A University of Toledo course that introduces students to the richness and diversity of Japanese culture recently earned international recognition for excellence in online teaching and learning.
JAPN 1090: Introduction to Japanese Culture, taught by Dr. Kasumi Yamazaki, received the 2026 Blackboard Exemplary Course Award, which recognizes outstanding courses worldwide that demonstrate excellence in course design, interaction and collaboration, assessment and learner support. Established in 2000, the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program highlights innovative and engaging courses that exemplify best practices in online education.
Dr. Kasumi Yamazaki’s asynchronous online course, JAPN 1090: Introduction to Japanese Culture, was recognized for its innovative design, meaningful student engagement and overall excellence in online education.
“I’m excited about receiving this recognition,” said Yamazaki, an associate professor and director of UToledo’s Japanese Program. “I hope it encourages even more students to become interested in learning about Japanese language and culture with us at The University of Toledo Japanese Program, including future College Credit Plus students who may be exploring college-level language and culture courses online.”
The course was originally developed as a large asynchronous online offering serving approximately 100 students each semester. Designing a course at that scale while maintaining meaningful engagement, accessibility and individualized student support presented both opportunities and challenges.
“Creating an online course at that scale while still fostering meaningful engagement, accessibility and student support has been both challenging and rewarding, which makes this recognition especially meaningful to me,” Yamazaki said.
Dr. Barbara Kopp Miller, vice provost for UToledo Online and Workforce Development, said the award reflects Yamazaki’s dedication to teaching and the collaborative efforts that support online course development at the University.
“Congratulations to Dr. Kasumi Yamazaki on this well-deserved recognition from Blackboard,” Kopp Miller said. “The Exemplary Course Award reflects Dr. Yamazaki’s dedication to creating a rich, engaging learning experience that brings Japanese culture to life for students while exemplifying excellence in online course design. This achievement also highlights the collaborative partnership between our faculty and UToledo Online instructional designers, whose shared commitment to innovation, accessibility and student success continues to earn national recognition.
“We are proud that Introduction to Japanese Culture joins the growing list of University of Toledo courses recognized through the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program.”
Yamazaki credited the collaborative efforts of colleagues across campus, particularly the instructional design team that supported the course’s development.
“I want to give a shout out to my instructional designer, Amber Sherick, and the team at UToledo Online for their support throughout the course design process,” she said. “Their instructional design expertise and collaboration are always top-notch, helping shape the course into a thoughtful and student-centered learning experience. We are lucky to have such a supportive team on our campus.”
The award continues a tradition of excellence in online course design at UToledo. Previous Blackboard Exemplary Course Award recipients include ART 1070: Fundamentals of Digital Media in 2013 (Seder Burns and Phoebe Ballard), UTLV 1000: Online Teaching Certificate in 2014 (Phoebe Ballard and Mingli Xiao), Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Training in 2018 (Claire Stuve), PUBH 6520/HEAL 8520: Public Health Nutrition in 2020 (Debra Boardley and Claire Stuve), COMM 4340: Visual Communication II in 2020 (Melissa Gleckler) and CHIN 1090: Chinese Culture in 2023 (Mingli Xiao).
The recognition highlights UToledo Online’s longstanding commitment to supporting high-quality online and blended learning experiences through collaboration among faculty, instructional designers, educational technologists and support staff.
While the award recognizes excellence in course design, Yamazaki emphasized that students have been at the center of the course’s success.
“Most importantly, the students who have taken this course over the past two years have made the experience incredibly rewarding,” she said. “I always have so much fun teaching this course, and my students’ curiosity and enthusiasm for learning about Japanese culture, along with their wonderful feedback after completing the course, continue to inspire me to improve and refine the course each semester.”
For Yamazaki, the award also shines a light on the often-unseen work that goes into creating high-quality online learning experiences.
“It is encouraging to see online teaching and course design recognized in this way, especially since so much of the work happens quietly behind the scenes,” she said. “I’m excited to continue creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences for our students in the years ahead.”
JAPN 1090 explores Japanese traditions, history, popular culture, social customs and contemporary issues, providing students with a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most influential cultures. Through engaging online learning activities, collaborative experiences and student-centered course design, the course has introduced hundreds of students to Japanese culture while serving as a model for excellence in online education.
