Discusses distance learning as a field, its technologies such as learning management systems, and the communication tools that help to make online courses interactive. 43 minute presentation in Japanese by Steve McCarty, with the Power Point presentation available to download and view while listening.

Outline in Japanese:

「視野を広げる遠隔学習：その分野、技術、コミュニケーション」
NPO国際情報科学協会企画のゲストスピーチ
神戸インキュベーションオフィス、2006年3月16日の夕方

遠隔学習のすすめ (アウトライン)
プリント：「国際社会への扉：上級英語とネット上の遠隔教育」
代表的なサイト： Get Educated, including Diploma Mill Police www.geteducated.com
世界オンライン教育学会 (WAOE) のあゆみ
ー　教育者同士の国際的ネットワーキング (FD)
オンライン学習とインストラクショナルデザイン
ー　文化、ジェンダー、個人の心理に関する配慮
遠隔学習の技術と教授法
ー　学習管理システムの例： WebCT
コンテンツ、コミュニケーションツール、クラス管理
バーチャルユニバーシティ
グローバル化された教室（筑波大学教育学部大学院の例）
ー　e-Learning、遠隔教育、オンライン教育という専門用語の区別
ポッドキャスティング（コンピュータやiPodで聞く講義）

This may be one of the first multilingual podcasts. At a women’s college in Western Japan teaching an intensive course on translation, there were two Chinese and two Japanese students, so I had them each explain in English as well as in their native language. Five proverbs were selected, and the question was if there was a similar way of thinking in the three cultures. Intercultural researchers usually focus on cultural differences, but the existence of similar proverbs arising independently in the East and the West would point to universally human wisdom.

The five proverbs are: 1) Actions speak louder than words, 2) Advice when most needed is least heeded, 3) Look before you leap, 4) Penny wise, pound foolish, and 5) Ignorance is bliss.

Traveling to the southwestern island of Shikoku where the earlier podcast on reincarnation and the pilgrimage took place, the author taught an intensive course on translation between Japanese and English at Matsuyama Shinonome College. Two professors there join in a discussion about how the Japanese language formed from thousands of years ago to the classical period (7th-11th Centuries). Then we discuss how Japanese people have confronted various foreign languages, translation issues, and why they have such difficulties in acquiring English.

42 minutes of a presentation for the government (JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency) to civil engineering trainees from various developing countries. They introduce themselves at first so listeners can learn the true pronunciation of country names like Iraq. Recorded with an MP3 format digital voice recorder. Another time it would be interesting to record the Q&A session because the time it is taking for democracy to take root in Japan was of acute interest to Iraqi, Egyptian, East Timorese and African participants. The history of the Imperial family, which differs from official accounts, was also presented. The Djiboutian's question about the origins of the Japanese is taken up at the beginning. To read the presentation outline or PowerPoint slides while listening, click here.

The photo on the right side above is the author's half-Japanese son with his cousin.