Industry-Academia Collaboration Joint Research Report

Suzuka University of Medical Sciences (hereafter SUMS, Suzuka City, Mie, Japan; President: Nagayasu Toyoda) and learningBOX, Inc. have released a report entitled "LMS and its effects at medical university, digital transformation in education through the COVID-19 pandemic" which summarizes the results of a survey conducted as part of an industry-academia joint project.

Industry-Academia Collaboration

SUMS, first four-year medical school in Japan, has trained specialists who will lead the next generation of Japanese medicine and welfare, and learningBOX, Inc., an EdTech startup that has developed an e-learning system that allows anyone to easily build a cloud-based learning environment, In November 2022, they signed a memorandum of understanding on industry-academia collaboration and are proceeding with the project.

Under the following four themes, we are developing joint research on new education brought about by EdTech, including information sharing on the creation of effective teaching materials and mutual proposals for functional improvements, based on comprehensive collaboration.

• Verification of the effect of introduction of learningBOX on improving the pass rate of national examinations
• Systematization of learningBOX for effective flipped learning
• Development of a system to realize adaptive learning by proficiency level
• Return knowledge obtained through the industry-academia collaboration to society

Pass Rates for Clinical Engineer at SUMS

During the period from January 2020 to April 2023, COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives, and students and faculty members of SUMS were forced to make a drastical change to their classes.

The Department of Clinical Engineering, Faculty of Medical Engineering, SUMS introduced learningBOX, a learning management system (LMS), in 2021 and has been using it to prepare for the national examinations. The effects are reflected in the national exam results from 2021 onwards, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we can confirm that the pass rate has increased from 2020 to 2021 and 2022, and will continue to improve compared to the national average in 2023. Even if it is high, we maintain the national exam pass rate. We believe that we are working towards these results by introducing learningBOX, improving on-campus classes, and reforming national exam preparation.

Impact of the Pandemic on Students

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology conducted a survey of national, public and private universities (including junior colleges) and colleges of technology throughout Japan. According to the Survey of Student Enrollment including dropouts and leaves of absence. (as of the end of FY2021), the percentage of dropouts in FY2021 was unchanged compared to FY2020 and lower than in FY 2019 before the pandemic. However, the percentage of dropouts due to the pandemic is found to have slightly increased compared to FY2020.

As for the breakdown of dropouts due to the pandemic, "economic deprivation" decreased by 9.8 points in FY2021 compared to FY2020 (FY2021: 20.6%/FY2020: 30.4%), while "Maladjustment to student life and decreased motivation to study" increased by 2.7 points (FY2021: 26.2%/FY2020: 23.5%). However, "Maladjustment to student life/lower motivation to study" increased by 2.7 percentage points (FY2021: 26.2%/FY2020: 23.5%), with "Maladjustment to student life/lower motivation to study" being the most common reason for dropouts.

JAIC Co.,Ltd., which operates an employment support business for young people, conducted a survey of students who had attended an employment support service for dropouts. According to the survey report, 14.1% of dropouts in 2020, 18.7% in 2021, and 31.9% in 2022, an increase of 13.2 points from the previous year, would not have dropped out of school if they did not experience the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, as for reasons for dropping out in 2022, the biggest reason was "not interested in the classes," and "did not finish the year," "could not keep up with the classes" were followed.

In response to these surveys, we found while the number of students who withdrew due to financial circumstances due to the pandemic has decreased over the years, the number of cases of "Inability to adapt to student life" and "Reduced motivation to study'" has increased due to the increase in online classes, reduced opportunities to commute to school, and the cancellation of study abroad programmes.

At SUMS, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic including "maladjustment to student life and decreased motivation to study," were seen in some students, but they have taken measures such as increasing interviews, academic guidance, supplementary classes and more. Furthermore, since the introduction of the Learning Management System (LMS) "learningBOX" in FY2021, they have steadily expanded the use of the system, resulting in improved grades and maintaining a high national examination pass rate. In addition, the number of students who remain in school or drop out has also shown a downward trend. This joint research report focuses on the impact of the coronary disaster in particular, and introduces how Suzuka University of Medical Science has achieved these results and its efforts.

Joint Research Report

Since the introduction of learningBOX at SUMS, both parties have continued to conduct surveys on the operation and utilization of learningBOX at the university. The purpose of the survey was to communicate the opinions gained through daily activities and at the same time to clarify the effectiveness of learningBOX.

This joint research report is the second volume of the LMS and its Effects at Medical University released in November 2022, which mainly summarizes the efforts at SUMS during the pandemic, the impact on students, and the lessons learned from the challenging period.

Summary

■ Initiatives
The results of the joint industry-academia joint project between Suzuka University of Medical Science and learningBOX, Inc. are explained.

■ Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
How the pandemic had affected school life including the pass rates for national examinations, retention and dropouts, etc.

■ How the LMS is Used in Each Department
How LMS has been utilized and its effectiveness with examples is explained.

■ LMS Committee, Survey Results
The "LMS Committee," an internal organization of TUAT Suzuka University of Medical Science, provides examples of LMS applications that have received a great response from faculty members. The results of a questionnaire survey of faculty and students regarding learningBOX are also presented.

■ Summary and Future Development
In spite of the pandemic, the high national examination pass rate has been maintained through various educational improvements including the introduction of learningBOX, and the number of students who remain in school or drop out has also been decreasing. According to the results, summary including challenges and future development are discussed.

Future Vision

As mentioned briefly in the report, we have launched a new initiative to make learning more effective and efficient in preparing for the national examinations.

It utilizes "QuizGenerator," a tool that allows users to create quizzes on the web, which has been made available free of charge since 2011 by learningBOX, and is designed to prepare students for the national examination for "clinical engineering technicians" by randomly setting 10 questions from the past in each field. The quiz generator is set up so that 10 questions from past examinations are asked at random in each field. (Practice the past questions of the National Examination for Clinical Engineering Technicians with the Quiz Generator:  Quiz on past exam)

QuizGenerator is free and open to the public, and they also aims to enliven the industry as a whole by helping to build a community with the common goal of passing the national examination for clinical engineer.

In addition, there are many other challenges to be addressed, including further performance improvement and the use of AI, and we intend to work together to solvie these challenges while strengthening cooperation.

SUMS and learningBOX, Inc. will continue to further activate industry-academia collaboration to solve various issues from both sides and contribute to achieving Goal 3 (health and welfare for all) and Goal 4 (quality education for all) of the SDGs.

Suzuka University of Medical Science

SUMS (Suzuka University of Medical Science) was the first four-year medical university established in Japan in 1991. It was initially a small university with two faculties and four departments, but has now become a medical and welfare university with four faculties, eleven departments, and fifteen majors. Based on the founding spirit of making the progress of "science and technology truly useful for the improvement of human welfare and health," the university nurtures specialists in medicine and welfare with intelligence and humanity.
[URL]https://www.suzuka-u.ac.jp/english/index.html

For inquiries regarding this report
◆Suzuka University of Medical Sciences, University Office, Academic Affairs Division
TEL: +81(0)59-340-0335 / E-MAIL: hmatsu@suzuka-u.ac.jp

◆learningBOX, Inc. Public Relations, Sato
E-MAIL marketing@learningbox.co.jp