Global Issues: Japan/Preface

"Global Issues: Japan" is a course at Webster University (enrollment 22,000), an independent, international university whose home campus is located in St. Louis, Missouri (USA). Its unique format involves a combination of online learning, a week-long trip to Japan, and the integration of student research and first-hand observations into this collaboratively authored WikiBook.

The course is interdisciplinary: it is cross listed in three graduate academic programs: International Relations, International Business and Education. It is co-listed in two undergraduate programs: International Studies and Education.

What are "Global Issues: Japan"?
"Global" issues are commonly defined as those issues that (1) transcend and cross national or political boundaries and (2) which impact the welfare of humans and other life forms on earth as well as the earth itself. The United Nations organizes global issues on its agenda according 50 categories. They include:

This course offers an initial exploration into some of the issues listed above as it relates to Japan. This exploration will involve a variety of data sources, including (1) reading and research in traditional academic, such as readings in books, journal articles and other published documents; (2) tracking current and emergent news media, internet and broadcast (television and radio) sources; (3) multimedia and video resources; (4) first hand visits, observations and seminars at pertinent locations in Japan. The learning methodology employed for this course is constructivist and collaborative. The constructivist pedagogy is a philosophy of learning in which learners build their knowledge on the basis of authentic (real-world) experiences and dialogue, debate, or collaboration with others. (Brown and King, 2000) The effectiveness of the constructivist pedagogy versus objectivist pedagogies has been debated for centuries. However, current theory and research in learning indicate that all learning involves a self-constructing process. (Bransford, et al., 2000; Poole, 2000; Scardamalia and Bereiter, 1994)