Comparative Study of Learning and Student Experiences of Japanese and Korean College Students <Article>

Currently, quality assurance of higher education institutions and enhancement of global competitiveness have become major concerns worldwide. In such an environment, gains in learning outcomes of college students also become the major theme for higher education institutions worldwide. Actually, in recent decades, many institutions across nations have been forced to embed learning outcomes into their curriculum. Many previous studies have shown that learning outcomes of students are strongly associated with the quality of pedagogy and student engagement or experience. This research seeks to grasp the association of college experiences with degree of learning through the comparative research of student self-reported surveys in Japan and Korea. It employs a quantitative research design using data obtained from JCSS2012 and KCSS2012 designed for upper division students. The research framework, based on five research questions, is to examine the relationship between learning environment students’ experiences and learning outcomes between academic majors. It uses the KCSS2012 which consists of a stratified random sample of junior and senior students attending four-year universities in South Korea It also uses 4,902 third-year students of private four-year institutions. JCSS2012 consists of samples of junior and senior students attending four-year universities in Japan. Finally the research design uses 2,921 of both third and four year students of four-year institutions. The research questions are: 1) How do Japanese and Korean students self-evaluate their learning outcomes? 2) What are the differences of students’ experiences and learning outcomes across their majors? 3)What is the relationship between students’ experiences and the active learning method? And 4) What are the determinants of learning outcomes? Then, we will examine the relationship of student type and their experiences. Findings of the study suggest that there is a difference of gains of learning outcomes between Japanese and Korean students. Also, the findings suggest that student and faculty engagement variables appear to play important roles in acquisition of knowledge and skills such as globalized and interpersonal skills, and cognitive ability. Finally, the findings delineate why many Japanese students have less confidence in their skills and ability, and Korean students have relatively more confidence but more negative experiences