Progress Report
Protecting children's intellectual curiosity and individuality to realize a dynamic society[3] Realization of schools that protect individuality
Progress until FY2023
1. Outline of the project
This project focuses on "schools," where diverse children live together, to promote learning based on inherent curiosity and to achieve a high level of mental well-being for children. Kanazawa University and Kaga City are collaborating on this research project with three main themes: "visualization of children's mental well-being and intellectual curiosity in schools," "examination of educational systems," and "ELSI for developmental disabilities.
- Target
Students enrolled in regular elementary school classes and special-needs classes - Method
Students will be asked to wear a wearable high-precision electrocardiograph and face-to-face detection application while at school to acquire heart rate data and activity volume data.
2. Outcome so far
Device 1: Wearable high-precision ECG
A prototype device was created to improve the accuracy of heart rate and autonomic nerve measurement in daily life and to enable long-term measurement.
Device 2: Face-to-Face Inspection Synchronicity Detection Application
A system was introduced to evaluate the body movements during individual body activities and group synchronization by means of an acceleration sensor built into a small smartphone.
Analysis of Children's Activity Levels During "Curiosity Exploration Time" Using a Face-to-Face Synchrony Detection App
The activities of children with developmental disabilities, especially those in which they had a particular interest or enthusiasm, were conducted and their physical activity during these activities was measured.
As a result of the analysis, it was shown that the synchrony between the teacher and the student increased significantly during activities where they worked together, such as crafting.
"Learning Proactively"
Visualization of Differences in Children's Behavior Due to Differences in Class Structure
An analysis was conducted using video analysis and accelerometer data to compare "My Plan Learning" (individual-paced and form learning within a unit) adopted in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and the usual class style. The network index of accelerometer data, "Group Awareness," indicated a state of interaction and individual concentration in the individual-paced learning compared to regular classes, showing a broad distribution of network characteristics.
3. Future plans
We are working on building a platform to create an educational system that fosters children's growth at school, nurturing their curiosity, self-esteem, and promoting the healthy development of their minds and brains. We will hold regular information-sharing meetings involving Kaga City and university representatives to discuss the state of support for education and developmental disabilities in the region and to share findings obtained from measurement data. We will engage in discussions with citizens about research and technology related to children's mental health, providing opportunities to promote understanding of inclusive education.