|
1. What prompted you decide to participate in the "JSPS Science Dialogue" program?
Although I had meant to apply right away for this program, I had yet to apply when I was given the opportunity to participate when JSPS was looking for more people in physics and related fields and contacted me. When the request came, I jumped at the opportunity and am very glad that I did.
2. To what did you give greatest attention in preparing and giving the lecture?
I worried mostly about keeping their attention, since the average attention span of most students is about 15 minutes. The students involved in these programs are exceptional and likely have longer attention spans but trying to comprehend complex ideas that you are hearing for the first time is taxing. I gave them excercises to work on about 15 or 20 minutes into my presentation for a break from listening to me. I was also able to incorporate a demonstration at the end of my time with the students, giving almost all of them parts in the demonstration. The goal of these "alternate" activities is to turn them from passive listeners into active participants.
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?
It was not as difficult as I had expected. The biggest uncertainty for me was having no idea about the level of the student's English proficiency or their math/physics background. Including basic words that are used in the presentation in Japanese on the slides along with the English counterparts is a good idea. Also, try to avoid jargon particular to one's field, instead using every day words as much as possible. I tried my best but this is easier said than done.
4. Could you give your impression with regard to participating in this program?
Was it meaningful in terms of your fellowship activities?
The JSPS fellowship goals include the fostering of scientific relations between foreign countries and Japan. At work we work with Japanese people everyday, building strong bonds that will, hopefully, last far into the future. Outside of the office, what better way is there than with an opportunity to encourage Japan's youth? Hopefully the high school students gain a better appreciation for science. In addition, when they see foreign researchers in their own country, hopefully, at least a few will be encouraged to become foreign researchers themselves, continuing to build bonds with countries outside of Japan.
Participating in the science dialogues also gave me the opportunity to visit a high school in Japan, furthering my cultural education about Japan.
5. In what ways do you think the students benefited from the program?
This is a difficult question to answer because our time with the students was relatively short. However, from the questions they asked it is clear to me that many students understood the major concepts of my lecture on cosmology. Some of the students even showed genuine interest in my lecture material, which was very rewarding for me.
More importantly, I believe I transmitted some of my excitement about science to the students, hopefully, encouraging them to continue to work hard on their own interests, be they scientific or otherwise.
6. Could you give some overall advice or comments to future participants in the program?
I very much enjoyed this experience but the back to back days were a little tiring, especially when Saturday was a full, full day. One of the more fun and interesting aspects is interacting with the students. However, all of our meals were with only other lecturers and not with the students.
For me, it was more important to try and connect with the students than cover the material that I had prepared for them. By breaking them into groups to work on exercises I was able to talk to three at a time instead of a dozen at a time, not quite one on one but a step in the right direction. They will likely forget the lecture material quickly but they might remember the experience of the science dialogue and possibly even the quirky lecturer for years to come.
|
