The Effects of Utilizing a Videoconferencing System for International Discussions on Global Issues at a Japanese High School

Living in the Information Age, schools and teachers are expected to utilize new information technology in education to make teaching more effective. In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has been strongly implementing policies to promote information education (IE) in schools since 1988. According to a survey in 2005 (Japan MEXT, 2005), 100% of high schools in Japan at present have computers and the Internet connections. However, videoconferencing systems have only been introduced only in a small number of schools. This paper is the result of a pilot research to see the effects of using a videoconferencing system in a Japanese high school. The purpose of the research was to clarify the effects of introducing videoconferencing system in a Japanese high school and of utilizing it for conferences with other schools abroad on the studies of global issues. The target students were in the 12th Grade in the year 2006. The counterpart school was an Australian high school in Sydney and the conferences were held in English. International discussions on global warming were conducted between the Japanese and Australian students. Affective competence and cognitive competence were measured using questionnaires and worksheets given to students both before and after the videoconferences. The results showed that both cognitive and affective competences rose after each videoconference. Not only the students who actively participated in the conference but also those who were in the audience showed positive effects. In the field of international cooperation on global issues, especially, the effects were large. These results suggest that in order to teach global issues in which international effort and cooperation are needed, direct contacts with foreign students are effective in increasing student cognitive and affective competences. On the other hand, as English was the main communication tool in the conferences, Japanese students faced a certain difficulty in communication. Also, teachers, especially English teachers, were required to make great efforts to assist students in preparing for the conferences. The effectiveness of an international videoconference depends largely on students' English skills and teachers' efforts.