Nihon University (College of Bioresource Sciences)
Installation of “Active Learning” in the Memorial Building to accelerate new styles of education
Active Learning Studio
Background
The Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, located in Shonan, Kanagawa Prefecture, promotes advanced research and education in a wide range of fields related to biology and life sciences. In 2012, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the school, the 60th Anniversary Memorial Building was built under the concept of “becoming an ‘energizing center of collaboration.’” The college hopes that this building will become a place where students can proactively learn and cooperate with each other while experiencing a vibrant campus life. To support this concept, we implemented Audio Visual (AV) equipment that aligns with this theme.
Systems
◆Active Learning
The first classroom you will see after entering the 60th Anniversary Memorial Building is the “Active Learning Studio.” The Active Learning method pushes students to solve problems in a cooperative, interactive style, so we transformed this classroom into an environment that can be adapted to fit a wide variety of arrangements for small groups. The classroom has movable chairs and desks. Each desk can be adjusted for size and even comes with a movable whiteboard that can be used during discussions. The classroom also has Wi-Fi, which allows students to make the most of the space without having to rely on internet cables. The Active Learning method deepens learning by giving students opportunities to proactively have discussions and collect information, through which they can learn practical skills that will be useful in the working world. In addition, the College of Bioresource Sciences, with its large campus surrounded by an abundance of nature, offers direct exposure to living things and their production processes. This allows students to incorporate what they learned from field research directly into class lectures. In fact, we have received positive feedback stating that the lectures in the Department of Bioscience in Daily Life have effectively motivated students to work on their communication skills and express their opinions.
An iPad is used to operate the projector/AV Control equipment is installed in the machine room.
◆Lecture Rooms (250 seats)
The 60th Anniversary Memorial Building has three lecture rooms with 90, 200, and 250 seats respectively. The desks and chairs in these lecture rooms are arranged laterally to help lecturers see the faces of each student more clearly. This special arrangement of desks and chairs encourages interactive lessons, in which students actively participate in discussions, rather than one-way lessons where students passively listen to their lecturers. However, the disadvantage of this sitting arrangement is that students sitting on both ends of the front row cannot clearly see the blackboard. In order to address this issue, we have attached a small camera to the ceiling and made it possible to record the blackboard and project it on the screens on both sides of the blackboard.
Lecture room with 250 seats. View from the left end seat in the first row (Bottom right)
◆Control Desk
Instead of using the touch panels that have become more common in recent years, we have opted to use the button type console for our control desk, as they generally prove to be more reliable. The console is tilted upwards from the desk to create a better angle for users to operate the system from a sitting position. We have also made the lecturer’s desk less crowded by designing it in such a way that the AV device and the document camera can be quickly pulled out as needed. All of these efforts are being made to help lecturers and students focus on their lessons.
Lecture Room (90 seats)
For further convenience, the AV device, document camera and control desk have been combined into one movable unit. For example, when lecture slides are being projected on the screens, the whole AV rack can be moved as necessary to a spot that is convenient for the user. The rack has also been designed to stand at a convenient height, enabling stress-free operation when using the document camera from the podium.
◆Theater Space
The Theater Space, an expansive, five-story atrium, was created in the center of the 60th Anniversary Memorial Building. There are amphitheater stairs from the entrance hall on the 1st floor to the lounge on the 2nd floor, with a movable projector and a motorized projector screen installed at the top of the stairs and on the opposite wall, respectively. The amphitheater stairs were designed to be used as seats for events. The space as a whole was designed with the aim to allow students to socialize with each other and to provide opportunities for collaboration. To further encourage students to engage with and use the facility, the screen and projector can be activated simply through a touch panel.
View from the entrance on the 1st floor (Left) /View from the top of the stairs (Top right)
Future Prospects
The 60th Anniversary Memorial Building was established following deep consideration and thorough research on educational institutes that cultivate students’ futures. We believe that the effectiveness of education can be increased by implementing ICT equipment that can be used by everyone. To this end, we have stationed Totsu employees in the university, where, along with providing support services, they also keep open lines of communication with lecturers. We will continue to integrate new ideas and requests from lecturers, regardless of their diversified education styles, and open up new possibilities in the future of education.
Photos: Totsu Sangyo Co., Ltd. (Reproduction or use of the photographs is prohibited.)
