Technology, on a half-second delay, has allowed two groups of university students half a world apart to complete a UNBC gender studies course.
In what is believed to be the first videoconference course ever delivered to Japan, 28 students at the all-female Gakushuin Women's College in Tokyo tuned into UNBC professor Jacqueline Holler's lectures delivered in person to 12 students at the UNBC campus on Cranbrook Hill.
"The technology provided a spectacular platform and there was less than a half-second delay between the two sites," said Holler. "Outside of the scheduled lectures, students also connected with each other via Skype to discuss readings and course content."
The introductory course was based an interdisciplinary study of the role of gender in the structures of society and personal identity. The Japanese students were required to have passed English proficiency tests as a prerequisite.
"In delivering this course, I gained a renewed appreciation for the importance of cross-cultural communication to gain understanding and possibly challenge perspectives we may take for granted," said Holler. "As a pilot project, I think this course has provided further evidence of the need for a university like UNBC to be rooted locally while reaching out to the world."
Holler travelled to Tokyo a couple weeks ago to oversee the final exam.
The success of the course with the students and its non-conventional method of delivery, utilizing a virtual classroom, proved to UNBC president George Iwama that technology can be used effectively to erase geographical barriers to learning.
"This course was history-making for both countries and I'm grateful to professor Holler, our IT department, and our English language studies program -- all of them stepped up and made this pilot possible," said Iwama. "Combined with our experience in delivering courses via video conference to our regional campuses and through the Northern Medical Program, this international experience demonstrates possibilities for serving remote communities in British Columbia and beyond."
UNBC signed a formal memorandum of understanding with Gakushuin in May. Since 2006, Gakushuin students have tapped into teleconferencing setups to study English at UNBC and during the summer groups of them regularly visit the city to hone their conversational skills. To date, more than 600 Japanese students have attended UNBC.
UNBC is also interested in extending its international reach to universities in other parts of Japan and other Asian countries.
