[Special Feature: Prospects for Digital Archives] Masao Oi: Opening a NEW HORIZON in Education through the Use of Digital Archives—An Intellectual Foundation Supporting Inquiry-Based Learning in the AI Era

2024/11/05

A digital archive (hereinafter referred to as DA) is "the totality of mechanisms for collecting, preserving, and providing various digital information resources" *1. Considering its characteristics from the perspective of educational use, one key aspect is "diversity." DAs store materials from all fields, including not only so-called precious materials such as ancient documents, but also paintings, maps, photos, videos, animation, films, theater, broadcasts, advertisements, media art, and the natural sciences. Therefore, it is expected to become an indispensable intellectual foundation for future education as a source of information where diverse materials can be referenced, linking to the diverse "questions" raised by students.

The second point is the "reliability and authenticity" of materials and information. Of course, this does not mean guaranteeing the historical correctness of the content of DA materials; rather, if there are several layers to the reliability and authenticity of information, this refers to the most superficial level. In modern schools, where the GIGA School Initiative has led to the provision of one device per student and network infrastructure, the necessity of web-based inquiry learning is increasing. However, in such cases, instances of "uncritically copy-pasting information that appeared at the top of a Google search (created by someone else) without citations" have become common. In response to these challenges, the path of "first referring to DAs that museums, libraries, archives, and research institutions have collected, stored, digitized, structured, and published with great effort and responsibility" will likely become a standard from the perspective of fostering "information literacy," which is required for cross-curricular development.

Thirdly, there are functional characteristics that allow materials to be deciphered and felt more closely. Previously, it was difficult for students to understand and utilize materials from various institutions, especially those from ancient times, even if they could view the original texts through a case in an exhibition. On the other hand, it is now possible to provide learning support through innovations that utilize digital characteristics, such as transcription, overlaying old maps with modern maps, and image enlargement, annotation, and curation using IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework).

While society is changing rapidly in various aspects such as informatization, diversity, and sustainability, making the future uncertain and rendering previous norms obsolete, it has been pointed out as a problem that school education has not changed much in 150 years. In particular, when the need for online education rose rapidly during the pandemic, the delay in educational reform and the problem of educational disparity became apparent worldwide.

For a long time, instruction in educational settings has involved teachers unilaterally teaching and making students memorize content they already know (where there is only one correct answer). However, in the future society where information is easily available due to the progress of informatization and the rise of AI, traditional unilateral education is expected to lose its significance. In this context, the recently revised Courses of Study have highlighted the importance of "inquiry" as a concept that can trigger educational reform. In inquiry-based learning, setting tasks or "questions" that do not have immediate answers and connecting information to solve or deepen them is positioned as a prerequisite for learning *2. In other words, a learning environment is now required where students can access diverse materials that can be linked to the diverse "questions" they are likely to raise.

Furthermore, agendas such as copyright issues and hallucination problems in the rapid rise of AI, the need to foster critical thinking skills due to the spread of fake news, warnings about the echo chamber phenomenon in a social media society, and social demands for diversity and inclusion are also cited as the social background for why DAs are necessary in educational settings. The development of technology such as AI and its use by people is irreversible, and while discussion and certain regulations are necessary, simply banning its use in educational settings will not foster the essential literacy needed to survive in the future society. It is important to face ever-changing technology, information, and social structures, understand their characteristics and challenges, critically select information, consider it from multiple perspectives with evidence based on reliable materials from diverse resources, and collaborate with others to construct opinions. In this regard, DAs, which allow for comprehensive reference to materials from all countries, regions, diverse eras and themes, various formats, and from unprocessed primary sources to data visualized by experts, will become an indispensable intellectual foundation precisely in the future educational settings of the AI era.

So far, I have discussed what DAs are (What) and why they are necessary (Why). From here, I will introduce how DAs can be utilized (How) based on specific methods and case studies. Based on the discussion so far, it is thought that the following requirements will be necessary for future inquiry-based learning.

1. Learning that collects and considers diverse "materials" connected to the "questions" raised by the learners themselves 2. An environment where diverse "materials" and metadata can be comprehensively searched and collected to perform 1 3. An environment where collaborative structuring and consideration of "questions" are possible based on the "materials" collected in 2

The inquiry-based learning model I proposed as a method to realize these requirements satisfies the following three points *3.

1. "Curation Learning" 2. Utilization of a cross-disciplinary search platform 3. Utilization of collaborative curation functions

The "curation learning" in point 1 is an application of the curation concept, which was born in the field of art and is also used in the field of informatics, to the core of the inquiry-based learning model. Curation in each field is positioned as implying not only the simple collection of works and information but also the addition of new value and meaning. Here, "curation learning" is defined as "learning where learners collect and consider diverse 'materials' connected to the 'questions' they have raised themselves," and it is translated into a specific learning design using the following integrated DA.

To realize point 2 above, which was set as a requirement for the inquiry-based learning model, functions are needed to search and collect diverse "materials" cross-sectionally, and to collect metadata such as the source, author, era, image, and location information of the "materials." "Japan Search" *4 was utilized as an information collection tool that meets these requirements. Japan Search is a platform where content metadata from various fields such as books, official documents, cultural properties, art, humanities, natural history/science and technology, academic assets, broadcast programs, and films can be searched, viewed, and utilized; it is, so to speak, the king of DAs in Japan. As of October 2024, approximately 30.7 million items of metadata from 152 partner institutions and 260 databases are searchable *5, making it suitable as a tool for learners to independently collect diverse materials linked to their own "questions." In the future, Japan Search will become indispensable as a given not only for educators but also for those involved in museums, art galleries, libraries, archives, universities, research institutions, companies, and NPOs when considering the succession and utilization of materials in each region and institution.

This Japan Search has also implemented a "Workspace" function to realize requirement 3 of the inquiry-based learning model, which allows multiple people to collect and edit materials and collaboratively construct and express arbitrary structures using metadata lists and image data as elements. In the aforementioned previous research, it has also been clarified that learning effects improve by using the Workspace function of Japan Search as a tool for learners' collaborative material collection and structuring of "questions."

Learning using DAs has many examples of utilization in subjects directly related to cultural resources such as social studies, Japanese language, and art, as well as thematic learning such as disaster prevention, war, and gender, and regional learning. In addition, cross-curricular and interdisciplinary utilization methods have been developed, including science and mathematics, and its use in ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) education has also been shown.

For example, in a case practiced at a public elementary school in Iga City, a teacher on-site arranged a lesson plan utilizing regional DA materials to suit the actual situation of the students. Cross-curricular questions were skillfully embedded according to the progression of the lessons—from regional learning to social studies, Japanese, science, and home economics—and students were observed becoming engrossed in the learning tasks with sparkling eyes, with moving experiences accompanied by goosebumps, such as "Wow...!", being generated during the class *6. For many students, events in textbooks feel distant and unrelated to themselves living in the "here and now," and they find them boring for that reason. In response to such challenges, regional DA materials serve as a trigger that makes learners approach learning as a "personal matter" by mediating a sense of place.

The important point here is that regional materials that contribute to such student learning will not be turned into DAs by someone else if left alone. For famous cultural properties such as national treasures, the government has prioritized the promotion of DAs. However, unless libraries and other institutions take "final responsibility that cannot be transferred to others *7" for the digitization of unique local materials, they will not only remain in a state of practical dormancy and be unusable, but there is also a risk that they will be lost forever due to deterioration or disasters. Currently, the fact that such regional materials have not been sufficiently digitized, resulting in a "regional learning disparity" where students cannot access the materials they seek, is a problem that must be solved. So, who should conduct DA activities related to regional materials? Representative institutions expected to play such a role include local public libraries, Curriculum Advisory Committees, museums, and archives. Based on this, it is desirable to foster a perspective of collaboration in various regions.

To advance the educational use of DAs, a perspective of collaboration and co-creation involving not only school personnel but also material-holding institutions and content holders is important. This is because the challenges that became clear in the aforementioned curation learning and regional learning using DAs include many elements that cannot be solved by students and teachers alone. For example, in previous research, challenges were identified where materials could not be used or it was unclear if they could be used because the secondary use conditions for DA materials were strict or unclear. Voices are also often heard wishing for the enrichment of metadata such as transcriptions, modern translations, and explanations because the materials found are difficult to understand. Furthermore, even if a wonderful "question" is raised, accessibility barriers were confirmed where the materials could not be reached. Behind this challenge are cases where (1) materials do not exist on the web in the first place because they have not been digitized due to reasons such as lack of budget, and (2) materials exist on the web but do not appear in searches from educational settings because educational metadata has not been added (as is the case with many DA materials); measures are needed for each.

To solve the challenges surrounding the educational use of DAs exemplified above, the understanding and cooperation of the material-holding institutions are essential. In reality, it is rare for content holders to be uncooperative regarding educational use; rather, they often have concerns that their materials are not being used despite wanting to promote their utilization. Especially regarding use in schools, voices are heard wanting examples and records of utilization to demonstrate the raison d'être and the value of the output of the archive, also from the perspective of external evaluation of the constructed archive and the accompanying sustainability.

What is important here is that there have been extremely few opportunities for DA users and DA builders, who have each had their own concerns, to engage in dialogue and discussion. Behind this is a deep rift caused by a vertically structured society, which is particularly prominent in Japan, leading to the fragmentation of different fields and organizations; actions to overcome existing social structures are necessary. Therefore, the "S×UKILAM Collaboration" is proposed and practiced as a schema to solve the challenges of both parties. S×UKILAM is a concept referring to a community and a series of initiatives where stakeholders such as school personnel (S) including elementary, junior high, and high school teachers and Curriculum Advisory Committees, universities and research institutions (U), local facilities (K) such as community centers, industry (I), libraries (L), archives (A), and museums/art galleries (M) collaborate across attributes to utilize all cultural resources for student learning *8. A characteristic of this schema is that workshops (hereinafter WS) are positioned as the starting point of the collaboration. Through the medium of WS, volunteers of various attributes from all over the country gather to "materialize" diverse materials so they can be used in school classes while having fun dialogues in a homey atmosphere. The core of the collaboration is to add and publish "educational metadata" from the perspective of the school site, from which a network of both "people" and "data" is constructed.

As of October 2024, the S×UKILAM Collaboration has held eight nationwide materialization WS, forming a community where experts from diverse affiliations from 447 institutions in 46 prefectures *9 gather. Another characteristic is that not only K-12 schools and MLA (Museums, Libraries, Archives) but also universities, companies, foundations, and NPOs are actively participating.

Furthermore, over 140 unique teaching materials have been co-created through chemical reactions in the WS, and they are published as a "Teaching Material Archive" *11 in a state where they are searchable based on "educational metadata," have licenses allowing secondary use based on CC BY *10, use an internationally highly interoperable IIIF viewer, and have DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) assigned to ensure uniqueness and permanence. We are also developing applications that connect and structure these datasets in a highly machine-readable form and support searching and exploration with a user-friendly UI *12 *13. We believe that the linkage with Japan Search and the Course of Study LOD *14 *15 is an important innovation in terms of connecting DAs with educational settings.

Furthermore, starting from the nationwide WS, bottom-up developments are also occurring in local governments and institutions in each region. For example, original S×UKILAM-WS are being held in Minato City, Hamamatsu City, Izumiotsu City, Nikaho City, Tottori Prefectural Library, Tokyo Gakugei University Library, and the Museum of Northern Peoples, in ways that better utilize the characteristics of each region and institution. There are cases where a "cycle of construction and utilization" has been generated, such as in Hamamatsu City, Oamishirasato City, and Mima City, where feedback from users was obtained based on dialogues at the WS to revise the DA UI to a design that is easy for children to use, or where examples of use in schools are fed back into the DA. The role of institutions supporting the practice of educational use of DAs as a "DA Reference," so to speak, providing meta-support for material and information searches, is also being fostered, as seen with the National Diet Library, U-PARL, and Aflo Co., Ltd.

What I want to draw attention to here is that diverse institutions, such as local libraries, museums, and local governments, are playing a hub-like role at the center of the S×UKILAM Collaboration. Therefore, using the S×UKILAM schema, it can be arranged and implemented in a form that is easy to operate freely, in light of the actual situation of each local government or organization and the placement of key persons. I hope you will position it as one of your annual institutional events and enjoy "S×UKILAM-ing" within a reasonable range.

In the future, efforts to make the aforementioned "DA Reference" function in each school library are also desired. When DA utilization cases (lesson plans, teaching materials, reports, learning outcomes, etc.) occur, it will also become vital to add metadata to them and return them to the archive. It is hoped that public, university, and school librarians, who are specialists in catalogs and metadata, will create a new breath of life in educational settings by developing their expertise just a little further and enhancing their functions as information centers.

As reviewed so far, it has become clear that utilizing DAs can bring out the excitement of inquiry-based learning for students and teaching material development for teachers. Furthermore, if a schema *16 is developed where students and teachers move from being users of DAs and data to being builders, I believe that more proactive, interactive, and deep learning will take place at a high level. Just as there are no boundaries in the digital world, I believe that a new horizon will open up as future education is co-created borderlessly by diverse experts.

【Notes】

*1 Digital Archive Japan Promotion Committee / Practitioner Review Committee (Secretariat: Intellectual Property Strategy Promotion Secretariat, Cabinet Office). 3-Year Summary Report "Toward the Realization of the Digital Archive Society Our Country Aims For" 2020.

*2 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Explanation of the High School Courses of Study (Published in 2018), Period for Integrated Studies, page 12 et al., 2018.

*3 Masao Oi, Satoshi Miyata, Kento Ono, Ikki Ohmukai, Hidenori Watanave, "Curation Learning Model Utilizing Digital Archives: Connecting 'Questions' and 'Materials' in Inquiry-Based Learning," Journal of the Japan Society for Digital Archives, 2023, Vol. 7, No. 1, p. e1-e9.

*4 Japan Search Japan Search (Accessed October 10, 2024).

*5 Overview of Japan Search Current Data - Japan Search (Accessed October 10, 2024).

*6 Lesson Practice Utilizing Regional Digital Archive Materials: Material Utilization Learning According to Developmental Stages for Public Elementary School Students from 1st to 6th Grade ~ A New Form of ICT Utilization in the GIGA School Initiative ~ Lesson Practice Utilizing Regional Digital Archive Materials: Material Utilization Learning According to Developmental Stages for Public Elementary School Students from 1st to 6th Grade ~ A New Form of ICT Utilization in the GIGA School Initiative ~ - YouTube (Accessed October 10, 2024).

*7 Koichi Hiruta, "Practice of Regional Material Services," JLA Library Practice Series 41, 2019, Japan Library Association.

*8 Masao Oi, Boyoung Kim, Hidenori Watanave: "S×UKILAM" collaboration to connect local digital resources and school education: Workshop and Archiving to construct network of "people" and "data". From Born-Physical to Born-Virtual: Augmenting Intelligence in Digital Libraries. ICADL 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 13636, p. 125-134.

*9 The breakdown by attribute of participating institutions up to the 8th WS is as follows: 128 elementary, junior high, and high schools / 53 Curriculum Advisory Committees, local governments, ministries, and overseas institutions / 60 universities, research institutions, and vocational schools / 137 libraries, museums, art galleries, archives, resource centers, community centers, and foundations / 64 companies, foundations, temples/shrines, NPOs, etc.

*10 Creative Commons License (CC License) What is a Creative Commons License? | Creative Commons Japan (Accessed October 10, 2024).

*11 Sukilam Collaboration: Teaching Material Archive Utilizing Diverse Materials S×UKILAM: Primary Source Sets / Sukilam Collaboration: Teaching Material Archive Utilizing Diverse Materials (Accessed October 10, 2024).

*12 S×UKILAM LOD Easy App: Connecting with Easy Search, Excitement S×UKILAM LOD Easy App (Accessed October 10, 2024).

*13 Masao Oi, Satoru Nakamura, Ikki Ohmukai, Hidenori Watanave, "LOD-ification of S×UKILAM Teaching Material Archive and Its Application: Connecting and Structuring Teaching Materials and Related Information Utilizing Digital Archives," Digital Humanities, 2024 Vol. 4, in Press.

*14 Course of Study LOD Course of Study LOD (Accessed October 10, 2024).

*15 The Course of Study LOD is a publication of the contents, codes, and related information of the Courses of Study and Education Guidelines published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as LOD (Linked Open Data).

*16 Masao Oi, Kento Ono, "Extension of Digital Humanities to Secondary Education: Aiming for True Humanities-Science Integrated Inquiry-Based Learning," Journal of the Japan Society for Digital Archives, 2024, Vol. 8. No. s2. p. s59-s62, in Press.