July 10, 2017
SFC Forum, a general incorporated foundation, Selected for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Publicly Offered IoT Service Creation Support Project
—"Project for Guiding Writing Skills Using Data Analysis of Student Writing Processes in High Schools"—
SFC Forum, a general incorporated foundation (Fujisawa, Kanagawa; hereinafter "SFC Forum"), has been selected for the IoT Service Creation Support Project publicly offered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and will implement the "Project for Guiding Writing Skills Using Data Analysis of Student Writing Processes in High Schools." This project will promote research and development in a consortium with Keio University's Keio Research Institute at SFC (Fujisawa, Kanagawa; hereinafter "Keio Research Institute at SFC"), Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (Shinjuku, Tokyo; hereinafter "DNP"), and the Japan Center for the Promotion of Logical Communication Technology (Fujisawa, Kanagawa; hereinafter "Ron-Comi Center").
Specifically, SFC Forum will design a semi-automated writing correction system, receiving a technology provision of data analysis techniques for writing processes from DNP and a license for data analysis know-how of writing processes from the Ron-Comi Center.
The Keio Research Institute at SFC will be in charge of designing security guidelines that comply with the direction of separating educational networks for school administration and learning, as proposed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
・Recent Trends Surrounding Writing Skills
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is promoting a shift in language education from rote memorization to an emphasis on utilizing acquired knowledge within the curriculum guidelines for elementary, middle, and high schools. In response, from fiscal year 2020, the Common Test for University Admissions (tentative name), which will replace the current National Center Test for University Admissions, is scheduled to include written-response questions.
However, the high cost of grading has become an issue even in MEXT meetings. According to media reports, MEXT estimates that the number of days required to grade the written-response questions will be approximately 20 to 60 days, assuming 800 graders and a maximum of 530,000 test-takers, including the time for instructing the graders.
Meanwhile, in daily school instruction, teachers in charge of instruction report that guiding the logical writing skills demanded by society requires frequent, individualized correction of student writing. However, it is not feasible to add individualized writing correction to the current workload of school teachers. This is because the length of teachers' working hours has already reached a level that cannot be overlooked, even considering their social role as educators responsible for students' futures. A 2016 MEXT survey shows that overtime work for 33.5% of elementary school teachers and 57.7% of junior high school teachers exceeds 80 hours per month, the "karoshi line" (death from overwork).
・Initiatives of This Project
This project aims to solve these social issues in education through a newly created semi-automated IoT service for writing correction. The Keio Research Institute at SFC will compile guidelines for a system where learning data held by schools can be shared securely and safely with external collaborators (such as systems, alumni, teachers from other schools, and external experts). This will support not only this project but also future expected collaborations both inside and outside schools on learning networks.
As for the future schedule, we will proceed with development at a rapid pace and aim for a demonstration in schools in early 2018.
[Contact for this matter]
SFC Forum, a general incorporated foundation
252-0882
5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa
Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC)
TEL: 0466-49-5271
FAX: 0466-49-5272
E-mail: info[at]sfc-forum.or.jp *Please replace [at] with @.
[Distributed by]
Office of Research Development and Sponsored Projects at Shonan Fujisawa Campus, Keio University