Example
04
2022.05.18
To foster creativity through output-based lectures
4th year, Department of Earth Sciences, School of ScienceHaruka Matsuta
04
Profile
Born in Tokyo, Japan. Belongs to SDGs Ambassador. Currently studying urban climate. Hobbies include listening to a wide range of music.
In this issue of SDG Persons, we interviewed SDGs Ambassador Haruka Matsuta, who planned the "[Student-suggested course] Okayama University SDGs Game Show 2022 - Let's learn about the SDGs by planning a game! "
――First of all, please introduce yourself.
I am Haruka Matsuta, a fourth-year student in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Faculty of Science. I have been an SDGs Ambassador since my first year. I have been playing the Koto (Japanese harp) since I was in elementary school, so I joined the traditional Japanese music club and was the club president.
My hobby is listening to music. In the morning I listen to jazz music as an alarm, and when I feel down, I listen to Hello Project to cheer me up. Recently, I've been into world history, and I've been studying medieval Europe while listening to classical music, and I fantasize about life in the court at that time to the music haha.
Next year I hope to go on to graduate school and do research on urban climate.
――Thank you very much. Why did you join the Ambassador as a freshman?
I did not originally know about the SDGs. When I entered Okayama University, the SDGs were being pushed hard in my introductory course, and that is how I learned about the SDGs. As I looked into the SDGs in that course and understood what they were about, I thought that if I could get involved in the SDGs from now on, my university life would become more colorful and colorful, and so I joined the Ambassador.
――You joined the Ambassador, but you weren't able to work as much as you would have liked because of COVID-19, weren't you?
It's true that most of our activities are online, so sometimes we don't get as many people together as we would like. But I think the COVID-19 has made me pay more attention to my e-mail and Moodle notifications. One of the notifications included a call for student-suggested course, which I saw and joined. I am glad that I got into the habit of watching them carefully.
――How do you plan the student-suggested course?
There are about 10 to 15 members in total in a student-suggested course, and they are divided into groups based on their proposals of what they would like to do. Our student-suggested course this time has three members. We have a general meeting in May or June every year to plan the courses for the third or fourth semester, but this time we could not make it in time. But as a result, I think it was a good thing that it was never held in the first semester before.
――Please tell us about the content of the course.
To put it briefly, we will have groups plan and present a game in which they can learn about the SDGs. We have invited an outside lecturer, and Mr. Kashihara of the Environmental Learning Center "Asueco", which is creating the Okayama version of the SDGs Card Game Cross, will give a lecture. We will have a mid-term presentation and a final presentation of the games we have planned, and Mr. Kashihara will give us feedback in the final lecture.
――Why did you choose this content?
Many courses focus on input, such as listening to the professor and reading textbooks. Of course, input is important, but we wanted to provide a place to foster creativity by increasing the ratio of output. Output makes it harder to forget what has been inputted, and I believe that planning a game about the SDGs itself will leave a strong impression. I chose this content because I thought the game would be familiar, easy to relate to, and fun to play.
――Thank you very much. The SDGs cover a wide variety of topics, but what fields are of particular interest to you, Ms. Matsuta?
I would like to study urban climate, so of course I am interested in environmental issues, but I also think that infrastructure issues would be interesting. Also, I work part-time at a cram school, so I am interested in education. I once worked at a cram school where there were children with developmental disabilities, and I was able to respond flexibly while closely monitoring their physical condition and the ups and downs of their feelings. I have also participated in other volunteer activities to support the education of families receiving public assistance, so I am interested in the education of special children as well as ordinary children.
――I see that your various personal experiences have led you to your interests. What is important to you in your activities as an SDG Ambassador?
Respecting other people's opinions. Many of our ambassadors are involved in a variety of activities, including one who is currently a member of another student organization. They are all very knowledgeable and have various backgrounds, so I am conscious of listening to their opinions and respecting those who have given me their opinions.
――Lastly, do you have a message for everyone?
I know it seems somewhat high to say that you are working as an SDGs ambassador, but I was actually one of those people who thought so when I was in high school. To be honest, there were times when I thought, "Ugh..." about my environmental activist friends.
But when I stepped into the side that I had kept away from, I found that there were many people there, and many ambassadors who were involved in various activities. Interacting with these people was both stimulating and educational for me, and I was able to broaden my horizons more and more. I am a science major, but I became interested in education and infrastructure because I met many people and broadened my horizons. So I hope that you will join the Ambassador to broaden your horizons and form a network of contacts.
――Thank you very much, Ms.Matsuta!
The introductory course at Okayama University led her to become an SDGs Ambassador.
――First of all, please introduce yourself.
I am Haruka Matsuta, a fourth-year student in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Faculty of Science. I have been an SDGs Ambassador since my first year. I have been playing the Koto (Japanese harp) since I was in elementary school, so I joined the traditional Japanese music club and was the club president.
My hobby is listening to music. In the morning I listen to jazz music as an alarm, and when I feel down, I listen to Hello Project to cheer me up. Recently, I've been into world history, and I've been studying medieval Europe while listening to classical music, and I fantasize about life in the court at that time to the music haha.
Next year I hope to go on to graduate school and do research on urban climate.
――Thank you very much. Why did you join the Ambassador as a freshman?
I did not originally know about the SDGs. When I entered Okayama University, the SDGs were being pushed hard in my introductory course, and that is how I learned about the SDGs. As I looked into the SDGs in that course and understood what they were about, I thought that if I could get involved in the SDGs from now on, my university life would become more colorful and colorful, and so I joined the Ambassador.
――You joined the Ambassador, but you weren't able to work as much as you would have liked because of COVID-19, weren't you?
It's true that most of our activities are online, so sometimes we don't get as many people together as we would like. But I think the COVID-19 has made me pay more attention to my e-mail and Moodle notifications. One of the notifications included a call for student-suggested course, which I saw and joined. I am glad that I got into the habit of watching them carefully.
I want to enhance students' creativity through Student-suggested Course.
――How do you plan the student-suggested course?
There are about 10 to 15 members in total in a student-suggested course, and they are divided into groups based on their proposals of what they would like to do. Our student-suggested course this time has three members. We have a general meeting in May or June every year to plan the courses for the third or fourth semester, but this time we could not make it in time. But as a result, I think it was a good thing that it was never held in the first semester before.
――Please tell us about the content of the course.
To put it briefly, we will have groups plan and present a game in which they can learn about the SDGs. We have invited an outside lecturer, and Mr. Kashihara of the Environmental Learning Center "Asueco", which is creating the Okayama version of the SDGs Card Game Cross, will give a lecture. We will have a mid-term presentation and a final presentation of the games we have planned, and Mr. Kashihara will give us feedback in the final lecture.
――Why did you choose this content?
Many courses focus on input, such as listening to the professor and reading textbooks. Of course, input is important, but we wanted to provide a place to foster creativity by increasing the ratio of output. Output makes it harder to forget what has been inputted, and I believe that planning a game about the SDGs itself will leave a strong impression. I chose this content because I thought the game would be familiar, easy to relate to, and fun to play.
――Thank you very much. The SDGs cover a wide variety of topics, but what fields are of particular interest to you, Ms. Matsuta?
I would like to study urban climate, so of course I am interested in environmental issues, but I also think that infrastructure issues would be interesting. Also, I work part-time at a cram school, so I am interested in education. I once worked at a cram school where there were children with developmental disabilities, and I was able to respond flexibly while closely monitoring their physical condition and the ups and downs of their feelings. I have also participated in other volunteer activities to support the education of families receiving public assistance, so I am interested in the education of special children as well as ordinary children.
I met a lot of people, which broadened my network and perspective.
――I see that your various personal experiences have led you to your interests. What is important to you in your activities as an SDG Ambassador?
Respecting other people's opinions. Many of our ambassadors are involved in a variety of activities, including one who is currently a member of another student organization. They are all very knowledgeable and have various backgrounds, so I am conscious of listening to their opinions and respecting those who have given me their opinions.
――Lastly, do you have a message for everyone?
I know it seems somewhat high to say that you are working as an SDGs ambassador, but I was actually one of those people who thought so when I was in high school. To be honest, there were times when I thought, "Ugh..." about my environmental activist friends.
But when I stepped into the side that I had kept away from, I found that there were many people there, and many ambassadors who were involved in various activities. Interacting with these people was both stimulating and educational for me, and I was able to broaden my horizons more and more. I am a science major, but I became interested in education and infrastructure because I met many people and broadened my horizons. So I hope that you will join the Ambassador to broaden your horizons and form a network of contacts.
――Thank you very much, Ms.Matsuta!
