|
1. What prompted you decide to participate in the "JSPS Science Dialogue" program?
I was curious to meet japanese high school students and their teachers, and I think
it is good for researchers to have to explain their research in simple words to a
non-specialist audience.
2. To what did you give greatest attention in preparing and giving the lecture?
First, I did not want to bore the students with too many formulas, and I wanted to create an "interactive atmosphere", where the students have to answer questions and participate. I tried to explain more complicated topics with simple words and easy-to-understand examples.
3. Did you find it difficult to give a lecture in English to Japanese students? Could you give some advice to future lecturers on how to facilitate communication with Japanese students?
The english of these students was definitely above average, so it was not that difficult. I think the vocabulary list we provided, and the explanations by my japanese colleague helped a lot. Also the slides contained many pictures and figures for explanation.
4. Could you give your impression with regard to participating in this program?
For me it was a very good opportunity to see another part of japanese society (high schools); having to explain my research field in simple terms was a good experience, too.
5. Was it meaningful in terms of your fellowship activities?
For my research it was not meaningful, but it was interesting, and I think the students learned something.
6. In what ways do you think the students benefited from the program?
The students seemed to have understood many things from the lecture - they proofed that by summarizing and explaining the main points in a presentation the next day. For them it was a good opportunity to learn something outside of their regular classes, and it seems to be a good practice for their english.
7. Could you give some overall advice or comments to future participants in the program?
I invested a lot of time in my slides and in preparing the presentation, to keep things simple, and explain everything with figures and examples. I think that helped. Also, the vocabulary list was appreciated by the teacher and the students.
I'd be happy to give an "updated" presentation to another class, if possible. Now I know how I could improve the presentation, and what I would like to change.
|
