Introduction

The goal of this paper is to introduce computer use curriculums and contents in Japanese higher educational institutes. There are many experimental computers uses in the United States. For example, computer-based instruction, intelligent tutoring systems, simulation-based learning environments, interactive learning environments, collaborative learning, visual and inspectable tutor and assistant, visual classrooms, WWW-based education, distributed network learning environments, and cyberspace. In elementary schools, there are international joint programs such as k-12 projects. In Japan, we also tried and learned many things from the experimental computer uses explored in the United States. One of the projects, the k-12, will continue running until 1999. We are also trying advanced computer uses in higher educational institutes. Many universities pursue computer related curriculums and use this method of education. However, there are no guided curriculum and syllabus for higher educational institutes compared with the other lower schools.

Japan Universities Association for Computer Education (JUCE), which is an extra-governmental organization of the Ministry of Education in Japan, is assisting information related education for private universities. The organization is responsible for presenting budgets to the Ministry of Education, selecting computers in universities and introducing new information technologies, method of education, researching education, and other uses. As a member of the committee, I made guidelines for curriculum and syllabus of computer uses in education. The purpose is to help and to assist educational institutions implement the use of computers in education. I will present on overview of the curriculum created and would like to have comments from the class to improve the curriculum and syllabus.

Computer environment and use trends in Japanese schools

In elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools, there are guidelines for computer use by guidance of the Ministry of Education. For example in elementary schools, computers can be used by two students per one terminal. In junior high schools, one student can use one terminal and the course name for the computer use is 'technology and home economics.' In high schools, a student can use one terminal and the course name is 'information processing.'

In this information age, the Ministry of Education has made many decisions regarding the use of computers and has systematically changed current laws. The computer environment and course presented above are one example of these changes. For the distributed educational uses, they also changed laws relating correspondence courses. They also recommended creating new departments of information related courses in higher educational institutes, such as department of management information, cultural information, information science, and so on from 1985. Fig. 1 shows the shift of information titled departments from 1985 to 1994.



Fig 1. Shift of information titled department

		1985	1988	1994
Universities	number of department	78	162	263
	number of stutents	5,320	14,191	27,587
Junior Colleges	number of department	13	42	65
	number of students	815	4,425	9,655
Vocational Colleges	number of department	7	32	43
	number of students	280	1,280	1,725
Total	number of department	98	236	371
	number of students	6,415	19,896	38,977

Statistically, the most current statistics will be available soon, in higher educational institutes, they are trying to divide computer use curriculums into two part; one is basic information practice courses for all students and the other is advanced computer use courses by student majors. The basic information computer courses are taught in liberal arts departments and the course names are 'information processing,' 'information literacy,' and 'information practices.' The teaching hours are 1.5 hours per week for 1 year (30 times). The courses teach word-processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, HTML language, WWW browser, Tex., and other computer applications. The other course names vary by their major, for example, accounting information system, and law information system.

Computer environments are personal computers, workstations, and notebook computers, which are provided students as one computer per a student. Eighty percent of private universities have been installed networks to outside universities.

Guideline Curriculum in Junior Colleges

Compared with four year universities, junior colleges have some problems in computer use education. The worst problem is that the educational period is limited, to two years. The second problem is a shortage of instructors who can teach information related courses compared with four year universities. The third problem is the same as four year universities, which is that the knowledge of entering students about computers varies. It means that computers, software, and operating systems that they learned were different. We made the guideline of curriculum and syllabus to settle these problems.

Guideline goals of the curriculums are the following:

1. ability to use computers
2. ability to express, process, and exchange information using computers
3. ability to explain the practice of information, the way of thought for information, and attitudes towards information technologies

These four courses can be adapted for basic and advanced level instructions. Colleges can select the courses that fit their computer environment and time availability. The courses are half term and the length is 1.5 hours per week and 15 times in the period time. The courses are shortened (to half term) because junior colleges do not have much time to present students' majors with oriented courses in computer use. The contents were designed with the assistance of student majors.

The contents of practicable use of information are as follows:

0.to be prepared to use computer environment
1.expression of information
2.processing of information
3.exchanging of information

1.fundamentals of information
2.information and society
3. information and ethics

We named the four courses as information practices A, B, C, D. A is basic and increases in difficulty toward D, it will be advanced usage of computers.

Practicable use of information

basic items	content	A	B	C	D
0. to be prepared in the use of computers and to be use new computer environments	how to use basic operation of computers and peripherals	x
	how to enter keys from keyboard	x
	how to change Japanese Kana to Kanji	x
1. expression of information	creating documents	x
	mechanism of word processing software and its characteristics	x
	editing documents	x
	coupling with documents and managing documents	x
	using characters, graphics, and images in documents			x
	presentation techniques			x
	multimedia uses			x
2. processing of information	introduction and application examples of spreadsheet		x
	basic structure and characteristics of spreadsheet		x
	calculus in spreadsheet and expression of spreadsheet		x
	making tables with formats and sort and abstraction		x
	application for statistics and simulation				x
	basic structure of database system and its characteristics				x
	making tables, retrieving records, and updating databases				x
3. exchanging of information	basic structure and introduction to electronic communication tools	x
	sending and receiving electronic mails	x
	sending with mailing lists and managing messages	x
	basic structure and introduction to computer communication		x
	electronic news and electronic bulletin boards		x
	retrieving commercial databases				x
	practicing in commercial databases				x

 

Intorduction on Information

		A	B	C	D
1. fundamentals of information	terms of information	x
	information in current social society	x
	basic concept of information	x
	mechanism of computer and networks	x
2. information and society	characteristics of information society		x
	opening information to public and privacy of information		x
	communication in information society		x
3. information and ethics	value of information		x
	intellectual copyright protection		x
	computer crime		x
	security		x

Conclusion

In addition to the above, we made time-tables of the syllabus, time allotment for the subjects, practice databases, material databases, and so on for the assistance of instructors. The guideline will be very help for instructors. Members of the committee are collecting data about using the guidelines, and getting response about the guidelines through observing the practices. Moreover, we are making more advanced materials for instructors. I would like to research the computer use in education and the practices in the United States and compare the differences with the Japanese educational systems.

References

edited by Japan Universities Association for Computer Education, 'Information Basic Education Model Syllabus', 1997.

Edited by Japan Universities Association for Computer Education, 'To make change lessons in private universities: the direction for practice of multimedia education', 1996.

The Ministry of Education, HomePage ( in Japanese).