Liberal Arts Exploration Program: Workshop

Academic unit or major

Humanities and social science courses

Instructor(s)

Saori Okada / Takeo Suzuki / Takashi Takao

Class Format

Exercise (Face-to-face)

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

9-10 Tue

Class

-

Course Code

LAH.E101

Number of credits

010

Course offered

2024

Offered quarter

2Q

Syllabus updated

Mar 14, 2025

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

In this class, we aim to develop methods for in-depth reflection, questioning, and exploration of one's own interests. We will provide a place (time, space, and community) where undergraduate students, who are interested in learning in the humanities and social sciences while also pursuing a specialty in science and engineering, can come together. There, they can extensively think about their own issues, share their thoughts, and deepen their ideas while receiving feedback.
By experiencing the entire process of formulating a question and writing a research plan, and by planning a course of study in line with their interests in a wide range of academic fields, participants are expected to acquire knowledge, skills, and mindset that can be applied to their future research activities in their own specialized fields.

Course description and aims

(1) Through dialogue with classmates, TAs, and faculty members, and by referring to previous research, become able to think
deeply about the issues you wish to consider in depth and express them as creative and exploratory questions.
(2) Have a bird's-eye view of the academic system, understand where the issue you wish to explore is located in the academic field and what methodology is used to explore it, and be able to explain it.
(3) Understand how to find and organize previous research and the rules for including references, and be able to make use of them.
(4) Become able to plan future courses and inquiry activities based on your own interests and themes, and summarize them in a research plan.
(5) Learn and use methods of dialogue to cooperate with others in learning and research.

Keywords

(1) formulate questions, (2) overview the discipline, (3) explore previous research, (4) develop a course of study and research plan, and (5) create opportunities for emergent dialogue.

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

As a pre-class assignment before each class, students will watch a video and fill out a worksheet. In class, students will share their thoughts based on what they worked on in the pre-assignment, and will engage in activities to further deepen their thinking while receiving feedback in class.

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

None

Reference books, course materials, etc.

小熊 英二（2022）『基礎からわかる論文の書き方』講談社
細川 英雄（2021）『自分の＜ことば＞をつくる　あなたにしか語れないことを表現する技術』ディスカヴァー・トゥエンティワン
ウォーレン・バーガー（2022）『質問力を鍛える本』ニュートンプレス

Evaluation methods and criteria

Engagement and reflection (35%), pre-and post-class assignments (65%)
Credit will not be given to those who are absent more than three times.

Related courses

• LAH.E301 ： Liberal Arts Exploration Program: Mentoring
• LAH.C101 ： Tokyo Tech Visionary Project
• LAH.C301 ： Liberal Arts Final Report

Prerequisites

Available to freshmen and sophomores in the bachelor's program; if you are a transfer student from the third year and wish to take this course, please contact us in advance by email.
This course is placed at the entrance to the Liberal Arts Exploration Program. Only students enrolled in the program may take this course.

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

okada［at］ila.titech.ac.jp
t.suzuki［at］ila.titech.ac.jp
Notice : Please replace from "[at]" with "＠"(half-width character).

Office hours

Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.

Other

This course is required for students enrolled in the Liberal Arts Exploration Program.
For more information, please refer to the study guide "About the Liberal Arts Exploration Program"（https://www.titech.ac.jp/guide/guide_2024/gakubu1/） and the Liberal Arts Core Subjects website.
https://core.ila.titech.ac.jp/index.php/lists/tankyu
A video of the briefing held on March 18 is also available on this site.

＊ To those who wish to enroll in the Liberal Arts Exploration Program
　If you are interested in entering the Liberal Arts Exploration Program, please complete and submit the form below during the entry period.
　　https://forms.gle/nujmCifA4uuSmKwu6

　[Entry period]
　 - First-year students: Early to mid May, 2024. Details will be announced in the "Tokyo Tech Risshi Project" class.
　 - Second-year students: April 4, 2024 (Thursday) 9:00 a.m. - April 26, 2024 (Friday) 3:00 p.m.

　Based on the information provided in the form, students will be selected for enrollment in the course.
　The results of the selection will be notified to the e-mail address you entered during the application process as soon as the decision is made.
　　Please understand that there is a possibility that you may not be able to enter the program (i.e., you may not be able to take this class) as a result of the selection process.