Guaranteeing children’s right to learn and cultivating the talent that will support Japan in the future is essential. Schools strive to ensure that no child is left behind by providing homework and supplementary lessons tailored to each student’s level of comprehension. Classes include an assessment process to determine whether students are understanding the material and reaching their learning goals. Individualized support is provided based on each student’s level of comprehension. Global trends are beginning to emerge, using students’ learning histories to provide personalized learning. In Denmark, the Ministry of Statistics publishes information about classes in public schools. The country has begun releasing panel data showing which teacher taught which class and at what time. This system provides complete information on which class, teacher, and class were taught in which time. Effective lessons can be used as a reference for anyone.
In Japan, tablets are being distributed as digital textbook tools. Online learning is also becoming a useful tool for addressing learning delays. Recently, other uses for this tool have been discovered. Some boards of education have begun using this tool distributed to children to address school absenteeism, such as by identifying physical and mental changes. One board of education instructs children to enter information about their daily moods and sleep durations into a device. This board records children’s daily moods and sleep durations. If there are any abnormalities in their moods or sleep durations, teachers or school counselors can provide consultation. Understanding students’ motivation to learn and recording their physical and mental status will be made available to teachers and parents at any time, making it easier to support their learning.
More proactive learning support measures are also needed in today’s homes and schools. When children face challenges and are engrossed in something they are interested in, both their left and right brains are actively engaged in problem-solving. During problem-solving, both the left and right brains secrete significantly more dopamine in both the temporal lobes. This dopamine release increases motivation and leads to a lively, curious brain. Dopamine is secreted when we experience pleasure, joy, and excitement. There are children who have this mechanism developed from an early age. These are children who have established the habit of going to bed early, waking up early, eating breakfast, reading, and engaging in moderate exercise. If we can provide these children with individual tasks that they can actively engage in, it will be effective learning support.
