The Journal of Social Studies Education in Asia, Vol.11, pp.17-32, 2022

〈CONFERENCE PAPER〉
Improving Interactivity in Instructional Design
by Developing an ICT-based Social Studies Plan: Case Study ofSmart Agriculture in the National Strategic Special Zone of
Hyogo Prefecture’s Yabu City
Takuya SUENAGAa*, Hirokazu SEKIb and Hiroaki SAKAUEc

Miki Municipal Hirono Elementary School, Miki city, Japan and Ph.D. Student, Hyogo
University of Teacher Education, Kato city, Japan;bGraduate School of Education, Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Kato city, Japan;cFaculty of Education, Chiba University, Chiba city, Japanatakuyasuenaga.education@gmail.com

Abstract
This research aimed at designing a lesson plan in elementary social studies that enhances interactivity by utilizing
information and communications technology (ICT). Taking into consideration that lessons created along withstudents and ICT-based elementary social studies classes enhance students’ learning, and based on the featuresof iPad, applications, and Zoom, a lesson for the fifth grade—called “Agriculture in Japan-Smart Agriculture in
Yabu City, National Strategic Special Zone”—was designed. To clarify the actual situation pertaining to ICT
utilization in the classroom, the lesson plan was examined from the perspectives of “information gathering,”“information examination/thinking,” and “reflection.” Information gathering enabled searching the Web for
supplementary/additional materials using learning content-related keywords, and also helped share informationand enhance teaching materials. Information examination/thinking enabled the use of map-based applications toimprove reading skills. Zoom also enabled interaction with persons mentioned in the learning and teachingmaterials. This way, students could apply their learning beyond the classroom to the real world. LoiLoNote, aclass-support application, helped organize thoughts on cards. Like a portfolio, students were able to build alearning history on their own. All these made instant sharing of classmates’ learning possible. Thus, utilizing ICT
contributed to upgrading teaching and learning style and designing elementary school social-studies lessons toenhance interactivity.
Keywords: Information gathering, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Instructional design,
LoiLoNote, Zoom

17

Takuya Suenaga, Hirokazu Seki, and Hiroaki Sakaue

Introduction
At present, the number of educational classes conducted using information and communications
technology (ICT) has increased all over the world. The reasons for this development are as follows. The primaryreason is the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Indubitably, in Japan, COVID-19 is a significant
stimulant for ICT-based lessons. Moreover, the Japanese government’s model society—“Society 5.0” 1—encourages school education to use big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and so on. In response to Society 5.0, theMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (2019) announced the “ Measures to Promote
the Utilization of Advanced Technologies that Support Learning in the New Era (Final Summary),” which
entails using advanced technologies, such as educational big data, AI, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality(VR), and augmented reality (AR) to develop human resources for Society 5.0. The guidelines emphasize theactive utilization of the above-mentioned technologies in the field of education. For instance, the Global andInnovation Gateway for All school program, which began in 2020, has been promoted to realize an educational
ICT-based environment. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, individual tablets 2 were rapidly introducedin elementary schools nationwide. Although some issues remain, such as the development of Wi-Fi thatguarantees stable communication speed, the hardware environment is likely to be in place nationwide. In theelementary school attached to the Hyogo University of Teacher Education, every student has been provided withan iPad since April 2021. Shortly, there will be a need for practical and research efforts toward teachers’/
student’s ICT skills and teaching/learning methods to utilize them in class.
What kind of learning is intended at Japanese schools? The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science, and Technology (2021) aims at the integrated enhancement of “individual optimal learning” and“collaborative learning” by introducing individual tablets. In other words, while promoting individual learning,
we intend to demonstrate collaboration through ICT. However, the specific utilization in elementary schoolsocial studies is still being researched. Evidently, some are versatile, and some are effective based on thecharacteristics of each subject.
Therefore, this research intends to develop a lesson plan that utilizes ICT in elementary school social
studies lessons. Subsequently, this research also examined the impact of introducing ICT on the interactivity
between teachers and students.

Significance of Utilizing ICT to Enhance Interactivity
Interactivity in Social Studies Classes
Introducing ICT into the classroom promotes greater “interactivity (interactive communication)”among students—and between students and teachers—than before. In this practical research, “interactivity” insocial studies classes was defined as “building knowledge through solving problems in cooperation with bothstudents and teachers.”
ICT Equipment and Applications That Can Be Used for Elementary School Social Studies Classes
ICT Equipment and Assistant Application
Tablet terminals (hereinafter referred to as “tablet”) comprise functions, such as “take (photo function),”“watch (video, etc.),” “edit,” “input / write,” “share,” “save (record),” etc. In the third grade of the city hall tour,
it effectively collected a large amount of information by varied means, including taking a picture of something

18

The Journal of Social Studies Education in Asia

of interest, taking notes of what was noticed with a touch pen, and recording the story of a person in the city hall.
After all, the big advantage of such devices is their compactness and portability in addition to collecting andstoring information.
Tablets also offer display and sharing functions. Students’ thoughts can be instantly displayed on tablet
screens. Something specific that interests someone can be maximized on the screen by zooming in. Our school
has an “Apple TV” connected to the display, making it easy to mirror. The tablet screen can be mirrored on it
whereby writing on it and sharing it with everyone becomes easy. Additionally, there is an application called“Classroom” on the iPad, which enables teachers to check the status of every student’s tablet (e.g., runningapplications, home screen). It also shows student’s active screen on the classroom display instantly. In otherwords, ICT equipment is dependent on tablets and displays.
Web Search and Map-based Applications
Functions can be expanded by introducing applications to the basic functions of tablets. In social studies
classes, the basic applications would include web search and map-based applications. Search engines like
Google or Yahoo! make instant searches according to a student’s individual interests. Map-based applications,such as Google Maps or Google Earth help focus on the landform and location. For example, in the third grade,
students can observe the city where they live from a birds-eye perspective by using the “street view” function
and thereby collect realistic information that cannot be obtained through a flat map.
Class Support Application “LoiLoNote” 3
LoiLoNote is a cloud-based lesson support application. Students as well as teachers can associate theirthoughts with not only text but also videos and photos. Information can be collected through Web search andstored in cards that can be arranged and classified. Learning can be enhanced by easily sharing the card with theclass. Since it is a cloud-based application, it can be stored without restrictions, and it turns into a portfolio. In
other words, all information—including materials distributed by teachers, materials found by oneself, one’s
thoughts, and thoughts of one’s friends—can be collected in one LoiLoNote, which can be retrieved any time.
Additionally, LoiLoNote has varied “thinking tools” functions that visualize students’ thoughts. For instance,since students’ thoughts are expressed on the card, they can exercise their thoughts, such as comparison andclassification, by simply arranging these cards on the diagram of the prepared thinking tool. LoiLoNote can also
be used as a platform to support students’ learning because it has icons, such as cameras, memos, web searches,and maps, which are also functions of a tablet.
Web Conferencing System: “Zoom”
Zoom is an application that allows holding seminars and online meetings using a personal computer(PC), smartphone, or tablet. By preparing an online room, it is possible to hold meetings regardless of location
or time, and it is often used in business and educational settings. This made it possible for multiple people tointeract over video calls online. This system is likely to be useful in social studies classes as well. For example,
it will be possible to interact with guest teachers and broadcast from the field. Until now, there were serious
temporal and spatial barriers, making classes difficult. However, Zoom has made it possible to overcome someof these barriers.
Characteristics of Elementary School Social Studies Classes by Utilizing ICT to Enhance Interactivity
The features of elementary school social studies classes that utilize ICT to enhance interactivity aresummarized in the following three points.

19

Takuya Suenaga, Hirokazu Seki, and Hiroaki Sakaue

First, students’ way of learning will be updated. In social studies classes thus far, students have beenencouraged to learn by utilizing materials distributed by teachers, textbooks, and collections of self-ownedmaterials. However, with the introduction of ICT, their learning is no longer limited to textbooks and referencematerials. Students begin searching from the start of the lesson, learning keywords related to the content. In otherwords, students begin individual learning while expanding ideas from the keywords related to the learning
content created by the teacher. Moreover, until now, it was not possible for students to immediately clarify
simple questions or concerns. The effect of ICT, which made it possible for students to search any facts/
information in social studies classes instantly and automatically, is thus beneficial.
Second, it is possible to organize lessons/learning processes that can be created with students. Until now,
lessons basically consisted of materials prepared by teachers, with a focus on textbooks and collections ofmaterials. However, by utilizing ICT, it will be possible to utilize materials prepared by students, who are alreadybeginning to learn individually while expanding their ideas from keywords related to the learning content.
Consequently, the student discovers a lot of materials. While sharing the same, the student can deepen thelearning by connecting it with the materials prepared by the teacher. In other words, teachers and students canbring materials together to create lessons to solve learning problems. This increases interactivity in social studies
classes.
For example, during the lesson practice described later, when sharing the image of agriculture at the
introductory stage, an agricultural machine, a tractor, became a controversial issue. At that time, the student who
had an image was sharing their experiences (“I’m at home and I’ve been riding” and “I’ve seen it in a rice field”).
Simultaneously, another student searched, found a picture of a tractor, and shared it. This student subsequently
said, “That’s it. It’s not what I expected.” When asked, the student mistook the tractor for something else. Whenthe teacher examined the entire class, there were some students who misunderstood the meaning of “tractor.”
This would not have been possible in the previous lessons. It would have been dismissed if the teacher used his/her own discretion. However, the students’ behavior provided a common understanding. Perhaps, in the limitedclass time, many parts were unilaterally considered “good.” It is possible that some of the students’ understanding
was incomplete. In other words, by utilizing ICT, there is a possibility that the lesson structure would evolve tocapture the context of students’ learning.
Third, it is possible to expand learning in social studies classes. Until now, there were few opportunities
to learn how students themselves enhanced their learning in social studies. A student with a personal tablet
connects the learning of social studies to reality, and a student is molded into becoming an individual who tells
the teacher what they found in their life and what they noticed. For example, a student sent a picture of a bag ofrice that he was eating at home; he drew an illustration focusing on the clothes of the person working in the rice
field, and he found a connection between real-life scenes and learning. Such learnings in the past could not beshared in the same manner without attending school in-person. However, the tablet made instant sharing
possible, regardless of the temporal and spatial limitations.

Actual Elementary School Social Studies Class Utilizing ICT to Enhance Interactivity
Here we introduce examples of ICT utilization in the fifth-grade social studies class on “Japanese
Agriculture.” 420The Journal of Social Studies Education in Asia

Elementary Social Studies Learning Themes in Japan
In elementary school in Japan, social studies are taught from grades 3–6. Its themes are shown in Table
1. The class we designed focused on “Food production in our nation’s agriculture and fisheries industry.”
Teaching Material Settings: Current Situation in Japanese Agriculture
This learning unit focused on agriculture that supports Japan’s food production, and aimed to clarify thesystems and issues of agriculture by considering the future possibility of agriculture devoid of these issues.
Agriculture, considered “the primary industry,” is the foundation of Japanese industry, closely related to the
topography and climate of the country. One can learn about social systems, such as production, distribution, andsales, while considering the characteristics of climate and topography learned previously. Therefore, in this unit,“rice,” which is representative of Japanese agricultural products, was used as teaching material. This was
because the production, distribution, and sales systems have been established, the mechanism is easy tounderstand, and it is familiar to students. In production, systems, such as mechanization of work, field
maintenance to improve the efficiency of mechanization, and breeding to improve production volume andquality have been constructed. In distribution and sales, a supply chain system is constructed in which producers
reach consumers via Japan Agricultural Cooperatives and wholesalers, and a direct sales system to consumers
is possible through the promulgation of the Internet. Subsequently, there are also major issues in Japanese
agriculture. The problem of harsh work called 3K ( kitsui : hard work, kitanai : messy, kiken : dangerous)
overlaps with the problem of labor shortage, aging workers, and a decrease in small-scale farmers due to ashortage of successors. In some areas, there is concern that Japan’s landscape will be damaged by the increasein abandoned cultivated land created by the decrease in farmers.
Therefore, this unit took up the case of Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture, which overcomes the problems ofagriculture and promotes community development centered on agriculture. There were two reasons for this;first, Yabu City is located in a mountainous area. In Japan, mountainous areas such as Yabu City occupy about
70% of the total land area in mountainous regions, and about 40% of the population farm in the mountainous
areas. In other words, it is not a vast flat land; instead, the specifics of agriculture are unique to mountainous
areas. Second, their objective was to overcome the challenges of Japanese agriculture. Despite being thefoundation of the industry, agriculture in Japan still faces challenges; such as the increase in abandoned cultivatedland, labor shortage, and aging. Furthermore, while many regulations have been set up in Japan to protect
farmers, these regulations have sometimes been detrimental. Therefore, Yabu City is declared as a “National
Strategic Special Zone” where the mayor has the authority to relax or change the regulations. Thus, this canpromote agriculture aimed at pursuing profits through the entry of companies, promote smart agriculture
utilizing ICT and AI, create employment, and secure migrants for the purpose of agriculture. For students, thecase of Yabu City would be a glimpse of the new agriculture of the future.
Unit Plan
The unit consisted of 10 hours in total and three steps:
・ First step: “What is the first rice?” (three hours)
・ Second step: “Rice production system” (four hours)
・ Third step: “Secrets of smart agriculture” (three hours)
Unit Goals
The unit goals were shown as follows:21

Takuya Suenaga, Hirokazu Seki, and Hiroaki Sakaue

・ For agriculture in the Shonai Plain,5 students understand the rice production, distribution, andsales systems, and then understand the issues of Japanese agriculture, such as labor shortages
and aging.
・ Based on the understanding of the social systems on rice, students consider Yabu City as aconcrete example of trying to overcome those problems.
・ By learning about deregulation and smart agriculture promoted by the National StrategicSpecial Zones, students think and express about Japanese agriculture in the future.
Unit Overview
Based on the above, the following unit plan was designed (table 2).
Significance of Elementary School Social Studies Classes Utilizing ICT to Enhance Interactivity
To clarify the actual situation of ICT utilization that enhances interactivity, we approach the lesson fromthe three perspectives of “information gathering,” “information scrutiny/thinking,” and “reflection.”
Information Gathering“Information gathering” in classes implies collecting information related to learning content bysearching the Web. At the stage of introduction, restrictions on how to use the tablet could not be laid down.
Hence, it was possible to search the Web throughout. At the same time, at the beginning of all lessons, students
collected information in relation to the content of the lessons, including the process of searching. In other words,
the students applied multiple perspectives. Here, we take up a remarkable lesson scene and explain how students
used multiple thoughts in it.
In the sixth lesson in the 2nd step “Why are there rice with various names?” the following two scenes
were taken up. First, with the introduction of this class, students read the materials for “List of varieties of rice

Figure 1. Information gathering and sharing
Source: Created by authors.

22

The Journal of Social Studies Education in Asia

cultivated and brown rice produced in Reiwa 3rd year (2021).” This material was centered around the name ofthe variety of rice, and it was difficult for students to imagine what kind of rice it was. The students who noticed
this began to search the Web using the name of the variety as a keyword and began to share pictures of rice bags.
There was a variety name that the students were particularly interested in, and there was a tweet asking, “Whatkind of taste does it have?” So, the students were researching various varieties while looking at the photos of ricebags’ packaging. Since this scene was an introduction, it was intended to raise awareness about the variety name.
However, in reality, it was a scene where the students investigated not only the name of the variety but also the
packaging of rice bags and the characteristics of the variety. In this way, the interactivity of collecting and sharing
information that is insufficient with the presented materials increased (see Figure 1). The purpose of the scene,
where the material the “family tree of rice” is presented, was to make people aware that the breeding centeredaround Koshihikari, a famous rice cultivar, was being carried out. In actuality, the students discussed theirthoughts, gathered information in class, and deepened their learning, such as the year when the ancestors of
Koshihikari and the characteristics of the newest varieties were integrated into the study design. The appearanceof such students might indicate a new style of learning born from the introduction of personal tablets.
Information Scrutiny/Thinking
Information scrutiny/thinking means deep-thinking about problem solving while analyzing andscrutinizing the collected information using ICT.
The fourth lesson in the 2nd step “Why is so much rice produced in the Shonai Plain?” was a remarkablelesson for student’s information scrutiny/thinking using ICT. First, the teacher transferred the bird’s-eye view of
the Shonai Plain to the students’ iPad, and when he presented it, he incorporated an activity to find the placeusing Google Maps. Since the name of the material was hidden, the students were looking for the places fromthe name of the mountain or the river as a clue. The students who found the Shonai Plain on the map intuitively
tried to zoom in and out of the map and began to investigate the characteristics of the land. When all the students
were able to present the map of the Shonai Plain on the tablet, they presented the land use map of the Shonai
Plain. From that moment on, the students began to scrutinize the land use map against Google Maps. Specifically,

Why is so much rice made in the Shonai Plain?
Students
Google Map

Teacher
Land use map

Even if you look at the map, it's really just rice
fields.

It's almost a rice field.
There are few houses.

The house looks smaller than the rice fields.

The house is solid and built.
There are many fields on the sea side.

The road continues from my house to the rice
fields. I wonder if I go to the rice fields.
Looking at the map, there are many
greenhouses in the fields on the sea side.

Figure 2. Information examination scene to improve reading comprehension of materials by utilizing map application
Source: Created by authors.

23

Takuya Suenaga, Hirokazu Seki, and Hiroaki Sakaue

the students examined the information, such as comparing the tablet screens on two screens and checking theland use map information on the aerial photograph of Google Maps. For example, from the reading of the land
use map, there was a student’s remark that “there are many fields near the sea.” So, when the teacher actually
projected Google Maps on the display and checked it, the students noticed that there were many greenhouses in
the Shonai Plain. The students could not notice a large number of greenhouses just by reading the land use map.
In other words, by utilizing ICT, it was possible to improve the level of reading comprehension of materials,
leading to deeper awareness among students. (See Figure 2).
The eighth lesson in the 3rd step “Why did Mr. Fujita, who works in a tile sales company, start farmingin Yabu City?” was also a remarkable lesson. This class entailed learning about Mr. Fujita, who is engaged inagriculture. When a student learned that Mr. Fujita’s work and headquarters are in Miki City, Hyogo, she opened
Google Earth and started searching. The teacher took that into account, and at the stage the student discovered,
the teacher instructed her to project her tablet screen onto the display. Consequently, the students noticed themany rice fields around Mr. Fujita’s head office. A student said, “I understand that Mr. Fujita is farming because
there are many rice fields around him.” This was a scene where students who had insufficient understanding
initially, understood that he was farming as part of a business company. This was also a scene that was notintended by the teacher, but it was created by adjusting to the students’ flow of thought. Thus, by utilizing ICT,
it was possible to deepen and help the awareness of the entire class by collecting and sharing information bornfrom the flow of students’ thoughts.
The nineth lesson in the 3rd step “Why is Mr. Fujita challenging agriculture using AI and ICT?” was aremarkable lesson too. This was a class focusing on “smart agriculture” that Mr. Fujita is working on with thesupport of Yabu City as a National Strategic Special Zone. After confirming the characteristics of the tractors,
rice transplanters, drones, mowing machines, and combine harvesters used in smart agriculture that Mr. Fujita
uses, the teacher asked the students, “Why does Mr. Fujita use agricultural machinery that utilizes AI and ICT?”Why is Mr.Fujita challenging smart agriculture?
Students

Mr.Fujita

Predict why Mr. Fujita will
challenge smart agriculture

Get direct information on thebenefits and challenges of smart
agriculture＜Predict＞
Work becomes easier.
The time will be shorter.
It's efficient.
I can do other work in my spare time.

Zoom＜Merits＞① Work is fun. ② Accurate and fast.
③ Work becomes easier.
④ It is safe.⑤ Productivity increases.
＜Tasks＞
Because the field is small, it cannot
demonstrate its ability.

YABU Cityin Hyogo Prefectureclassroom＜Transformation of students' perceptions＞
・Productivity can be improved by smart farming.
・It may lead to the solution of Japanese agricultural issues.

Figure 3. Information thinking scene with enhanced interactivity by Zoom
Source: Created by authors.

24

The Journal of Social Studies Education in Asia

Figure4. Dialogue using Zoom
Source: Taken by authors.

Figure 5. Dialogue using Zoom Student’s LoiLoNote screen (left) and student’s card (right)
Source: Taken by authors.
and then shared student’s expectations with other students. Here, the teacher connected to Mr. Fujita in Yabu
City via Zoom. Therefore, the teacher incorporated an activity to have Mr. Fujita himself teach the merits ofsmart agriculture. Mr. Fujita taught the students five merits: (1) fun to work, (2) accurate and fast, (3) easy towork, (4) safety, and (5) increased productivity (lowering the cost of making things). At this time, the display
shared a picture of the field, which had been taken when the teacher interviewed him earlier. Furthermore, when
asked about the disadvantages and issues from the teacher, Mr. Fujita answered, “I have not fully used thefunctions because my field is small.” In this way, by utilizing Zoom, it was possible to break away from learning
only by teachers and students and deepen learning while connecting with the persons involved in the teachingmaterials (see Figure 3 and 4). Until now, there were time and distance barriers, and it would have been difficult
to have guest teachers come directly to the classroom. Zoom made it possible to teach students directly online
and overcome the learning barrier due to classroom-only learning for teachers and students, thus leading to thelatter’s deeper learning. In other words, lessons with enhanced interactivity with teachers, students, and relatedparties were constructed through teaching materials, and students’ thinking toward problem solving deepened.
Finally, in this unit, “LoiLoNote” was used. All teaching materials prepared by the teacher were
distributed using LoiLoNote. Here, we consider a student’s cards pertaining in the sixth lesson in the 2nd step
“Why is there rice with various names?” as an example of using LoiLoNote (see Figure 5). On the screen of the25Takuya Suenaga, Hirokazu Seki, and Hiroaki Sakaue

student’s LoiLoNote, we can see that the materials transferred by the teacher and the cards made were connected
and organized. Looking at the screen of the student’s LoiLoNote, the materials with high priority were selected
for solving the learning task. We could also find that a student organized his cards while positioning the materials
on the card or while connecting the materials to the card and organizing them. Looking at the notebook (Figure5) created by the student, while positioning the materials prepared by the teacher on the card, it summarized
simple questions about the task, the contents read from the materials, and the contents read by classmates, etc.
In the past notebooks, it was not possible to make notes while positioning the materials. LoiLoNote made it
possible to relate personal materials and relationships between materials using lines and arrows. As a result, thestudents were able to move their own card to exercise their thinking and deepen their learning.
Reflection
LoiLoNote was also used for reflection wherein students wrote down what they learned and thought
about the learning task on the card and submitted it to the submission box. LoiLoNote has a submission box
function, so teachers can collect and stock students’ cards in retrospection. Additionally, if the submission box isshared, it can be seen by classmates (see Figure 6). In other words, after class, teachers can share what theclassmates have learned. In the past, it was common for teachers to collect notes and worksheets and share themas mediators. By sharing this for a certain period of time after class, it is possible not only to know the thoughtsof colleagues but also to refer to the perspectives of others’ reflections. Furthermore, in this unit, the retrospective

Figure 6. Screen sharing students’ answers using LoiLoNote
Source: Taken by authors.

26

The Journal of Social Studies Education in Asia

account of each student’s notebook were connected to the materials that they found. This enabled viewing thestudents’ thoughts. Additionally, since it is gathered like a portfolio, not only teachers but also students were able
to look back and see the changes in each student’s thoughts.

Conclusion
Significance and Future Tasks Pertaining to This Study
The significance of the research lies in the following two points.
First, we designed an elementary school social studies class that utilizes ICT to enhance interactivity. By
using LoiLoNote and Zoom, we were able to show the concreteness of the lessons that enhance the interactivity
through the interactive material examination and thinking activities of students and teachers.
Second, it was clarified that interactivity in elementary social studies class can be enhanced by using amap, a search application, a class support application “Roilo Note,” and a web conferencing system “Zoom.”
LoiLoNote and Zoom have made it possible to overcome temporal and spatial barriers and renew the teachingstyle of the past.
Subsequently, it is necessary to develop the ability to utilize information. Students are now able to obtainand share a large flow of information, partly because it has become easier to search the Web. However, there aremany cases where the credibility and accuracy of the information are not taken into consideration. It is importantto cultivate the ability to identify the procedure and method of collecting information and the viewpoint andmethod of examining materials. Since it has become easier to collect digital information, it is also necessary todesign a new elementary school social studies class that combines lessons that allow the experience of more
realistic material and information and classes that enhance interactivity using ICT.
Prospects in ICT Use in Social Studies Education
The only way to assess a student’s growth in his/her competencies behind the behavior is to observe thechanges in the behavior in a concrete context. Since the interpretation always includes the evaluator’sinterpretation, it is necessary to develop the teacher’s competence. By accurately grasping the results of thestudent’s growth and learning and improving the daily instruction by the teacher, a student can move on to thenext stage of learning. The teacher must positively evaluate the goodness and progress of the student whileletting them realize the significance and value of learning, rather than ending with the evaluation for the sake of
it. The practice of the fifth-grade unit “Japanese Agriculture” focuses on agriculture that supports Japanese foodproduction, clarified the current situation and issues of Japanese agriculture, and then took up the case of Yabu
City that overcomes the issues.
In this practice, personal tablet was prepared for each student, and LoiLoNote was used to summarize
the students’ thoughts and develop mutual learning. At the begin of the lesson, the students collected information
about learning content by using the Web search application. Additionally, using Google Maps, the students could
intuitively and repeatedly zoom in and out on the map to get an overview of rice cultivation in Japan, focusing
on the names of mountains and rivers and the state of the land in the Shonai Plain where rice cultivation is carriedout. For the lesson focusing on “Why are there rice with various names?” each student wrote down what he/shecame up with on a tablet in the form of a classification of facts, divided into breeding, purpose, and environmental
problems. Each student connected the above events with arrows to depict the relationships and write their own
words. LoiLoNote is a tool for students to learn where students can freely write down their thoughts on a card,

27

Takuya Suenaga, Hirokazu Seki, and Hiroaki Sakaue

arrange them in an order that is easy to convey, and classify them. By easily sharing the card with the class, newlearning was initiated. Most importantly, it is a portfolio that accumulates as it is created. All lessons are
portfolios, including teacher and presentation materials, such as cards and charts created by students. By
reflecting on these, students were able to perceive their own growth. LoiLoNote has various thinking tools fordeveloping thinking ability. To create thoughts, such as “comparing, classifying, and associating,” LoiLoNote
supported visualization with various pattern diagrams, such as Venn diagrams and chart diagrams. Furthermore,
it was noteworthy that students’ choices and thoughts can be expanded through means, such as cameras, texts,
maps, and Web searches. Monitor evaluation was performed in appropriate situations in the learning process
while looking at the unit contents and the unity of time. There were three stages of evaluation using ICT, namely“information gathering,” “information scrutiny/thinking,” and “reflection.” This meant that the teacher not onlyshows the context up to problem solving and performs monitor evaluation at each stage, but also formativeevaluation of the students themselves, and metacognitive activities that can be utilized for subsequent learning
are possible. Further, by utilizing Zoom, the teacher set up opportunities to interact with the persons involved in
the learning content in real time, and by utilizing ICT, which has the potential to expand learning by jumping
over the classroom at any time, interactivity has been increasing.
Since this practice can be evaluated, students can assess their learning process and growth by utilizing
ICT. “Learning” is the process by which a student learns to discover and develop their inherent potential. To
properly evaluate their activities, teachers must study, including further improvement of their skills as
professionals involved in education.
At the end of this paper, we would like to provide some suggestions using ICT, especially, collaboration
with outside personnel utilizing with ICT. By being able to build collaborative relationships with others, it ispossible to create a new space in the school. This contributed to our lesson in the following points:
1) For students, improving the level of students’ thinking through the process of forming social cognition,
which is a common foundation for problem solving,2) interactive learning activities inevitably created opportunities for students to give feedback, and createda sense of competence among students and a sense of motivation and accomplishment to express theirintentions, and
3) for outside personnel, responding to simple questions from students has led to the creation of their own
awareness of issues as issues in the real world.
In addition, although collaboration with the local community is being attempted on various occasions,
it is becoming more and more necessary for social studies teachers to conduct research with a view to subjects
and students’ academic achievement. It can be pointed out that has been seen as a new future task.

Notes
1. According to Cabinet Office (n.d.), “Society 5.0” means “A human-centered society that balances
economic advancement with the resolution of social problems by a system that highly integrates
cyberspace and physical space.”
2. In this program, “individual tablets,” which we call one device for one student, is receiving attention and
now we can see lessons using tablets or other ICT devices in Japanese schools.

28

The Journal of Social Studies Education in Asia

3. If you want to learn more about “Loilo Note,” visit the following website: https://loilonote.app/
login?hl=en-US
4. In the study of teaching materials, we mainly referred to the following: Kai (2019), Andnian et al.
(2020), Kubota and Yamaguchi (2020), Miwa (2020), Ohizumi (2020), and Yagi (2021).
5. Shonai Plain in Yamagata Prefecture is a famous place for rice production in Japan. In many elementarysocial studies textbooks in Japan, the case of Shonai plain is used to teach and learn about the production,
distribution, and retail systems of rice.

References
Andnian, A., Kawanishi, T., & Yamada, Y. (2020). Reimagining agriculture: A perspective by McKinsey.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun Publishing.
Cabinet Office. (n.d.). Society 5.0. Cabinet Office, the Government of Japan. https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/
english/society5_0/index.html
Kai, S. (2019). No wa tanoshi: Nogyo tokku, Yabu no chosensha tachi [ Agriculture is fun: Special
agricultural zone, challengers in Yabu ]. Epic.
Kubota, S. & Yamaguchi, R. (2020). Nogyo no shikumi to bijinesu ga kore 1 satsu de shikkari wakaru
kyokasho [ Textbook that understands the mechanism of agriculture and business ]. Gijutsu-Hyoron.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (2018). Shogakko gakushu shido yoryo(Heisei 29 nen kokuji) kaisetsu shakai hen [ Comments of the Course of Study in elementary school in2017 “Social studies” ]. Nihon Bunkyou Shuppan.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (2019). Shinjidai no manabin ni okeru sentangijutsukatsuyosuishinhosaku (Saishu matome) [ Measures to promote the utilization ofadvanced technology in learning in the new era (Final summary) ]. https://www.mext.go.jp/
component/a_menu/other/detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2019/ 06/24/1418387_02.pdf
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (2021). Gakushushidoyoryo no shus
hi no jitsugen ni muketa kobetsusaitekinamanabi to kyodotekinamanabi no ittaiteki
najujitsu ni kansuru sankoshiryo [ Reference materials on the integrated enhancement of
individual optimal learning and collaborative learning toward the realization of the purpose of thecourse of study ]. https://www.mext.go.jp/content/210330-mxt_kyoiku01-000013731_09.pdf
Miwa, Y. (Ed.). (2020). Zukai yoku wakaru sumato nogyo: Dejitaruka ga jitsugen suru mokaru nogyo [Smart agriculture that can be easily understood: Profitable agriculture that realizes digitalization ].
Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun.
Ohizumi, K. (2020). Fudo baryu chien ga kaeru nihon nogyo [ Japanese agriculture changed by the foodvalue chain ]. Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
Yagi, H. (2021). Saishin nihon no nogyo zukan [ Latest Japanese agricultural picture book ]. Natsumesha.

29

Takuya Suenaga, Hirokazu Seki, and Hiroaki Sakaue

Table 1. Elementary social studies learning themes in Japan
Grade

Spatial scale

GeographicalstrandCivics strand

Historical strand

3.
Community
learning

Mainly local
area(1) Characteristics
of local areas(2) Production andselling business inlocal area(3) Works toprotect the safety of
local area

(4) Transition ofcharacteristics of
our city4.
Community
learning

Mainly theprefecture
where students
live(1) Thecharacteristics ofthe prefecture(5) Thecharacteristics ofareas with local
character within
prefecture(2) Works to support
people’s health andliving environment(3) Works to protect
people from natural
disasters(4) Tradition,
culture, andachievements ofpredecessors
within prefecture5.
Learning about
naturalenvironment,
variousindustries

Mainly Japan(1) Characteristics
of our nation andpeople’s living(5) Naturalenvironment in our
nation and its
relationships withpeople’s lifestyle(2) Food production in
our nation’s agriculture
and fisheries industry(3) Industrial
production in our
nation(4) Relationships
between informationand industry in our
nation6.
Learning about
politics,
history, andinternational
understanding

Mainly Japan,
partly global(1) Politics in Japan(3) Globalizing world
and Japan’s roles(2) Historicalphenomena inJapan

Source: Created based on Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2018).

30

The Journal of Social Studies Education in Asia

Table 2. Lesson plan “Agriculture in Japan―Smart Agriculture in Yabu City, National Strategic Special Zone”○ Main question
・Learning activities

1st step

1 What is rice?
・ Form questions about rice while
sharing what you know about rice.
2 Let’s find out about rice.
・ Search the Web for rice based on thequestions that were formed theprevious time and put them together
on a LoiLoNote cards.
3 What kinds of rice are there?
・ Compare the photographs of Uruchi
rice, Indica rice, and seedlings toclarify their characteristics.

Materials

Knowledge that students will acquire

What is rice?

①②

・ There are various types of rice, such as glutinous
rice, indica rice, sake rice, and glutinous rice.
・ Rice contains two types of starch, amylopectin,
and amylose. About 80% of glutinous rice isamylopectin and 20% is amylose.
・ Indica rice accounts for 80% of the world’s
production.

2nd step

What kind of system is there to produce rice?
4 Why is so much rice produced in・ Most of the Shonai Plain is used as rice fields.
the Shonai Plain?
・ Factors, such as large land, abundant water,・ Clarify the characteristics of landsunshine hours, temperature difference, and③④⑤
use map, sunshine duration, andmonsoon have an effect on rice cultivation in the⑥⑦
average temperature, and consider
Shonai Plain.
the reason why the Shonai Plain is
・ Japanese rice cultivation is popular in the Tohoku
suitable for rice cultivation.
region and Hokkaido.
5 How do rice farmers produce a lot
・ Rice is produced in the order of raising rice,of rice?
scraping rice, planting rice, and harvesting rice.
・ Consider the reason why a rice
In addition, there are various work processes,
farmer organizes the work process
such as seedling production and waterfor one year and promotes
management.
⑧⑨⑩
mechanization and field・ The rice produced is processed by a country
maintenance.
elevator and stored properly.
・ Mechanization can reduce work labor and time.
・ Mechanization is promoted by field maintenanceto improve efficiency.
6 Why is there rice with various
・ There are about 800 varieties of rice cultivated innames?
Japan, and many Koshihikari rice are cultivated.
・ Consider the reason for increasing
・ Rice farmers are improving varieties centered on
the variety of rice brands produced
Koshihikari.
in Japan.
⑪⑫⑬ ・ The purposes of breeding are: (1) good taste andgloss when cooked, (2) high yield, (3) resistant todiseases and pests, (4) easy to grow due to colds,(5) resistant to cold and high temperatures, and(6) early harvest time.
7 Why are the number of people and・ The agricultural population is declining.
farmers who work in agriculture
・ The agricultural population is aging.
decreasing?
・ The increase in abandoned cultivated land causes
・ Understand the challenges offour problems: (1) weeds and pests are generated,⑭⑮
Japanese agriculture by using(2) floods cannot be prevented, (3) illegal⑯⑰
materials such as changes in the
dumping of waste occurs, and (4) wild animals
number of farmers, the age ratio of
can act.
agricultural workers, and changes inabandoned cultivated land.

31

Takuya Suenaga, Hirokazu Seki, and Hiroaki Sakaue

3rd step

Why is Mr. Fujita challenging smart agriculture?
8 Why has Mr. Fujita, who works in a・ Mr. Fujita thought that the tile sales andtile sales company, started farming
remodeling business would reduce profits in a
in Yabu City?
society with a declining population in the future・ Think about the reason why Mr.
and started agriculture as a promising industry in
Fujita, employee of a tile sales
the future.
company, started farming when he・ Yabu City has obtained the approval of the
moved to Yabu City.
National Strategic Special Zone and made it
9 Why is Mr. Fujita challenging
possible for companies to enter.
agriculture using AI and ICT?
・ By smart agriculture utilizing AI and ICT,・ Consider the merits of smart⑱⑲
productivity has been improved by improving
agriculture by clarifying the⑳㉑
work efficiency and labor saving.
characteristics of the smart
・ There are possibilities to solve the problems ofagricultural machinery that Mr.
aging workers and labor shortage, which are the
Fujita is working on.
problems of Japanese agriculture.
10 What will happen to Japanese
agriculture in the future?
㉒㉓㉔
・ Based on the rural landscape ofYabu City, Hyogo Prefecture,forecast images will be created toenable students to concretely
imagine future agriculture byprocessing copyright-freeillustrations on the Internet andphotographs of agricultural
machinery taken by the teachers.

〈Main materials〉①Uruchi rice and indica rice; ②Photo of Uruchi rice and Indica rice seedlings; ③Land use map of
Shonai Plain; ④Monthly sunshine hours of Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture and Kesennuma City
in Sendai Prefecture; ⑤Monthly average temperature of Tsuruoka City and Kesennuma City;⑥Mechanism of seasonal wind; ⑦Rice production amount; ⑧Igarashi’s agricultural work; ⑨Annual per
decade changes in cultivation time in Yamagata Prefecture; ⑩Comparison between before and after field
maintenance; ⑪List of production area varieties of paddy rice Uruchi rice and paddy rice Uruchi brown
rice; ⑫Variety of Uruchi rice that is the largest planted area in each prefecture; ⑬Family tree of rice;⑭Transition of the farmer population; ⑮Number of Farmers; ⑯Average income per farmer and ratio
depending on agricultural income; ⑰Problems that occur when abandoned cultivated land increases;⑱Mr. Fujita’s photo; ⑲Mr. Fujita’s business contents; ⑳Mr. Fujita’s story; ㉑Facts about Yabu City as a
National Strategic Special Zone; ㉒Mower (Spider); ㉓Photo of smart agricultural machine used by Mr.
Fujita; ㉔Demonstration verification video of a mower (an employee).
Source: Created by authors.

32