Widening ideas on careers in Japan-Korea KJ workshop style mutual
direction distance education –using personal computer pull down functionKusanoMotoo
KuritaRumiko
Josai University,Japan Josai University,Japankusano@josai.ac.jp
kurita@josai.ac.jp
AraiAsahiro
MiyaderaYouzo
Josai University,Japan TokyoGakugeiUniversity,Japana-arai@josai.ac.jp
miyadera@u-gakugei.ac.jp

Abstract: One of aims of distance classes with students of overseas universities is to widen students’ideas on the topics and cultivate competences to view things from many angles, through exchanging ideas
with students who have a different cultural background. This paper reports the practices of distance classes
between Josai university Graduate School Business Research Course and South Korea Dongseo University
Business Course where students majoring in business were expected to take part in KJ methods workshop,
aiming to compare business style of two countries, explore the differences of ideas on careers and widen
their perspectives. To conduct KJ methods on personal computers, excel was employed to makeinformation sorted and categorized. The classes were held in Japanese language, so Korean students wereallowed to prepare words pulled-down on excel file in advance in order to reduce some difficulties possibly
produced by lack of language competences. Students managed to share the whole process of showing eachother’s ideas, categorizing, mapping, clarifying and naming these ideas, and having presentation andmaking questions and answers. Data electronically saved were accumulated into e-portfolio to let students
reflect changes of their own ideas. Four topics were taken up in the classes: competences needed to make aliving; competences needed to work with people who have a different culture; merits and difficulties inworking in their own countries and overseas; differences in business style between two countries, as aconclusion.
Keywords: ideas on careers, information sorted; KJ methods, e-portfolio

Introduction
This study explores the effective way of Japan-Korea KJ methods workshop style mutual direction
distance education. The class aims to improve business management majoring students’ problem-solving
competences which enable them to pursuit solutions from multiple angles. Students taking part in the classes are
expected to compare the business style of both countries and think of the differences of their ideas and widen theirperspectives on careers.

Career Education in Japan
According to survey of Ministry of Education in Japan, the percentage of students having proceeded tohigher education institutes including universities, two-year universities and technical colleges in 2002 was over 70%.
The Central Education Council proposed in 2005 that one of the aims of higher education should be fostering careers
based on specialized knowledge and broad common sense. Thus, given today’s economic situation, drastic change ofsociety and diversification of values, it is getting important more and more to foster students’ competences andattitudes needed for social and vocational independence. The Central Education Council also proposed in its report in2012 that so called ‘Gakushiryoku’, important competences fostered at universities should be as follows.
1 Recognition including critical and reasonable thinking power in order to understand complicated problems withutilizing knowledge and skills and explore solutions for the problems which do not necessary have solitary answer.
2 Ethical and Social competences to do individual duty as a human being and perform social responsibilities withconsidering others and displaying team-work and leaderships.
3 Creativity and power for organizing things based on total and sustainable learning experience
4 Culture, knowledge and experience which give a base for apt judgment for unexpected difficulties

Background as ‘Network Era’
SNS system has rapidly been prevailing by now. The system provides users with opportunities of writing
individuals’ diaries and schedules, putting messages on notice board, and making a community to share information
among those who have the same interests. These opportunities are utilized for not only business purposes but also
more individual private base.
Information was previously dispatched thorough internet on personal computers. However, nowadays,
many other digital devices including mobile phones, smartphones, and portable tablets are used for this purpose. This
enables users to use SNS system anytime and anywhere.
In 2011 May, LinkedIn, business SNS achieved being a member company of a take-over bid (TOB) withproducing profit of 121 million dollars, more specifically speaking, 9.9 million dollars as operating profit by 87
percentage increase than the previous year and 4.5 million dollars, which is highly above annalists’ anticipation. The
number of users of LinkedIn has rapidly increased recent years. Japanese language version appeared in 2011 October.
LindkedIn is used for business purposes where users communicate each other with sharing individual backgrounds.
Facebook is another famous SNS of which main purpose is promoting real communication between
individuals. It starts as a communication measure between friends and gradually expands its communication sphereby introducing friends’ friends. Users may find a contact route to reconnect with old friends who have not met for along time. Furthermore, it provides opportunities to know each other among members who have the same interests
and themes to discuss.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced in its report titled ‘Survey for possible
change realization of the next generation ICT society might bring’ that 42.9 percentage of whole population iscurrently utilizing SNS. 17.5 % of the whole population is utilizing a single SNS measure; while 25.4 % is utilizing
several SNS measures. This means that approximately 60% of SNS users are utilizing several SNS measures. The
report also mentions that 71.7% of 10-19 year old children and 63.8% of 20-29 year old young generation are
currently utilizing at least a single SNS. Higher usage rate was found in younger age range. Thus, for younger
generations, SNS is a vital communication tool. This report mentions that SNS can promote collaborations between
individuals and contribute on resolving worries and troubles individuals may have in their social and community life.
The number of SNS is supposed to increase in wider age range. Thus, today is a new digital era and wide use ofpersonal computers, portable tablets and smartphone is changing the ways of learning and teaching.

Features of Classes
Preparation for workshop
In such digital era, needs to explore new styles of classes will increase more and more. This study
employed KJ methods workshop in order to encourage students to have more effective discussion with thecounterparts talking through computers set up in a classroom overseas.
Before opening classes of mutual distance education, students of each university prepares the classes inorder to conduct KJ methods workshop effectively. At Josai University in Japan, both overseas students andJapanese students learned in the same class but in a group respectively. A Japanese student was dispatched tooverseas students group in order to reduce overseas students’ difficulties in their language and let them concentrateon tasks. In this preparation time, not PC but papers were used and found that every student went effectively throughthe whole KJ procedures including categorizing and naming their ideas.

Overseas students
Japanese students
Figure 1. KJ method workshop using papers

Theme to discussFour themes were set up to discuss, aiming to widen students’ perspective on careers.
1. competences needed to make a living, including self-employment and establishing a business2. competences needed to work with people who have a different culture
3. merits and difficulties in working in their own countries and overseas
4. differences in business style between two countries, as a conclusion.
Some of students majoring ‘business management’ said, their choice of the department was because of
their career plan such as succeeding their family business or establishing their own company. The questionnaire
survey was conducted with hundred graduates of 2012 March, and found that approximately 10 % of subjects hoped
to establish business just after the graduation or within five years from graduation. The rate of students who had aplan of establishing business was much higher than estimation. This is the reason for setting up question 1.
Not a few students in ‘business management’ department were interested in cultures of other countries andtransition of Asian economy, and hoped to study abroad before graduation or find a job at a trading company.
Because of this, question 2 and 3 were set up.
In order to let students compare the business style of both countries and think of the differences of theirideas on careers and widen their perspectives on careers, questionnaire 4 was set up as a conclusive question.
Distance education
In the mutual direction distance class, to conduct KJ methods workshop effectively, students’ views werepresented on PC. Text elicited by KJ methods were sorted and categorized using excel. The most useful function waslist function and sorting. About five words for each question were listed in order to give hints to have image ofanswer for the question. In the case students could not find appropriate answer in the lists, they were encouraged topresent their views in their own words. The class was held in Japanese language. Overseas students had a goodcommand of Japanese language, but list function seemed to have big effect on them to elicit answers. Questions data
was prepared as 50 articles but in practice, 5 articles were taken up at random.
Depending on this function, in the mutual direction distance class, students managed to share the wholeprocess of showing each other’s ideas, categorizing, mapping, clarifying and naming these ideas, and havingpresentation and making questions and answers. Data electronically saved were accumulated into e-portfolio to let
students reflect changes of their own ideas.

Figure 2. Japan-Korea KJ methods workshop style mutual direction distance education

Conclusion
In order to foster students’ communication competences, the way of teaching should not be restricted to
one-way information giving. ‘Dialogue’ should be emphasized. Distance education can give students theopportunities to learn together with students who have different views and culture. These opportunities will foster
students’ competencies of both presenting their own views and listening to others’ views and understanding them. At
the same time, students will learn ‘patience for difference’ when they explore the possibility of collaboration withremaining disagreement as it is and lead to have compromised conclusion over some difference. Non-verbal
communication is often considered as a part of Japanese culture; in this workshop, Japanese students engaged well inpresenting their views. This was the first time to employ KJ method workshop in distance education, it wastime-consuming. Time-setting became a future theme to explore.
Internet is a new measure for communication. Communication on internet requires conversation, not‘virtue of silence’. List function was found as effective to reduce students’ difficulties caused by lack of language
competences and elicit their own words, furthermore, let them concentrate on the discussion. As a result,communication among students with different cultural background, overall, went smoothly.
The future theme will be exploring effective measures to employ ICT in education, in terms of both newtechnology innovation and sustainable education. Both good effects and possible problems which might occur wheninternets are employed in wide range of educational settings should be examined.