#Japan #Canva #Digital Hollywood #Ofunato #Iwaizumi High School

High School Students Create Self-Promotion Videos with Canva

On December 18, 2025, Iwaizumi High School, recognized as a DX High School by the High School DX Acceleration Promotion Project, participated in a special class focused on creating self-promotion videos utilizing Canva. This initiative stems from a collaboration with Digital Hollywood Academy, an institution that trains talent in IT and digital content creation. Digital Hollywood has been active in providing support for the integration and utilization of online learning in high schools, aiming to nurture digital creative education.

Background of the Special Class

Iwaizumi High School continues its participation in the High School DX Acceleration Promotion Project for the 2025 academic year. In the previous year, students learned the basics of operating MacBook and Final Cut Pro, alongside producing an introduction video for the school using the design tool Canva. Following feedback from students expressing a desire for more direct instruction from professional creators in digital creativity, the school decided to offer a special class this year as well.

The school has been placing significant emphasis on exploratory activities, particularly through their 'Ofunato Learning' program. Recently, they have been focusing on developing students' abilities to express their thoughts and unique qualities using digital tools. Building upon last year's experience of creating a school introduction video with templates, this year’s focus shifted towards empowering students to develop their self-expression through self-promotion videos. Prior to the video production, foundational knowledge, such as the difference between cloud storage and local storage, was introduced, along with essential terms and considerations for broadcasting information online. This was aimed at enhancing students' literacy in using computers and the internet responsibly.

Overview of the Class

The special class was conducted for approximately 260 first and second-year students at Iwaizumi High School, divided into two sessions lasting 100 minutes each. Each session accommodated around 130 students, ensuring a manageable environment for all participants. The sessions were instructed by Ai Ishikawa, a current creator and lecturer at Digital Hollywood STUDIO Yokohama.

The students were divided into four classrooms on the day of the lesson. The first half of the session involved a live class via Zoom connected to desks in each classroom. The latter half was designated for individual work, where the instructor and teaching assistants rotated between classrooms, providing personalized support for each student’s production efforts. Despite the large number of students, detailed and tailored guidance was given to meet varying levels of understanding and progress.

Class Flow:

• - What does a creator do?
• - Proper use of the internet and generative AI
• - Differences between cloud and local storage, and operation methods for various devices (iPad, Chromebook)
• - Introduction to Canva
• - Workshop on creating self-promotion videos using Canva
• - Summary

Student Feedback and Survey Results

Post-class surveys indicated that:

• - 80.3% of the 211 students felt motivated to use Canva after the class.
• - 92.3% found the content easy to understand.
• - 91.8% believed the knowledge gained would be useful in the future.
• - 73.8% developed an interest in video production as a result of the class.

In contrast, in the previous year’s survey of 177 students, 78% expressed motivation to use Canva post-class, with 81.9% finding the lessons clear, and 78.5% developing an interest in video production.

Comments from Students

Many students shared their experiences and thoughts about the workshop:

• - “I learned that Canva can do various things, not only video editing but also generative AI, image, and music editing. I believe if I learn to operate it, I will find it easy to use in the future.”
• - “I hadn't edited videos since my first-year classes, but I managed to create one by consulting with my group members. It was fun to add cute effects and animations.”
• - “I found it challenging when I made mistakes, but I learned by helping and teaching my friends. I think I'll be using computers more often, so I want to get used to it gradually.”

Comments from the Program Coordinator at Digital Hollywood

Our organization has been supporting the DX advancement of Iwaizumi High School for two years running. This year's special class saw nearly half the students having experienced last year’s introduction video lesson, which helped foster a collaborative learning environment among students. Thus, we were able to progress smoothly throughout the course. The post-class survey reflected an increase in understanding and satisfaction.

However, we also received feedback noting, “While the content was clear, I found some parts a bit challenging due to my lack of knowledge about machines. I aim to improve from now on.” We take such feedback to heart and will strive to create an inclusive teaching environment that allows all students to challenge themselves without hesitation.

Comments from Vice Principal Katsuhiko Hirata of Iwaizumi High School

We greatly appreciate the opportunity to conduct our second session focusing on self-introduction video production using Canva. This time, considering insights from last year, you thoroughly covered the appropriate use of generative AI, copyright considerations, and the foundational differences between local and cloud storage. This has deepened students' understanding and seen them engage actively in video production. We hope you can continue to guide us in helping students effectively showcase their uniqueness using such tools. Thank you once again for your continued support.

About Iwaizumi High School

Located in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, Iwaizumi High School places a strong emphasis on student autonomy and independence through its educational approach. Recently, it has been working on enhancing students' self-drive through exploratory programs like 'Ofunato Learning.'

About Digital Hollywood Academy

Since its establishment in 2005, Digital Hollywood has pursued educational quality improvement through blended learning of video materials and face-to-face instruction. The Digital Hollywood Academy extends this to schools and educational institutions, helping implement video materials for various subjects and providing dedicated support for digital creative education through special classes and teacher training. Starting in spring 2026, a curriculum themed around “Exploration × Information” in collaboration with Benesse is also planned.

For inquiries regarding future project engagements, please reach out at [email protected] (Contact: Hagiwara).