Student Growth Through 'Cross-Boundary Matches': The Changes Brought by Boundary-Crossing Learning

1 Background

Since becoming a university staff member, I have been happy to see students grow firsthand. I often think about how much people can change during their four years at university. Of course, there are some students who barely change at all. I believe this is such an important period. Because I have been in a department where I interact with students on a daily basis for the past four years, I often think about when students grow.

2 When do they grow?

They grow a little when they achieve something or overcome hardship. On a daily basis, they grow through these steady efforts. However, they grow dramatically when they 'overcome a crisis' or 'take on a challenge themselves'. These situations are likely to lead to significant growth if there is appropriate feedback, as feedback allows for multifaceted reflection. On the other hand, there are cases where multifaceted reflection is possible even without feedback. That is
'cross-boundary matches (boundary-crossing learning)'.

3 What is a cross-boundary match (boundary-crossing learning)?: From a lecture by Mr. Tsuneki Ishiyama (Introduction to Boundary-Crossing Learning)

'Boundary-crossing' means crossing the boundary between one's home and away for an individual.
'Away' means an unfamiliar place full of strangers where one's usual language does not work, and where one experiences a slight sense of discomfort or unease. The lack of hierarchy, heterogeneity, and abstraction here provide an opportunity to re-examine what one can do. This is a situation where multifaceted reflection is possible even without feedback, and sometimes one realizes what they truly want to do.

4 The effects of cross-boundary matches that I felt

Last year, I took two or three students at a time to an open-style seminar at a nearby public university about eight times a year. At first, while they felt discomfort or unease, they seemed to be able to express their true selves in the process of building relationships. The same was true when I took students to a joint training session at a private university further away. Although there were some students who could not easily express themselves, it seemed to be a great opportunity to re-examine themselves. In both cases, the effects appeared when they returned to their home (their own university). They seemed to have
leveled up their leadership and followership, such as by acting proactively, making proposals themselves, and reaching out to surrounding students.

5 Why cross-boundary matches are effective

In addition to the 'realizing what I really want to do' and 'it was a great opportunity to re-examine myself' mentioned above, I often heard the comment that 'the students at the other university were amazing'. In fact, I have also heard from the other university that 'your students are amazing', so it seems they both think that way about each other. I think they are stretching themselves a little bit when introducing themselves. That becomes a stimulus, and with the addition of hints for activities, they probably feel like they want to give it a try at their home (their own university).

6 Points to note about cross-boundary matches

There are some students who participate in many cross-boundary matches but do not grow at all. Those students only do the bare minimum in classes and extracurricular activities at their own university. In other words, they are only doing cross-boundary matches, which is the same as running away from home (their own university). When this happens, the effect does not appear even when they return home, and it could even be said that they are in a state of having no home.

7 Conclusion

It is comfortable to be in the usual place with the usual members. That is home. However, even if it is a little uncomfortable at first, if you try going away, you can see yourself, see your surroundings from a bird's-eye view, and sometimes feel like you want to give it a try at home. Once in a while, I want you to take a step forward and participate in a cross-boundary match. (This applies not only to students but also to working adults, I think.)