Match to create a place for learning! Effective use of e-learning in elementary schools

Release Date :2022.03.18

• Elementary or Jr. high school/school administration support

Release Date :2022.03.18

Doshisha Elementary School is affiliated with Doshisha University, whose predecessor was Doshisha English School founded by Jo Niijima in 1875. since its opening in 2006, the school has been practicing "Doshiso Education," a Christian-based education that cultivates "conscience" and values the process of reaching answers and learning to give answers on their own. Through school trips to Amherst College in the U.S. and exchanges with elementary schools in Australia and Taiwan, the school is also making efforts to nurture "true global citizens" who can recognize each other across national and racial borders. In this interview, we spoke with a member of the school's faculty.

Ensure a learning environment even when schools are closed

First of all, could you tell us about the characteristics and educational policy of your school?

At our school, we value the independence of each child. The children themselves choose and carry out the various options available to them in their studies and school life. We value such an attitude in which children take the initiative to learn and experience, rather than teachers teaching them.

Thank you very much. Could you tell us about the background of your decision to introduce learningBOX?

One of the issues that needed to be addressed immediately was the creation of a learning environment during the school closure. Due to the Corona disaster, the school was closed from March 2020. At first, we thought that the school would be closed for about a month and that we could get by by handing out assignments to the children during the break. However, the school was to remain closed from April onward, and the issue of how to ensure a learning environment for the children became a serious concern.

Originally, we had a system that was simple enough to distribute teaching materials, but it was not user-friendly and could not be managed smoothly, as it could not tolerate simultaneous access by parents, took a long time to search past data, and could not be sorted. In addition, teachers were actively creating videos and assignments, which quickly filled the system to capacity.

It was then that an acquaintance told me about an e-learning system called learningBOX. First of all Free PlanFrom that stage on, we inquired about the extent to which we could customize the system while building it.

Thank you very much. What did you think was the best aspect of the system and why did you decide to formally introduce it?

In a word, it met our needs perfectly. First of all, it was simple, easy to understand, and easy to use, since the children will be using it and some of the parents are not familiar with digital educational materials. Another important point was that we were able to store a certain amount of video and PDF files.
Currently.Starter Planand I have embedded Vimeo for my videos, but I am considering changing plans because I am running out of space.

A system that can be easily used by everyone, including children, parents, and teachers.

I know that Dr. Takamatsu and other teachers are currently using the system, but have you heard any comments or requests?

I have not heard any complaints or requests, so I think other teachers are also satisfied with the system. For us teachers, too, the system is very simple, so everyone can use it easily. I have the impression that the system is very well suited to our school in that teachers can use it the way they want to use it.

It has been about 2 years since I started using it, and now it has become a truly indispensable system: in addition to learningBOX, the LoiLoNote School app and Zoom, these three systems make up a complete teaching system. I am so thankful for the learningBOX, especially during school vacations, because I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found it.

Have you ever used it for a test or in class?

The learningBOX is mainly used to check assignments in online classes and at home, and is not utilized for testing. Since our school's learning policy emphasizes writing and dialogue between children rather than one-question tests, we are not considering using it in a test format at this time.

Even the tablet devices that each student has are not used for drills, etc., but rather for viewing videos of assignments. From there, the children think for themselves and derive the answers. Currently, we use LoiLoNote to collect the answers, but I have heard that learningBOX can handle not only the posting of videos, but also the answering and grading of the answers, so I will definitely give it a try with your help.

Perhaps companies and middle school students and above will have a greater need for use in testing, but for use in elementary school and early childhood education, it may be useful to use the system in areas other than testing.

Attempts are also made to share class videos with other teachers and exchange opinions.

You are mainly using videos, but are they being used in all grades?

Yes, we do. Especially for first-year students, we make videos available for parents to watch even when reviewing. Some students say they do not know how to teach at home, so the videos are very effective. Also, since it is not easy to visit classes nowadays, we sometimes upload videos of classes in progress for parents to view.

Also, although it is not a training program, I have used it for the purpose of sharing videos of classes with other teachers and exchanging ideas.

What other uses are there?

In my class, I distribute the weekly schedule using learningBOX.
We also hand them out on paper, but we can upload them to ensure that parents receive them. Especially during the school holidays, children could not come to school, so we asked them to check the learningBOX for their schedules and grade level newsletters.

Thank you very much! Lastly, I would like to hear your requests or suggestions for more things you would like to do.

As I mentioned earlier, we are able to collect and manage answers from children even if they are written answers, so we would like to ask for your help again to ensure consistent management. I would also like to see the children communicate with each other on the LearningBOX.

I am sure we can do more than we are doing now, but we have not quite caught up to that point yet. We would be glad to hear your suggestions.

Thank you for your participation
!