Yumiko Murai
Japan
CAREER Enrolled in April 2008; Completed master’s degree in March 2010
At KMD, I was a member of the “Global Education Project” in which we worked on the design and administration of a variety of online courses and events. In my master’s research, I helped to create a joint performance environment for students studying performing arts in remote locations. Today, I teach online classes about distance education at Columbia University (USA), continue my research in remote communication and learning environments, while staying involved in the administration of online classes in a number of different fields. My doctoral dissertation on the development of community perceptions and self-motivation among online learners was accepted, and in May 2015 I was awarded a EdD. There has been increased online learning opportunities in recent years, but learning from a remote location can often be a lonely and difficult experience. My work is to provide the kinds of activities and communications environments that support these learners. As a member of the first class at KMD, I gained first-hand experience developing our own learning and research environments from scratch with the professors and fellow students with diverse backgrounds. This approach of “Create what you need” has been a valuable asset, even after moving to a research institution that takes a very different approach than that of KMD.
(This article was written in March 2016.)