High School Education Reform | "temi," which promotes the Next High School concept, and concrete measures for remote learning and correcting educational disparities.
"Because it's a high school on a remote island, we have to give up on offering specialized physics classes." "Due to a shortage of teachers, we don't have the resources to create new elective subjects that students want."
What is currently echoing throughout Japan are the desperate cries for help from the education system. However, children's curiosity and future potential should not be hindered by "walls" such as their place of residence or the size of their local government's budget.
Japanese high school education is currently undergoing a major transformation. At the heart of this transformation is the "NE.XT High School Initiative," which redefines the learning environment for the next generation.
iPresence is proposing more than just the introduction of an online meeting system. It's an autonomous telepresence robot...temi'By utilizing this technology, we can remove the physical barriers of schools and transform the whole world into a place of learning.This article explores the construction of a "next-generation educational infrastructure." It examines how technology can transform the challenges of teacher shortages and educational inequality into opportunities for hope.
① Remote learning (used by instructors at the remote delivery center)
From "beyond the screen" to "next to the classroom." The teacher's alter ego runs.
Due to the declining birthrate and regional teacher shortages, high schools are facing a serious problem of not being able to secure teachers to teach specific specialized subjects. Furthermore, online classes to date tend to be merely "watching" on a screen, meaning teachers cannot see what students are doing, and students lose focus on one-way broadcasts. This "emotional distance" has been the biggest obstacle to distance education.
The telepresence robot "temi" physically breaks down this barrier.
The instructors at the remote delivery center said,Installed in the classroomConnect to temi, remotelyA learning program that allows users to interact with the system and conduct lessons.By allowing instructors at the remote delivery center to freely move temi and "descend" into the classroom, interactive lessons become possible as if the teacher were actually there.
[Main benefits of implementation]
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Optimizing faculty resources: This allows us to establish a system where one specialist instructor can provide high-quality lessons to multiple schools simultaneously or on a rotating basis.
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Recreating individual instruction at desks: By remotely controlling the robot, students can approach their desks, peer at their notebooks, and offer individual guidance, providing instruction that is close to face-to-face interaction.
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Correcting educational disparities: This will allow students in schools on remote islands and in mountainous areas to take the same specialized and elective subjects as those in urban areas, thus equalizing learning opportunities for students.
[Case Study] Oita Prefecture: Demonstration of next-generation learning in collaboration with a remote delivery center
In Oita Prefecture, a demonstration experiment was conducted in which instructors belonging to a remote distribution center remotely controlled temi devices that were placed in classrooms of high schools located physically far apart.
In the "Distribution Center Method" of remote learning, a dedicated teacher at the distribution center delivers lessons live (in real time) from the distribution center to the receiving schools. Two receiving schools form a pair, and the lessons are conducted in a two-school joint lesson format where students from both schools participate in the lesson simultaneously. The teacher is displayed at almost life size on a large monitor, so the lesson has a realistic feel similar to face-to-face instruction, allowing students to concentrate and learn actively. In addition, the desk-based instruction support avatar (temi V3) allows teachers to observe how students are working and students to ask teachers questions, enabling teachers to understand the progress and situation of each student's learning.
② Remote outreach classes (conducted by external instructors via URL connection)
When you open the classroom door, you find yourself in a state-of-the-art research lab.
"Experiencing the real thing" has a dramatic impact on students' career choices. However, inviting busy university professors and engineers working on the front lines of companies to schools far away was extremely difficult, both in terms of time and budget.
An external instructor remotely connects from a computer in the classroom, and the classroom is set uptemiA learning program that uses a device to conduct lessons.temiBy utilizing this, experts around the world can access it from their browsers. URL With just one click, you can step into the classroom as a "real-life instructor."
[Main benefits of implementation]
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Minimize the burden on instructors: By eliminating travel time, even busy professionals can participate in classes on a per-session basis.
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Highly interactive dialogue: The instructor can survey the classroom through the robot's eyes and move closer to the student who asks a question to engage in conversation.
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Learning that connects with society: Career education and entrepreneurship education through industry-academia-government collaboration can be incorporated into the regular curriculum.
[Case Study] University Professor Participates Remotely in High School Classes
A student research presentation was held at Oita Prefectural Saiki Tsurushiro High School. A professor from the University of Tokyo participated remotely using a tele-robot called temi that was deployed at the high school. After listening to the students' presentations, the professor provided direct comments and advice to the students. The students gained a positive sense of tension and were able to deepen their learning.
④ University students participate in providing support for remote learning.
A harmonious convergence of teacher work style reform and "individually optimized learning."
The GIGA School Initiative Phase 2 emphasizes "individually optimized learning." While its importance is increasing, there are limits to how closely a single teacher can monitor the learning progress of an entire class. To address this challenge, we propose a new system in which university students, who will become teachers in the future, participate in lessons through "temi."
This program allows students from teacher training universities and other institutions to remotely connect to temi, a learning support system installed in high school classrooms, from their university research labs or homes, as part of their coursework, and participate as learning support staff (mentors). University students operate temi from their computers or tablets, functioning as assistants to teachers.
[Main benefits of implementation]
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Establishing a robust leadership system: During the exercise, university students circulate among the groups using temi (a type of learning platform) to answer questions and facilitate, allowing for individual attention to be paid to each student.
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Institutionalization of "collaboration between schools and high schools": This is a win-win model where university students can gain practical experience in educational settings without having to travel, and high schools can secure high-quality support staff.
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Personalized instruction with a sense of "real presence": Because temi can move freely around the classroom, it can go to the desk of a student who is struggling, observe their expression, and provide individual explanations and encouragement.
Special lecture for students who will shape the future of education
In 2025, at the Faculty of Developmental Education, Kyoto Women's University, our CEO, Christophers,Special lectureWe conducted this lecture. In this lecture, students who will be responsible for the future of education learned in depth about the potential of telepresence robots to bring about transformation in the field of education.
- Potential as a remote mentor: A system that allows education students to support high schools in remote areas while remaining at the university provides a practical learning opportunity for students and a powerful support tool for teachers in the field.
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Fostering ICT literacy: By exposing students to the vision of "education that integrates digital and analog" from an early stage, we cultivate an environment where the next generation of teachers can effectively utilize technology as a "tool."
By institutionalizing this type of university collaboration, it becomes possible to create a new educational support model that transcends regional boundaries.
⑤ Use as educational material for robot programming
The experience of "creating" robots will nurture future engineers.
In the coming era, the demand will be for individuals who can "master technology" rather than "be used by technology." temi is also the ultimate programming educational tool, equipped with cutting-edge autonomous driving capabilities.
Installed in the classroomtemiThis learning program allows you to program and control robots. You can learn by actually operating a robot.
[Main benefits of implementation]
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Practical STEAM education: You can learn about technologies used in modern society, such as AI, sensor technology, and map generation (SLAM), using actual equipment.
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Developing problem-solving skills: We offer an experience in designing and implementing programs that solve school challenges, such as "school tours" and "disaster prevention patrols."
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Correspondence to Information I and II: The thrill of seeing robots actually benefit society, rather than just remaining on a screen, maximizes motivation for learning programming.
5. The NE.XT High School Initiative and the Utilization of the Fund
Accelerate the development of next-generation educational environments with reliable financial resources.
A powerful force driving this cutting-edge educational DX is the utilization of the fund established under the "NE.XT (Next) High School Initiative" (Next-Generation High School Education Environment Development Fund).
This fund supports the dramatic advancement of communication environments utilizing ICT and the development of distinctive educational curricula that leverage the strengths of each school. The introduction of the telepresence robot "temi" is the optimal solution to realize the "flexible learning that fosters creativity" that this fund aims for.
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Advanced remote learning and measures to address teacher shortages This will upgrade the remote distribution and reception environment and function as infrastructure for "inter-school collaboration" to compensate for the shortage of teachers in specialized subjects.
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Realizing interactive learning in collaboration with local communities and universities By overcoming physical distance and connecting classrooms with external experts and university student mentors in real time, we deepen the quality of learning.
iPresence goes beyond simply providing equipment. As a partner in realizing the "sustainable and high-quality high school education" that this fund aims for, we provide total support, from technical cooperation for budget applications to the development of business plans and post-implementation operation.
In conclusion: Creating the "standard of the future" together with the Board of Education
iPresence is not just about providing a robot; it's about creating a next-generation educational infrastructure that breaks down the constraints of location and provides all students with equal, diverse, and high-quality learning opportunities.
We will use the power of technology to transform challenges such as teacher shortages and regional disparities into opportunities. NE.XT High School InitiativeTo realize the "flexible learning that fosters creativity" that they envision, we will support you every step of the way with our technology, passion, and extensive track record of successful implementations.
Let's create a new "normal" for the classroom of the future. Join us in designing the future of education in your region.
