Welcome to the Deep Dive. We've got a really fascinating topic for you today.
You guys sent us a bunch of Professor Tana's podcasts, and we're going to do a deep dive into
some big changes happening in Japanese education. Yeah, some really interesting stuff going on.
We're going to look at what's driving these changes, what they look like in practice,
and then what it all means for, you know, the future of learning.
And Professor Tana seems especially interested in, like, how these changes reflect a broader shift
in educational philosophy, you know, like moving away from the traditional rigid structures,
and more towards these personalized, flexible approaches.
Okay.
That'll be a really interesting thread to follow as we go.
Yeah, for sure. Let's jump right in.
Okay.
So in one of his podcasts, Professor Tana throws out this, like, pretty bold idea. He says we
should replace the term futoko, which means non-attendant, with jiyugakushusha, which means
free learner.
Okay.
And get this, he flips the script.
Oh.
And calls those in traditional schools fujiyugakushusha, or non-free learners.
Wow. Yeah. It's like a totally different way to think about it.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
It's powerful how he reframes the conversation.
I know. It really makes you think about, like, you know.
Who's really learning.
Exactly. Who's really engaged. He even mentions these statistics, you know,
how there's a growing number of non-attending students in Japan.
Right.
But instead of seeing that as a problem, he's like,
hey, this could be a sign that people's attitudes towards education are changing.
Yeah. It's like, maybe the free learners are ahead of the curve.
Right. Like adapting to a world where the old way of doing things just isn't cutting it anymore.
Yeah. Totally.
Yeah.
But then the question becomes, what does that actually look like? Like,
how do you actually become a free learner?
Well, Professor Tana uses his own experience as a university student to kind of illustrate this.
Yeah.
He was essentially a free learner within the university system itself.
Interesting.
He talks about how he got through these really challenging courses by, you know,
going beyond just the classroom, finding resources and, like,
focusing on truly understanding the material rather than just memorizing it for exams.
So it's like classic self-directed learning.
Exactly. He recognized where the lectures were falling short.
Yeah.
And he just took charge of his own education.
That's great.
Yeah.
But it's interesting, though, because he doesn't completely dismiss traditional education.
Right.
He even says that, like, all those years of intense exam prep
forced him to become a more independent learner, even in a system that wasn't really designed for it.
That makes sense.
Yeah.
It's like he learned how to learn even when the system wasn't helping him.
Yeah. Yeah. And that actually brings us to his critique of the system itself,
which is that traditional education often puts too much emphasis on memorization and test taking.
Right.
Over, you know, really understanding and connecting with the material.
Right. It's like, are you really learning if you're just memorizing facts?
Exactly. And he shares this anecdote about, like,
students struggling with basic math concepts, even at the university level.
Oh, wow.
And it really highlights how, like, this obsession with just
covering the curriculum can actually leave students without the essential skills they need.
Yeah. The pressure to get through all that material.
Yeah.
It leads to this, like, superficial learning, right?
Totally.
Where students are just focused on getting the grade, not really gaining knowledge.
Then they hit a wall when they need those skills later on.
Exactly. And that leads us to some of these new initiatives that Professor Tana is excited about,
which are potential alternatives.
OK. Yeah. Let's talk about those.
So one that stands out is ZEN University. It's set to open next April.
Oh, wow. That's soon.
It is. And the really fascinating thing is it's a collaboration between
Duango, the tech company behind, you know, Niconico video platform.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
And the Nippon Foundation, which is a major philanthropic organization.
Oh, that's an interesting partnership.
It is. It really shows you how the education landscape is changing, right?
Yeah, for sure.
You have this major player in, like, online entertainment.
Yeah.
Teaming up with an organization known for, you know, social good.
Right.
To create a university that's primarily online and emphasizes practical experience.
It's a direct challenge to that traditional brick and mortar model.
Yeah, it really is.
Yeah.
And it aligns perfectly with Professor Tana's vision, right?
Totally.
Like learning outside the classroom.
He's all about using technology to make learning more engaging, more effective.
Yeah.
He seems really enthusiastic about how online learning can make education
more accessible, more flexible.
And that's where Minerva Schools at KGI comes in, or their global campus model.
Yeah.
Where students live and learn in different cities all over the world.
It's really groundbreaking.
It's like study abroad on steroids.
Right.
Yeah.
And they're using online learning to, like, free up time and resources.
Yeah.
So students can really engage with the world around them.
That's amazing.
It is.
And it actually connects back to what Professor Tana was saying about, you know,
the limitations of these big institutions.
Right, right.
He says that real innovation often comes from these smaller, more agile organizations.
Yeah.
The ones that are willing to experiment and take risks.
Makes sense.
Like big bureaucracies, they get stuck in their ways.
They're slow to change.
Right.
Yeah, totally.
But Professor Tana isn't just complaining about the problems, you know?
Right.
He's actually pointing to these concrete examples like ZEN University and Minerva,
and they're doing things differently.
They're putting his ideas into action.
Exactly.
Yeah.
They show that there are other ways to structure learning.
Right.
That are more in tune with the needs of today's students.
Yeah.
And the demands of a world that's constantly changing.
Totally.
Yeah.
And then there's Teleport School, which is a project led by Hirano Tomoyasu.
Oh, yeah, this one's cool.
It's all about using generative AI to create a community-driven learning environment.
Do you remember how excited Professor Tana was about Hirano's previous project?
Ooh, the Web Composer School.
Yes.
This new one seems to tap into that same passion for using technology to rethink education.
Yeah, to build it from the ground up.
Yeah, from scratch.
Okay, so Teleport School hasn't officially launched yet.
Right.
But Professor Tana has been following its development through
podcasts and online discussions.
Yeah.
And he thinks it could be a real game changer, especially for creating those
personalized, self-directed learning experiences that go beyond just geographical limits.
The idea of students from all over the world connecting and learning together, it's really
exciting.
Yeah, it's like a truly borderless education.
Yeah.
And it's all powered by AI.
So it can tailor the learning experience to each person.
It's like having a personal tutor for every subject.
Yeah.
Incredible.
Professor Tana is realistic about the challenges.
Yeah.
But you can really hear his optimism about the potential of technology to, like, democratize
education, make it more accessible and engaging.
That's what I love about him.
He's not just about shiny new gadgets.
He really cares about using them to address these big challenges.
Yeah.
To make learning more meaningful for everyone.
He's always asking, like, how can we use these tools to create a better future for learning?
Right.
And it's not just about the technology either.
It's about this shift in mindset.
Like a willingness to question the way things have always been done.
Exactly.
Like he says the real drivers of innovation aren't these big institutions like universities.
Oh, really?
He thinks it's the smaller, more agile players like ZEN University or Teleport School.
Oh, interesting.
Like he mentions businesses like DWANGO.
Right.
They had no experience in education.
But they saw an opportunity.
They saw the potential of online learning and they weren't afraid to disrupt the system.
Wow.
So it's not just about the technology.
Right.
It's about being open to new ideas.
Exactly.
Even if they come from unexpected places.
Wow.
Yeah.
Professor Tana even suggests that maybe universities shouldn't be the only ones in
charge of knowledge anymore.
It's like he sees a future where learning happens everywhere.
All the time.
Through all kinds of different channels.
And that brings us back to this very platform.
LISTEN.
Professor Tana compares LISTEN to Teleport.
That's interesting.
He points out that LISTEN already has a lot of the same features as a virtual university.
Right.
We have experts sharing their insights.
We have listeners engaging with those insights.
And we have this platform that allows for conversation and connection.
And he's really excited about the transcript feature.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
He says it creates this valuable archive of knowledge that anyone can access.
But to get a better sense of the issues at play, we need to dig into some of the specifics
of what Professor Tana sees as wrong with the current system.
Oh, yeah.
He's got some personal stories that really bring these issues to life.
OK, let's hear those.
All right, let's dive in.
There's this one story he tells about a faculty meeting at a university.
OK.
And he overheard these professors complaining about how students couldn't even grasp basic
math.
Yeah, that's like a pretty common complaint, right?
Every generation thinks the next one is lacking in basic skills.
Right.
But Professor Tana doesn't just dismiss it as, you know, kids these days.
Yeah, he digs deeper.
Yeah.
He's like, is it the students or is it how we're teaching them?
So he points out that universities often try to fix this by adding more coursework,
like remedial classes and stuff.
But his argument is that this might actually be making things worse.
How so?
Well, because students get overwhelmed by all the material and then they just resort
to like rote memorization.
Yeah.
And test taking tricks just to get by.
To survive.
Exactly.
And he says this kind of learning, it's just superficial.
Right.
It doesn't lead to actual understanding or, you know, a love of learning.
Yeah, it can actually make students hate the subject.
Totally.
He even uses himself as an example, right?
He talks about how he struggled with math in university.
Yeah.
And he just memorized formulas to pass exams.
Wow.
Even him.
It's a great example because it shows that anyone can fall into that trap, you know?
Yeah, yeah.
When the system rewards that kind of behavior.
It makes you think about how we approach learning.
Like maybe we don't always need to master the basics before moving on.
Right.
He suggests that maybe it's the opposite.
Oh, interesting.
Like maybe we learn best when we're tackling real problems.
Even if we don't have all the foundational knowledge yet.
Exactly.
The struggle is part of the process.
It can lead to deeper understanding.
So he's not saying fundamentals are unimportant.
No, not at all.
But that maybe we need to rethink how we teach them.
And how we test whether students have actually learned them.
Okay, that makes sense.
And he brings up another important point.
The learning environment.
Oh, right.
How isolating it can be when you feel like you're the only one who doesn't get it.
Totally.
Yeah, it can be really discouraging.
Everyone else is on board and you're falling behind.
Yeah, yeah.
And he thinks universities could do more to create a sense of community.
Okay.
Spaces where students can connect, ask questions, learn from each other's struggles.
So again, it comes back to that idea of learning communities.
Exactly.
And this is where teleport school comes in.
Right.
He sees it as a way to create those communities, but on a global scale.
Wow, students from all over the world.
Connecting, collaborating, learning from experts.
It's like a borderless classroom.
And it's powered by AI.
So it's personalized to each student.
That's amazing.
It's like that vision of learn anything you want at your own pace with support from a community.
Yeah, he's really pushing the boundaries of what education can be.
But he's realistic.
He knows there are challenges.
Of course.
But he's optimistic about the potential.
And it's not just about the tech.
Right. He talks about this need for a shift in mindset.
Like being open to new ways of doing things.
He says the real innovators aren't the big institutions.
It's those smaller, more agile players like ZEN University or Teleport School.
Right. They're not afraid to disrupt the status quo.
And he uses DWANGO as an example.
Oh, yeah.
They had no background in education.
Right.
But they saw the potential of online learning.
And they went for it.
Yeah. So it's about embracing new ideas.
Even if they come from unexpected places.
Exactly. And Professor Tana even suggests that maybe universities
shouldn't be the only gatekeepers of knowledge anymore.
So where does that leave us?
Well, it leads back to this platform, LISTEN.
Right.
Professor Tanna compares it to Teleport.
He says LISTEN has many of the same building blocks as a virtual university.
We have the experts. We have the engaged listeners.
And we have this platform that enables conversation.
And the transcripts. He loves the transcripts.
He says it's like a library of lectures that you can access anytime.
It's true. You can go back and revisit the information.
So while Teleport might be more ambitious with its use of AI and all that.
Yeah.
He sees both platforms as playing a role in the future of learning.
So it's not one versus the other.
Right. It's more about how they can work together.
To create these new learning ecosystems.
Exactly. And this is where those free learners are finding their place.
Those who are choosing to learn outside the system.
And it's not a rejection of education. It's a desire for something more personalized.
And he even suggests that the rise of non-attending students.
Yeah.
Maybe it's a sign that the traditional system is failing to meet their needs.
It's an interesting thought, isn't it?
Yeah. What if these non-attending students are the pioneers?
Showing us a new way to learn.
A way that's more relevant to the world we live in.
Professor Tana doesn't have all the answers.
But he raises some really important questions.
What does all this mean for you?
For someone navigating this new landscape?
That's a great question.
And in our final segment, we'll connect these ideas to your own experiences.
We'll see how these trends might impact not just formal education.
But how we all learn and grow throughout our lives.
It's pretty clear that Professor Tana sees Japanese education at a crossroads.
Yeah.
He's pointing out these deeply ingrained traditions.
But then he's also showing how they're clashing with all these new ways of thinking about learning.
These new approaches that are all about flexibility,
self-direction, and making learning relevant to your actual life.
And he doesn't hold back on the criticism.
No, not at all.
He really calls out the flaws in the system.
Yeah.
He even says that the rising number of non-attending students.
Right.
It might be a sign that things need to change in a big way.
Yeah.
Maybe even a complete overhaul.
But he's not just dwelling on the problems, you know.
Right.
He's offering solutions.
Yeah.
He's showing us all these amazing things that are happening.
And often outside of like the traditional institutions.
Yeah.
It's like he's saying the real revolution.
It's happening on the fringes.
Yeah, exact.
Not in the mainstream.
He even hints that maybe school as we know it is becoming like obsolete.
Yeah.
I don't think he's saying get rid of schools entirely.
Right.
But he's making us question.
What school could be.
Yeah.
What if it wasn't about going to a physical building.
Yeah.
For a certain number of hours each day.
What if it was more fluid.
More personalized.
It could happen anywhere, anytime.
Right.
And that's where, you know, ZEN University.
Teleport school, they come in.
They're not stuck in that old way of thinking.
No, they can experiment, innovate, adapt.
Yeah, much faster than traditional schools.
And they're tapping into this growing demand.
For self-directed learning.
Yeah.
People want to be in control of what they learn, how they learn it, when they learn it.
Professor Tana even sees platforms like LISTEN.
Yeah, right here.
As like hubs for these kinds of learning communities.
He's really pushing the boundaries of what we even consider education.
I love that about him.
Yeah.
He's not just complaining.
He's offering real solutions.
Yeah.
Showing us that a different kind of education is possible.
A better kind.
More focused on the learner.
More engaging.
More relevant to the world we live in.
It really makes you wonder what learning will look like in the future.
Like 10, 20, 50 years from now.
Will traditional schools even exist?
Will the whole system be transformed?
Or will they adapt?
And what about technology?
Will it keep disrupting things?
Or will we find like a balance?
And what about teachers?
Yeah.
Will they be replaced by AI?
Or will there be some kind of partnership?
It's impossible to know for sure.
But one thing is clear.
Things are changing.
And they're changing fast.