Eye Gaze and Eye Movement in Japanese Sign Language

Eye gaze and eye movement in JSL (=Japanese Sign Language) are linguistic elements, as they are in American Sign Language (Thompson 2006) and German Sign Language (Hosemann 2009). But the linguists have not yet clarified the system and rules of these elements.I conducted eye tracking experiments to examine how 10 native signers and 10 non-native signers produced eye gaze and eye movement while they were signing the same sentences. Firstly, I tracked their eyes by the head mounted eye-tracking technology, Eye-mark Recorder (“EMR-9”, nac IMAGE TECHNOLOGY, inc.), and at the same time, I also developed a way to record positions and movements of pupils in the images on the TV monitor by auto-tracing device of animation software (PV Studio 20, L.A.B.inc). I found the distinctive eye movements of native signers; gazing the recipient, tracking the hand movements and gazing or tracking the trace of the hand signs previously made. Using the descriptions and measurements by the above two devices, I analyzed eyes of JSL on images of ELAN, the software which creates complex annotations on video resources.I found the following eye grammar. Signers gaze at the manual sign and move eyes along classifiers or the trace of the manual sign, when the sentence implies the signer is/was experiencing what the sentence states. Signers gaze at the recipient if the signer is/was not experiencing by himself/herself what the sentence states. There are eyes as free morpheme, eyes as prosodic morpheme, and eyes as bound morpheme

Cognition of Children with Hearing/Visual Impairments and its Applicability to Language Teaching: Toward Barrier-Free Elementary School English Education

In this article cognition of children with hearing/visual impairments are applied in foreign language teaching, especially elementary school English. Firstly, the most recent cognitive assessments and experiments are reviewed. Secondly, the English teaching materials provided by the Japanese ministry (MEXT) are examined, which can be improved, by making the best use of the cognitive characteristics of hearing/visual impaired children. Finally, the applicability of neuro-science, including unplugged environment, is discussed. The educators should notice that there are children who listen through eyes, or see through ears, and since every child has his/her own cognitive tendency and characteristics, barrier-free teaching materials/methods made by the staff including hearing/visual impaired educators, are ideal for all children and for any language, which can be called universal design for foreign language teaching

36M-pixel synchrotron radiation micro-CT for whole secondary pulmonary lobule visualization from a large human lung specimen

A micro-CT system was developed using a 36M-pixel digital single-lens reflex camera as a cost-effective mode for large human lung specimen imaging. Scientific grade cameras used for biomedical x-ray imaging are much more expensive than consumer-grade cameras. During the past decade, advances in image sensor technology for consumer appliances have spurred the development of biomedical x-ray imaging systems using commercial digital single-lens reflex cameras fitted with high megapixel CMOS image sensors. This micro-CT system is highly specialized for visualizing whole secondary pulmonary lobules in a large human lung specimen. The secondary pulmonary lobule, a fundamental unit of the lung structure, reproduces the lung in miniature. The lung specimen is set in an acrylic cylindrical case of 36 mm diameter and 40 mm height. A field of view (FOV) of the micro-CT is 40.6 mm wide × 15.1 mm high with 3.07 μm pixel size using offset CT scanning for enlargement of the FOV. We constructed a 13,220 × 13,220 × 4912 voxel image with 3.07 μm isotropic voxel size for three-dimensional visualization of the whole secondary pulmonary lobule. Furthermore, synchrotron radiation has proved to be a powerful high-resolution imaging tool. This micro-CT system using a single-lens reflex camera and synchrotron radiation provides practical benefits of high-resolution and wide-field performance, but at low cost

The Usefulness of "Hybrid Unit" Goal-based Learning on Physical Education: Focusing on the practice of tag rugby, handball, and basketball in junior high schools

The purpose of this study was to address a motor learning program consisting of "hybrid units" and to clarify the usefulness of the learning sequence and arrangement by analyzing the common movement patterns among various athletic activities . Then, we conducted empirical lessons of two units: tag rugby-handball and handball-basketball. Results showed that " forming a line in a defense and "passing effectively in an attack" are common ways of moving. In addition, it was found that both defensive and offensive movements became progressively more complex and could be studied in a developmental sequence

The Usefulness of "Hybrid Unit" Goal-based Learning on Physical Education: Focusing on the practice of tag rugby, handball, and basketball in junior high schools

The purpose of this study was to address a motor learning program consisting of "hybrid units" and to clarify the usefulness of the learning sequence and arrangement by analyzing the common movement patterns among various athletic activities . Then, we conducted empirical lessons of two units: tag rugby-handball and handball-basketball. Results showed that "forming a line in a defense" and "passing effectively in an attack" are common ways of moving. In addition, it was found that both defensive and offensive movements became progressively more complex and could be studied in a developmental sequence

ダイガク トショカン デ ジッシ スル ガクシュウ シエン ノ セイカ ト カダイ : Study Support Space ノ ジッセン カラ

我が国の大学教育において，学生の主体的な学習を促進することが求められる中で，大学図書館は，学習支援に貢献できる可能性を高めている。このような背景のもと，全国の大学図書館ではラーニング・コモンズの整備や学習支援サービスの実施が始まっている。徳島大学においてもラーニング・コモンズの整備に続き，学生の学習相談に対応するStudy Support Space (SSS)の取り組みが始まった。SSSは自主的はピア・サポート活動として実施しており，成果を出し，継続的に活動するためには，現状の成果や課題を検証することが必要であると指摘されている。本研究は，学習相談に対応するアドバイザー，徳島大学の学生に対するアンケート調査をもとに，SSSの成果と課題を明らかにすることで，今後の学習支援の充実につなげる示唆を与える。Universities are now required to encourage university students to take the initiative in studying. This phenomenon enhances the potential of university libraries to support student learning. Thus, university libraries in Japan are establishing learning commons or implementing learning support services. The University of Tokushima, as well, has established a learning commons, and implemented a learning support service called “Study Support Space (SSS)” for advising. SSS is a voluntary peer support activity, and its continuation depends on a verification of its present achivements and problems. Thus, results of a questionnaire completed by students and advisors are dissucced. The discussion is centered on the outcomes and future challenges of SSS in aim of bettering learning support in the future

ダイガク トショカン デ ジッシ スル ガクシュウ シエン ノ セイカ ト カダイ : Study Support Space ノ ジッセン カラ

我が国の大学教育において，学生の主体的な学習を促進することが求められる中で，大学図書館は，学習支援に貢献できる可能性を高めている。このような背景のもと，全国の大学図書館ではラーニング・コモンズの整備や学習支援サービスの実施が始まっている。徳島大学においてもラーニング・コモンズの整備に続き，学生の学習相談に対応するStudy Support Space (SSS)の取り組みが始まった。SSSは自主的はピア・サポート活動として実施しており，成果を出し，継続的に活動するためには，現状の成果や課題を検証することが必要であると指摘されている。本研究は，学習相談に対応するアドバイザー，徳島大学の学生に対するアンケート調査をもとに，SSSの成果と課題を明らかにすることで，今後の学習支援の充実につなげる示唆を与える。Universities are now required to encourage university students to take the initiative in studying. This phenomenon enhances the potential of university libraries to support student learning. Thus, university libraries in Japan are establishing learning commons or implementing learning support services. The University of Tokushima, as well, has established a learning commons, and implemented a learning support service called “Study Support Space (SSS)” for advising. SSS is a voluntary peer support activity, and its continuation depends on a verification of its present achivements and problems. Thus, results of a questionnaire completed by students and advisors are dissucced. The discussion is centered on the outcomes and future challenges of SSS in aim of bettering learning support in the future