Paper short abstract:

Adopting the concept of Deep Active Learning, this presentation discusses a practical method for and the educational benefits of cross-cultural understanding in video conferencing for both Japanese university students and language education for Turkish Japanese language learners.

Paper long abstract:

In this presentation, we attempt to clarify what changes are seen in the socio-cultural perspectives and understanding of others among students as a result of incorporating Deep Active Learning into discussions using remote video conferencing for the purpose of cross-cultural education for Japanese university students and Japanese language education for Turkish students. These video conference discussions began in 2011, but now, in order to go beyond a superficial exchange of cultural information, we have begun using a series of three discussions rather than single one. At the same time, participants exchange ideas several times on forums using e-learning systems both before and after these discussions, ensuring long-term, sustained contact times. These discussions were carried out from December 2016 to January 2017 by 12 Japanese university students and 8 Japanese language students at a Turkish university. Participants were divided into two groups, and discussed issues in Japanese. As a result of the observation and reports and interview comments by participants, as the sessions went on, the participants deepened their understanding of others. Additionally, they came to a new awareness and understanding of their own country and society. Moreover, we confirmed that this sequence of learning activities, starting with learner-based discovery of discussion topics, the construction of a discussion with the collaboration of others, and then the deepening of understanding through conversations with students in another country, both permits a deep approach to study and, at the same time, provides chances for students of Japanese living abroad to achieve actual contact with Japan and Japanese of their own age, allowing a deeper level of learning about Japan through a holistic learning style based on their command and understanding of the Japanese language.

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