The "(Basic) Preparing University Faculty Course" (hereinafter referred to as "this course") was conducted over four days on February 24th, 27th, March 2nd, and 3rd (in addition to a pre-course assignment). The course was implemented with the participation of Associate Professor Yūsuke Sakurai, Professor Yasushi Maruyama, Assistant Professor Yūichi Miyamoto, Professor Toshihiro Yamada, and Professor Takahiro Sumiya, as well as five Teaching Fellows (TFs) who were involved in micro-teaching sessions as part of the course. There were a total of 19 students from all graduate schools. The course was conducted in-person at the Higashi-Hiroshima campus and divided into English and Japanese sessions.
　The goal of this course was to understand the work of university faculty members through various lectures and educational activities by different instructors and to acquire basic knowledge and skills related to university course design. The course covered a wide range of theoretical knowledge from curriculum theory, learning theory, lesson evaluation, lesson planning and design, online education and copyright, micro-teaching, best teacher lectures, and student-cantered university pedagogy, among others.
　Through group work, the students shared their ideas and engaged in discussions to deepen their understanding of educational theoretical knowledge and practice from various perspectives. Furthermore, by designing a lesson plan that reflects their own educational philosophy and approach and conducting micro-teaching in groups, the students were able to perform their teaching demonstration. Finally, in the final assignment, by reflecting on their discussion in class, conducting micro-teaching, and revising the lesson plan they designed as a pre-assignment, the students were able to improve their skills necessary for lesson design and promote their growth as future educators.
　In the final day's reflective activity of the course, many students expressed their desire to utilise the knowledge and experience they have gained from this class in their future academic pursuits, as this course has provided them with their first exposure to the theoretical and practical aspects of becoming a university educator. As both a former student and current teaching fellow in this course, I believe that this course presents a highly valuable opportunity for students aspiring to become university educators, as it provides them with the chance to gain knowledge and practical experience necessary for the position, while also inspiring them to develop their own teaching philosophies and ideologies. Furthermore, given the diverse academic backgrounds and fields of study represented among the students of this course, I hope that this diversity can be leveraged to foster a collaborative learning environment that promotes cross-disciplinary education.

Teaching Fellow: CHENG WENJUAN,
Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Doctoral Course)
Division of Educational Sciences Educational Studies Program