4. A Switch to a Style of Education That Emphasizes Interactive Problem Finding and Solving

Core Strategies of Waseda

4. A Switch to a Style of Education That Emphasizes Interactive Problem Finding and Solving

Waseda University will develop environments for distance, online, and on-demand class environments, innovate the ways in which educational materials and class formats are developed, and shift its emphasis from a one-way lecture-based classroom format to an interactive style of education based on student participation that focuses on practical exercises and seminars as well as a project-based style of education that also focuses on fieldwork. In doing this, Waseda aims to enhance the ability of its students to identify problems and propose solutions.

 Purpose and aim
 Reform points
 Related projects

We aim to develop a system that will enable classes to be recorded easily and automatically and a system that will support the digitization of teaching materials, promote the digitization of course content, and allow many course subjects to be made available on demand. We will also strengthen individualized direct instruction, starting from the freshman year, by developing classes based on student participation that are mainly centered on exercises and seminars (e.g., student presentations and debates). Furthermore, by shifting our focus to a project-based style of education, we will provide more opportunities for our students to identify and propose solutions to problems through group work.

Implement a variety of measures to reduce the workload on faculty members by, for example, utilizing ICT and other measures aimed at enhancing support and reducing teaching hours.
Consider the purpose of an interactive style of education that emphasizes problem finding and solving at the student’s initiative and allows faculty members to give detailed instructions. In addition, consider how the university can best support such a style of education.

Project to Develop and Establish Interactive and Student-Oriented Teaching Methods by Exploring “Good Practice” inside and outside the University
Project to Build an Information Infrastructure That Supports Innovation in Educational Methods and the Independent and Active Learning of Students
Project to Review Teaching Methods by Utilizing Teaching Assistants and ICT
Project to Reform the Education System
Project to Promote the Intensiveness and Interactiveness of Undergraduate Programs

[Column: A Style of Education That Emphasizes Interactive Problem Finding and Solving]

For course subjects taken by a significant number of students, an interactive, two-way style of education is increasingly being adopted to enable students to deepen their understanding of the educational content by exchanging opinions with teachers and classmates rather than just receiving knowledge imparted by teachers in a unilateral way. Furthermore, in today’s globalized society, there is a growing need for courses to be provided in a style like this in order to allow students to develop the ability to think for themselves and provide logical explanations for problems that have no correct answers.

[Column: Reaffirming the Importance of Waseda’s Existence]

Today, the planet faces a variety of problems (sustainability, peace, crisis management, etc.) due to a lack of established global governance. Given this, a key mission for universities is to focus on the multifaceted nature of globalization as well as the global, regional, national, and local levels of governance to implement a style of education and research based on identifying and solving problems.

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Core Strategies of Waseda