Liberal Arts Exploration Program: Workshop

Academic unit or major

Humanities and social science courses

Instructor(s)

Saori Okada / Takeo Suzuki / Takashi Takao / Ami Kuromaru

Class Format

Exercise (Face-to-face)

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

9-10 Tue (W9-716（西9号館7階）)

Class

-

Course Code

LAH.E101

Number of credits

010

Course offered

2026

Offered quarter

2Q

Syllabus updated

Apr 7, 2026

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

In this class, students will learn how to reflect deeply on their own intellectual interests, formulate their own research questions, and pursue independent inquiry. The course provides a time, space, and community in which students who specialize in science and engineering but are also interested in the humanities and social sciences can think carefully and at length about their own questions, share their ideas, and further refine their thinking through feedback from others.

Through experiencing the full process of formulating a research question and preparing a research proposal, as well as by surveying a wide range of academic fields and designing a study plan aligned with their interests, students are expected to acquire knowledge, skills, and a mindset that can be applied to their future research activities in their own areas of specialization.

Course description and aims

Students will be able to:
(1) Formulate creative and researchable questions by thinking deeply about topics of interest through dialogue with classmates, TAs, and instructors, and by referring to previous research.
(2) Take a broad perspective on the structure of academic disciplines, identify where their chosen topic is situated within a field of study, understand the methodologies used to investigate it, and explain these clearly.
(3) Locate and review relevant literature, organize academic sources, and apply appropriate citation conventions.
(4) Develop a plan for future coursework and research activities based on their interests, and present this plan in the form of a research proposal.
(5) Apply effective dialogue skills to collaborate with others in learning and research.

Keywords

(1) formulate research questions, (2) gain an overview of academic disciplines, (3) review previous research, (4) design a course plan and prepare a research proposal, and (5) build a space for generative dialogue.

Competencies

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

Class flow

Students will complete a pre-class assignment for each session, which includes watching an instructional video and filling out a worksheet. In class, they will share their ideas based on the assignment and engage in activities that help them refine and deepen their thinking through discussion and feedback.

Students will complete a pre-class assignment for each session, including viewing a short lecture video and completing a worksheet. Class time will be devoted to sharing ideas and engaging in dialogue-based activities that deepen understanding through peer and instructor feedback.

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
阿部幸大（2024）『まったく新しいアカデミック・ライティングの教科書』光文社
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
トーマス・S・マラニー、クリストファー・レア（2023）『リサーチのはじめかた　「きみの問い」を見つけ、育て、伝える方法』筑摩書房

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 ： 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.

Students in the program are required to attend the interim progress presentation sessions held each autumn (September) and spring (March).
In AY2026, the sessions will be held on Tuesday, September 29, and Monday, March 8, 2027. If you anticipate a scheduling conflict, please consult with us in advance.

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

okada［at］ila.isct.ac.jp
Notice : Please replace "[at]" with "@".

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_2026/gakubu1/） and the Liberal Arts Core Subjects website.
https://core.ila.titech.ac.jp/lists/tankyu

＊ 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/v8E8uRdKLsXPaKDKA

　[Entry period]
　 - Second-year students: March 16, 2026 (Monday) 9:00 a.m. - April 20, 2026 (Monday) 3:00 p.m.
　 - First-year students: May 11, 2026 (Monday) 9:00 a.m. - May 25, 2026 (Monday) 3:00 p.m.
　　　　Details will be announced in the "Visionary Project" class.

　Based on the information provided in the form, students will be selected for enrollment in the course.
　 As soon as the decision is made, the selection results will be sent to the e-mail address you entered during the application process.
　　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.