NORIKO AKIHO-TOYODA (NIIGATA UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH AND WELFARE)

INTEGRATING ANIMATION INTO MEDICAL EDUCATION: ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING THROUGH COLLABORATION : ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC/SPECIFIC PURPOSES

This project explores the integration of English language learning into medical education through animated storytelling. Building on a previous initiative with the Department of Orthoptics, which produced English dance and song animations for children's eye exercises starting in 2022, our current work involves creating short animations depicting patient experiences and therapeutic episodes. These animations foster empathy and comprehension among students from Occupational Therapy and Anime and Manga departments. Recent studies emphasize animation's potential to convey complex medical concepts effectively (Smith et al., 2023). "Comics are valuable tools for health education, particularly for adult patients, offering accessible and engaging formats for delivering medical information" (Ashwal & Thomas, 2019). A symposium held in March 2024 discussed animation's role in medical education, involving medical professionals, researchers, and creators. This interdisciplinary collaboration enhances students' ability to communicate and empathize with patient experiences. Our project leverages animation's power to portray psychological aspects of medical care. Through collaborative efforts, students explore innovative ways to communicate medical narratives using motion, sound, and storytelling. Key objectives include fostering collaboration, enhancing language proficiency, and developing empathy. We outline our process of conceptualizing, producing, and evaluating animated videos within educational settings. This project contributes to integrating arts and humanities into medical education. Our findings highlight the transformative potential of interdisciplinary initiatives in fostering empathy and linguistic proficiency among future healthcare professionals. In conclusion, by using animation to bridge language learning with medical education, we aim to enhance understanding and empathy in healthcare contexts.

Having studied SLA (MA) at Birkbeck, London, she currently teaches English and global medical communication at a healthcare university. With prior experience in ICT literacy and a background in multicultural living, she brings a diverse range to language teaching, including animation, Vocaloid, and nonverbal communication.