This year’s Japan Society for Educational Technology (JSET) annual conference will be held at Nagasaki University from September 15th to 17th. We will be hosting a session related to education and learning as part of the research sessions. Starting this fiscal year, Professor Toru Fujimoto (The University of Tokyo) has joined the conference planning committee to help us move forward. With this, I feel much more confident and can proceed with pride. Thank you very much. I believe that having a professor who specializes in this field join us makes a real difference.

I am sorry to say that the research sessions, while not as rigorous as peer-reviewed journals, do have a selection process. Regarding the content, as the title suggests, we want to go beyond the introductory level of just saying “we made this” or “we implemented this.” Since education and learning involve human affective behavior, we are looking for submissions that have thoroughly reviewed preceding research and approached the topic theoretically, such as through psychology. While the level of “practice” has become common in the business world in recent years and is gradually accumulating, I believe it is time to elevate it to the level of “research.” Personally, I think that developing the research level is now required to create an organic cycle between research and practice. In overseas academic journals, papers that have reached a solid research level are already being published. They are very interesting to read.

We look forward to your submissions. I believe this will become a major field in Educational Technology in Japan, and I hope we can have academic discussions toward that end. The deadline is Thursday, June 21st. We look forward to seeing you there.

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K-9 Educational and Learning Support Using Games and Simulations
Coordinators:
Toru Fujimoto (The University of Tokyo)
Masanori Yamada (Kanazawa University)

Research on the educational use of games and simulations has seen the formation of research hubs and the accumulation of research results, primarily in Western countries, and it appears to have become established as a research theme. In the future, it is necessary to promote the development of a knowledge base that supports the enrichment of research and practice in this field within Japan as well. This session invites research presentations on theoretical frameworks and evaluation methods for learning through games, the development and evaluation of game-based learning materials and serious games using mobile devices, learning support systems applying game design, practical examples of game use in school education and corporate training, and related reviews. As selection criteria, we emphasize that theoretical research must demonstrate the comprehensiveness of preceding research and provide theoretical frameworks or design principles as findings, and that development and practical research must specifically indicate the theoretical frameworks and evaluation methods relied upon.
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Additionally, the theme for the next special issue has been decided as “Informal Learning in an Information Society.” Professor Yamauchi (The University of Tokyo) is serving as the chair of the special issue editorial committee. Research related to games, such as gamification and serious games in learning outside of school or outside of class, is eligible, so I think you can use this research session as a way to set the pace for submitting your paper to the special issue. There is plenty of time. The deadline is February 6, 2013, so why not use this research session to discuss your work, identify areas that are lacking or need reinforcement, and spend about half a year collecting data for development/evaluation and strengthening your logical arguments before submitting your paper? (Please note that since the next special issue is on informal learning, use in formal learning settings such as classrooms, lessons, or training will not be eligible for the next special issue.)

We look forward to your paper submissions!!

The University of Tokyo, Yamauchi Laboratory Blog [Call for Papers] Informal Learning in an Information Society
http://www.jset.gr.jp/taikai28/schedule/schedule_02.php

Japan Society for Educational Technology 28th Annual Conference Schedule
http://blog.iii.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ylab/2012/05/post_377.html