コペンハーゲンでの講演
Tokai University European Center (TUEC) Japanese Language Education Workshop Spring 2013
Worksession Summary (Tateoka)
The value of learning in collaboration is widely recognized. Nevertheless, in practical reality, it does not suffice simply to divide students into groups and assign a task. A certain measure of consideration for structure and design is required. Through a process of trial and error, I have gradually modified the design of collaborative learning exercises. Let’s consider the following two questions: “How can people learn together?” and, “How can we arrange language education so that is does not stop at skill acquisition, but stimulates an active thinking process?”
1. From Group Activity to Learning Together
Through repeated use of group activities in learning I have come to realize that group activities do not necessarily always ensure a positive learning experience for each individual learner. This then prompts the question, “What is necessary to ensure fruitful collaborative learning?”
First of all, it is important with a clearly define purpose explaining the aim of an activity. Even though collaborative learning tends to increase a student’s utterance frequency in class and to lead to a more active participation in classroom exercises, there are also cases where collaborative learning does not facilitate a deeper reflection on the topic at hand, therefore making it difficult to gauge the extent of learning achieved by the students. In such cases, the individual activities have become separated from the overall aim of the class. In short, it is important that both teacher and students share a clear understanding of the purpose of the class.
Secondly, in order to achieve the purpose of the class activities, specific support is required. For example, an appropriate support structure (scaffolding) suited to the student’s needs and consisting of background information and necessary linguistic assistance. It is also necessary to design specific exercises that allow students to focus on the dialogue process by writing down their thoughts, and then comparing similarities and differences.
2. From Skill Training to Thinking
A conventional approach sees the study of Japanese as an exercise in acquiring knowledge of the language and using this knowledge to communicate. Classroom exercises have therefore consisted of training certain language skills. An example is Japanese reading comprehension where the object has been to achieve a “correct reading” of a Japanese text. Students study sentence patterns and based on their grammatical knowledge and vocabulary strive towards being able to read a text. However, what does it mean for the learner “to be able to read” a text? In my opinion reading a text entails a process consisting of considering its theme and the thoughts of the author, discussing impressions of the text with classmates and using this interaction as an opportunity to reflect on one’s initial interpretation of the text. In short, text comprehension is an exercise in developing and refining one’s understanding and thinking patterns. It is also important to select texts and respective exercises that engage the reader/student at a personal level. Language study is not only about developing skills for gaining an increased command of a language. It is also an exercise in interaction with other people, an attempt at mutual understanding, and an endeavor to create something new from such interplay. The classroom should be used as a space for the purpose of realizing such meetings between people.
In the society of the future, the need for people from different cultural backgrounds to come together and create something new in cooperation with each other will only increase. Peer learning, therefore, should not only be understood in its narrow sense concerning development of Japanese language ability, but must also be seen in its much broader sense as a method for learning how to construct meaningful and constructive relations between people from disparate cultures.
- Tateoka, Y. (2013, April 27-28). “Designing Processes for Collaborative Learning: Collaborative Reading in the Classroom.” Tokai University European Center (TUEC) Japanese Language Education Workshop (Denmark, Vedbæk: TUEC). [Report: PDF]