Academic skills students of the dept.of media communication need to know

The purpose of this course is to learn basic academic skills to survive in this university. At this time, we will learn similar subjects as 基礎ゼミA in English. You will acquire techniques for "learning" what you do not know, for this, in English. Specifically, you will practice effective note-taking, resume writing, plus conducting research (including gathering, evaluating, and utilizing the information you have collected). You will then learn techniques to effectively output your knowledge and information, including effective discussion skills and presentation skill writing skills in English.
As a student majoring in media communication studies, you need to learn English. For your note, English is one of the dominant languages used in media studies/media-related academic discipline. Besides, media industries/news industries in English-speaking countries have become dominant in the globalized world. Therefore, we need to think critically about that dominance as non-English speaking media scholars. Sadly, there, you need to be able to use English as well.
In addition, at any college or university, you are expected to find your own academic interests and conduct your studies by yourself with a little help from experts or other people. That requires a lot of discipline and knowledge to find the truth in whatever you study. Proper training is necessary to master academic skills. You need to start somewhere if they do not want to be ignorant. This is the starting point for academic research. Learning "how to study in academic settings" definitely helps you acquire intellectual strength, essential for survival. After completing this course, the ultimate goal is to develop a professional attitude in sharing knowledge and information while mastering skills to continue learning to be independent.

To be able to collect and organize information, as well as to evaluate and examine the information
To be able to collect necessary works of literature and data and to decide what extent the collected information can/should be used.
To be able to present knowledge and information accordingly, in academic reports/essays, presentations, etc.
To be able to summarize one's thoughts logically and explain them in an easy-to-understand manner
To be able to gather information and knowledge necessary for understanding social issues/current affairs, and to use that information to articulate delivering their thoughts

Also, through group activities, at the end of this course, students will be able to interact effectively with other people who have different social backgrounds and all walks of life. Finally, students will acquire the professional attitude on sharing knowledge/information and skills to continue learning on their own.

1. orientation/advice for this course/Why and how we should study in the university

2-7 While learning the basic academic skill, students will practice developing the skills to learn on their own. We will be doing many exercises to get out from the old mindset in the classroom, listening to lectures, sitting quietly, and doing nothing. Specifically, you will learn note-taking, how to summarize, how to use gadgets/free apps for learning, understand the best learning attitude, how to use the library/databases, search methods, how to collect materials, how to evaluate materials, how to read literature materials, how to organize information, how to find themes, how to set agendas, and how to narrow down problems. You will also acquire basic knowledge of research methods, how to manage information sources, how to grasp the main idea, and how to think critically. You will also learn how to search for information, how to analyze government statistics, and how to read and pay attention to statistical data. You will also learn the basics of output, including presentations.



7. Midterm break: Explore your own interests and what you want to study in the Department of Media and Communication; prepare for presentations and discussion training for the 8th class and beyond.



8-13 Practice presentations



14. group presentation day


15. group presentation day, summary



The schedule and seminar contents may be changed according to the progress.

The class will be conducted through a combination of lectures, individual guidance, group discussions, and pair work. I will share my experience as a researcher to help you learn.

You will learn the necessary academic skills through short lectures, followed by practical in and out of class-learning exercises and assignments From the first to the sixth session, you will learn the basics of academic skills. After the midterm, you need to prepare for individual presentations to gain the basic academic output skills with a given topic.

This course requires sufficient study time outside of class, including assignments outside of class. According to the Standards for the Establishment of Universities (大学設置基準 in Japan）, you should spend four hours of study outside of class per week for two credits. This course requires a minimum of 4 hours of study outside of class per week.



Before


There will be many out-of-class assignments related to this course, so please well prepare for a class beforehand (2 hours).



After

Review what you have learned in each class, and if necessary, use the reference materials specified in the class to further your study. Identify anything that you do not fully understand, and prepare to ask questions in the next class. (about 2 hours)

The overall evaluation will be based on the grading standards of Toyo University.



Attendance, participation, effort, group activities 35 %


Report assignments 30%


Out-of-class learning/learning portfolio 30%


Skills/knowledge acquisition/other 5

None

Distribute the web materials and online workbooks that I have prepared for this particular course.




Bilingual textbook on sociology (Some excerpts will be handed out in class. This will also be used in preparation for Academic SKills B. I felt some textbook parts use quite difficult-to-read expressions, especially when talking about an abstract idea. So the instructor will provide further explanations if it is necessary both in plain English and Japanese)

Other references and materials will be provided in class if necessary. I will provide excerpts from an actual textbook for English academic skills used at colleges in English-speaking countries.

If you need special assistance or have any difficulties, please let me know. I will give you further instructions.

This is a very demanding class that requires extra learning time outside the class. There will be many assignments and homework. You need to spend a lot of time and energy to learn and improve your skills. Please understand that this is a time-consuming process.

Those who want easy credits (楽単) will be dissatisfied with this course. For your note, you might have a hard time following this class if you are not used to interactive styles of instructions. If you have a hard time communicating effectively with others, please consult with me. I will help you out even if you are not a good communicator. I wasn’t a good communicator in the past.


When I make a roll call (出欠確認), please answer in a clear voice. If you do not, your attendance will not be counted. This is an interactive class, and if I or other students ask questions or make comments in the classroom, you are expected to respond appropriately. If you do not respond to others, ignore all comments, or tsk-tsking(舌打ち), it will be considered a refusal to communicate and will not be counted as attendance. Also, attending is not enough, you must actually participate in each class. If you do nothing and complain, I will assume that there is no trust relationship and I will act accordingly.

Specific instructions for each class will be given on the Google app Jamboard. Reference materials and audio-visual materials will be distributed on Toyonetace and web pages for the class. Please check them periodically.


If you do not understand the instructions, you get lost or get confused, be sure to check with me. If you don't say anything, it will be difficult for me to help you. To avoid this, I really ask you to communicate with the instructor a lot.


Understand that this is a course to develop academic skills to become an independent learner. I will try my best to create a better learning environment for you and give you individual guidance. Understand that this is not a class where you sit and listen to a mumbling teacher then take fill-out-the-blanks types of tests. You need to interact with people and solve actual problems. I am trying to train you with real-life skills to be an independent thinker and learner.

I will tell you other rules and details related to the course on the first day of the class and distributed them on Toyonetace and other online sites after the second week.

Use English in the classroom (even in broken English. If you think it is necessary, you can use Japanese to communicate with me. However, at least you need to try to say something in English. You can make a lot of mistakes while you try.

If you have any inquiry feel free to contact me.ここに書いてある内容について日本語で理解したい，そのほか質問がある場合は担当教員に連絡ください