On Thursday, June 27th, a premium seminar for “Koeteko EXPO 2024” (sponsored by Koeteko byGMO), an online exhibition that brings together programming education services and problem-solving know-how, was held on the 16th floor of Shibuya Fukuras.
Koeteko EXPO 2024 will be held online on June 25th and 26th, and is an event where you can learn about the present and future of programming education through lectures and pitches on the latest services. The “Premium Seminar” was held in person the day after “Koeteko EXPO 2024”. Kanemitsu, a second-year university student who is absorbing education at university, will report on the event!
A glimpse into the current state of robotics education: Part 1
In the first part of the two-part premium seminar, entitled “Real-life reports from robotics classes and the future of robotics education,” the speakers discussed the current needs and possibilities of robotics classes.
The speakers were Aoki Shunsuke, CEO of Yukai Engineering Co., Ltd., Sudo Fuyuki, general manager of the Child Education Division at Human Academy Co., Ltd., and the event was moderated by Ota Kana, business manager at Entre Kids Co., Ltd.
The conversation began with self-introductions, then moved on to explaining their businesses and their philosophies. Aoki also shared some stories from his past entrepreneurial experiences, which was very interesting!
Regarding the current state of robotics classes, Mr. Aoki mentioned that parents need classrooms that allow them to see what their children are doing, and that their children’s enthusiasm is what decides them to attend the class. He stressed the importance of being conscious of creating a curriculum that children can become absorbed in.
When asked about the potential of the robotics class and how it differs from a programming class, the two spoke of three things. They said that the main features are the elements of “design” and “mechanics” that are difficult to experience through programming alone, and the excitement of seeing a robot move when you program it yourself. At the same time, they also emphasized the appeal of robots as a teaching material that allows children to think in terms of both hardware and software, as well as the appeal that even children too young to read can take on the challenge.
Finally, there was an introduction to RISE, a collaboration between Human Academy, Yukai Engineering, and others.RISEis a general incorporated association that promotes “STREAM education,” adding the “R” from Robotics to STEAM education. We hold contests that have never been held outside of classrooms before, and operate tests that allow students to feel and visualize the growth of skills acquired in robotics classes.
Finally, regarding the future of robotics education, Mr. Sudo pointed out that the current situation is such that students are not enthusiastic about robots due to the influence of entrance exams and school tests, and concluded the discussion with a passionate message that he wants to aim to create a society in which people can become enthusiastic about robots.
It was a very educational experience that allowed me to realize for the first time that my experience with robot programming can be used in a variety of situations! From now on, I will use the robot products around me from the perspective of programming and ingenuity in my daily life, and use it as an opportunity to upgrade my thinking skills!
Part 2: Learning the Need for Text Programs from New Tools
In the second part, we will discuss the topic of “The world of textbook programming, necessary for developing engineers who will be active on the world stage,” and we will have a talk with a man who has been active in the world of programming for many years.Tably Inc.A lecture was given by the company’s representative director, Takuya Oikawa.
In his introduction, Oikawa talked about the connection between national power and IT capabilities in modern society, and Japan’s position and current situation within that society, and then introduced the differences in the hierarchy of engineering talent between countries.
One issue they pointed out was that, compared to other countries, salaries in Japan for people who work with their hands, such as engineers, are low, and while the level of engineers is not low, there is no environment in which they can thrive.
Regarding the current state of IT education, he pointed out that while education to increase IT literacy is widespread, education that will increase the number of programmers has not yet become widespread. He argued that there is a need for tools and education that will allow people to learn the basics of programming techniques while experiencing the fun of programming.
The company that was introduced was “Tably Inc., where Mr. Oikawa is the CEO.Jasmine Tea」。
There was an explanation and demonstration by Yoichiro Tanaka of Tably.
Jasmine Tea is a beginner-friendly, easy-to-understand two-screen game that uses major programming languages. It was inspired by Family Basic, a Family Computer game that Tanaka fell in love with as a child. While his classmates were obsessed with Mario games, Tanaka was absorbed in Family Basic, which allowed him to create his own games, and discovered the fun of programming.
After the introduction of “Jasmine Tea”, Tanaka gave a demonstration. He showed us the features while explaining how it is easy to use even for beginners, such as the fact that it can be used without downloading applications or files, that you can simultaneously view two screens, one for writing programs and one for displaying the results of the program, and how it is easy to find mistakes by executing programs one line at a time.
Finally, Tanaka introduced some actual examples of how Jasmine Tea is being used in the educational field. Oikawa then spoke about the current situation and future of Jasmine Tea, saying that while they are confident in its functionality, they have not yet been able to conduct any verification to see whether it is truly needed by children or in education. He went on to say that their future goal is to conduct such verification and find the sweet spot for introducing it into public education.
Until now, I had a vague idea that “I can now learn programming at school” when I saw visual programming tools such as Scratch being introduced into junior high school classes, but after listening to today’s lecture, I learned the importance of creating an environment where textbook programming can be learned! If I find a child around me who is interested in programming, I would like to share what I learned in today’s lecture with them and do my best to create an opportunity for them to realize the deeper fun of programming!
Social gathering
After the two-part premium seminar, a social gathering was held for those who had participated in the lectures and as public listeners that day. We’ll show you the atmosphere of the venue, where lively conversation took place!
summary
When I was studying education at university, the analysis of the curriculum guidelines established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology focused on topics related to the education currently being provided at public educational institutions, so I did not have many opportunities to come into contact with “robot education” or “programming education” in my daily life.
I was able to learn a lot, and at the same time, I was often impressed by the breadth of skills that can be developed through an ever-evolving education system.
In particular, I found a new attraction in the idea that robots can develop many more skills by thinking in both hardware and software. At the same time, I found it very refreshing and fascinating that the visualized programming learning tools that I was familiar with in junior high school made it difficult to get started on programming using full-fledged languages!
I’m going to take this opportunity to try my hand at learning the basics of programming!
◾️Koeteko Expo Official Website:
Kanemitsu Nanao
I’m a first year university student who likes baking and tennis. In the future, I want to work in the education sector in Japan. I love expanding my knowledge and trying new things!
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