Schedule and Assignments September 14, 15, 17 - 2020 / 15 sessions (Click to See More)

Welcome!

1. General Course Introduction and ‘housekeeping rules

2. Instructor’s and Participant’s Self-intros through ‘Tell-Share-Pair’ activity (in BreakOut rooms)

Questions: 1) Basic info 2) Tell something interesting about yourself (unusual hobby, funny real story); 3) What are your strengths? 4) Why are you here (taking this course, honestly)? 

3. Quick poll of students’ online learning experiences in the past Semester (using ‘Mentimeter’)

4. Quick poll on Students’ learning style (using ‘Mentimeter’)

5. Explanation of the Final Assessment and Course e-Diary 

1. Auditory and verbal learning (Listen & Read). 

Learning Preferences and Activities: Auditory and verbal learning involves tasks related to text/words, sounds, and spoken or written explanations.

Sample Technology Resources and Tools: Podcasts, online PDF documents, sound or audio files, PowerPoint presentations, online portals, course announcements, help systems, FAQs, Webquests, online newsletters, e-books, and online journals

2. Reflective and observational learning (Reflect & Observe).

Learning Preferences and Activities: Reflective and observational learning involves tasks in which students reflect, observe, view, and watch of what they have learnt; learners make careful judgments and view things from different perspectives, including reflection, self-testing, review, and reflective summary writing.

Sample Technology Resources and Tools: Blogs, synchronous chats, online exams, writing aids, electronic portfolios, asynchronous discussion,
reflective writing tools, online review and self-testing aids, expert videos or performances

3. Visual learnning (Watch & Display)

Learning Preferences and Activities: Visual learning involves diagrams, concept maps, flowcharts, timelines, pictures, films, and demonstrations.

Sample Technology Resources and Tools: Concept mapping and timeline tools, interactive news, video-streamed content, online videos, virtual field trips and tours, animations, whiteboards, videoconferencing, online videos, interactive news media, online charts and graphs and visualizations tools, video blogs (that is, vblogs), vodcasts.

4. Tactile and kinesthetic learning (Tactile)

Learning Preferences and Activities:

Tactile and kinesthetic learning involves role play, dramatization, cooperative games, simulations,  scenarios, creative movement and dance, multisensory activities, manipulatives, and hands-on projects.

Sample Technology Resources and Tools: Simulations, online games, wikis, digital storytelling and movie making, real-time cases, video scenarios, survey research, continuous stories, groupware and
collaborative tools, role play and debate tools.

In this session, students will work individually.

They need to ask and answer the following question:  “If Japanese involvement in international organisations could be depicted as a picture, then based on what I know, don’t yet know, assume or would like to know, it would look like this…”

Students will use any clean paper (A4 or larger) and draw a picture, image, cartoon, comic, anything as detailed as possible. Creative approach, critical and abstract thinking are highly appreciated! Please, as much as possible, use color pencils, crayons, or pens.  Students’ will have 25 minutes to complete and later present their vision-sketches to the class.

After you finished drawing, please take a clear, bright photo of your drawing and send it to your PC. Later you will be asked to show it to class by ‘sharing your screen’ for better presentation effect.

Students take turns and present their findings/creations.

In this session, we shall briefly walk through the major theories in International relations. We will watch brief video-explainers on International relations, and theories of Realism, Liberalism , and Constructivism followed by a brief class discussion and Q/A. 

During this discussion we will return to “NeoLiberalism” and  “Neoliberal institutionalism” theory and the concept of “national interests”, and connect these two with Japan’s contemporary foreign policy and participation in international organisations. The BIG question is “Why does Japan want to be part of international organisations, in the first place?” 

Key takeaway from this session: “International Organisations emerge and survive because they serve to maximize the interests and preferences of their members”  (Robert Keohane, 1984). 

Students engage in discussion of the theoretical issues surrounding the Japan’s role in international system and international organisations.

To complete this Assignment please refer to eDiary GUIDELINES and complete the  eDiary by downloading this Form. 

Welcome!

Please, keep memos with your observations of your interactions with team members (for your e-Diary). 

Now students will engage in a thought experiment activity (“online scavenger hunt” + Expert panel discussion) called “SeeNN”.

STEP 1: 4 or 5 teams will work together with their members and in 20 minutes they should  browse through the headlines and stories of the major news outlets (BBC, Aljazeera, NHK, CNN, Foxnews, NewYorkTimes, Guardian, etc) and they try to find for real-life manifestations of rather abstract words, such as “national interests”, “international competition”, “international cooperation” and “international organisations”. Teams should shortlist and decide of ONE notable news that took place over the last month (September-August).

STEP 2: Each team member should read the news and be ready to answer questions or provide her/his opinion (debate format, i.e. “for” vs. “against” is also welcome). Teams should use their knowledge of theories of IR, as much as possible. 

STEP 3: Presentation time: Teams should decide who is going to be the TV host or Interviewer (1 person) and who is going to be in the Panel of experts (2-3 people); optionally 1 person can pose as a TV Viewer who calls the studio and challenges the Expert. So, image something like an NHK’s live panel discussion of some major event. You have to do the same, in 10 minutes or so. Creative approach is highly appreciated!

Students will make their performances in the chosen formats.

To complete this Assignment please refer to eDiary GUIDELINES and complete the  eDiary by downloading this Form. 

Please, keep memos with your observations of your interactions with team members (for your e-Diary). 

In this interactive session, the students will look into SIX MOST PRESSING ISSUES in Japan’s foreign policy. In other words, students’ will learn what factors shape Japan’s participation in international organisations.

In this session, the students will play “The Sneak a Peek” activity and through questioning they will understand why Questions are often more important than answers.

HOW-TO:

1. Students will be split into 6 teams of 3-4 people.
2. Instructor will send each team a topic and a short problem description.
3. Based  on the topic, each team should browse the Internet and find ONE clear, relevant photo or caricature that shows the key idea related to the topic (e.g. Google images, CNN’s Week in photos). Abstract and creative thinking in choosing images is allowed!
4. All team members should download the photo, but they SHOULD NOT show this photo to anyone. 
5. Don’t worry about Copyright photos, we are not going to publish anything, so any photo is fine (BUT please, do not use the photos that show victims of violence, sorrow, bloodshed, images of death, sexually inappropriate photos.).
6. Other teams will try to guess the picture by asking as many questions as possible (hence, the name = “Sneak a Peek” activity). 
7. The teams who find the most appropriate answer get one point. Those who collect the most points can ask teams with fewer points to perform something fun! (this one needs TBD).

To complete this Assignment please refer to eDiary GUIDELINES and complete the  eDiary by downloading this Form. 

Please, keep memos with your observations of your interactions with team members (for your e-Diary). 

Today we start preparations and research for the teams’ creative presentations to be delivered on September 17, the last day of the course.

Today we will decide on team compositions, topics and presentation formats.  The teams will be assigned one chapter of the Routledge Handbook of Japanese Foreign Policy (2018) and will be given 40 minutes to browse through the chapters and discuss the possible presentation formats. After that they will have additional 40 minutes to finalize the format, members’ roles and do some rehearsal, if possible. This work will be done in the assigned Breakout rooms, occasionally instructor will visit teams and see how things are going. 

What should presenters do (from conceptual point of view):

1. Based on what you have learnt about international organisations, theories and practices related to Japanese foreign policy create a ~10 minute presentation using one of the following creative formats or use your own original format. Please, do not prepare a conventional  PowerPoint Presentation(!).
2. My recommendation: please read the chapters carefully and shortlist 8-10 key ideas or problems outlined in the chapter, and use these ideas as a framework for your creative presentation. 

Accepted formats:

*key ideas of the chapter are personified or adapted to real life situations or products. Real countries’ or peoples’ names can be modified or changed to simplify the presentation.

1. Role play or drama performance;
2. Comic strip presentation;
3. Video Game presentation;
4. Puppet Show;
5. Music Show;
6. Feel free to suggest your original format, but confirm it with your instructor beforehand. 

To complete this Assignment please refer to eDiary GUIDELINES and complete the  eDiary by downloading this Form. 

Welcome!

Teams will make their creative presentations.

Accepted formats:

*key ideas of the chapter are personified or adapted to real life situations or products. Real countries’ or peoples’ names can be modified or changed to simplify the presentation.

1. Role play or drama performance;
2. Comic strip presentation;
3. Video Game presentation;
4. Puppet Show;
5. Music Show;
6. Feel free to suggest your original format, but confirm it with your instructor beforehand. 

Teams will make their creative presentations.

Accepted formats:

*key ideas of the chapter are personified or adapted to real life situations or products. Real countries’ or peoples’ names can be modified or changed to simplify the presentation.

1. Role play or drama performance;
2. Comic strip presentation;
3. Video Game presentation;
4. Puppet Show;
5. Music Show;
6. Feel free to suggest your original format, but confirm it with your instructor beforehand. 

To complete this Assignment please refer to eDiary GUIDELINES and complete the  eDiary by downloading this Form. 

In this session, teams will be asked to form their own unique, effective and efficient “international” organisation.  

Things to consider:

• You may want to select and follow one of the criteria to form your international organisation (see, chapter 1 “Introduction to international organizations ” of the textbook “Int’l Organisations: Politics, Law, Practice”). For example, you may want to pay particular attention to issues of “Obligations”; “Compliance”; “Enforcement”, “Sovereignty and Consent”.
• The organisation should be established with the aim of pursuing the common interests of its members. The “aim” can be anything. Stay creative. It’s okay to avoid political topics, instead use cases which everyone can relate to and easily understand (“save the grasshoppers”, “clean up oceans from plastic bottles”, etc).
• Be prepared to explain all that in a simple (and … fun) way. A real-life demonstration of one of your committee or general assembly meetings is appreciated, if time allows.   

Teams present their vision of an international organisation:

*********

Having established your international organisation, it’s now time to show it to the world and get credibility.

Let’s see if the aim and scope of your organisation resonates with other members of the international community.

Other teams will vote for the most interesting vision.  

To complete this Assignment please refer to eDiary GUIDELINES and complete the  eDiary by downloading this Form. 

If time allows, and to conclude the intensive course, the students bring back their Sketches which they worked on in the beginning. Their task now is to create another vision Poster based on what they have learned during the class activities and sessions. Students briefly present their “Before-After Sketches”.

Feedback session will follow, which will conclude this Intensive Summer Course. 

Please, don’t forget to send your fully completed eDiary to your instructor by email : ismailov.u.tsukuba@gmail.com