Learning Styles of Distance Learners in Japan : Cultural Considerations

Distance education in Japan has a unique history and regulatory framework different from that of most Western countries. There have been discussions and studies on differences between Japanese and Western people in terms of their learning styles, reflecting their cultural and societal differences. E-learning, a mode of distance education in which the Internet is utilized extensively in the instructional delivery as well as interaction between teachers and students or among students, is spreading in the global market of higher education mainly from English-speaking countries. This paper will introduce the history and current status of distance education and e-learning in Japan, discuss characteristics of the learning styles of Japanese students in general, and consider the most appropriate methods and instruments to measure leaning styles of distance learners or e-learners in Japan in order to explore the effect of learning styles on the learners’ satisfaction with their learning environments. Introduction Distance learning, the mode of education where students can take courses without physically attending classes on campus, has been around in Japan for the past 50 years. However, unlike those in the U.S., Canada, and Australia where distance learning has been flourishing with the effective utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT), in Japan, many distance learning programs are still follow the correspondence school model, using postal mail as the main delivery mode of instruction. With the widespread use of the Internet, e-learning has become popular in many parts of the world and Japan is not an exception. However, e-learning in Japan is still far behind of the three Western countries mentioned above, not in terms of technology per se, but in terms of effective implementation of new paradigm of education where knowledge is created collaboratively using interactive media such as the Internet. The Western style of distance learning or e-learning may not be readily adopted by Japanese people due to the differences in learning styles between Japanese people and people in Western countries. Though scientific data to demonstrate such differences are yet to be found, anecdotal evidence by people who have experienced education in both cultures suggests that there are differences. In past literature, Hayes and Allison (1988) suggest that cultural differences do exist in learning styles, as the culture of a country affects the way people learn in schools. De Vita (2001) also suggests that culture inluences the development of learning styles. If such cultural differences of learning styles exist, future systems of distance education and e-learning in Japan should be developed differently from that of those Western countries, instead of trying to imitate and follow in the footsteps of Western countries. The following sections discuss: 1) the history and current status of distance education and e-learning in Japan, 2) characteristics of learning styles of Japanese students in general, and 3) the most appropriate methods and instruments to measure leaning styles of distance learners or e-learners in Japan in order to determine the effect of learning styles on the learners’ satisfaction with their learning environments. Distance Education in Japan History In Japan, the first occurrence of distance education can be traced back to the “lecture notes” used in higher education in the late 19 century. In the Meiji period when higher education had not taken a solid form yet in Japan and no textbooks existed in Japanese, the only learning materials students could rely on were notes taken from the lectures given by professors. Thus, those “lecture notes” were printed and used by non-matriculated students in their study. Waseda University, Japan’s premium private college, is well known for being the first to implement this system. Those students who studied through “lecture notes” could take an exam to obtain a certificate of completion. At that time, those who could not come to Tokyo to take college courses, studied in this mode and took exams to gain certification. This is considered to be the origin of “correspondence education” or distance education in Japan. In 1950, for the first time correspondence schools or distance learning schools were officially recognized by the Ministry of Education, which enabled recognized schools to offer degrees to their students. According to the Higher Education Council in Japan, this is the beginning of distance education in higher education in Japan. Since then, the Japanese Ministry of Education has maintained two separate accreditation systems or University Establishments Standards: one for traditional on-campus institutions and the other for correspondence education. The majority of distance education in Japan is done by distributing print-based materials through the postal service. Though those distance learning programs were officially accredited to offer degrees, 30 credits out of the 124 credits required to obtain a bachelor’s degree had to be earned through face-to-face classes (i.e., schooling). In March, 1998, the requirement of earning the minimum of 30 credits through face-to-face classes was relaxed, and the government allowed those 30 credits to be earned through synchronous mediated communication such as videoconferencing. Then in March 2001, those 30 credits were allowed to be earned through interactions on the Internet. This made it possible to earn degrees solely at a distance without ever visiting the campus or learning centers. Also in March 2001, graduate programs through correspondence education began to be recognized officially and four graduate correspondence schools were established in the next year. In 2003, doctoral programs through correspondence education began to be recognized. Originally distance education programs were considered secondary to the regular on-campus programs. However, the notion has been slowly changing, and it has been discussed that the regulatory distinction between campus-based schools and correspondence schools will disappear soon. Current State of Distance Education in Japan At present, there are 35 4-year higher education distance education institutions, 18 graduate schools and nine junior colleges, in which the total of about 280,000 students are registered (see Table 1). Except for the University of the Air, all of them are private institutions. Among those 62 institutions, only two are virtual universities which do not have physical campuses except administrative offices and study centers. The other 60 institutions are actually the correspondence education divisions of existing universities.