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.

Analysis of Activity Characteristics During “Curiosity Exploration Time” Using Face-to-Face Detection and Synchrony Detection Applications

In a study involving children with developmental disorders, body movement was measured while they engaged in personally meaningful, interest-driven activities during “Curiosity Exploration Time.” Results indicated that the physical activity frequency (≥2 Hz) was significantly higher compared to that observed during standard academic instruction. Additionally, video analysis revealed particularly positive affective responses in the participants during this activity period. These findings suggest that such activity may reflect a “positively aroused state” associated with curiosity and intrinsic motivation.

Visualizing Behavioral Differences Under Varying Instructional Structures: Toward “Self-Directed Learning”

A comparative analysis was conducted between “My Plan Learning” (an individualized, self-paced instructional method adopted in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture) and conventional whole-class instruction. Behavioral dynamics were examined using both video recordings and accelerometry data. The network-based metric “Group Awareness,” derived from acceleration data, indicated that My Plan Learning (blue line in the figure below) exhibited a wider range of classroom interaction patterns—from focused dyadic interactions to broadly active class-wide engagement—compared to traditional instruction (red line in the figure below) .

Heart Rate Analysis: Average heart rate values during My Plan Learning were significantly higher and exhibited greater variance than those observed during whole-class instruction. Prior studies suggest that emotionally aroused states, such as those associated with excitement and engagement, result in subtle modulations of heart rate rhythms. These modulations, governed by the autonomic nervous system, may serve as physiological indicators of emotional arousal and physical activation.

Salivary Cortisol Analysis: Changes in salivary cortisol concentrations before and after lessons were compared across instructional formats. In My Plan Learning, cortisol levels remained relatively stable, whereas in whole-class settings, cortisol changes varied widely across individuals.