Date: April 23, 2022
Time: 2:00–3:15ish
Venue: ZOOM

(Akita Chapter members will be sent a ZOOM link. Those wishing to join should email a request to akita (@) jalt.org. Please state your FULL NAME and affiliation.

Abstract
After two years of the pandemic, it is still difficult to say what a “normal” classroom will be like anymore. What important lessons were learnt in these past two years, and are there benefits to online learning beyond virus prevention? The author examined perspectives and experiences on what it was like learning remotely as a university student over the course of two years. Surveys and one-on-one interviews were conducted on a target demographic of students. The research had surprisingly mixed results both positive and negative. Students were asked which style of learning they preferred—online, face-to-face, or a blend of both. Curiously, there was a three-way split between all options in the first year. In the second year, a majority favored online or blended learning. Although many students and teachers are quick to assume that face-to-face learning allows young people to enjoy a more “normal” university life—the results indicate that there are cases where the merits of online learning exceed those of face-to-face classes.

Speaker’s BIO

Miguel Mision is an instructor at the University of Nagano and the current President of the Nagano JALT chapter. Miguel did his undergraduate in engineering and international studies with a major in Japanese at the University of Technology, Sydney. Once upon a time he was an engineer and worked for Toshiba Corp in Australia. He came to Japan in 2009 and worked as an ALT teaching all levels from kindergarten to high school to corporate. Miguel has an MA in Education majoring in TESOL with the University of Wollongong. His research interests include both Computer Assisted Language Learning and Student Well-being.