USM ComSci Students Bring Home Awards from HackforGov 2025
December 1, 2025
Dr. Naoki Suzuki, a Physical Education (PE) Professor from Tokyo Gakugei University in Japan, visited the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) for a Lecture Visit to Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd) and Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Sciences (BSESS) November 29, 2025, at the University Commercial Building, USM, Kabacan Cotabato.
He began his discussion by talking about Gakugei University. It is one of 11 national universities in Tokyo, Japan, and is known as a leading university for education. He explained that Gakugei University has developed programs to better support professional school teachers and also hosts several national research centers focused on education.
In his lecture, he shared different teaching and learning strategies with the students and College of Human Kinetics (CHK) faculty members. He stressed that teachers should teach games by letting students play and learn through them. He also said that teachers need to design games that help students improve their understanding and skills. According to him, teaching is more about guiding and supporting students than just giving instructions. Teachers also create assessment methods that encourage learning and make it long-lasting.
He even showed videos demonstrating how Virtual Reality (VR) and AI were used in PE classes, both for regular students and for students with special needs. During the lecture, he emphasized that technology—especially VR—helps students assess their own performance and correct mistakes after seeing them. For students with special needs, VR also boosted their confidence, allowing them to participate and perform without the fear of being judged.
“Solving the problem is important for students… I think jumping over the obstacle is not the whole point, it is when they know how to decide for themselves, see it using the technology and learn from it,” The Japanese Professor remarked.
We asked Dr. Suzuki about the relevance of PE today, and here’s what he had to say:
“…This is to ensure students get holistic well-being- their physical health, mental health, emotional health, and social health. PE is a basic subject, but some countries do not have one. For these countries, I always make sure to impart knowledge on how PE plays a role in achieving a happy life,” he added.
“Unlike Japan, most of the Filipino schools unfortunately do not have facilities needed for PE, but after school, students have a big chance to play, take on the experience of playing some activities inside the school because they have very wide campus space. I think it is good. Filipino students could develop more and more through these activities,” Dr. Suzuki explained.
“In PE, we do not need everyone to be sporty, we just need them to interact, to move, to engage. PE goes beyond sports alone,” the visitor spoke.
Before ending his lecture, he emphasized that XR and AI together have the power to transform education. XR allows for immersive, hands-on learning, while AI supports personalized growth and reflection. Combined, they create new opportunities for inclusive, engaging, and adaptive education. He encouraged everyone to keep designing learning spaces where every student can thrive.
His visit was guided by the theme: “Transforming Physical Education through XR, AI, and Cutting-Edge Technologies.
