I will be holding a public hearing for Mr. Yuki Shimoji, a former student of the Kume Laboratory, for whom I served as a co-supervisor. Following Assoc. Professor Kume’s retirement, I was designated by both Mr. Shimoji and Assoc. Professor Kume to serve as the point of contact.

Mr. Shimoji was a student in my “Educational Information Engineering” course for senior students in the Faculty of Education. I still clearly remember him working silently and diligently on his own to create a math game during our session on using Scratch. While Scratch is commonly used in elementary schools today, it was not as widespread back then; it was the early days of block-based programming, and the government was still exploring various possibilities. Educational Technology research was already quite advanced at that time. Among Faculty of Education students, who generally had little to no programming experience, Mr. Shimoji was able to build his project with ease. He told me that this course inspired him to pursue graduate studies. It is deeply moving.

His research theme focuses on instructional design to dispel misconceptions in Japanese history classes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the target audience had to be shifted to university students midway through, but I feel it has become a fascinating study. After completing his coursework and leaving the university, and while working in a demanding professional environment, he has finally reached this point. I truly hope he gives his best in this final stage.

Given the theme, there was only one person I could ask to be the external examiner: Professor Ryohei Ikejiri (Hiroshima University). It is moving to realize that Ryohei is now an associate professor at Hiroshima University… (I am getting teary-eyed; perhaps it is just my age). I first met Ryohei when he was a student in Professor Yuhei Yamauchi’s lab while I was a postdoc there. As his research involved historical learning games, I served as an external examiner for his doctoral dissertation. I still remember how nervous I was to be an external examiner alongside such prominent figures as Professor Yamauchi, who chaired the committee, Professor Jun Nakahara, and Professor Kazuto Hongo. That Ryohei is now serving as an external examiner for this hearing is deeply moving and something I am truly grateful for; it really makes me realize how much time has passed.

If you are interested, please feel free to join us. The event will be held in a hybrid format, so online participation is also possible. If you wish to attend, please register using the form below. The URL for online participation will be displayed after you submit your registration. Please be sure to print or note it down so you do not forget.

Date and Time: June 15, 2026, from 9:30 AM

Mr. Yuki Shimoji: “Development and Evaluation of Knowledge-Manipulation-Based Japanese History Lessons to Promote Changes in Learners’ Subject Perception”

Hybrid Event

In-person: Educational Research and Materials Room (E-A-433)

Thank you for your support.