There is just over an hour left until 2015 ends. It has been a year that felt both long and short. My third year since arriving at Kyushu University is coming to an end. I started here exactly on January 1, 2013. Thank you all so much for your support this year. Thank you very much.

Looking back on 2015, the large-scale research project “Research and Development of Applications for Utilizing Big Data in the Field of Education” started in earnest, and I have been involved in it in my own small way. I was also able to participate in the Fukuoka Prefecture New Learning Project. I had new experiences and was able to enjoy learning. As for my own self-led research project, I received support for a Challenging Exploratory Research grant starting this fiscal year and began research on learning games.

As for my Research Achievements…
・Journal papers: …only 1 (sob… and not as first author)
・International conferences: 9 (including 2 as first author)
・Books: 1 (my first edited volume)
That was the result. Although there was only one journal paper, it has an impact factor, so I think it was very good. Also, regarding international conferences, although I was first author on only 2 out of the 9, both of those received awards. While I am very grateful for this, it feels a bit too good to be true. Where there are mountains, there are valleys. I am anxious that a valley might be coming.

I have a paper where I am the first author that has already been accepted, but since it will be published in 2016, I have not counted it. I need to publish more papers in 2016. My efforts are still not enough. I attended the AECT Annual Convention in Indianapolis in November, and young Chinese and Korean researchers working hard in the U.S. are very active in presenting at international conferences and publishing papers in a very fast cycle. Even postdocs, not knowing when their employment contracts will end, are looking forward and building their Research Achievements. Japanese Educational Technology researchers (especially young ones) must attend these kinds of conferences more, get stimulated, and present their research results internationally to contribute to the development of the field and the improvement of education. I really still have a long way to go. I felt that I am not good enough at all. I came back keenly realizing that. It is a good opportunity to motivate myself.

In the “Research and Development of Applications for Utilizing Big Data in the Field of Education” project, all the members involved are working hard to write international conference papers and journal articles as first authors, which is very stimulating. I take my hat off to the research productivity of researchers in the field of information engineering. Moreover, I think it is wonderful that everyone involved cooperates to achieve results. It feels like we are choosing international conferences and journals (such as those with deadlines for special issues) that everyone is submitting to and working hard together. Since I have been given such a good opportunity to grow, I want to do my very best.

I hope to conduct research that is useful in practice next year as well. I look forward to your continued support next year.