Konan University and Fujitsu Begin Field Trial of Smart Education for Collaborative Learning

                             Enables effective education with livelier discussions and creativity within groups

Konan University and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. today announced the development of a prototype learning-support service. It runs on top of a place-based services platform(1) developed by Fujitsu Laboratories that enables people gathered in a particular place to link their devices and other equipment together for screen sharing and collaborative work. A classroom-based field trial using these technologies (the "smart education") began in November 2014.

In the field trial, tablets used by the teachers and students will be automatically linked together, and also linked with projectors and other equipment in the classroom, to automatically distribute or remove lecture materials, to promote collaborative learning in groups, to monitor the pace of educational progress, and to share group work on big screens. The field trial will verify the effectiveness of these functions.

Based on the results of the field trial, Konan University will study the most effective ways to use ICT in the classroom, while Fujitsu Laboratories aims to expand the use of this platform beyond education at the primary, secondary, and college levels, to corporate conference rooms and for customer service in retail stores.

Background

By providing students with a cutting-edge educational environment, Konan University aims to cultivate the people who have abilities and skills that will carry society forward into the next generation. Rather than just emphasizing a conventional curriculum focused mainly on the classroom, it is important for students to actively participate in their own education, take the initiative in their learning, and enhance their capabilities through individual discoveries and experiences. To create such a learning environment, the university is building a novel system, not yet seen in other universities, which seeks to make full use of PCs and other IT equipment. It is also promoting the use of ICT both in the classroom and in campus life.

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a place-based services platform (announced in April 2014) that enables the quick development of services, provided in a specific location, that can connect people to people or people to equipment. This technology enables information-sharing between devices carried by people congregating in a given location, and also helps people connect their devices to equipment at the location with no prior setup, making collaborative work more efficient. Fujitsu Laboratories envisions applications in a number of sectors for this technology, including group education in schools, providing product information to customers in stores, or displaying product information on big screens.

Overview of the Field Trial

1. Purpose

In recent years, the widespread use of tablets has sparked interest in the use of ICT in educational settings, but there has yet to be widespread adoption, as educators seem to be looking for effective ways to use ICT. Fujitsu Laboratories and Konan University's Education and Research Center for Information Science are conducting this field trial to determine the effectiveness of instruction using ICT. The field trial is using Fujitsu Laboratories' place-based services platform in Konan University's classes.

2. Time period

November 2014 to March 2015 (planned)

3. Locations

At Konan University's Nishinomiya campus (nicknamed "CUBE," in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture) and Okamoto campus (in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture).

4. Trial description

In the field trial, teachers and students will connect their tablets, projectors and other equipment in the classroom, to create the following services (Figure 1).

Educational-support services

- Automatically distribute and remove lecture materials
- Collaborative learning in groups
- Monitoring pace of educational progress
- Sharing class work results on big screens
- Class questionnaires

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed prototypes of general-purpose applications and functional modules, which can be used for a wide range of purposes, and which run on top of its place-based services platform. Using these will enable the quick development of educational-support services for use in the educational environment.

In addition, this field trial will verify what educational outcomes result from the use of these services (such as whether people speak more in class and whether they speak on a wider range of subjects).

Future Plans

Based on the results of the field trial, Konan University will study the most effective ways to use ICT in the classroom. Fujitsu Laboratories will also study the outcomes of the field trial, including how they might fit in with the Learning Project of Tomorrow(2), which is being pursued by the Fujitsu Group, and plans to expand the adoption of this platform beyond education at the primary, secondary, and college levels to a variety of other settings, such as corporate conference rooms and customer service in retail stores.

(1) Place-based services platform

A platform technology that makes it possible to quickly build services for exchanging information between devices and equipment at a given location. See April 15, 2014, press release:

www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/2014/0415-01.html

(2) Learning Project of Tomorrow

Project for supporting instruction using ICT in ordinary classrooms, inside and outside Japan, at the primary and secondary level. See October 16, 2014, press release: www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/2014/1016-01.html

About Fujitsu Limited

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 170,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.4 trillion yen (US$47 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.



Source: Fujitsu Limited

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Fujitsu Limited
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