Abstract

In Japanese schools, from elementary to college levels, digital technologies are not widely used for writing education. It sounds paradoxical that computer use in writing education is not flourishing in a country where ordinary people, especially the youth, actively use the Internet and cellular phones to exchange written (or typed) messages, where schools are well-equipped with computer technologies, and where the government shows guidelines and rationales for using information and communication technologies in teaching and learning at schools. This article analyzes the background behind this paradoxical situation. After analyzing how much research on and the practice of digital writing education has been made in the country, this paper discusses the nature of writing education and digital discourse in the Japanese culture and its possible relations to the lack of computerized writing education in Japanese schools.

Keywords: Digital writing; Writing education; Japan; Everyday writing activities; Cultural backgrounds of writing education

Article Outline

1. Introduction

2. Connectivity and users

2.1. Everyday use of the Internet and mobile technologies

2.2. Computers and Internet at schools

3. Curriculum contents of Japanese schools: the “Course of Study”

3.1. Information studies

3.2. Language and literacy

4. Publications on computerized writing instruction

4.1. Academic journals

4.2. Magazines for teachers

4.3. Books

5. Hesitation of adopting computers and networks in writing education

5.1. Concepts of writing and composition in Japanese schools

5.2. Writing and technology

6. Conclusions

References

Vitae