2025 (Current Year) Special graduate degree programs Specially Offered Degree Programs for Graduate Students Tokyo Tech Academy for Leadership
Leadership Facilitation Practicum
- Academic unit or major
- Tokyo Tech Academy for Leadership
- Instructor(s)
- Lorinda Kiyama / Yuri Matsuzaki
- Class Format
- Exercise
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Mon
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- TAL.S603
- Number of credits
- 010
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1-2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Apr 2, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course invites students to become aware of social issues and to plan events where we can all learn from people who are exercising leadership in grappling with these problems. Moreover, students will learn the practicalities of engaging in discourse on social issues, through effective dialogue among participants.
Leadership manifests itself in various forms depending on the individual and the circumstances. Those who are developing their capacities for leadership repeatedly reflect on the application of leadership by others and compare it to their own efforts, thereby gaining personal knowledge and understanding. As one step in this process, we offer opportunities to listen to leaders’ life stories and participate in question and answer sessions, thereby learning about leaders’ worldviews and perspectives on various issues. Global Leadership Cafe and the Leadership Symposium are events held by the Academy for Leadership that provide such opportunities.
Participants in this class will make use of interview techniques from sociology, anthropology, UX (User Experience) Design, and various other fields to think deeply about how to listen to others effectively and gain insights. As practicum, students will practice listening and questioning in the first half of the course. The second half will be devoted to planning events to promote awareness of social issues, preparing for them, conducting the events, and other practical activities. Students will consider event planning and execution strategies.
Course description and aims
1) Be able to listen to people from various backgrounds and expand one’s own understanding of various issues and perspectives. Increase awareness about strategies for asking and listening, and preparing sufficiently.
2) Be able to facilitate or modulate an event that one has designed and prepared for sufficiently with a specific goal in mind related to listening to others’ narratives in various ways.
Keywords
Leadership, interviewing, facilitation, event planning, event execution
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Five classes will be held face-to-face in the classroom, and students will plan and facilitate one Academy for Leadership event as MC or panel discussant. The classrooms in Ookayama and Suzukakedai will be connected. A TA will be assigned to each campus to ensure smooth communication between the two sides.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | April 7, Orientation, What means to listen, active questioning to lead a discussion (1) | |
| Class 2 | April 14, Interview practicum (2), Crafting questions, facilitation as a member | Students divide up the task of researching the invited speaker and conduct research. |
| Class 3 | April 21, Preparation for the event Students present individually on the background and work of the invited lecturer. | |
| Class 4 | May 28, Taking into account the material presented in the prior week, students practice interviewing one another. | Compose a moderator’s guide for the session you will facilitate |
| Class 5 | (Dates TBD) Practicum：Global leadership cafe Facilitate a fireside chat event (Global Leadership Cafe) where a world leader is invited to lecture. Students should also ask questions to drive the discussion. | Participate or facilitate in Global Leadership Cafe |
| Class 6 | (Dates TBD) Facilitate a Forum and reflection Consider operation methods for Open Forum where students offer their perspectives on various issues and these are debated among students. | Facilitate or participate in Open Forum (At least 2 times) |
| Class 7 | (Date TBD) Wrap up and Reflection | Final reflection paper |
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.
None
Evaluation methods and criteria
1. Class attendance and attitude in class (50%)
2. Chairing any one of the sessions (30%)
3. Final reflection paper (20%)
Related courses
- TAL.C602 ： Creative Discussion
- TAL.C603 ： The Psychology of Leadership
Prerequisites
None