As a school selected for the FY 2018 Inter-University Exchange Project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, Osaka City University (OCU) is implementing a Program to Develop Collaborative Social Innovators that uses Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).

As a part of this program, Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) conducts an intensive program called “SIGLOC” (Socially Innovative Global Classroom).

Since the spring of 2020, OMU/OCU implements an entirely online program entitled “Socially Innovative Global Classroom: Online” (SIGLOC-online) to provide international education unaffected by COVID-19.

.

We are pleased to announce that the 13th SIGLOC-online has successfully completed its three-week period from September 5 to September 23, 2022.

Leaflet

.

.

Welcome Session

[September 5, 2022]
In the Welcome Session, following an introduction of the program activities, our participating students presented a slide show of their prepared introductions to get to know each other.

Before and after the opening session, the first task – asynchronous debate – was assigned to the students.

Now, let’s listen to the participating students’ feedback.

Clay:
My impression to the welcome session is fun and I enjoy interacting with other students and staffs. The staffs are so friendly and very active in helping us.

To the first session, I was amazed on the technology and processes that needs to be done. Overall, its a very good experience.

Jhan:
The welcome session was very warm. The instructors in particular were very engaging. To be honest I expected them to be intimidating, but they were the opposite. They were gentle and soft-spoken which made me super comfortable.

I also had a lot of fun meeting my co-participants. It’s not everyday that you get to learn about cultures outside of your locality. It was like a field-trip but done virtually 😅

All in all, the welcome session was a great start to this very exciting journey. It has made me look forward to the things to come! ❤

.

SIGLOC-online Program Flow

The theme of this program is “SDGs: Social Innovation in your Local Community toward Solving Global Issues”.

All participants involved in this program were given four-stage tasks to carry out.

Firstly, they think about sustainable development from an economic perspective.

Secondly, they analyze the problem and make a tentative proposal to improve the sustainability of a local community.

Afterwards, they make a concrete and practical proposal to solve the problem, which will develop the sustainability of the local community.

Finally, they organize their social innovation proposals individually.

Participants will learn from each session and create a “Picture Book” about the social issues they focus on.

Analysis and consideration are advanced while exchanging opinions with other participants, and presentations are made at the final session.

.

.

Cultural Activities

Cultural activities were aimed at encouraging positive interaction between participants.

The students participated as a team and created their own team name, and experienced interacting on Slack or commenting on their ideas.

Team logo

Team names and logos are symbolic icons filled with the thoughts of the participants.
Here is the background of the team name and the logo:

The team name is “Liwanag sa Dilim” which means “Light at the End of the Tunnel”.

.

Team Name
There will always be light at the end of the tunnel. As future social innovators, or perhaps future leaders – we must assume the role as torchbearers that emanate the hopeful light, so that everyone in the world could feel and see its glory.

Team Logo Elements
–Pink-motif and roses = an ambition of having a rose-colored future. Having a perfect community is impossible, but we should work as social innovators to be as close regardless of the circumstances. We all deserve it.
–Flags = symbols of the nationalities of the group members.
–Dark background = the darkness (social issues / injustices) that needs to be illuminated by action!

.

.

Research, Data Analysis, and Discussion

An overview of each session’s approach is as follows:

The objective of Session 1 is to discuss sustainability from an economic perspective.
The students read literature and describe a constructive opinion from their own standpoint, and then they proceed with the debate by refuting their opponents who have the exact opposite opinion.

In Sessions 2, 3 and 4, the students worked in a team. Participants carefully and multilaterally analyze the social issues they are working on in their local communities, and repeatedly exchange opinions with team members from a variety of perspectives. They ultimately find unique and practical suggestions for social issues, with the idea that community sustainability leads to global sustainability.

The students compiled a “Picture Book” of ideas to propose solutions to social issues and sustainability in their own country/region and refined their own ideas by giving comments to each other among the team members.

Eventually, they created a Reflection Report of what they have learned and discovered throughout the SIGLOC sessions.

.

Final Presentation and Closing Session

In the Final Presentation and Closing Session, the participants presented their “Picture Books”, expressed their proposals and solutions, also shared their experiences and reflections.

Our instructors were also genuinely willing to provide feedback to our participants on their performances.

.Closing Session (September 23, 2022)

.

.

After the end of the entire SIGLOC period, all students who had completed all the assignments received a Certificate of Completion.

.

From the COIL Promotion Office

Mobility has been restored and SIGLOC-JP, which is conducted in Osaka, has resumed this summer. However, SIGLOC-online can be taken from home and offers an engaging learning experience that on-site training cannot provide.

We, the COIL Promotion Office of Osaka Metropolitan University, will continue to pursue the learning that only online can offer and work towards developing even better educational programs.

.

.