**3. Active learning as the pedagogy**

**1. Introduction**

44 Active Learning - Beyond the Future

ing method. The survey1

active learning methods [1].

education.

1

In recent years, many Japanese universities and colleges have introduced the active learn-

Science, and Technology) in 2015 shows that 41.6% of four-year universities and colleges provide the faculty development workshops for promoting active learning methods in a class as compared with that of 26.9% in 2013. At the same time, 70% of four-year universities and colleges responded that they examined to incorporate active learning method effectively into curriculum and also 66% responded that they endeavored to increase classes to introduce

There are two factors of rapid spread of active learning in Japanese higher education institutions. First factor is the paradigm transformation from teaching-centered to learning-centered. In the knowledge-based society today, the transition from knowledge attainment-based to new teaching and learning-based educational methods is a worldwide trend. Traditional knowledge transmission-based teaching is effective method for obtaining basic skills, standardized skills, a certain amount of knowledge, and adaptability. However, there is a shared recognition that knowledge transmission-based and memorization-based learning face limitations when it comes to traits such as diversity, creativity, sense of challenge, individuality, proactiveness, and leadership. It is pointed out that the acquisition of practical knowledge

Second factor is keenly associated with the higher education policy shift of the MEXT to more learning outcome oriented. Such higher education policy is also applicable to the educational reform in graduate programs. Thus, not only undergraduate education but also the more learning outcomes for the knowledge-based society are sought through the graduate

The purposes of this chapter are to examine the MEXT higher education policy in recent years to accelerate the active learning and to show the relationship between active learning methods and learning outcomes in undergraduate education. Then, this chapter explores the case study of graduate education program, which introduces the active learning methods in order to deal with the MEXT policy to accelerate the educational reform of graduate program.

The learning-centered policy shift of the MEXT can be traced to the Central Council for Education (CCE) Report (2005), titled "The Future of Japanese Higher Education." This report confirmed that the twenty-first century as the age of the knowledge-based society, wherein

The MEXT conducts the survey so called "Survey for Educational Reform Situation in Japanese Universities" every year. The survey was conducted for 776 four-year universities and colleges between December of 2015 and February of 2016. The response rate was 99%. http://www.mext.go.jp/a\_menu/koutou/daigaku/04052801/\_\_icsFiles/afield-

and adaptive knowledge has affinity with active learning [2].

**2. The learning-centered higher education policy in Japan**

higher education becomes indispensable for both individual and the nation [3].

file/2017/12/13/1398426\_1.pdf Accessed on June 27, 2018

conducted by the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,

The concept of active learning can be reflected in the learning theory developed by Bonwell and Eison in 1990s. They examined characteristics of active learning at the higher education level and clarified the nature of active learning based on the empirical research. In "Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom" [7], they defined that active learning as (1) students are more actively involved in class than listening lectures, (2) put more emphasis on the development of students' abilities and skills than delivering information, (3) students are involved in higher thought including analysis, integration and evaluation, (4) students are involved in activities such as reading, discussion, and writing, and (5) students can explore phenomena based on their own judgments and values.

Mizokami delineates that the concept of active learning is associated with learning paradigm [8]. Learning paradigm is often compared with teaching paradigm. While teaching paradigm is based on the concept that knowledge should be delivered from the faculty, learning paradigm is regarded as that learning is conducted on student-centered, and knowledge is not delivered, but is constructed, created, and acquired. Then, he defines that active learning includes all active types of learning, which surmounts passive type of learning. Then, he explains passive type of learning implies that listening to unidirectional knowledge transfer type of lecture and active type of learning indicates that students are engaged in activities such as writing, speaking as well as presenting and the externalization of cognitive process through such activities [8].

Chickering and Gamson indicate that the behaviors of speaking, writing, connection drawing, and applying learning are learning outcomes, and these outcomes are regarded as universal skills, integrative learning experiences, and creative thinking skills in postmodern as well as a knowledge-based society. Therefore, various active learning pedagogies are shared as effective methods to acquire such outcomes. Students often form a group and develop a group study, which has an element of peer learning in such active learning model [9].

Prince argued that active learning functions to take its place of the other pedagogies [10]. One of the characteristics of active learning methods is to use small-group work. Kenney and Suzuki describe that "placing students into small cooperative groups gives them a chance to work toward a common goal while building interpersonal and problem-solving skills" [11]. There are several relevant literatures showing that small-group work functions as a practice of active learning [12–15]. These relevant literatures indicate that many practitioners of active learning introduce small-group work in their classes as a method of active learning [12].

elements that they would never have an opportunity to experience within strictly knowledgebased classroom lectures. Hence, active learning methods are frequently employed in the FYE in Japanese four-year universities and colleges. Those active learning methods frequently used in the FYE are discussion, writing, ICT, collaborative learning, debate, and peer teaching. **Figure 1** shows the frequency of active learning style at FYE classes through the responses of first-year students from four universities in 2010. We conducted the survey for the first-year students in four universities and 4723 first-year students responded for this survey in 2010. As shown in **Figure 1**, when we consider the responses marking both "frequently" and "often," the rate of students who experience the active learning such as presentation, learn applied

The New Movement of Active Learning in Japanese Higher Education: The Analysis of Active…

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80836

47

Although MEXT report of 2008 [4] and 2012 [6] encourages the active learning methods into undergraduate education, there is a question whether or not active learning actually leads to learning outcomes of students. In this section, we will examine the relationship between experiences of active learning and learning outcomes through the student self-reported survey2

Here, we will show the results of students' perception regarding the increase or decrease in analytic and problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills, oral presentation skills, and so on through the JCSS 2010. About 8300 students from national, public, and private four-year higher education institutions participated in this survey. Participating students' academic disciplines consists of humanities, social sciences, STEM, medical and nursing, and other fields. For example, the percentage of students in both public/national universities and private universities who answered that their analytic and problem solving skills improved through the experience of "expressing my own thinking or research results in class" exceeded 70%

Yamada continually conducted a set of student surveys called Japanese cooperative Institutional Research Program (JCIRP) since 2004. JCRIP has three different student self-reported surveys including Japanese Freshman survey (JFS),

Japanese College Student Survey (JCSS) and Japanese Junior college Student Survey (JJCSS).

.

skills, and discussion reaches around 50%.

**Figure 1.** Experience of active learning at FYE.

2

**5. Active learning and student learning**
