Multiple Platform Problems in Online Teaching of Informatics in General Education, Faced by Part-Time Faculty Members

Abstract

The curriculum for an undergraduate program in Japanese universities usually comprises a general education and special/major education programs, and in general education programs, informatics is widely taught. It is one of the characteristics of the informatics education in Japan. A nationwide survey on the informatics education in Japanese universities conducted in 2016 revealed that the teaching of informatics in general education depends largely on part-time faculty members as well as full-time ones. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most Japanese universities were forced to conduct their classes online for 2020 and 2021 academic years. Online teaching was carried out in several modes, using various learning management systems and video conferencing services and student access terminals that differed across universities. Furthermore, the permission to access information systems depends on the employment contract renewal. In such situations, part-time faculty members faced various problems while using multiple platforms that were rarely recognized by full-time members. In this study, the authors point out these multiple platform problems faced by part-time faculty members and propose a common platform for informatics teaching in general education to resolve the issue and improve the teaching quality.