An Essay on Undergraduate Education at Nagoya University
NAMIKAWA Yukihiko

Many universities in Japan, including Nagoya University, arepushing forward with education reform, which started with anational change of policy of higher education in 1990 s as an inevitable consequence of a decline of scholastic ability of students and the rapid development of information technology.
What is good teaching depends on two factors, the quality ofteaching in each class and its fitness to the aims of education
at Nagoya University.
For the first point, one should respect fundamentals of curriculum such as educational contents and educational methods.
This will be effective at Japanese universities. In particular wehave Growing Mr. Tips at Nagoya University, which is very
helpful. Here, what is important is to consider education always
from the view point of students and to enhance their motivation for study.
For the second point, it is necessary to make the lesson aim
clear and concrete, which is still an area of development at Nagoya University.
In the last section of this article we consider the articulationof the education of first year students with high school education and with the education of majors.
Professor, Graduate School of Mathematics, Nagoya University

303

A Seminar for Observing Psychological Phenomena:
Toward the Acquisition of a Broad View andDeep Thoughts for Understanding Oneself
OKADA Takeshi＊
NAMBA Kumiko＊＊

In this paper, we describe a hands on experience based course
for undergraduate students that we have been teaching for thepast five years. We believe that one goal of a liberal education
is to encourage students to experience various viewpoints andto develop critical thinking skills in order to refine and rationalize their own personal perspectives. In order to achieve thisgoal, we developed a course that used the observation of people as a means to explore core disciplinary areas of psychology.
We developed materials that explored the perceptual, cognitive,social, cultural, and historical biases that people have. With
these materials, this course offered students opportunities to reconsider their own frameworks (or ways of seeing) that theynaturally acquired as they grew up. We discuss the effects andlimitations of this method.
＊ Associate

Professor, Graduate School of Education and HumanDevelopment, Nagoya University＊＊Graduate

School of Education and Human Development, Na-goya University304

An Experience Oriented Learning Process in a BasicSeminar Earth Environmental School :A Challenge toward Reforming University Education
to Contribute Developing a Sustainable Society
TAKANO Masao

Japan s middle and university education have progressed alongwith growth in the economy to supply adequate man power tosociety. As a sustainable society is expected to substitute thegrowing society, various problems have been recognized in theeducation process. Among them, university students has littlechance to develop their motivation to learn in disciplines withvarious experiences. In a basic seminar named Earth Environmental School, students try to find specific value to learn inuniversity through activities in which they experience unfamiliar living in a rural area.
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Studies,Nagoya University305

A Course Enhanced by WebCTYAMAZATO Takaya

WebCT (Web Course Tools) is a course management systems(CMS) that have been developed at British Columbia University
to support faculty members for designing, developing and managing his/her class. The WebCT offers many useful tools, suchas displaying html files, discussion board, e mail, online quiz, andso on.
After using WebCT for several years, I found that it is possible to teach dynamically and interactively. Some of experiences
I have learned using WebCT are reported, such includes a dynamic course administration, discussions among students, extensive study contents, and so on. As a conclusion, a need of faculty support is essential to enhance teaching and learning in
Nagoya University especially for those using WebCT.
Associate Professor, EcoTopia Science Institute, Nagoya University306

Towards Experiential Learning in the Freshman
Seminar: How to Construct an Interview
CHIKADA Masahiro

The aim of this paper is to describe how within seminars for
freshmen the use of the interview can be employed as a meansof encouraging experiential learning. The course aims to makestudents aware of the importance of sustaining human relationships through the process of the interview. The course sequence is as follows 1. Review the examples of student interviews contained in the textbook; 2. Identify the skills and methods employed in conducting an interview; 3. Plan the interview;
4. Conduct the interview; 5. Record the interview and 6. Reflect
upon the process of interviewing.
As a result of this process the course received the highest
student scores in their evaluations that had been witnessed.
The explanation for these high scores is thought to be
The fact that the course objectives met the needs of thestudents;
The course involved providing out of classroom experiences;
The textbook used was appropriate and found to be so bystudents;
The experience of conducting interviews was collaborativeand outcomes were shared among students.
A central element of analyzing the impact of experiential
learning is to identify student learning outcomes. Therefore,teachers should ensure that they plan such experiences based
upon appropriate theoretical frameworks and conceptual development imbedded within the experience. Experiential learning isa central element in ensuring the smooth transition of students
from high school into university education.
Associate Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education,
Nagoya University

307Internationalization of Higher Education:
Performance Assessment and Indicators
R. Michael Paige

This paper provides a conceptual overview of the internationalization of higher education and presents a set of performanceindicators for assessing internationalization. It begins by locatinginternationalization within the context of globalization and discussing the impact of globalization on tertiary education. Thepaper continues with overviews of the concepts of performanceassessment, performance indicators, and a performance assessment model. It then presents a review of the global literature
on internationalization at the higher education level. The centerpiece of the paper is the author s internationalization model,
consisting of ten key performance categories, and the related
performance indicators.

The paper concludes with the observa-tion that the internationalization of higher education is a complex process and represents a major educational reform.
Professor, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota

308

The Transition from High School to University:
An Analysis of Advice for Students, Faculty andAdministration
Carol Mutch

The research and theoretical literature recognises the firstyear university or college freshman experience as an identifiable period of transition. In order to make a successful transition from high school to university, students need to maketheir own adjustments and to be supported by the people andsystems around them. Vincent Tinto explains that students
need to negotiate three separate stages: separation, transition
and incorporation. This paper reviews the literature from Western (predominantly English speaking countries) on this transition
phase and analyses the advice that is given to students, institutions and faculty involved in this crucial period of transition.
Professor, Christchurch College of Education

309

An Examination of Effectiveness of Institutional
Research at University
TORII Tomoko

Institutional Research (IR) is a range of activities on management information collection, analysis of data and reporting inhigher education institutions. Today, IR in the universities ofthe USA and Australia, has become a solid foundation for quick
decision making and smooth management of an organization.
In terms of management of higher education institutions, IRis especially effective in aspects of decision making on the basisof financial data. In particular, IRs in public universities in USA
tend to focus on financial analyses which are directly linked toa university s allocation of resources. Planning and implementation of the Course Experience Questionnaire which has a close
relation with the quality assurance of teaching occupies an important place in IR activities in Australian universities.
In the fluctuating higher education sector, IR provides abroad range of service and detailed assistance. The IR division
plays an important role in analyzing the institution's activities
based on quantitative data and qualitative data. Also, futureplanning reflects the results of analysis in order to assure anautonomous management in individual institutions. The IR division is a key unit of organization, although IR services in theUSA have a different emphasis from those in Australia.
Assistant Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education,Nagoya University310

The Effectiveness of Performance Indicators inManaging University Improvement:
the Case of Nagoya University
KOMINATO Takuo

The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the implications of the effectiveness of performance indicators on the design of a university wide strategic plan. Here, the paper offersa case study analysis of this process at Nagoya University
The effectiveness of performance indicators must be viewed
from two sides. The one side is to design and to implement
the strategic plan. The other side is to evaluate the strategicplan. Currently, the strategic plan at Nagoya University is notevaluated. Therefore, we analyzed the design of the strategicplan. The implications are following.
1) The strategic plan cannot be evaluated only through performance indicators.
2) However, the vagueness of the strategic plan is removed byusing performance indicators and consensus building at theUniversity is facilitated.
3) Writing aims and objectives within the strategic plan is enabled by the setting of performance indicators.
Research Associate, Center for the Studies of Higher Education,
Nagoya University

311

Teacher s Training Function ofNational University Corporation
USHIOGI Morikazu

For old national university, the teacher's training function has
been one of major functions. One of difficulties of managing
teachers training colleges is, however, that it is dependent onmarket of supply and demand of teachers, it makes up anddown every thirty years, and it requires more teaching staff
than average colleges and less cost effective. For National University Corporations, now more independent and self reliant, future forecast of teachers demand is necessary to draw up theirown long term planning. In this project, future demand of primary and lower secondary school teachers are forecasted forevery 47 prefectures. It found out four types, (1) sharp increase
and sharp decline within 16 years (big city areas), (2) stable demand, (3) demand increase after around 2010, (4) gradual declineof teachers demand.
Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Obirin University312

How to Organize the Faculty Development (FD)in the Large University
ABE KazuhiroThis paper considers how to organize the faculty development (FD) in the large university from author s experiences tostart the three day workshop for FD in the Hokkaido University School of Medicine in 1992, two day workshop for FD forwhole faculty in the Hokkaido University, one or two day
workshop for FD in several universities and Health Sciences
University of Hokkaido. Workshop is the most effective of FDfor changing consciousness of faculty staffs for education. Thisshould be performed by a taskforce under leadership of thepresident, to propose problem solving by curriculum making, realistic educational problems need to be improved in each university. Taskforce may develop through active study groups foreducational reform. Continuous information about FD and educational reform is necessary to stimulate motivation for educational reform. The products of the workshop for FD should beimplimented by the curriculum committee or the other committees for the continuous improvement of education in each university.
Professor, School of Psychological Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido

313

Psychological Approach to the Student s Evaluations
FUJITA Tetsuya

Many universities frequently use student evaluations. In thisarticle, three types of approaches are discussed that student
evaluations in psychological term. One of the approaches, is toevaluate the bias of ratings of students. This is important interms of the reliability of class evaluations. The second is to allow the teachers explore if the class has improved. Making ahypothesis on the method of improvement, and giving tests byclass evaluations, is the way used in psychology. The third approach relates to the psychological traits of students, and theclass evaluations. There are many individual differences among
students participating in class evaluations, and shows an important view in understanding students. To give class evaluations
a true meaning, the three psychological views given above canbe very effective.
Associate Professor, Faculty of Letters, Hosei University314

Implications from the Seven Principles for GoodPractice in Undergraduate Education
NAKAI Toshiki＊
NAKAJIMA Hidehiro＊＊

This paper describes a brief history and the practical application of the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate
Education, developed by a research group of the American Association for Higher Education. The Seven Principles are widelyused in higher education institutions in the U.S. because thePrinciples are designed to be friendly to faculty members. The
practical examples to implement the Principles are employed inmany institutions. After we collected practical examples fromten websites of the Principles, we found the followings: Thereare large numbers of discipline free practical examples forteaching improvement. The Seven Principles provide a well balanced framework because each principle has similar amounts ofpractical examples. The role of university teachers is widely defined including mentorship activities and out of class activities,
and university teachers are expected to get involved in overall
student development.
＊Associate Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya University＊＊

Research Associate, Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya University315