The 19th LMS Study Group "e-Learning, Opening the Gateway to Education through LMS and its Social Implementation

Suzuka University of Medical Science (Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture; President: Nagayasu Toyoda) and learningBOX Corporation jointly held an LMS study session on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding on industry-academia collaboration and cooperation to promote university education using e-learning systems.

LMS Study Group Overview

The "LMS Study Group" is an organization formed within Suzuka University of Medical Science, in which faculty members themselves serve as lecturers and teach, stimulate, and help each other.

In light of recent major changes in education, including the use of ICT and content, entrepreneurship education, and recurrent education, Yoichiro Nishimura, CEO of learningBOX, Inc. Yoichiro Nishimura, President of learningBOX Corporation, shared his experience as an EdTech startup and gave a lecture to students.

In recurrent education, there was a lecture by Dr. Yasuo Utsumi of the National Institute of Colleges of Technology on the concept of micro-credentialing, which certifies individualized and subdivided learning content to prove the achievement of mastering specific skills and knowledge in a short period of time. Through this meeting, we provided an opportunity to discuss new forms of education and social cooperation that combine e-learning and micro-credentialing.

About the contents of the presentation

1. "Publication and Sharing of National Examination Preparation Content Using learningBOX," Associate Professor Hidekazu Miura, Department of Clinical Engineering, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Suzuka University of Medical Science

A presentation was given on the use of e-learning in the preparation for the national medical examinations. In particular, it was emphasized that co-creation among universities is essential in the preparation for national examinations.

The number of clinical engineers who pass the exam each year is only about 2,000, and there is a lack of reference books and portal sites compared to other certifications. To solve this problem, a database of past national examinations is being created and made available to the public using "learningBOX". As a result, a system is being developed that allows faculty members at each university to modify the questions to suit their lectures and make flexible use of the learning content.

There was also discussion on issues related to copyrights for national examination questions, and it was confirmed that these issues need to be sorted out for future operation.

2. "Entrepreneurial experience and the future of learningBOX" Yoichiro Nishimura, President, learningBOX, Inc.

He presented the background of his start-up, challenges in business operations, and future prospects. In particular, he talked about the importance he places on "being trustworthy," "having a certain level of ability," and "having a place where the person can make use of his/her abilities" when hiring personnel.

He also touched on the importance of developing functions based on customer requests, and explained the direction of future technological development, including the automation of the creation of teaching materials using AI and the provision of education optimized for learners.

During the Q&A session, some students requested enhanced cheating prevention features in light of the increasing number of studies being conducted on smartphones.

Micro-credentialing and DX-ization of Education," Yasuo Utsumi, Specially Appointed Professor, National Institution of National Colleges of Technology, Japan

Presentations were made on the use of micro-credentials (small-scale proof of learning outcomes), which are gaining attention as a means of demonstrating learning outcomes in a variety of educational programs, including AI and data science, management, and energy fields.

He also introduced the "Credit Bank" system as an overseas example, pointing out the importance of a system that allows flexible use of learning outcomes. It was suggested that the use of micro-credentials will be the key to promoting DX in education in Japan in the future.

At the end of the workshop, President Toyoda of Suzuka University of Medical Science commented, "Until now, we have focused on implementing classes using e-learning, but now we are entering a phase of how to create high-quality, enjoyable content for students to learn. In the future, we would like to improve the quality of education by sharing high-quality teaching materials devised by teachers.

Through the LMS study group, the importance of promoting knowledge sharing for the DXing of education was reaffirmed, and learningBOX Corporation will continue to deepen cooperation with educational institutions and promote efforts to provide a better learning environment.

About 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