Design of a Training Seminar Focusing on Communication
Using Information Sharing Tool “SharedPanel”

Chikako Nagaoka
cnagaoka@kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Project Researcher
Kumamoto University
Kumamoto, Japan

Toshihiro Kita
kita@ield.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Professor
Kumamoto University
Kumamoto, Japan

Naoshi Hiraokanaoshi@kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Associate Professor
Kumamoto University
Kumamoto, Japan

Hiroshi Nakano
nakano@cc.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Professor
Kumamoto University
Kumamoto, Japan

Katsuaki Suzuki
ksuzuki@kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Professor
Kumamoto University
Kumamoto, Japan

ABSTRACTIn this research, we designed a training seminar using information sharing tool "SharedPanel"to promote trainees to share their opinions and experiences. Recently, a lot of training seminars are held in
various fields such as medical and disaster reduction. Not only students and new employees but also senior
employees join training seminars as a career up training. The background of trainees in training seminars
tend to be rich in diversity and sharing information and opinions between trainees benefit each other.
However, it frequently happens in a training seminar that trainees do not have enough time to communicate
with the other trainees due to some problems such as lack of time, inadequate design, and too much contents.
To solve this problem, we designed a training seminar using a system “SharedPanel” which collects posts
and mail from Facebook, Twitter, Email, and Evernote to store in learning management system Moodle. By
using this system, trainees can input information through their most favorite tool and share their informationand opinion with the other trainees on Moodle easily. In this presentation, we propose the design of thistraining seminar and show how we use “SharedPanel” to promote communication.
Keywords: SNS, Email, Communication, LMSINTRODUCTION
Recently, instructors of seminars use ICT tools for pre-learning to enable participants to acquire basic
knowledge beforehand and concentrate on acquiring practical knowledge in a face to face seminar. In a face
to face seminar, however, it is difficult to use ICT tools except in PC rooms. Even if learners bring theirown mobile devices, it is still difficult to use LMS (Learning Management System) if they are not used tousing LMS.
In this paper, we designed a training seminar consisting of 2 learning phases; pre-learning on elearning and a face to face seminar. To promote sharing each learner’s information (opinions, experience,and ideas) in the face to face seminar, we use the revised version of information sharing tool "SharedPanel",
which automatically collects posts and mails from Facebook, Twitter, Email, and Evernote into a page on
LMS, such as Moodle (Nagaoka, Niwa, Hiraoka, & Kita, 2015). By sharing information using SharedPanel,leaners can acquire practical knowledge which they can use in their school activities.

OUTLINE OF THE DESIGNWe designed the training seminar using OPTIMAL Model which supports teachers who are notfamiliar with Instructional Design (ID) to design blended learning rapidly (Jung, Kubota, & Suzuki,2008). OPTIMAL Model consists of Macro Design (Objectives, Prototyping, and Testing), Micro Design

(Interaction Design, Material Design, and Audio-Visual Design), and LMS. Furthermore, we checked thedesign with a checklist which supports to design blended learning based on OPTIMAL Model (Muraki,2010). Table1 shows the design of the seminar based on OPTIMAL Model and the checklist. Target andlearning period are below.
TargetTeachers in elementary schools/junior high schools/high schools join the training seminar. The backgroundsof each teacher (age, sex, educational experience, and IT-related skills) vary significantly.
Learning Period
The training seminar consists of 2 learning phases; pre-leaning on e-learning and a face to face seminar (6lessons) in 1 day.

Macro Design

Objectives

Prototyping
Testing

Micro Design
LMS

Interaction
DesignMaterial
DesignAudio-Visual
DesignTable.1 Course design using OPTIMAL model
By completing 2 learning phases below, learners can achieve following 2objectives.
Pre-learning on e-learning
Learners can explain basic knowledge of disaster necessary to understanddisaster preventive actions/education
Face to face seminar
Learners can propose disaster preventive actions/education which they would
like to use in their school activities.
We develop the prototype for 1 lesson in consideration of objectives and how toachieve objectives. After the development, we will ask 2 instructional designers
and instructors to review it.
After we develop the prototype and finish review, we will ask formativeevaluation to cooperators who are not familiar with ID and disaster to test prelearning on e-learning.
Pre-learning on e-learning
Quizzes to learn basic knowledge of disaster. Learners can challenge
quizzes repeatedly and can use acquired knowledge in the different
contexts.
Forum to ask instructors questions.
Navigation links to support learners to get his/her present location in
Moodle and get related external resources.
Face to face seminar
To promote information (learner’s opinions, experience, and ideas) sharing
between learners, we use “SharedPanel” which enables learners to input
information easily with their favorite tools and share with the others. By
sharing information, learners can acquire practical knowledge from theothers.
We present objectives, quizzes, tasks, and evaluation criteria to learners
explicitly because they need to finish pre-learning on e-learning by themselves.
Audio-visual materials will be added to e-learning if necessary.
After we develop the prototype, we will integrate contents to Moodle, an open
source system, which is formally used in Kumamoto University.

DESIGNING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LEARNERS

Information Sharing Tool “Shared Panel”

In this research, we use the information sharing tool “SharedPanel” which collects posts and mails
from Facebook, Twitter, Email, Evernote, and Mobile App and shows them on LMS, Moodle (Figure1). By
using this system, trainees can input information through their most favorite tools and share them withinstructors and the other trainees on Moodle easily. The collected information on Moodle will be stored inMoodle and can be reproduced anytime.

Overview of SharedPanel

Figure1.

Compared to activity module “Forum” in Moodle, SharedPanel has several advantages shown inTable2 and Table3. Table2 shows advantages when learners input information with their favorite tools andTable3 shows advantages when learners and instructors examine input information on Moodle. In thepresent seminar, especially, “palatability to tools” is the important advantage because using favorite tool
spares time and cost to teach how to use a forum and learners can input information anytime when they
catch up with the information. Furthermore, “Perspicuity” is also the important advantage because
instructors and learners can check input information on one panel in seminar.
Limitation bythe environment
Palatability to tools
Logging ProcessPerspicuity
Retrievability
Simplicity ofadministration

Table.2 Advantages to use SharedPanel (Input)
Learners can use the most useful tool with their smartphones when they havedifficulties using Moodle such as in a field work.
Learners can use their favorite tools even if the can use LMS.
Learners can input information without logging in to Moodle.
Table.3 Advantages to use SharedPanel (Output)
All input information are shown on one panel, so learners can easily checkthem at glance.
Learners can retrieve the specific input information using keywords,
hashtags, and date.
Instructors just need to tell learners the specific hashtag, key word, email
address to include when they input information.

How to use “SharedPanel” in pre-learning and a face to face seminarFigure 2 shows how “SharedPanel” is used in pre-learning and a face to face seminar. In pre-learningon e-learning, learners acquire basic knowledge of disaster and input information (experiences andopinions) about their disaster preventive actions/education with their favorite tools. In the face to faceseminar, Instructors examine each learner’s disaster preventive actions/education, input by learners
beforehand in pre-learning and propose points to improve and new ideas After instructor’s examination,
learners input information (ideas) with their favorite tool again based on what they learned in each lessons.
Finally, learners check the other learner’s information (opinions, experiences, and ideas) and click “like”
button.
Figure2. How to use SharedPanel in pre-learning and the face to face seminar

DISCUSSION

The design of the present seminar focused on information (learner’s opinions, experience, and ideas)

sharing to enable learners to acquire practical knowledge which they can use in their school activities. Thus,
assessments after implementation must be conducted by considering two points below;
1.
2.

Did the design support learners to acquire basic knowledge of disaster?
Did the design support learners to acquire practical knowledge of disaster preventive actions/education
which they can use in their school activities?

To assess this course design, we will check the number and the content of shared information, as wellas qualitatively analyze data from questionnaires and interviews.

CONCLUSION

In this paper, we proposed the training seminar consisting of 2 leaning phases; pre-learning on elearning and the face to face seminar. By using information sharing tool “SharedPanel”, learners can acquire
practical knowledge which they can use in their school activities. For the next step, we will implement thistraining seminar and will assess whether it works.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number (16K16323, Chikako Nagaoka),JAPANREFEREENCE

Nagaoka, C., Niwa, S., Hiraoka, N., & Kita, T. (2015). The System to Collect “Learning outside theClassroom” on the LMS -Moodle Add-on “SharedPanel”-. The 40st Annual Conference ofJapanese Society for Information and Systems in Education, Tokushima, Japan. [In Japanese]Jung, I.S., Kubota, K., & Suzuki, K. (2008). OPTIMAL instructional design model for e-learning/blendedlearning. Tokyo: Tokyo Electronics University Press. [In Japanese]
Muraki, S (2010). Development of an assistant tool for e-learning design using OPTIMAL model(Published master thesis). Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
http://wwwold.gsis.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/research_info/shuron2009/muraki09.pdf[In Japanese]