2022/03/05
This page is a course guide and
teaching supplement for my students at Seijo University, Tokyo,
Japan. It is not a part of the official website of the university,
as it contains information related only to my classes.
I will communicate with students through this website, the university's WebClass system, email, and internet tools such as Zoom.
The important things that students need to do is make an effort to keep in contact with the teacher, stay informed about assignments, and finish the assignments quickly.
You have to check four things
regularly:
1. This website
2. WebClass
3. Campus Square
4. Your university email account (studentnumber@u.seijo.ac.jp). Set up your university email account and check it every day.
Innovation Studies [a] 2022
Course Description
This
course will cover some of the subject areas taught in Japanese
in other courses offered in the Faculty of Social Innovation
(sociology, psychology, economics, finance, political science,
innovation studies etc.). The targeted level of instruction is
"upper intermediate" as described in level B2 of the guidelines
of CEFR (Common European Framework for Languages). This course
will give students the opportunity to learn the concepts and the
English terminology related to their fields of study, and to
gain an international perspective on these fields of study.
Course Goals
Students
will be introduced to lectures and interviews from fields of
study related to other courses in the Faculty of Social
Innovation, and they will learn basic concepts and English
terminology related to them. The course will also naturally
share many of the objectives of previous English courses that
focus on the acquisition of general English language skills.
Students will develop an ability to analyze and discuss the
materials studied.
Teaching Methods
This
course is a practical. The language of instruction and
communication among students will be English. The lessons will
be based on authentic materials such as TED talks and interviews
broadcast in various media. In the first semester, these
materials may be presented in an abridged format if students
find authentic materials to be too challenging. The materials
will introduce various fields of study with texts and subtitles
that support the audio-visual material. Students will be
expected to comprehend the texts and learn the terminology of
the fields of study. They will practice taking notes and making
written and oral summaries of the materials studied. Finally,
they will discuss and critically review what they have studied.
For a final assignment, students will present a source of their
own choosing on one of the
topics studied during the semester. Assignments will be graded,
and feedback will be provided collectively or individually.
Schedule and Plan
1. Course Introduction. Psychology: Attachment theory.
2. Psychology: Helen Fisher: TED talk: Why we love, why we cheat.
3. Psychology: Discussion of previous lessons on psychology.
4. Economics: The crisis of capitalism and bureaucratization. Causes of the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
5. Economics: Keiser Report (E723), interview with anthropologist David Graeber, author of The Utopia of Rules.
6. Economics: Discussion of previous lessons on economics.
7. Science and technology: Challenges of automation and technology in the age of demographic crisis.
8. Science and technology: Managing the cost of healthcare. TED talk by Atul Gawande: How Do We Heal Medicine?
9. Science and technology: Discussion of previous lessons on science and technology and possible connections to the previous topics, economics and psychology.
10. Governance and political institutions: Various commentaries on the American election of 2016 and the political and social disruptions that followed it.
11. Governance and political institutions: Interview with historian Helen Yaffe on the BBC, contrasting the nature of democracy in the USA and in Cuba.
12. Governance and political institutions: Discussion of previous lessons on this topic.
13. Student presentations. Students discuss their own chosen material related to any of the topics above.
14. Student presentations. Students discuss their own chosen material related to any of the topics above.
15. Student presentations. Students discuss their own chosen material related to any of the topics above.
If the corona virus (Sars-Cov-2) still presents too much of a danger at any time during the academic year, the teacher will conduct classes by
Zoom sessions and by using some on-demand materials. If such a change is necessary, the content, teaching method and method of evaluation will be revised. Regardless of the general level of risk posed by the corona virus, there may be some students who have special health reasons for not wishing to attend classes on campus. Such students will be able to follow the course through independent study methods.
Independent study outside of Course Hours (Assignments, Preparation and Review etc.)
The
study materials are more difficult than what students have
encountered in first and second year courses, so they should
expect to spend more time reviewing and preparing for lessons.
Assessment Criteria and Methods
Participation: 40%, Presentation: 40%, Review and preparation for classes: 20%
Textbook
No textbook is required for this course.
Suggested Readings and Supplementary Materials
The study materials are more difficult than what students have encountered in first and second year courses, so they should expect to spend more time reviewing and preparing for lessons. The content of the lessons may be revised if students find it to be too difficult.
Expectations for Enrolled Students
Because
this is an elective course, it is expected that students will be
highly motivated and capable of working at a higher level than
the first and second year courses. Students should be prepared
to spend extra time preparing for lessons, and they should
actively look for
supplementary information on the topics covered in class.
If
the chosen materials appear to be too difficult for the students
who enroll, the teacher will adjust the plan described above to
suit the students' abilities. Do not hesitate to join the class
just because it seems to be
too challenging.
Method to Contact the Lecturer
riches[at]seijo.ac.jp
Room 3813
Office hours: Monday 10:40-12:10, Friday 10:40-12:10, Friday
14:40-16:10