JapanLab

JapanLab is generously funded by the Japan Foundation with matching support from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. Since its creation, JapanLab has generated a steady stream of Japan-focused educational video games and other Digital Humanities content designed by undergraduate students. These resources which can be seen on our projects page are currently in use in high school and college classrooms across the world. The program consists of three components which are detailed below.

JapanLab

Teams of students work together in a collaborative space to produce high-quality digital content including educational video games. These resources are then made available for free for teachers across the world.

Digital Skills Courses

The JapanLab program aims to reimagine the Japanese Studies curriculum at the University of Texas at Austin. Digital Skills classes combine instruction in digital technologies with a critical digital humanities perspective and a focus on Japanese-language specific challenges

DH focus courses

DH focus courses combine digital dexterities with wide-ranging academic content in Japanese history, literature, film and politics. They incorporate a suite of scaffolded assignments that serve to advance critical skills and will provide a pathway into JapanLab.

JapanLab works across multiple levels both inside the university and beyond. For undergraduate students, the project aims to create a suite of new courses and experiences that integrate traditional academic content with digital skills. For graduate students, JapanLab provides Digital Humanities training across a range of areas while for educators outside the university the project will produce fully functional educational video games built around key topics in Japanese history, language and literature.

Undergraduates

Students graduating university today require a suite of digital skills, often labelled as digital dexterities, to compete in a modern labor market in which they will be called upon to move between different platforms while engaging in frequent upskilling. JapanLab aims to make digital dexterities a core component of Japanese Studies at the University of Texas at Austin

Graduate students

Digital Humanities skills have become indispensable for graduate students working in Japanese Studies. Such skills are needed both for teaching, to create engaging classrooms, but also as a tool to share innovative research. JapanLab opens up new pathways for current graduate students that will help them navigate a transformed employment environment.

Resources for educators

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced educators to reimagine their classrooms almost overnight, there has been an unprecedented demand for free digital teaching resources vetted by scholars. JapanLab seeks to develop a wide array of digital resources with a focus on fully functional educational video games built around topics in Japanese history, language and literature.