Educational electronic apps are becoming increasingly used in Japanese schools and these artificial intelligence apps have become widespread in education and in subjects that many Japanese teachers cannot teach easily.
One subject in particular where Japanese teachers need help in teaching students is English. One such school, Nippon Sports Science University Kashiwa High School, uses an app called TerraTalk to help students improve their English skills.
The school introduced the app last summer for students wishing to study abroad, and it plans to expand its use to all students in order to prepare them for the new college entrance exam.
In a mock Airport Immigration and Customs scenario, an immigration officer may ask basic questions such as “May I ask for your destination?” or “Do you have your ticket with you?”
When the students give correct answers, they are displayed on the device’s screen and vice versa for wrong answers. The students say that the app helps them relax and prevents them from getting hesitant, especially when they are with native English speakers. As for teachers, the app compensates for their lack of knowledge in English conversation with native speakers and with their own students.
There are currently approximately 3 to 4 million computers used by all sorts of students at public elementary and high schools as well as colleges and universities in Japan.
Students can also “track” their fellow students using another app called Studyplus, increasing their motivation to catch up or make new friends and even engage in group study.
Reference: Schools integrate smartphone, tablet apps to engage a new generation
