[Okayama University] Holds First Graduate Teaching Associate-Facilitator (GTA-F) Certification Ceremony

March 30, 2026 National University Corporation Okayama University

https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/

◆Overview

National University Corporation Okayama University (Headquarters: Kita Ward, Okayama City, President: Yasutomo Kono) held its first Graduate Teaching Associate-Facilitator (GTA-F)※ certification ceremony on February 27, 2026 (Reiwa 7), certifying four graduate students as GTA-Fs.

GTA-Fs are graduate students who collaborate with faculty members in undergraduate educational activities, providing support for classes centered on facilitation. By engaging in class support activities such as facilitation in group work-based classes, they are expected to further enhance their skills in advanced educational practices.

Targeting graduate students in master's and first-year doctoral programs, the undergraduate first-year education subject "Exploration of Knowledge" is utilized as a practical training ground. Graduate students who enhance their instructional skills, self-reflection abilities, and leadership skills, and meet the criteria based on their achievements, are certified as GTA-Fs.

The certification ceremony began with opening remarks by Associate Professor Shuichiro Tao, Vice Director of the Center for Co-creation in Graduate Education, Organization for the Promotion of Educational Research. Following an explanation of GTA-F, certificates were awarded and remarks were made by Professor Makoto Suga, Director of the Organization for the Promotion of Educational Research (in charge of academic affairs) and Senior Vice President. After a commemorative photo session, a discussion was held among the graduate students, Director Suga, Vice President Kenji Tsuruta (in charge of graduate education reform), and Associate Professor Tao.

At the beginning of the discussion, Associate Professor Tao asked, "What are your impressions of the classes you took?" The graduate students shared feedback indicating their growth, such as, "It was a great opportunity to think practically about facilitation, including two-way communication," and "There were many things that were useful for my own research."

Next, Director Suga asked, "What motivated you to apply for this program?" The graduate students responded with various reasons, including, "I heard that the lecture class was about leadership theory, so I wanted to take this practical class," and "As I was an undergraduate during the COVID-19 pandemic, I didn't have much experience with group work, so I applied for my own experience."

Following that, Vice President Tsuruta asked, "Did you feel any generational gap with the first-year undergraduates?" The graduate students shared their thoughts based on their respective situations, such as, "I didn't feel much of a gap, but since I was an undergraduate during the pandemic, I envied seeing everyone gather for group work," and "As I am a working adult, there is a significant age difference. I felt they had more social skills compared to when I was a student."

Finally, Associate Professor Tao delivered closing remarks, bringing the ceremony to a harmonious conclusion. We look forward to the future development of the GTA-F training program.

This information was released by Okayama University on March 23, 2026.

＜Messages from Certified Individuals＞ ●First-year student, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies It was a very valuable experience to be able to practice and think about facilitation while enjoying it. If you are even a little interested, please take the course without hesitation!

●Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies