes and self-tests also incorporate audio files, and by clicking on the answer to a test question, students can hear the correct response. Videos of people conversing in Japanese in various real-life situations – for example, one person being interviewed by another – help illustrate the underlying rules of grammar in each lesson. The videos, which were created specifically for the course, and which are enacted by former Japanese students, also serve as role models for oral pair work assignments. Learning Japanese handwriting, which is central to the course, also has an interactive component. Students scan their handwriting assignments and submit them electronically through the WebCT Vista course site; feedback is then provided by the Teaching Assistant, who uses a Bamboo tablet input device to write directly on their work in Japanese.
Online tools play a major role in the way students work, interact, and learn while proceeding through the course. Blackboard Collaborate, for example, is integrated into WebCT Vista, and facilitates an environment similar to that of a face-to face class. This online tool allows for synchronous interaction – via audio, video, or text – between the instructor and students, as well as between students and their classmates. It enables students to work together remotely while preparing and practising oral presentations and skits for shared assignments. It is also an evaluation tool; for example, it is used for the oral interview test given to students at the end of the term.
Wimba Voiceboard is another web-based tool integrated directly into WebCT Vista. It facilitates interaction – via text and voice – between the instructor and students, and among classmates. Wimba Voiceboard is a valuable tool in learning the Japanese language, because its asynchronous function provides students with the opportunity to practise and improve their listening, speaking, and writing skills in a non-real time environment. Using Wimba Voiceboard, students complete oral assignments, and receive oral feedback from the instructor on their pronunciation and speech. The software’s asynchronous function also provides students with some flexibility in terms of scheduling their responses to oral assignments.
Despite being a distance education course, communication and interaction between the instructor and student is well supported in JAPN 100. The instructor for JAPN 100, Ihhwa Kim, has ten years of experience teaching Japanese in a classroom setting. She believes that students in an online course “receive as much feedback/attention from the instructor and TA as students in a face-to-face class.” Via Blackboard Collaborate and Wimba Voiceboard, the instructor communicates with students to reinforce the listening and speaking skills essential for achieving accuracy and fluency in the language. The Bamboo tablet technology allows the Teaching Assistant to provide students with direct input on their Japanese handwriting. During weekly online office hours, the instructor is available to answer questions or give feedback via text, audio, or video chat, using Blackboard Collaborate. Alternatively, students can meet with the instructor in person during regular office hours held on campus.
JAPN 100 was developed as a distance education course to help meet the demand for introductory Japanese courses and to alleviate wait lists – Japanese is one of the most popular choices for UBC students fulfilling the language requirement for a Bachelor of Arts degree. The success of the course, however, owes much to the authentic graphics and interactive web design. The capacity of the supporting technology to facilitate interactive learning is also crucial: in the judgement of Ihhwa Kim, “the course would not be possible without technology.” Ihhwa acknowledges that technology can also present challenges on occasion, and she emphasizes the value of the technical support provided by the CTLT Help Desk in ensuring that the online technology functions smoothly.
Teaching JAPN 100 in the online environment has been both unique and rewarding for Ihhwa Kim, providing her with new perspectives, and enriched potential for communicating with her students:
“Everything is different, but it has been a positive experience. It’s fun to talk to the students in remote areas using Blackboard Collaborate. For example, in the classroom at UBC, we tend to talk about Vancouver, but the online class gives us different topics, depending on where the students are.”
According to Sunah Cho, the course Instructional Designer/Project Manager, Ihhwa’s immense effort and enthusiasm have contributed greatly to the course. Ihhwa looks forward to discovering even more creative ways of using the virtual environment to “build a classroom community,” and further enhance the distance learning experience of her students.
JAPN 100 – along with JAPN 101, which was introduced as a distance education course for the first time in January 2012 – will continue to be offered in upcoming semesters. For more information on both courses, please visit https://ctlt.ubc.ca/distance-learning/courses/japn.
I am interested in taking the Beginning Japanese course in January. I am a lawyer with the U.S. Coast Guard in San Francisco. What do I need to do to enroll?
Hi Paul,
JAPN 101 is being offered in January 2013, and is a continuation of JAPN 100, which is currently running September – December 2012. For more information about enrolling into the course, you’ll want to consult the Admission to UBC page on our website. You might also want to look at the New to Distance Learning at UBC page.
Thanks,
Michael
I am interesting in taking Beginning Japanese. I am a Forensics Investigator and Security Analyst. And I am quarter Japanese and Chinese mixed.