| 1. |
Yanfang ZHANG , Christian CRUZ , Leon LOH , Moe SHIMOMURA and Noriko TAKANO, Research on support methods for high school teachers educating SDGs while utilizing design methods, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2023), https://doi.org/10.35199/EPDE.2023.53, 2023.09, As society slowly moulds the planet into a sustainable world in response to natural disasters and social injustices, human resources must be fashioned to meet the new challenges that such a future requires. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are obstacles that nations strive to achieve, and it is necessary to teach younger citizens how to accomplish them. This study approaches this type of education in a novel manner by applying design thinking. An SDGs Challenge project took place in a high school with support from a university to identify problems in SDGs education, devise a strategic support plan to carry out this specialized education, and observe the effects of such an implementation all while using a design approach. It was found that there are specific issues that arise in inquiry-based learning that must also be addressed in a unique way. The support system created through the project showed instructing educators to utilize design thinking improved their abilities to teach students, and also improved students’ output in identifying and solving SDGs related problems. The results show how much of an impact the design methodology can have on education and the positive implications for applying such teaching support methods in high schools worldwide.. |
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Chen ZONG, Leon LOH, Noriko TAKANO, Moe SHIMOMURA and Yanfang ZHANG, Educational resources to improve Japanese high school teachers' facilitation abilities in problem identification and ideation activities, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2023), https://doi.org/10.35199/EPDE.2023.21, 2023.09, This study aims to clarify the necessary interventions for supplementing teachers’ knowledge and skills related to the design process to facilitate the design-based activities in the SDGs Challenge Project. Using a qualitative approach and the SDGs Challenge Project as a case study, this study analysed teachers’ feedback before the project started and post-lesson surveys to determine the difficulties teachers have faced in facilitating the design process in 2021 and 2022. The findings showed that teachers have difficulties understanding design thinking, inadequate facilitation skills, limited content knowledge, and unfamiliarity with the worksheets provided. The educational resources for teachers to guide the design process in this project are necessary. The new educational resource should offer knowledge and the methodology of the design process. In addition, resources on pedagogical strategies to facilitate the design thinking is required. Exemplars of student outcomes for each design task and clear explanations of the purpose of each task is also necessary as a resource.. |
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Moe SHIMOMURA, Leon LOH, Yanfang ZHANG and Noriko TAKANO, Requirements for teaching materials for high school students who are unfamiliar with the design process, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2023), https://doi.org/10.35199/EPDE.2023.55, 2023.09, This study evaluated the worksheets used in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Challenge Project from the students’ perspective and identified requirements for teaching materials to help students who are unfamiliar with design-based learning learn about the SDGs. We analysed students’ and teachers’ feedback in worksheet surveys. The findings revealed that the ideation process was the most difficult aspect for high school students. The reported reasons were categorised as originality, idea diversification, idea convergence, consistency with problems, feasibility, specificity, iterability, complexity, and procedure. Teachers mentioned that students did not sufficiently focus on problem identification, causing subsequent difficulties in the ideation process. Teaching material should meet the following requirements: (1) demonstrating methods for diversification and convergence of ideas to specify scaffolding, (2) clear goal setting in the problem identification process, and (3) iterability to allow for change according to the design process.. |
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SHIMOMURA Moe, HIRAI Yasuyuki, KOMMONEN Kari-Hans, Design issues for parenting support services in Japanese municipalities from the users’ perspective, [ ] With Design: Reinventing Design Modes. IASDR 2021. Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4472-7_33, 493-513, 2022.11, This study aimed to clarify citizens’ issues with the current parenting support services provided by the public sector in Japan. The main objective of this study was to investigate the integration of service design methods into parenting support services. Citizen-participatory design workshops were conducted to identify and evaluate the parenting support services provided by the public sector. The design workshop results were analysed using naturalistic inquiry and classified on the basis of Stickdorn’s five principles of service design thinking. Psychological, financial, and functional issues were identified in relation to parenting support services currently provided by Japanese municipalities. First, the social structure of parenting in Japan currently causes isolation among mothers as a result of physical and psychological burdens. Mothers often do not know where or how to ask for help regarding childrearing. Thus, it is important that people are aware of the services that are available for parenting support. It is also necessary to design these services so that people can learn about, choose, and access them. Second, it is necessary to investigate how much financial support is needed in more detail, as well as elucidating when, or whether, the needs of users can be better met through means other than financial support. Third, a failure of digital transformation is a cause of difficulty in understanding available parenting support services for guardians. Finally, the results suggested that guardians often lack co-creative partners and holistic perspectives on parenting support services.. |
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Leon LOH, Miki OGO, Yanfang ZHANG, Noriko TAKANO, Moe SHIMOMURA, Readjusting design education for Japanese high school students during the Covid-19 pandemic: A case study to investigate students’ attitude in using online whiteboard for group discussions during design activities, [ ] With Design: Reinventing Design Modes. IASDR 2021. Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4472-7_100, 1527-1545, 2022.11, The purpose of this study is to understand and describe Japanese high school students’ perspectives in using online whiteboards during face-to-face group discussions for design activities in the Covid-19 pandemic. Using the SDGs Challenge Project in Fukusho High School in Fukuoka City, a qualitative research approach where the case study which included quantitative and qualitative inputs was adopted. Based on the findings, the following main points can be concluded. Firstly, even though students may feel that they are not competent users of digital devices, they may still think that effective group discussions can be achieved using an online whiteboard during face-to-face group discussions. This may be because real-time social interactions can still be achieved as lessons are conducted face-to-face. Secondly, students’ perceptions of achieving effective group discussions and the ease of use of the online whiteboard may influence their motivations in using the online whiteboard in future lessons. This may be due to the perception that as long as the online whiteboard is easy to use and it enhances performance, students may generally feel motivated in using the online whiteboard in future discussions. The findings from this study will provide insights for academics and high school teachers when conducting face-to-face lessons and attempting to use of online tools to mitigate challenges offered by the pandemic.. |
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Yanfang Zhang, Wei Leong Loh, Noriko Takano, Moe Shimomura, Christian Cruz, IDENTIFYING ISSUES IN TEACHING THE PROBLEM-FINDING STAGE FACED BY INSTRUCTORS: A CASE STUDY ON SDGS CHALLENGE PROJECT IN HIGH SCHOOL, Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2022), https://doi.org/10.35199/EPDE.2022.58, 2022.09, The purpose of this study is to clarify the difficulties instructors from different subject disciplines faced during the problem-finding stage, especially during the ‘Period for Inquiry-Based Cross-Disciplinary Study’ (“spirit of inquiry” as verbatim meaning), when conducting the SDGs Challenge Project, a pilot programme using design thinking methods with Fukusho High School. Pre- and post-questionnaire surveys were conducted to clarify the challenges faced by instructors in identifying social issues and the issues related to support. Before the programme started, the instructors had major issues with the understanding of the SDGs, design thinking, and the overall progress. Once the project got started, it was realized that the presence of even more specific issues such as student communication, use of digital tools, and use of design thinking strategies such as the KJ method. The challenges in implementing the programme can be categorized into (1) understanding the educational process of using design thinking, (2) facilitating group work, (3) using educational tools, and (4) others. Issues (1) and (2) were particularly prevalent.. |
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Wei Leong Loh, Noriko Takano, Moe Shimomura, Yanfang Zhang, INTERVENTIONS REQUIRED TO SUPPORT JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS TO FACILITATE DESIGN-BASED PROJECTS, Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2022), https://doi.org/10.35199/EPDE.2022.47, 2022.09, This study aims to clarify the necessary interventions to support Japanese high school teachers in facilitating problem identification and ideation in design-based learning. The SDGs Challenge Project in Fukusho High School was studied as a case study. This study analysed teachers' feedback before programme implementation and post-lesson surveys. The findings suggested that professional development for teachers before implementing the programme is necessary. Such professional development should focus on developing pedagogical competencies required to lead the design process, abilities to provide students with just-in-time knowledge and skills, and a good understanding of the nature of the design process.. |
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Co-creation of Education Tools for SDGs Design School -Based on a Pilot Program in Collaboration with Fukuoka Municipal Fukusho High School-. |
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Case Study of Design for SDGs Project Development of Visualization Tool for High School Students on SDGs Education with Design Thinking.  |
| 10. |
Keep on Challenging with Nanocellulose vs Design. |
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A New Plant Pot created with Nanocellulose×Design. |
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Wei Leong LOH, Moe SHIMOMURA, Yanfang ZHANG, Unlocking Creative Minds to Engage SDGs Through Design Education in Japanese High School Education, Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education, 10.35199/epde.2020.16, 2020.09. |
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Why do you work on the design for children?. |
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An Evaluation of the Parenting Support Practices in Fukuoka City from a Service Design Perspective
The Japanese government has begun to address the declining birthrate by introducing comprehensive parenting support nationwide. This study was conducted to clarify the existing issues, examine parenting support efforts, and gather information on the users in Fukuoka City. In order to assess the current parenting support service, published research and interviews with public health nurses were used. In addition, parenting support users were interviewed to understand their needs. In total, we identified 94 items that were part of the parenting support services in Fukuoka City, and 118 of the service users’ needs. Of these, 45 needs were satisfied, but 73 were unsatisfied or required improvements. Four main requirements were identified: (1) financial support, (2) parental knowledge development, (3) grandparents to rely on, and (4) good work and family rapport. Solutions to address these include understanding the financial needs, assisting parents to increase their knowledge, and providing support for a work–life balance.. |
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MATERNITY AND CHILD CARE CO-DESIGN WITH MUNICIPALITY
To counter the trend of declining population, the
Japanese government has requested each municipality to develop “Comprehensive Support Centers for the Child-rearing Generation”, using the Finnish Neuvola system as a reference. We report of our first collaborations with the city of Fukutsu to study the design of the maternity and child care ecosystem and to develop a co-design approach for supporting the city to develop its own implementation of the new care system.. |
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Neuvola Evaluation Research from Service Design Perspective —Childcare Support System in Finland. |
| 17. |
下村 萌, 森田 昌嗣, 平井 康之, Comparative research of childcare systems between Finnish Neuvola Service Design with Japanese services, Proceedings of International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) 2017; Re:Research, 1883-1894, 2017.10, The Japanese government has planned by 2020 to introduce the Finnish Neuvola System, a fundamental social childcare system that covers the period of pregnancy to child care. The purpose of this research is to clarify the conditions for high quality of Neuvola service, comparing childcare of Finland and Japan. First, the social systems of Finland and Japan, legal actions and other related social backgrounds are covered. Following this, the results are analyzed. Secondly, the results of interviews in Finland with Neuvola public health nurses and three typical Neuvola users, including a father, mother, and pregnant woman are presented. As a result of survey, six conditions were identified as the basis of Neuvola services: personal health checks, facility preparation, pleotropic care, communication through mutual dialogue, customized information and management of service provider quality. In a society where nuclear families are increasing, it is harder to care for children without someone’s support. In comparing Finnish and Japanese childcare systems, the Finnish system perceives childcare as a social matter. In the Neuvola System, people are always open to discuss about any worries or queries. In Japan, the system is closed toward personal matters and private treatment options are not adequate. This is a major factor in larger problems that exist in the Japanese system. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies of participatory roles in social health care services in the Japanese government and users of these services, leading to the proposal of a Japanese childcare service design.. |
