Fujitsu : Initiates "Learning Project of Tomorrow" for an Era in Which Every Student Has a Tablet

Fujitsu today announced that it will be promoting the "learning project of tomorrow" to support the creation of a learning environments suitable for the 21st century(). From September 2014 until March 2016, Fujitsu will provide software and equipment necessary for lessons utilizing ICT in the classroom to a total of six elementary schools and middle schools, comprising five schools in different regions across Japan, and one elementary school in the ASEAN region.

With this project, Fujitsu will provide know-how cultivated from its frontline experience from the Future School Promotion Project(2) and Learning Innovation Project(3) on implementing procedures and lesson plans on how to use ICT equipment, such as tablets, in daily lessons in ordinary classrooms, while also sending ICT support personnel who will provide more effective utilization methods for ICT. Furthermore, Fujitsu will provide a community site, "chiegatamaru portal site"(),or "ChiePo," which will enable the sharing of teaching materials and lesson plans between instructors at participating schools. By promoting an exchange of information, it will raise the degree of ICT usage expertise among schools and teachers and support a higher level of education.

In addition, starting today, Fujitsu will launch "chietama solution" (), used for this project by both elementary students and educators. This solution will be available only in Japan. This product simplifies preparation of class teaching materials with employ ICT, and has features that make it easy to use ICT in class, and that automatically store an archive of classes while sharing answers or classwork among teachers and students.

Through this project, Fujitsu will, with March of 2016 as a target, aim to create a dissemination model for spreading lesson know-how and practical implementation of lessons utilizing ICT.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Sports, Culture, Science, and Technology (MEXT) have been implementing the Future School Promotion Project and Learning Innovation Project with aim of identifying and resolving issues to meet the government goal of creating a learning environment suitable for the 21st century by 2020. Also, many local governments have been deploying tablets in ordinary classrooms, moving towards the realization of MEXT's basic plan for the promotion of education, which is one tablet or PC for every 3.6 students.

Under these circumstances, Fujitsu, through contact with local governments throughout Japan, has come to consider the following to be reasons preventing the widespread use of ICT in elementary and middle schools.

1. It has become a big burden for educators in Japan to build expertise in lessons that utilize ICT.
2. It is difficult to visualize implementation procedures and utilization steps for ICT.

To address these issues, Fujitsu is conducting this project with the goal of formulating a dissemination model of ICT, which could be used in all schools throughout Japan, along with a plan for educators to be able to accumulate expertise in instruction using ICT without feeling over-burdened.

With March of 2016 as a target, create a dissemination model for spreading lesson know-how and practical implementation of lessons utilizing ICT.

(1) Providing a learning environment that utilizes ICT
By providing the hardware and software described below, Fujitsu will prepare an environment where lessons utilizing ICT can be implemented. Also, Fujitsu will send ICT support personnel to each school, to aid in ICT utilization.

a. Main hardware

• Tablets for educators (ARROWS Tab Q704/H)
• Tablets for elementary students (ARROWS Tab Q584/H)
• Server (PRIMERGY TX120S3)
• Tablet charging cabinet
• Projector

b. Main software

• "chietama solution" (New Product)

  Starting with features that make it easy to prepare class learning materials using ICT, this useful solution makes it easy to use PCs in class, with features that automatically store an archive of classes, and features for sharing answers or classwork between students and their instructors.

  In addition, to resolve problems of data access due to system overload when everyone tries to access the same material during class, the solution has a feature (patent pending) that, when students log in, the learning materials to be used that day are automatically downloaded onto the students' tablets from the server, with data transmissions adjusted so that the network's capacity is not exceeded.

  When using this solution and repeating the process of preparing and implementing class instruction, all learning materials and images of blackboards used are automatically stored with information such as dates and course subjects attached, making it easy to use this data in class research. In addition, because records of an individual student's studies can be searched from a variety of angles and the learning process can be made visible, it can also be useful in tailoring lessons to individual students.

• Education solutions already available
  • Cooperative learning support solution
  • Practice drills that can be answered by writing with a stylus pen on the tablet
  • Solution for students that need special support

In addition to the solutions described above, Fujitsu also provides Office 365 Education from Microsoft Japan, FUJITSU Cloud PaaS MobileSUITE, and others.

(2) Provision and operations support for ChiePo, a community site for participating instructors and ICT support personnel
Through ChiePo, classroom expertise and advice from the schools participating in the future school field trials can be collected and shared to support classroom instruction that employs ICT on the front lines of education.

Through close regional support in collaboration with partner companies throughout Japan, Fujitsu will promote open house classrooms and visits in order to spread the use of ICT to schools in nearby regions.

• Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd.
• UCHIDA YOKO CO.,LTD
• Fuji Electric IT Solutions Co.,Ltd
• F-COM Co.,Ltd
• Daimarufujii INC.
• Entetsu System Service co.,Ltd.