We have developed an intellectual property law learning support system for engineering students, comprising three subsystems:
(1) a video viewing system for recorded lectures;
(2) a legal text learning system (centered around a system that uses logical elements to construct legal texts as logical circuits); and
(3) an exercise system based on questions from the National Intellectual Property Management Skills Test Grade 3.

The system has been well-received by engineering students, and improvements have been made annually in response to feedback. When online education became necessary owing to the spread of COVID-19, this system functioned effectively. However, changes began to emerge in the way students interacted with their devices. Specifically, the use of smartphones significantly increased alongside that of personal computers (PCs) in online education. The system we developed was PC-based and initially incompatible with smartphones. Therefore, in response to student requests, we modified the system to make it accessible via smartphones, enabling students to use it by 2025. This system can be used asynchronously and freely by students enrolled in the Intellectual Property Law course offered by the Faculty of Engineering.

In this study, we analyzed the usage logs of an intellectual property law learning support system by students taking intellectual property law courses, conducted a questionnaire survey on the system, and conducted a questionnaire survey on student traits (e.g., whether they like reading) using a 4- or 5-point Likert scale. We subsequently analyzed the differences in traits between students who prefer using PCs and those who prefer using smartphones. The results indicated that students who like reading prefer PCs, whereas those who dislike reading prefer smartphones. Log analysis of access to each subsystem revealed that PCs were used more frequently for lecture viewing, with majority of the respondents citing “the blackboard is difficult to see on a smartphone” as the reason. However, access from smartphones was also relatively high for other subsystems. Text analysis of the free comments in the questionnaire revealed that students who preferred PCs often used terms such as “statutes” and “VR” and were interested in learning statutes by constructing logical circuits, whereas those who preferred smartphones most frequently used terms related to practicality and used smartphones because of their convenience. Additionally, regarding reading preferences, it was suggested that the difference between vertical and horizontal writing in Japanese may influence the evaluation of PCs and smartphones. Analyzing the relationship between digital devices and visual characteristics could lead to the development of better learning support systems in the future.

Keywords: Learning Support System, Intellectual Property Law, System Development, Logical Circuits, Smartphone.