Activity Report of Open Application Program 2023 vol.8 (Course A)
The application of artificial intelligence and digital media in Japan's special support education
Report from International Business & Design College
From August 26 to September 1, 2023, a group of 10 people from the School of Information and Communication Engineering went to Japan for a week of SAKURA SCIENCE exchange program. The whole exchange process focused on the application of artificial intelligence and digital media in Japan's special support education, discussed the differences between China and Japan from a global perspective, and deeply explored the important impact of artificial intelligence devices in the education of special children. Through exchanges with different institutions, professionals, and field experiences, we gained an in‑depth understanding of Japan's innovation and technology application in the field of special support education, and strengthened the understanding of the scientific literacy and educational level of AI in both countries.
Professor Yan Ming from the School of Information and Communication Engineering of our school led graduate students and undergraduates to participate in the international exchange meeting of the International Business & Design College, a legal entity of our school. This conference brings together students from different countries to share our culture and learning experience. In this meeting, we mainly discussed the special support education and in‑depth understanding of the application of artificial intelligence devices in Japan's special support education, for example, in order to reduce the privacy barrier of monitoring into the school while being able to detect the safety of students in real time, it can adopt mixed virtual reality and infrared and ultrasonic processing monitoring.
We also attended an Employment Experience seminar organised by OB & OG, where we listened to alumni's insights and experiences on their careers. These professionals shared their challenges and successes in the design field, which was a valuable inspiration for those of us who are about to enter the workplace. In the afternoon, we switched to the design competition and used the event to exchange information about digital media design.
Led by Researcher Lee Chul, we visited Osaka University. Through the field visit, we had an in‑depth understanding of the differences and similarities between the education and medical systems of China and Japan, and understood the methods and ideas of Japan in education and medical care for children patients. In comparison, we also discuss pediatric healthcare in China to better understand the similarities and differences between the two countries' healthcare systems. Later, I attended an exchange meeting with students of Osaka University, during which the teachers of Osaka University warmly introduced the development history and specialty of the university to us, and shared many educational ideas and research results, especially excellent scientific research results and research cases in the field of special education, which made us gain a lot.
On the fourth day, we visited the Menzhen Municipal Government and Civic Activity Center, where we investigated various activities and measures to support education for citizens, and investigated some educational examples. Then we went to the school to inspect the teaching environment, and had friendly and pleasant exchanges with local teachers and students. We have understood the specific programs and characteristics adopted by Japan in responding to the special needs of students of different ages. During the interaction with Japanese teachers and students, We have had a deeper understanding of the practical operation of special support education and the challenges that artificial intelligence will face when applied to special support education, which has deepened our understanding of the similarities and differences between China and Japan. At the same time, I look forward to learning more knowledge in this field in the future. Some students expressed their hope to carry out such research, especially to study in Japan, and make some contributions to the education of China and Japan.
On the fifth day, we went to Gifu University to visit, in addition to visiting the campus environment, we also listened to the special lecture on artificial intelligence data science and educational design, we listened to the characteristics and cases of artificial intelligence education, and also learned about the application of Japanese data science in personalized education, learning analysis and educational design. Especially how to use data to improve the quality of education and learning results, Japan has a relatively humane and diversified measures. This exchange not only inspired our understanding of the potential of artificial intelligence in education, but also triggered a lot of soul‑searching. In the afternoon, we participated in an exchange session, which was aimed at understanding the ideas of special support education, the production of lessons in regular classes, the design of learning environments, and the use of information machines. The exchange was very colorful and we gained great insights into special support education practices and innovations. Our interactions with current students and teachers have given us a better understanding of the needs and challenges in education and how to address them.
Finally, we visited the Panasonic Museum and the Panasonic headquarters. This gives us the opportunity to personally experience Japan's cutting‑edge information technology, understand the research and development process with Japanese characteristics and humanized design ideas, but also understand the development history of Panasonic company, technical product characteristics and a long history of friendly relations with China.
This tightly arranged activity allowed our teachers and students to have a preliminary understanding of the relevant applications of digital media technology in Japanese universities, enterprises, and governments, and also provided directions for possible future cooperation.
First of all, the application of digital media technology and artificial intelligence technology in special education has developed very early in Japan, not only scientific research institutes and enterprises, but also government departments attach great importance to the development and support of relevant applications, so in Japan, these applications can be said to be very humanized, through long‑term use and feedback updates, many products have been comprehensively promoted. And received social praise. Some of these technologies are still in the development stage in China, and there is some disconnect between scientific research and practical application. Therefore, Japan's research achievements in these areas can inspire us deeply and have great significance for strengthening future research cooperation.
Second, China–Japan scientific and technological cooperation enjoys broad prospects. In our exchanges and discussions with International Business & Design College, we agreed to strengthen cooperation at international conferences. It is planned to jointly organize an international conference on this topic at the end of this year or in 2024, inviting teachers and students from relevant institutions of the two countries to participate. At the same time, like global radiation, it plans to invite scholars from Singapore, South Korea, the United States, Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan to participate together to expand the influence of scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation.
Finally, we also hope to have a long‑term cooperation. Every year, we can organize representatives of teachers and students to go to Japan to participate in this Sino–Japanese science and technology exchange program on similar topics. Since the selection of personnel takes a certain amount of time, if it can be supported continuously, it will be conducive to the selection of excellent personnel. In addition, the scope of participation can also be expanded, allowing the selection of young teachers and students with cooperation foundation from other universities to participate in the project. In this way, the scope of cooperation can be expanded, relying on the limited number of funded projects, and the scope of participation can be expanded.
All in all, this study tour provided us with an in‑depth understanding of Japan's innovation and technology application in the field of special support education. Through visits to various institutions, interaction with experts and students, and immersive field experiences, we gained different insights into the application of artificial intelligence and digital media in children's education. This also provides valuable reference for our future study and employment direction.