A comparison of three Open Universities and their acceptance of Internet Technologies

We compare three open universities the Open Universities in the UK (OUUK), the Netherlands (OUNL) and Japan (OUJ). Originating in the modern idea of an Open University each university has developed its own pedagogical model. The OUUK developed Supported Open Learning based on: 1. Distance open learning: allowing ‘learning in your own time’ working on set activities and assignments. 2. Quality resources: printed materials, set books, audio and video and home experiments. 3. Systematic support: provided by course tutors, a regional network of centers, central library and technical support. The OUNL offers ‘supported independent open learning’. Students study at their own time, pace and place. There are no semesters, academic years or student cohorts. Courses are small and most support is built into the materials. OUJ has used television and radio broadcasting for instruction. In addition OUJ uses textbooks, guidance by correspondence, and classes at one of 50 local study centres. Tutor support is not part of the pedagogic model though individualized tutorials are given at the final stage of the student's course of study. Having describe and compare these we examine how these models have responded to the emergence of Internet technologies including Web 2.0 and national circumstances

An In-Depth Review of ChatGPT’s Pros and Cons for Learning and Teaching in Education

As technology progresses, there has been an increasing interest in using Chatbot GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) in education. Chatbot GPT, or ChatGPT, gained one million users within the first week of launching in November 2022 and had amassed over 100 million active users by February 2023. This type of artificial intelligence uses natural language processing to convert it into a user. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis and review of 34 articles published on ChatGPT and its potential impact on education by utilizing the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology. This review analyzed various studies and articles to examine the strengths and limitations of GPT language models in education from 2018 to the present. The advantages of ChatGPT include its capacity to provide personalized and adaptive learning, instant feedback, and improved accessibility. However, there are potential drawbacks, such as the lack of emotional intelligence, the risk of overreliance on technology, and privacy concerns. This review suggests that ChatGPT has significant promise for education yet reinforces the necessity for further research and careful consideration of possible risks and limitations. Specifically, it pointed out potential invisible manipulations by instructing ChatGPT to answer educationrelated topics. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of ChatGPT for the future of education and emphasizing the need for further research in this field

The Proposal of the System That Recommends e-Learning Courses Matching the Learning Styles of the Learners

In providing e-learning, it is desirable to build an environment that is suitable to the student’s learning style. In this study, using the questionnaire to measure the student’s preferences for asynchronous learning and the use of ICT in learning that has been develoed by authors, the relationship between the learning preferences of a student that have been measured before and after the course and his or her adaptability to the course is explored. The result of multiple regression analyses, excluding the changes in learning preferences that may occur duirng the course, shows that a student’s learning adaptability can be estimated to some extent based on his/her learning preference measured before the course starts. Based on this result, we propose a system to recommend e-learning courses that are suitable to a student before the student takes the courses

Developing a Method of Recommending E-Learning Courses Based on Students’ Learning Preferences

In designing e-learning, it is desirable that individual learner’s learning style is considered. This study proposes a way to present the information about the expected adaptability of the course, in which a student wishes to enroll, based on the student’s responses to the learning preference questionnaire administered at the beginning of the course. As the result of applying the real data to the model derived, it was confirmed that it would be possible to estimate the course adaptability before taking the course and to provide the information for the student to improve his/her course adaptability based on the student’s responses to the learning preference questionnaire.15th International Conference on Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems (KES 2011), September 12-14, 2011, Kaiserslautern, German

S-1投与ラットにおける味覚障害の想定される末梢メカニズム

BACKGROUND: Taste disorders are frequently observed in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and are serious adverse events which impair the quality of life (QoL) of the cancer patient. Nevertheless, taste disorder mechanisms in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy have not yet been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to reveal taste disorder-related peripheral mechanisms using the two-bottle preference test (TBPT) and histological examination of tongues by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry with protein-gene product 9.5. METHODS: In the TBPT, one bottle was filled with the 0.01 mM quinine hydrochloride (quinine), as a bitter compound, and the other was filled with water. Doses of 50 and 100 mg kg-1 day-1 S-1 (tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil potassium) are lethal to Wistar rats. Therefore, doses ranging from 2-20 mg kg-1 day-1 were administered to the rats for 3 weeks. The S-1 dose of 2 mg kg-1 day-1 corresponds to the clinical dose administered to cancer patients. The part of the tongue containing the circumvallate papillae was excised the following TBPT. RESULTS: The rate of increase in terms of the average preference rate for the quinine vs. all intake (quinine plus water) was significant from the initial S-1 period to the final one, compared with that in control rats, suggesting the possibility of a worsening sensation for the bitter taste. In S-1 rats, the area of taste nerve fibers were significantly decreased and the rate of degeneration of intra-tongue ganglionic nerve cells was significantly increased. These changes were significantly correlated with the rate of increase in average preference rate of the quinine. CONCLUSION: Neuropathy of the gustatory nerve at the periphery may be involved in taste disorders induced by an anticancer drug.博士（医学）・乙1329号・平成26年3月17

諸外国の遠隔教育大学における学習支援員(チューター)制度の比較

　本稿では、学習支援員（チューター）制度が、効果的な遠隔教育プログラムの提供に欠かせないものであると考える。様々な学習支援員制度が様々な遠隔教育プログラムで採用されている。本稿では、まず、英国、米国、メキシコ、韓国、ドイツ、オランダ、スペイン、ギリシャの11の遠隔教育大学における学習支援制度を、（1）チューターの役割、（2）チューターの管理体制、（3）チューターと学生のコミュニケーション手段、の3つの観点からまとめる。最後に、学生・教員・教材・チューターの4要素の関係性から学習支援員制度の4つのモデルを提示する