Projects
Better Access to the Open University Digital Library Services
The Library of the Open University of Japan has been offering digital library services in addition to the traditional campus-based services, to help distance students better access to materials and information required for their study. Very few students, however, have used the digital library services. Nevertheless, a limited number of library staff working at study centers have full understandings of the digital library services.
Based on a collaboration of the Open University of Japan Library and the Center of ICT and Distance Education, this project offer the followings:
(1) Development of Digital Learning Materials for Library Staff at Study Centers
The learning materials aim to help study centers’ library staff learn details of the digital library services in order to prepare them offer effective and efficient services to students at each study center.
(2) Development of Digital Pathfinders for Distance Students
The pathfinder aims to help students effectively search for library materials and learning information related to their courses. Using the pathfinder, students will be able to learn how to use reference tools and electronic journals relevant to their courses.
Development and Provision of Learning Systems and Tools
CODE develops and provides some learning systems and tools to universities and other educational institutions.
- Mobile Video Learning System is the system can deliver the learning video contents to mobile phone by streaming.
- REAS is the internet questionnaire system applicable to mobile phone and PC.
- ProBo is the project learning support tool.
- REAS Video Player is the interactive learning tool with flash video.
- 3D Content of molecular structures is the 3D molecular structures can be visualized interactively on Web.
We are developing some additional functions to those systems and tools.
 Mobile Video Learning System |
 Probo |
 REAS Video Player |
 3D Content of molecular structures |
Empirical Testing of a Searching Method for Massive Audio and Video Data
As the broadband Internet connection spreads, the quantity of video and audio contents increases and so does the number of opportunities for utilizing them. The Open University of Japan is also offering video and audio lecture programs online for our students, and some of them to the public as OpenCourseWare. In order to efficiently utilize such massive multimedia data, it is imperative to have a fast search engine for them. In this project, we are researching automatic processing of massive audio data and a method to search them instantly with leaving some ambiguity in search words with the aim to realize the method in actual use. This project is conducted in collaboration with the research team at the Toyohashi University of Technology.
Development of support systems for students with disabilities
The purpose of this project is to develop the support system for students with diverse learning needs at the Open University of Japan.
Utilization of ICT will significantly change university education worldwide. At the Open University of Japan, beyond the traditional media of television and radio broadcasting, the improvement of students’ abilities to use computers, the enhancement of the e-Learning system, and digital learning materials have become pressing issues.
Digital learning materials are to achieve flexible forms of learning. In particular, for the elderly, the disabled, and international students who have language problems, a media technology which presents languages in various ways will be useful to improve their learning skills.
However, laws are required to ensure that students with disabilities are assisted. These already exist in North America, Australia, and the EU. Japanese universities may lag 20 years behind in disability services. The Open University in Japan enrolls more than twice the number of disabled students than other universities in Japan. The increase in disability services at the Open University of Japan will not only support students at this university, but will also challenged students in other universities which share a credit-transfer system with the Open University of Japan.
Lifelong Learning Community Site Project
Lifelong learning community site ‘manaPia’ is developed to promote lifelong learning activities. ‘manaPia’ provides learning course database, with which users can search for courses by subject, place, and more. If users register preferences, ‘manaPia’ notices by e-mail when a course that matches the preferences opens. In addition, users can record their history of everyday learning experiences in a learning portfolio (blog), through which users can communicate by commenting each other.
Development of Automated Metadata Generation from Course syllabus and Online Syllabus System with Metadata Retrieval Function
In this project, we focus on the following 2 themes.
(1) Automated Metadata Generation from Course Syllabus by Crawling and Organizing
We perform research in connection with crawling course syllabus on the web, and automatic information extraction from course syllabus in order to make metadata. Specifically, we aim to classify course syllabus into the academic discipline with great accuracy by using occurrence rate of technical terms in syllabus text, and aim to extract item values, for examples "subject name" and "outline of the course", from HTML syllabus document with great accuracy.
(2) Development of Online Syllabus System with Metadata Retrieval Function
We perform R&D related to an online syllabus system with metadata retrieval function, named as FORESTS(Flexible Online REpository for Syllabus distribuTion and Search). The figure below shows the system structure and features of FORESTS. FORESTS has 2 principal functions of (A) an online syllabus system with search function for a particular university and (B) cross-search function.
Contents Distribution Network (UPO-NET)
The UPO-NET project provides universities with e-learning materials with the aim of encouraging the diffusion of university e-learning. To overcome the problem of insufficient e-learning materials, which currently impedes diffusion, CODE creates and provides educational materials and now provides materials for remedial education, pre-university education, career education, and other education materials required by many universities. Furthermore, CODE is also building a foundation for universities to create their own and share educational materials in the future, promoting efforts to create educational materials that are easier to study and understand.
International collaboration project for the internationalization of Japanese universities and for the global sharing of quality learning resources
Both the internationalization of educational institutions and the human capacity building based on international standards are urgent issues at the various stages of lifelong learning, including higher / tertiary education. Through various collaboration with overseas core organizations for ICT-enhanced education (such as EDUCAUSE in the United States), lifelong learning institutions (such as open universities) and international standardization organizations (such as IMS Global Learning Consortium), we analyze the latest trends in various countries and share the results with Japanese universities and public / private sectors. In FY 2011, we plan to hold an international seminar under the collaboration with GLOBE (Global Learning Objects Brokered Exchange) consortium in February 2012.
Moreover, the project assists Japanese universities in their endeavors to enhance their international collaboration and expansion as well as the international dissemination of the educational content in order to strengthen their international competitiveness. We manage a metadata database (referatory) of learning content which was developed in Japan, participate in GLOBE and other international learning content sharing consortia, realize a federation of digital content distribution infrastructure and support the transmission of high-quality educational content from Japan, toward the establishment of the global knowledge-based society.
