Online Student Roundtable Discussion Held

Due to the Corona disaster, the spring semester classes started online. How did students spend their spring semester? The Office of Academic Planning with the Office of the President recently held an online roundtable discussion with the cooperation of six students from three campuses.

Moderated by Dr. Koubikawa, Director of the Educational Development Support Organization and Professor of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies, the students spoke freely about the difficulties they encountered in online classes, student life at Corona Disaster, and their aspirations for the fall semester.

We hope that not only students but also their parents and guardians will enjoy reading this article. We hope it will be helpful for your future study and student life.

Vice President HIROSE Katsuya (Professor, Faculty of Law)

I wonder what my student life would have been like if the Corona disaster had occurred when I was a university student. In the late 1970s, the class attendance rate of liberal arts undergraduate students was not as high as it is now, and I myself was one of those students who did not attend classes very often. I spent a lot of time reading my favorite books and listening to music that had nothing to do with my classes. Looking back on it now that I am older, it must have been a very rich and luxurious time, but I am ashamed to say that I have little concrete memory of it now, nor do I feel that I gained anything important from it. I wonder if I would have been more and more boundless in this kind of life if I had lost my face-to-face classes due to the Corona Disaster. Or would I have become more anxious and tried harder to attend online classes? I honestly don't know.

The only thing I am sure of is that, faced with a situation that I would not normally experience, I began to wonder what school is all about. What is the difference between reading and watching videos and teaching in a live classroom? What if classes could be replaced by online "educational software," and what if universities could only provide a place for extracurricular activities? These are just a few of the many (and some of them absurd) thoughts that would have been going through their minds.

Having the opportunity to think about the Corona disaster from the perspective of a university student would have been a completely different experience than facing this situation from any other perspective. The stories discussed in this roundtable discussion are very informative as examples of such experiences. I am sure that each student will have a different experience.

Although we cannot change the situation of the infectious disease epidemic through our personal efforts, each person's experience should provide an opportunity to change the situation in some way. I hope that each student will have a series of experiences that are meaningful in their own way, despite the restrictive environment they find themselves in. I have come to realize once again that the university must do more to make these experiences as abundant as possible.

Participants

*The roundtable discussion was held on September 29 and October 2, 2020.

KOMIKAWA: Looking back on the spring semester, what are your impressions of the classes? Please start with the two first-year students.

Takaoka: At first, I was worried about how online classes would be like and whether I would really be able to study as well as in face-to-face classes, but surprisingly, I was fine. I think there was not much difference in the content of the lectures, because I think that humanities students often learn from books even if they attend face-to-face classes. In fact, I was more comfortable than when I was in high school because I did not have to commute to school and could take more time for myself. However, there was no one to give me instructions like in high school, so I had to make and check all the choices by myself, which was a bit confusing.

Suzuki: I was trying my best to keep up with my first university classes. In the case of classes that used both on-demand ^delivery*1 and real-time delivery using ^ZOOM*2, there were some courses that exceeded the 100-minute class time, and I think it was difficult to keep a good balance between the two.

Koumigawa: What about you, Mr. Anzai, who is in the second year?

Anzai: I also felt that I was able to do surprisingly well despite being in an unfamiliar environment. In some classes, the teachers used ZOOM to take questions, while in others, they divided the students into small groups so that they could listen to individual opinions. In the teaching class, there was a new approach unique to ZOOM, which was to invite a guest teacher who lives in a rural area, and I learned a lot. However, while some classes were fulfilling, there were also classes where it was difficult for the teacher to convey what he or she was saying. In those classes, I think my level of understanding was lower than in face-to-face classes.

Koumigawa: How about third- and fourth-year students?

Sato: In the beginning, the teachers were still groping their way through the classes. However, they began to take surveys, set up a question-and-answer corner in class, and use the ZOOM polling function to measure students' level of understanding.

Koubigawa: Like myself, this was the first time for the faculty to try this, and there was certainly some confusion and unfamiliarity on our part. By the way, are you in favor of online classes?

Sato: I am in favor. I think it is a great advantage to be able to take classes anytime and anywhere, and since job hunting starts between junior and senior year, I think it is great that students can gain knowledge without having to miss classes while they are job hunting.

Sawakaki: I am also in favor of this. I myself feel that I was more motivated in online classes than in face-to-face classes. One reason is that I started to listen to the class more carefully because I never know when the teacher is going to guess, and another is the existence of the ^Hoppii*3 reply function. In face-to-face classes, students write on reaction papers and that is the end of it, but with the reply function, the teacher replies to each student properly, so I look forward to the content of the reply and naturally become more motivated to work on it.

Ishimura: I can understand the opinions of those in favor of the program, but to be honest, the experiments that are unique to science were tough to conduct in online classes. We had to watch videos of the teacher conducting experiments and then write reports, but you can't learn how to use equipment unless you actually try it out. Also, in a face-to-face class, I could get advice from a ^TA*4 on how to write a report, but in an online class, there is no such advice. I think that online classes for experiments are still very difficult.

Mr . Komikawa: Did other people have any problems like you did?　If you have any requests, please let us know.

Takaoka: I was troubled by the lack of a place to change my mood. I think the online classes themselves are not bad, so if I could go to the campus even twice a week, for example, I feel I would be able to spend more time comfortably while changing my mood. I don't at all want them to have face-to-face classes all the time, but it would be nice to have them a couple of days a week.

Anzai: I was troubled by the number of assignments. 400 words is enough to finish within a day, but 2,000 words is quite hard.

Suzuki: I also had a hard time with the tasks. I was on the computer even on weekends to finish my assignments, so I could not make good time off, and sometimes I felt as if my mental health was damaged. It is a little regrettable that I could not secure time for independent study, such as qualifications and languages.

Sato: I do have the impression that the burden has certainly increased compared to face-to-face classes. Perhaps what the professors are concerned about is the students' level of understanding and attendance, and I think they give assignments to confirm this. Of course I understand that, but if that is the case, it would be helpful if you could think of some other way, such as making the assignments easier and setting the deadline on the same night, instead of increasing the difficulty level of the assignments.

Suzuki: One of the things I would like to request from you is to give me feedback on my assignments. I think it is difficult for teachers to give specific guidance on individual assignments, both in terms of time and energy, so I would like to have an opportunity to check what is good and what is bad in my reports, for example, by disclosing sample solutions to problems.

K. Komikawa: Thank you very much. The way assignments should be made is certainly something teachers need to think about. Do you have any requests other than assignments?

Sawakaki: I am taking a class in another department, and the teachers are using Google ^Classroom*6 instead of the Learning Support ^System*5, so we have two systems. I am afraid that I might miss some assignments or notices, so I would like you to unify them into one system if possible. Also, I am currently job hunting, and I have some basic questions like, where do I contact when my internship and classes overlap? If it is a face-to-face class, I can immediately go to the professor directly. ......

ANZAЇ: Speaking of basic questions, I have one too. I will start taking face-to-face classes twice a week from the fall semester, but I am still not sure where in the university I can take online classes if I have to take both face-to-face and online classes in a row. It may be on the website, but I couldn't find it when I looked for it. Since I can't go and ask them in person, it would be great if you could provide more information in a clearer way.

Koumigawa: When I hear about it like this, I realize that online classes are not all bad. Of course, there are many things that need to be improved. In addition, the university has been holding events such as circle introductions for first-year students to help them build a solid foundation for university life, and we need to further improve these events.

K: Next, please tell us about your life outside of the classroom. How was your life during the spring semester? Did you have any problems?

Ishimura: During the spring semester, there was a state of emergency declared, and many days I did not leave the house at all. However, I avoided karaoke, travel, and other worldly nonsense, so in that sense, I think I was about 70% fulfilled compared to previous years.

ANZAЇ: I basically stayed home all the time. I felt bad about making my family take care of me, so I actively helped with the housework (laugh). I would normally have participated in the activities of the fencing club I belonged to, but I was unable to do so, so I did muscle training to keep my body from getting too tired due to lack of exercise. I think this muscle training was a good stress reliever.

Suzuki: It is true that I was stressed out. Especially in my case, I was so occupied with classes that I spent almost all my time on them and did not have much time for anything else. Sometimes I would call my friends from high school, which was an important time to release stress. But in the middle of the day, I decided to give it a thorough shot, since I was already busy with classes anyway. I started thinking, "I'm going to get S grades in every subject!" I started working with the mindset of "I'm going to get S grades in all subjects," and I didn't feel so stressed anymore.

Sawakaki: I was also saved by spending time with my friends. After the state of emergency was declared, I lost my part-time job, and there were many days when I really didn't talk to anyone all day long. I was feeling more and more depressed, so I thought this was a bad idea, so I had online drinking sessions with my friends, studied together while connected to the phone, and watched the same movie together by pressing the play button at the same time with everyone saying "Se~no! and press the play button at the same time to watch the same movie (laughs). Even though we could not meet in person, we tried to enjoy ourselves in various ways.

Sato: I am a member of the Faculty of Economics Student Association, which acts as an intermediary between professors and students to organize events. All the meetings we used to have face-to-face are now ZOOM, and while the good thing is that I can attend meetings even from rural areas, the bad thing is that it was sometimes difficult to communicate and share information, but I hope I can use this experience the next time. As for my personal story, I went back to my hometown in Yamanashi after the switch to online classes. I didn't have a part-time job, and I hadn't seen my friends, so there were days when I felt stuck, but on those days, I would walk to see Mt. Fuji is the reason I am still going strong today (laughs).

Takaoka: I was a bit of an exception to the rule. In fact, I had a condition called "misophonia" in the past, which is a strong negative reaction to certain sounds, accompanied by a desire to escape and aggressive impulses. Although the disease and its symptoms are not widely known, there are in fact a certain number of people on social networking sites who complain of these symptoms. Therefore, I wanted to spread awareness and understanding of the disease with my own hands, so I created an information website called "Japan Misophonia Association" on my computer. I devoted most of my summer vacation to this activity. The reason why I started this was because at the time I really didn't want to be adversely affected by coronas, and I was wondering if I could somehow turn a pinch into an opportunity. At first, I created a website with information on the disease as something I could do at home, but what I wanted to do expanded more and more, and now I even created an organization. Without Corona, I don't think this activity would have been possible.

Koubigawa: I am very encouraged that everyone is living WITH Corona with ingenuity and a positive attitude. Did you experience any changes in yourselves or any discoveries or realizations while living with the changes in the environment?

Sawakaki: My thinking about finding a job has completely changed. I came to Tokyo to leave my hometown of Toyama for higher education, but after Corona happened, I realized that Tokyo has its inconveniences, and I am now realizing once again the advantages of Toyama, my birthplace. I used to think that I would probably find a job in Tokyo, but now I am looking for a company that is mainly based in Toyama or Hokuriku, but that also has a branch office in Tokyo. My ideal way of working is to be able to go back and forth between both.

Sato: I agree with Sawakaki-san that I have grown to love my hometown. It has been three years since I left Tokyo, but this is the first time in three years that I have spent so much time in Yamanashi. I was surprised to hear birds chirping so much and to see how beautiful the mountains are. Although Corona was a lot of work, I think it was also a good opportunity for me to rediscover the good qualities of my hometown right before I went out into the world.

Ishimura: Compared to before the Corona disaster, I think I have become more self-disciplined. I am now in an environment where I can freely take classes via on-demand and ZOOM, but because the learning environment is not like a university classroom, I have to motivate myself. Thanks to overcoming these obstacles one by one, I feel that my self-management skills have improved.

Sato: I also agree with Mr. Ishimura's opinion. With the change to online classes, there were more assignments that were not given in the face-to-face classes, and my friends were talking about it, saying, "There is more to do online. I had a lot of assignments and job hunting to do. But once I started thinking of it as "practice for when I enter the workforce," I was able to make time for it. I believe that self-management skills can be improved with a certain amount of practice.

K: Finally, do you have any aspirations or requests for the fall semester, such as what you would like to challenge yourself with or what you hope the university will do for you?

ANZAЇ: Through my spring experience, I have become accustomed to the online environment, so I hope to have more time to work on it in the fall semester. The elimination of the school hours should give me more time to spare. My goal is to use that time to improve myself and raise my level.

Sawakaki: I also like the environment where I can take classes online, and I think it's great because it makes it easier for people in rural areas to take classes. However, I don't want everything to be online, because I have to write my thesis in my senior year, and I would like to have face-to-face advice in such situations.

Suzuki: I also feel that both face-to-face and online have their merits. In particular, I think that classes that emphasize debate and dialogue, such as the English Language Enhancement Program classes, are easier to learn in person than online, so I would like you to consider face-to-face classes for these classes.

Ishimura: For me, the best thing to do in the fall semester is to complete my thesis at any cost. As for my request to the university, I would like to see the restriction on entrance to the campus be eased more and more, as long as it is during the period when the coronas are calmer. I heard from some seniors that they had to stay overnight during their graduation thesis period, and I was very jealous of that. Of course, I know it is tough during the period when the infection is spreading widely.

Sato: I want to come to school more often, too. I am the type of person who cannot concentrate at home, so I used to study at the university, but now there is a time ^limit*7 on the use of the library, and the study rooms are also closed. ...... Although I know it can't be helped, it is a shame that there is no space to study in the school. As Mr. Ishimura mentioned, it would be great for students if they could stay in school for long hours in a row. My ambition for the fall semester is still to have a successful event at the Student Association. Since it is the Corona Disaster, we will have to fight against risks, but I want to somehow make it a success and eliminate as many restrictions on student activities as possible.

Takaoka: I share your desire to hold events related to my own activities. I mentioned earlier that I have created an organization, but first of all, I would like to create a place where people with illnesses can interact with each other. Preferably an event where we can discuss things in real life, but if the coronas do not come to an end, we plan to start with ZOOM and so on. Our goal is to gather group members and collaborators during the fall semester.

Koubigawa: It is wonderful that everyone is so motivated, but I still think there are many people who are still frustrated and anxious about the changes in the environment caused by the Corona disaster. Do you have any advice for those people?

Sawakaki: I myself had no part-time job and didn't talk to people, and there was a time when I felt like I was no good as a person. But the hard part is the same for everyone. I quickly changed my mind, thinking that it was no use being upset and thinking, "On the contrary, this is the only time I can take a break, so let's take all the rest I can" (laughs).

Takaoka：I think it is important to change your way of thinking like Mr. Sawakaki did. If I were to use a card game analogy, there are people who abandon the game after looking at the cards they are dealt. But I am the type of person who tries to play the game to the best of my ability with the cards I am dealt. We cannot go back to a world where the spread of coronas did not occur, no matter how hard we try, so I think it is definitely better to improve the world with coronas.

Sato: I try to count what we can do, not what we cannot do. I think there are unexpected things lying around that I was able to do because of the Corona disaster, or that I was able to learn because of the Corona disaster. With the loss of commuting time, you may have a little more room in your heart to stop and think about it. If you think about it carefully, there must be a part of you that has grown because of the Corona Disaster.

Ishimura: That's right. I also think it is good to enjoy what you can do in the present situation as much as you can. It is boring to count the number of things you couldn't do. If you just try to enjoy what you can do as much as you can, you will probably feel a little better.

Suzuki: Now that you put it that way, I think I have become much better at managing my schedule as I try to get information on my own, since I cannot ask people directly at the university. This may also be because of the so-called "Corona disaster.

Anzai: I think it is important to find small pleasures. Hosei University has excellent facilities, so maybe you can get through it while thinking about where you want to go. I especially recommend the library and study rooms. They are quiet and very nice places, so I would definitely recommend visiting them once you are able to commute to school.

Koumigawa: It was very helpful to hear your stories. I hope that you will make the most of your spring semester experience and be more proactive in your classes and daily life. On the other hand, we, the university and the faculty, also need to improve and evolve to see if there are areas where we can be more creative. I hope that you will consider this experience at the Corona Disaster as a rather valuable experience, and use it as a source of inspiration for the rest of the fall semester and beyond. Thank you very much for your time today.

1 On-demand delivery: A class conducted without setting a specific day or time. Basically, classes are completed by watching on-demand contents and asking questions to students on the web.
2 ZOOM: A type of video conferencing system application.
3 Hoppii: Hoppii. A portal site that combines links to various systems and sites, such as courses, grades, and syllabi, into one place.
4 TA: Teaching assistant. 4 TA: Teaching assistant. A graduate student who supports a faculty member's classes.
5 Learning support system: A class support tool that distributes teaching materials, conducts reports and quizzes, and provides information about classes.
6 Google Classroom: A tool for operating and managing students and learning content for each course.
7 Time limit: Maximum time spent in the library is 3 hours.

Koichiro Komikawa, Director, Educational Development Support Organization (Professor, Faculty of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies)

The first thing I thought after the roundtable discussion - the students betrayed my expectations in a good way.
The students must have been very dissatisfied with the online classes in the spring semester, whether it was the communication environment, the quantity of assignments, or the quality of the classes. Many of them must have had a difficult time mentally, as they tended to isolate themselves from the rest of the world in a life of forced self-restraint. These predictions were probably not entirely wrong. As the students have told us. However, they did not just stand there.

They must have been bewildered and amazed at first, but as time went by, they learned to change their minds, to take action, and to do what they could do. I don't know if adults can do the same.
Of course, not all of these students are like the ones I have described here. In fact, they may be in the minority. However, the new normal for universities from now on will be to accept and be stimulated by the "here and now" of diverse students of various shades of gray, and to create it together with them. I realized once again that this is not a bad idea.