The interaction among students for engaging off-classroom learning: the case of Kansai University Senior High School using iPad
Ryota YAMAMOTO
Graduate School of Kansai University
ryota0719@gmail.com

Tsuneaki EMORI
Kansai University Senior High School
emori@kansai-u.ac.jp

Abstract: This paper reports the off-classroom activity utilizing iPad to engage the student to learning.
The school curriculum conducts not only classroom learning but also off-classroom learning opportunities.
This study focuses how we can support off-classroom learning, because nowadays in Japanese schools
conduct off-classroom learning as integrated learning opportunities. Students learn from various
off-classroom experiences, however, it is not enough to engage learning, because students are difficult tofind meaning for their learning from various off-classroom experiences. To engage off-classroom learning,
there are previous studies about utilizing mobile devices, such as mobile phone, PDA (Personal DigitalAssistants) and tablet devices. Although in these studies, they are able to prepare learning resources afterstudents motivated the strategies that how students engage to off-classroom learning was not clarified.
Other previous studies mentioned interaction among students effects to motivate them. Then, we designed
off-classroom learning with interactions among students in Kansai University Senior High School, andclarify how they are motivated from their interactions.
Keywords: Off-classroom activity, Interaction, iPad, fieldwork

INTRODUCTION
The school curriculum conducts not only classroom learning but also off-class room learning opportunities.
Each learning opportunities have different focuses. Classroom learning mainly focuses acquiring knowledge andskills. On the other hand, off-classroom learning mainly emphasizes problem solving. Students explore socialproblems and apply knowledge and skills, acquired in the classroom to analyze these problems. The importance ofthe combination of these different learning opportunities was recognized and conducted in the past in Japanese
school education. Additionally nowadays, interests by designing off-classroom learning are growing because theintegrated study was started and educators got time to conduct these learning experiences.
The students learn when they have various experiences outside the classroom. Although the students havechance for learning through it, it is not enough to engage learning them. Learning environment and situation have big
differences between classroom and off-classroom, so the students are difficult to understand their own experience asa learning activity (Fujita and Mashiko 2008). If the students couldn’t find meaning the off-classroom experiences asa their learning opportunity, their experiences will be one-off event, and they will not able to develop future inquiry
or knowledge acquisition. Then we decided to fined how we can design off-classroom environment to engage thestudents in learning.
How off-classroom study was supported?
There are lots of study how about supporting off-classroom study. And recently we can find these studies withtechnology offering newly mobile devices, such as cell phone, PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), tablet devices andnetwork infrastructure (Ishizuka, et. al.2007; Yatani, Onuma, Hattori, Sugimoto and Kusunoki 2002). Ishizuka,Takada, Horita, Moriya and Maeda (2007) developed learning support system with cell phone in the aquarium.
Morita, Enomoto, Yamamoto and Shimizu (2009) offered learning environment that the students are able to accessinformation repository by PDA during off-classroom discovery learning. These studies clarified when learning
information accessible during off-classroom situation, knowledge acquisition promoted.
Preparing and accessing learning resources are effective for the students who were motivated to off-classroom
learning, however, there is assignment about how we are able to motivate learning them. Learning resources areuseful for the students who motivated. Then, we need more knowledge about support how the students will bemotivated.
Motivating learners in interaction
Learning motivation is developed in interaction among peer learners (Sato 1996). Learning motivation relates
to individual interests mainly, however, there are the studies that included social factors. For example, according to
the studies about everyday cognition, the learners who participated in social practices, such as workplace orcommunity activities are motivated to acquire knowledge and skills to achieve their own role or task (Inagaki andHatano 1989). The learner who participated in social practice is motivated to achieve its goal, and it shared among
the participants. To engage learning, social factor of motivation is important.
This kind of social practice is able to bring to the school setting. Sato (1996) said that we can promote thismotivation in social practice not only workplace or community activities but also school learning with appropriate
learning settings. For example, there are some case studies about promotion of motivation in the problem solving
with group members. To promote motivation for the students, we have to set not only interaction among classmates
but also shared goal among them including teachers.
When we apply this knowledge about social factors of motivation to off-classroom study, there is difficulty. Inthe classroom setting, the students are easy to observe the other students' action, and possible to understand sharedgoal they should acheive. However, the off-classroom setting, it is difficult to find it because they learn in small
group or individually. Then, we designed learning environment to motivate the students by interaction among othermembers with iPad.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
This paper reports the pilot practice in Kansai University Senior High School (KUSH) to engage the students
to learning off-classroom activity utilizing iPad. First, the authors show the detail of the pilot practice in KUSH.
Second, we analyze reflection report that the students wrote after the pilot practice, and find out the merits anddemerits.

DESIGN OF OFF-CLASSROOM LEARNING TO ENGAGE THE STUDENTS
We designed fieldwork in KUSH on the integrated study as an off-classroom activity. The students in KUSH
write a graduation thesis about analyzing social issues and suggesting to solve it individually by the knowledge thatlearned in high school period. Before writing it, we conduct opportunity of fieldwork to the students to know how
find social issues off-classroom settings and collect data to analyze it for the preparation of writing (Emori 2012).
The process of this fieldwork is following;[1. Setting the theme]
The teachers set the framework of the fieldwork (whatassistance for foreign visitors are there in Kyoto?),and made the theme and venue for each group
particularly.
[2. Collecting the data from the field]
The students collected data during fieldwork byinterview to foreign visitors, shop staffs, temple
managers, etc. and taking field memos (pic. 1). A
teacher lead 1 or 2 groups, but basically they weredone without help from teachers.
[3. Summarizing the data and making the report]
After the fieldwork, the students summarizedcollected data such as the voice, picture and memos,and made report individually.

Pic.1 fieldwork of KUSH

We conducted this fieldwork in November 7th, 2012 to 107 (20 groups) of 9th grade (high school 1st grade)
students.
During the fieldwork, each group brought an iPad2 and a mobile modem to communicate with other groupstudents. We set ‘MESSAGE’ application before the fieldwork. The students are able to communicate by text, andshare photo by MESSAGE application. At the orientation we taught how to collect voice and photo data by iPad, andrecommended to comment, advice and share information each other by iPad.

ANALYSIS OF THE REPORTS
We analyze small reports the students wrote after the fieldwork. We put the question for the report; What did
you know/think through the fieldwork, especially when you used iPad? We classified content of their reports toaffirmative descripsions and negative, and categorized for each content. As a result, following affirmative categories(Table 1) were found; ‘Understanding the actions of other learners in the fieldwork’, ‘Encouragement from otherlearners’, ‘Reference other group action’, ‘Use as multi recording tool’ and ‘Find information on site.’

Table 1Categories and examples of affirmative description
Categories
ExamplesUnderstanding the actions of other- We could know what other group are doing in any other place they are.
learners in the fieldwork- We didn’t interview foreign visitor who was already done by other group.
Encouragement from other learners- I could participate positively because I could catch the actions of other groups- I was inspired when I watched posted messages, and I achieved fieldwork.
- Other group students posted ‘I succeeded interview!’ it was pushed me to do too.
- I felt membership (with other students) during the fieldwork.
Reference other group action- We could see what other group were doing, and I refer their action.
- We could bring other groups’ ideas to my group when I found it in interaction on iPad.
Use as multi recording tool
- It was useful as a voice recorder- It is easy to take and share photos
Find information on site
- Our plan was changed on the day, but we can find other information from the internet.
- We can find more information when we had new interests on the site.

Table 2
Categories and examples of negative description
Categories
ExamplesUnsuited weight and size
- It is unsuitable for fieldwork, weight and size
Disturbing concentration: watched- People often see us when we took photos by iPad.
from visitors
Disturbing concentration: posted- When I checked posted message, some students posted information not relates withmessages not relate with fieldwork
learning activity. I wonder why.
- Sometime I was difficult to find information I need, because some of groups posted
unnecessary information.

Although most of the students wrote positively, there are negative desctiptions. As these descriptions, threecategories (Table 2) were found; ‘Unsuited weight and size’, ‘Disturbing concentration: watched from visitors’ and‘Disturbing concentration: posted messages not relate with fieldwork.’
The each students had different themes, so they worked individually, without fully collaboration. However, thestudents connected weakly, and they refered other groups’ work and was inspired by their action through watching
iPad. This weak connection effected to engage the students to the fieldwork. Utilization of iPad enable engaging
students to off-classroom learning activity.

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE DIRECTION
We designed learning activity utilizing iPad that enable communication among learners for engaging
off-classroom educational opportunities in current years, and conducted pilot practice in KUSH. And we found out
the students connected with other students weakly during the fieldwork from the analysis of small reports they wrote
after participated. Introducing iPad has possibility to engage student to off-classroom learining activity.
This paper evaluates the pilot practice, however, we need more data collection and analysis. In this paper, wecollected small reports the students wrote after the fieldwork. We could find the students’ thinking and impresson
about iPad utilization during the fieldwork. To clarify more details, how the students work in this settings, we add
more data by recording their action. Moreover, we include connection between off-classroom learning activities andclassroom learning activities because in general classroom activities conduct as preparation, conclusion andreflection about off-classroom learning activities. We continue to find how we can design off-classroom learning
activities.

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