Come to think of it, more than ten years have passed since I first accepted students—meaning since the laboratory began. In April 2014, my first graduate student, Ms. Eto (currently a nursing teacher at a Fukuoka municipal elementary school while conducting research in the doctoral program at Saga University Graduate School of Medicine), joined. Six months later, Ms. Tang, an international student from China (currently working at a game company in Tokyo?), joined and entered graduate school half a year after that, followed by Ms. Chen Li (currently an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering at our university). The featured image is from Ms. Eto’s and Ms. Tang’s graduation ceremony when we were still at the Hakozaki branch office. Ms. Eto received the highest award from the Dean of the Faculty. Since my main appointment was at Ito, the lab was located there, but since student guidance was at Hakozaki, I was given a room there in the form of a joint research office. In those days, we couldn’t get private rooms at Hakozaki.
Over these ten years, we have produced eight graduates (including two doctoral degree holders). Another student is scheduled to graduate in September, and one more by the end of the fiscal year. Considering it is not a large laboratory based on a chair system like in science fields, with very few students proceeding to doctoral programs and only one or two students per year, I believe we have done our best by setting up projects.
I used to wonder if it was possible to set up a laboratory in educational technology, which is a minor field at Kyushu University. I was in charge of undergraduate courses for several years from 2014, but then I was suddenly told by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science at the time to step down from those courses. I was worried that graduate students wouldn’t come after that, but thanks to the support of other professors, things somehow worked out. A particularly significant event was Professor Hiroaki Ogata (currently at Kyoto University) coming here from Tokushima University. My connection with Professor Ogata dates back to when I was a master’s student; since our respective mentors were very close, we often saw each other at international conferences. Since then, we had a mysterious connection where we didn’t meet in Japan but would meet and eat together at international conferences, and we became good friends. I have fond memories of him knocking on my door on the same floor after his appointment and saying, “I’ve come to Kyushu University.” From there, being involved in research on learning analytics and the establishment of the Learning Analytics Center was a major step, and that research continues to develop to this day.
Being involved as a “Principal Co-Investigator” in Professor Shimada’s AIP acceleration research was also significant. Since it was a large project, we were able to significantly advance system development research, and the systems developed there are currently utilized in the university’s operational systems.
Regarding the production of doctoral degree holders, the cooperation and understanding of the professors in the Educational System Course of the Graduate School of Human-Environment Studies were also immense. Since much research in educational technology is conducted as projects, it is common for multiple people to be in charge of writing papers and international conference manuscripts. Therefore, co-authorship is very frequent. Educational technology also has characteristics of the science fields, being project-based. Being able to clarify the criteria for obtaining a doctoral degree while understanding that culture was a very significant achievement. I am also very grateful that environments and systems have been established to produce researchers specializing in educational technology from Kyushu University.
However, it is the students who have supported all of the above. While students strive to obtain their own degrees, they have also advanced their research to the best of their ability throughout that process. Although I have said some harsh things at times (perhaps only harsh things???), they exceeded those standards, produced wonderful results, and projects have concluded with great success. I am deeply grateful to them.
Truly, over these ten years, the laboratory has been supported by many people. We have already entered our 11th year, and we will continue to vigorously advance educational technology research and contribute to the development of Japan and international society at large.
