3D Media Architecture Communication with SketchUp to Support Design for Learning

Background

This section explains the communications - communication dissonance in Japan. The myth of Japan as a digitally literate nation is first dispelled. A case is then made for supporting Japanese undergraduate students to develop digital literacy competencies required of 21st century learners. To accomplish this effectively it is argued that an inter-disciplinary approach in university curricula implementation is both required and a necessity. The article continues with an example of a course named Media Architecture Communication, which blends digital design, computer programming, and communication to develop core skills, digital competencies, and high-order cognition. The article concludes with recommendations for practitioners in Japan and the wider international community.

In 2007, UNESCO recorded that the uptake of technology in education in Japan, “remains comparatively low, and ICT does not appear as a priority in national education policy” (UNESCO, 2007). The UNESCO data reveals:

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  For the average weekly computer usage, Japan ranks the lowest for students who use computers when studying the subjects Language (Japanese), Mathematics and Science;

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  For creating multimedia works, the percentage of Japanese students who answered: “I can do this very well by myself,” or “I can do this with help from someone” ranks lowest amongst all participating countries and regions;

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  For creating graphs using table-computing software, Japan ranks lower than average of countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Although computers have been installed in all Japanese schools, the 2009 results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), administered by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is also revealing. Of the 3,400 respondents from 109 Junior High (ages 12 to 15) and Senior High (ages 15 to 18) schools in Japan, fewer than 5% of students use computers at school and less than 10% use computers at home for study or homework. In contrast, the PISA results indicate that in Australia and Norway, students’ use of computers at school and home for educational purposes is over 70%. Of the OECD countries, Japanese students ranked lowest in ability to use a computer to create a presentation or use a spreadsheet to plot a graph (OECD, 2009). Japanese high school (secondary) education tends to be weak in providing higher analytical skills, consequently leaving pupils ill-prepared to deploy the kinds of analytical skills required at university level (Vallance & Wright, 2010).