Education : Mathematics : Designer-Raising

	Panel of chairpersons, ladies and gentlemen : Or, Mr./Madam Chairman, thank you for your introduction. Ladies and gentlemen : It's a pleasure to be here in Helsinki. In this presentation, We would like to propose a concept of "well-being" which is adaptive to the new period. And we describe an idea of conforming teacher-training course to this well-being. Finally, we report our practice in our teacher training course.

	We would like to start off by showing the context where our subjects of "well-being" and "teacher training course" are placed. The teacher training course is related to the subject of "well-being" in a dual structure. It trains college students so that they will be "well" when they become teachers. And this "well-being" implies that they, in school education, bring, on their students, "well-being". We regard the "well-being" in the new period is closely related to our ability for designing. We simply call this ability "designer's ability". Thus, teacher training course should be conformed to the new period, in such a form as "designer raising".

	Here is the content we are to present. Firstly, we talk about the reason by which we reach our current practice. The reasoning starts from our understanding on the new situation in our country, Japan. Then we consider the concept of "well-being" in this new stage, and the ability which realizes this "well-being". We characterize the ability as "designer's ability". And we, as faculty in a teacher training college, set up the subject of "math course for designer raising". Finally, we report our practice on "designer raising".

	Current situation in Japan is abstracted like this. And it may be a global trend. Shift to Global Market Economy IT-Centered Rapid Progress of Technology Reinforcement of Competition Mechanism Accordingly, the conformation of our system to this situation has been our problem. That is, Deregulation Restructuring Promoting Venturist Raising Human Resource And the latter two, "Promoting Venturist" and "Raising Human Resource" are subjects the education concerns.



	Here we consider the concept of "well-being" which is meaningful in the new situation. First of all, we regard "well-being" as a state of our self-affirmation. Then, we consider the elements, or conditions, of this self-affirmation. In this sequence, we focus these categories. And, in our practice, we especially focus these categories colored red. Logical Speciality (that is, Math) IT Literacy Design Use of IT



	Here let us consider the ability for being well in the new period. We abstract it as "designer's ability". Indeed, a highly individuality/diversity-oriented, and deregulated society is to come. In this situation, our way of living depends on our "designer's ability".

	The "designer's ability" would be approached from two sides : Ability for being good producer : That is, creating/developing "well-being" for others. And ability for being good consumer : That is, creating/developing her/his own "well-being"

	Here we consider "designer" as "person who can design total solution". In particular, "designer" implies "good problem solver". We would be interested in the condition for being designer, with such viewpoints as, Obligation Trait/Ability Action Self-Development but here, let us skip this subject to spare time.



	Now we show the logic by which the subject of "Math Course for Designer Raising" is set. We reach the subject: "To conform teacher training course to designer raising" by the reason we previously described.

	This is the reason. We won't repeat this. Would you please just scan quickly?

	And, this is a rough, and not necessarily strict, inference that deduces the proposition: "Teacher training is designer raising" Let us see. "Instruction design is Information design" Thus, "Teacher is information designer" "Teacher is planner of education" Thus, "Teacher is project/enterprise/business designer" "Teacher is instructor of 'well-being'" Thus, "Teacher is 'well-being' designer" Thus, "Teacher is designer" Since "Teacher is designer", therefore "Teacher training is designer raising"

	Here we relate "designer's ability" with "math ability". Indeed, we think that Math ability is fundamental to designer's ability.

	Mathematical Sense/Ability is closely related to the designer's ability. Here we list up some aspects of mathematical sense/ability. Would you just scan? You see that they are just elements of designer's ability. Here the subjects colored red are those which we especially focus in this research. But, in fact, it is very difficult to express verbally the relation between mathematical sense/ability and designer's trait. We can feel the relation and confident of it, but it is difficult to express it. It remains as a kind of technical problem for us.

	And, from these two, the subject of "Math Course for Designer Raising" follows.

	This is an abstract of "Math Course for Designer Raising" we reached. This course is practice-oriented, or problem-solving- oriented. The learning is to act as Information designer Project designer Life-style designer And the general subjects to be learnt are such as these. Would you please just scan quickly?

	Now, we will report our practice of "Designer Raising".

	Firstly, we report some development concerning Our web-based management, and Instruction style. There is some development about Classes for career course orientation But, in the interest of time, we are going to omit describing this subject. And finally, we report our practice in math education classes.

	When we introduce "designer raising" as a new direction, task increase on both faculty- and student-side. Thus, the efficiency of class-management becomes our problem. Our solution is a web-based management system. It consists of : Database, and Teaching Contents We will briefly show how the teaching contents are constructed and used. But, about the construction of the system, we are going to omit describing, to spare time.

	We prepare two kinds of teaching contents: One is the self-teaching system for students (it is a kind of web-based training system). And, teaching contents presented in onsite instruction. And for each, we intend to make good use of animation/movie.

	The self-teaching system for students looks like this.

	In parallel with web-pages for self-teaching, we have been making web-pages for the use of onsite instruction.

	As a practice of information design, we aim at making good use of animation and movie. (It seems that the plug-in for displaying QT-movie is not installed. Ok, let us skip this.)

	As to the instruction style, Firstly, homepage-based self-teaching contents are served for each class. And, the instruction style is decided according to class type. Here are three types. Class where the students are many, Class where the students are not so many, and Seminar

	In the case of a class where the students are many, Homepage-based digital presentation is the style of instruction. This is also an implicit demonstration of 'information design'. Homepage-based self-teaching system is required in this case, too, because instruction becomes rather quick when digital presentation is its style.

	In the case of a class where the students are not so many, We are now testing the homepage-based training style instruction. Here the students are assigned report making, in the form of homepage making. We evaluate: if they reach a subject(content)-understanding aimed at in this stage. if they reach an information-design-ability aimed at in this stage. Homepage-based self-teaching system is prepared for : Self-teaching on math subject. And, for self-teaching on computer/software operation -- This is required because report making is a work on computer.

	We have just talked about these two. About the "seminar", we will talk in a moment later.

	Here are classes I am in charge as a math education expert. In the interest of time, here we report only the seminar on math education.

	Our purpose in this class is to promote student's self-development.

	Here are ability/skill we are aiming at, in this class. Ability/skill for . . . . Math education Planning, practice, product-out Computer/media-literacy Digital contents making Presentation Web-based instruction Broadcast (TV/Radio)

	And for the purpose of student's self-development, we assign students these tasks. The first three are in progress. To develop teaching material for web-based training. To undertake televised video instruction. (That is, to make program and to perform.) And, to develop digital presentation skill. And the last two are in the planning stage. To challenge a project To perform an exhibition of works

	Students develop Web-based training material, in the form of Flash movie. You can guess the subject of this page, though the text is in Japanese. It is the merit of mathematics and the visual image.

	Students are assigned to make and broadcast a program of "Distance Learning via Communication Satellite", which is presided by the Iwamizawa City. Iwamizawa is the city our campus is located. This broadcast was done in February, this year. And my students ought to broadcast today, 8 hours ago. I hope they were in successful.

	Now we close our presentation. The document used in this presentation was made in the form of the homepage, and you can access it with this address. Thank you very much for your kind attention.