Role of Integrated Science Approach in HigherEducation in Japan: An attempt at HokkaidoUniversityHisao Suzuki
Faculty of Science andInstitute for the Advancement of Higher Education
Hokkaido University

Science Education in Japanese High School• K10-K11 Students must learn three subject (fundamental level)out of four subjects; Physics, Chemistry, Biology, EarthScience• High school students must choose STEM or non-STEM in K11.
• STEM-oriented students choose two (higher level) subjects ourof four.
• Entrance exam requires up to two subjects, so most of thestudents have forgotten other subjects.
It is difficult for High school students to understand the whole
scope of science.

Social problem related to science
Cost(Economy)

Problem of Nuclear Waste

Politics

Relation to Science

Nucleardecay(Physics)

Reaction ofradioactive
materials(Chemistry)

Effects on
Lifes(Biology)

Location ofdisposals(EarthScience)

Science literacy is the knowledge which should be used in our lives.

Integrated Approach
The Sciences: An
Integrated
Approach, 5thEdition
James Trefil, George
Mason Univ.
Robert M. Hazen,
George Mason Univ.

In Hokkaido University
We started Integrated Science Course (2 units, one year) 2009
1. Lecture 60 minutes with clickers
2. Discussion 30 minutes

T. Hosokawa, M. Ogasawara, and H. S.

Textbook
ゼロから始める

Integrated sciencefrom the beginning
530 pages
Students candownload them
freely throughcourse management
system.

「科学力」養成講座

Homework Quiz and reports (Moodle)

Enjoy!

Discussion
We use Open-ended Problems, which do not have unique answer.
Most of the problems in STEM subject in undergraduate arealgorithmic problems.

Problem typeclassification (Jonassen2000)
Problems in STEM
subjects are limited!
We are trying to makeproblems
with wider classes.
Trouble shootingDilemmas
Decision Making

Type Class

14

Rubikʼs cube,
proofs ofmathematicaltheorem

Algorithmic
Problems

Textbook
Quite Familiar in STEM
problems, Solved subjects
by software(Students tend to solve
problem without
understanding the underlying
concepts→ConcepTests,
Ranking Tasks)

Story
Problems

Real world
mathematics,
physics

Rule using
Problems

Familiar in programming andengineering but rare in otherscience6

Troubleshooting

debugsDiagnosisSolution
Problems

Evaluating
treatment
options

CaseAnalysis
Problems

Dilemmas

Dilemma in realworld, very
familiar in realworld

91011Familiar
Context-rich problems
Familiar

5

8Familiar in mathematics,Physics

Formula using
problem

Decision
MakingProblems

7

Familiarity in Undergraduate
STEM Education

LogicalProblems

23Examples

Decision in Stock Unfamiliar
trading,
Decision insituation change

Unfamiliar

Strategic
Applying tactics
Performance in real time
problems
negotiation

Unfamiliar

Low school
problems

Unfamiliar

DesignProblems

Planning
problems

Unfamiliar
Unfamiliar

Dilemmas
We can get information about genetic cancer or Down syndrome
before birth.
Discuss the advantage and disadvantage and find your answer forwhether you will have the tests. Consider ethics and the lives ofyour descendant after your death.

Dilemmas
Some scientist claims that the Vitamin C cures cancers.
How do you prove or disprove his claim? Considerethics.

Findings
They lack the knowledge of social factors( Economy, ethics, etc.)
This is not the course for knowledge( we do not have enoughtime) but to realize the importance of viewing problems inmany aspects.

Future directions
We have integrated Natural science and Social science( in part).
Our needs for STEM are changing so rapidly.
We feel that we should integrate engineering and computerscience. AI and robotics.
Math education seems to be a harder task! (not only for non
STEM students but also to medical or biology-orientedstudents)