THORPE Todd

Major in Global StudiesAssociate Professor

Last Updated :2024/08/31

■Researcher comments

Comments

SDGs入門 国際教養研究A 多文化共生社会と言語 異文化理解 模擬国連 多様性と世界を理解する視点

List of press-related appearances

The goal of this seminar is to significantly contribute to the development of students' 21st century skills through a variety of active learning opportunities in English. In the first semester of their 3rd year, students will participate in a simulation of the United Nations. This cooperative, hands-on learning experience will allow students to confront a global issue in English from the perspective of their assigned country. Through this experience, students will appreciate different viewpoints, recognize the frustration of negotiation, cherish the rewards of cooperation, and develop a broader view of the human side of international relations and diplomacy. In the second semester of their 3rd year, students will join eighty other university students from around Japan at the annual Asia Community Engagement conference. At this conference, students will work together in English to solve a variety of corporate problems introduced by some of Japan’s leading companies. In their 4th year, teams of seminar students will report on the sweet spots of various communities and topics throughout Japan. This collaborative community journalism activity will help students learn more about the rich culture of local communities while getting hands-on experience with modern technology and the English language. All of the digital media that students produce will be used as part of their English graduation project.

■Researcher basic information

Degree

  • Master of Arts in TESL/TEFL（Birmingham University）
  • B.Ed (Secondary Education)（University of Alberta）

Homepage URL

J-Global ID

Profile

  • After graduating from the University of Alberta with a degree in Secondary Education, I went backpacking through Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii and eventually made my way to Japan where I found a new passion for international education. This fresh enthusiasm led me to pursue a Master of Arts degree in TESL/TEFL with a dissertation focus on study abroad preparation.

    Throughout my time in Japan, my experiences as an educator and as a learner of Japanese language and culture have enabled me to see international education from different perspectives. Through these perspectives, I have gained a deeper understanding of the needs of students as well as valuable knowledge to analyze my own individual culture and my approach to teaching and learning. I am proud to share my experiences with my students and forever curious to discover what the world has to offer.

    My research interests are active and experiential learning. I am actively involved in two student conferences called the Japan English Model United Nations (JEMUN) and a corporate problem solving conference called the Asia Community Engagement (ACE) conference. Get in touch if you are interested in collaborating.

Research Keyword

  • Problem solving   Community Engagement   Simulation-based Learning   Active Learning   LEGO®︎Serious Play®︎   会話分析   コーパス   ネゴシエーション   Model United Nations   

Current research field

SDGs入門 国際教養研究A 多文化共生社会と言語 異文化理解 模擬国連 多様性と世界を理解する視点

Research Field

  • Humanities & social sciences / Foreign language education

■Career

Career

  • 2008/04  Kindai University国際学部准教授

Educational Background

  • 2002 - 2005  University of Birmingham  MA in TEFL/TESL
  • 1993 - 1997  University of Alberta  Secondary Education

Member History

  • 2016/09 - Today   Japan English Model United Nations Conference   Conference Organizing Committee
  • 2014 - Today   Asia Community Engagement Conference   Conference Organizing Committee
  • 2006/02 -2018/02   JALT   Study Abroad SIG

■Research activity information

Paper

  • Innovative Teaching Methods to Integrate and Internationalise Learning Environments at Japanese Universities
    Todd Thorpe
    Conference Proceedings (AC 2018 in Prague) 151 - 157 2018/08 [Refereed]
     
    Conference Proceedings of the AC 2018 in Prague
  • Using LEGO®︎Serious Play®︎ to Foster Communication in Intercultural English Problem-Solving Discussions
    Robert Dunn; Calum Adamson; Todd Thorpe
    Journal of International Studies (2) 41 - 54 2017/11
  • Creativity and collaboration: using CALL to facilitate international collaboration for online journalism at a Model United Nations event
    Sheehan, Mark D; Thorpe, Todd; Dunn, Robert
    Critical CALL-Proceedings of the 2015 EUROCALL Conference 502 - 506 2015/12 [Refereed]
    ダウンロード
  • Improving Online Forums for Pre-Conference Multicultural Collaboration and Communication
    Todd Thorpe; Shigehiro Haruki; Andrew Atkins
    HICE 2015 Conference Proceedings 431 - 444 2015
  • Thorpe, T; Sheehan, M.D; Sarich, E; Dunn, R
    JALT PanSIG 2015 Conference Proceedings. JALT Publications (全国語学教育学会) 198 - 204 2015 [Refereed]
  • Problem Solving and Community Engagement at a University Student Conference.
    Sheehan, M.D; Thorpe, T; Dunn, R; Sarich, E
    JALT PanSIG 2015 Conference Proceedings. JALT Publications (全国語学教育学会) 177 - 182 2015 [Refereed]
  • Todd Thorpe
    CHAOS 近畿大学大学院文芸学研究科 10 (10) 101 - 118 2187-7114 2013/03 [Refereed]
  • Preparing Students for a Model United Nations
    Todd Thorpe
    Kobe City University of Foreign Studies Journal 82 49 - 72 2012/03 [Refereed]
  • Passport to Study Abroad: Preparing Students for the Journey of a Lifetime
    Todd Thorpe; Co-author; Ross Miller
    2010 PAC-KOREA TESOL International Conference Proceedings. Seoul: PAC 2011/09 [Refereed]

MISC

Books and other publications

Research Themes

  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science：Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
    Date (from‐to) : 2016/04 -2019/03 
    Author : Mark Sheehan
     
    Investigator Sheehan and Thorpe acquired LSP facilitator qualifications. Through practical implementation, the LSP facilitators gained a deeper understanding of the LSP method, specifically in relation to group problem solving. The results of this research include the development of a number of unique methods to engage learners in problem-solving workshops using the Lego Serious Play Methodology. The results can be implemented at Model United Nations Conferences and in numerous fields of education that require collaboration and creativity.
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science：Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
    Date (from‐to) : 2014/04 -2018/03 
    Author : ZENUK-NISHIDE Lori
     
    To rectify this gap of empirically-grounded materials and methods for the teaching of academic spoken negotiation, teaching materials were created and piloted from our Model United Nations simulation negotiation data. Negotiation phases were analyzed by discourse analysis; and conversation analysis of relationship development, identity, face management, and emotional expression. The piloted materials for teaching negotiation in six Model United Nation courses included participation in the following simulations: The National Model United Nations (November, 2016, hosted by Kobe University of Foreign Studies; March, 2017, United States; November, 2017, Canada; and March, 2018 United States); the Japan University English Model United Nations (Kobe, June, 2017); and the Tsukuba English Model United Nations (Tsukuba, December, 2017).
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science：Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
    Date (from‐to) : 2011 -2013 
    Author : ZENUK-NISHIDE Lori; TATSUKI Donna; THORPE TODD
     
    This 3-year project examined what Japanese non-native-English speakers negotiating at international university Model United Nations (MUN) with native and other non-native speakers of English are lacking. This research was accomplished in three stages: 1) By critically evaluating English ELT materials on negotiation for non-native English speakers-identifying what vocabulary, grammar and functions are being targeted, the rationale and data sources. 2) Scholars collaborated with spoken corpus experts and four corpora began to be constructed. MUN negotiation data was collected from native English speakers and non-native English speakers in Japan, Europe and Asia; 3) Through applied conversation analysis, an analytical framework studying the orders of talk-in-interaction, we were able to learn how social acts in MUN negotiation are packaged and delivered in linguistic terms.