Keio Research Institute at SFC

■Objective

The era of Society 5.0 points to and advocates the advent of a society where advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics are further enhanced and implemented into our industries and social lives, thereby changing the ways of our society in such a dramatic way as to seem to have happened in a disruptive manner. In June 2018, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced the “Human Resources Development for Society 5.0 – Changes to Society, Changes to Learning.” And in this current situation where there are dynamic changes underway in the ideal human resources and the types of people that are needed in Society 5.0, this laboratory will conduct research, develop human resources, and disseminate information that will lead to the development of new ways of learning and to a transformation in the ways of education. The main goals of this laboratory over a three-year period are as follows.

First, what is needed especially at this moment is to provide each and every student with places and opportunities to envision their future role within Society 5.0, and be able to study what they need to learn in an active manner to achieve that vision. We need to transition from an educational practice where students learn only at schools in a one-sided manner from their teachers, to an educational environment where the main way of studying would be for the students to discover their own answers on their own initiative from a diverse choice of learning opportunities. To enable this, each student must be able to further their studies in accordance to their interests through an “open society curriculum.” This curriculum would offer diverse places of learning that include not only schools but also the local communities as well as private businesses, NPOs, and higher-level educational institutions, thus enabling students to further their studies while interacting with people of different ages and of different backgrounds. Based on this perspective, our goal is to conduct research and provide assistance toward practical implementation related to “nurturing active learners by promoting My Projects and PBL” that play a leading role toward achieving these educational activities. (Related to Unit 1)

Secondly, based on the development of advanced technologies such as AI, students in Society 5.0 will be able to free themselves from the confines of a classroom where everyone learns in the same manner all at once, to an educational style where students are given a solid understanding about foundational academic skills such as reading comprehension, and receive not only schooling that is consistent with everyone in the same school grade, but also gain opportunities to study in accordance to the individual’s level of progress, capabilities and interests. Students would be able to expand into conducting collaborative studies with groups of students of different ages and school grades in accordance to their academic history, level of academic achievements and academic issues. And as we implement such changes, it would become necessary to redefine and rebuild the significance of schools and teachers that we’ve had up until now. Based on this perspective, our goal is to conduct research and implement practical assistance related to “achieving learning opportunities that are optimized for each individual in a fair manner by utilizing advanced technologies including AI” and “making new efforts to re-design schools and teachers.” (Related to Unit 2)

Thirdly, in order to develop the types of human resources that are needed in Society 5.0—the types of people that would discover and create dynamic knowledge which would become the catalyst for technological innovations and value creations, people who would create platforms and connect technological innovations with social issues, and people who would be able to make maximum use of the power of AI and big data by utilizing them in diverse fields—what is desired is to free ourselves from the current dichotomy between humanities and sciences as seen in many high schools and universities (excluding SFC and some other exceptions), and reform these high schools and universities into institutions that study both humanities and sciences. Based on this perspective, our goal is to conduct research and provide assistance toward practical implementation related to “reforming high schools and universities with the aim of breaking away from the dichotomy of humanities and sciences.” (Related to Unit 3)

Fourthly, in order to realize a learning environment that is optimized toward each individual, we must provide solid support in particular to children who need assistance with their studies. For example, we need to give linguistic and educational support to children with developmental disorder or hearing impairments, as well as to children with non-Japanese roots of whom there will probably be more of in the future, so that such children would be able to envision their role and be active members within the Japanese society. Based on this perspective, our goal is to conduct research related to developing assessment methods that would measure the Japanese language proficiency and thinking abilities of children with foreign roots and of those with special needs, and practical implementation of efforts to improve such children’s linguistic and academic proficiencies. (Related to Unit 4)

This laboratory will collaborate not only with researchers but also teachers who work at educational institutions, school administrators, and those affiliated with non- and for-profit organizations related to education, and strive in our efforts with a focus on conducting collaborative research, developing human resources, and disseminating information.

Note: Society 5.0 refers to an anthropocentric society that achieves economic development and resolves social issues by mixing together the cyber realm (virtual space) and the physical realm (actual space) at an advanced level. The aim with Society 5.0 is to create a new society that follows after the hunting society (Society 1.0), agricultural society (Society 2.0), industrial society (Society 3.0), and information society (Society 4.0). The concept of Society 5.0 was promoted for the first time in Japan’s 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan as the future shape of society that Japan should aim for. / PBL refers to problem-based learning, and My Project refers to a practical exploratory learning program.

■Outline of Research Activity Plan

（Unit1）

・ Co-host the national high school My Project award

・ Operate an online salon for affiliated persons working on site

（Unit2）

・ Conduct collaborative research with business companies

・ Conduct study sessions

（Unit3）

・ Conduct study sessions for university administrators

（Unit4）

・ Develop, revise, distribute, and modify the assessment system

Researchers, managers and professors