English for Academic Purposes and Learner Autonomy Enhancement through Project Learning: Organizing a Mock International Conference at a Learning Commons

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24520674
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Osaka Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: MIYAMA Akiko 大阪工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (80301646)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MUKUHIRA Atsushi 大阪工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (00319576) ; TSUJIMOTO Tomoko 大阪工業大学, 工学部, 准教授 (30288758) ; MURAO Junko 大阪工業大学, 工学部, 講師 (40611314)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MOORE Ashley 神田外語大学, Director ; FRITZ Erik 神田外語大学, Senior Senior Lecturer ; MCCARTHY Tanya 神田外語大学, Lecturer ; FISCHER Danielle 神田外語大学, Lecturer ; WORTH Alexander 神田外語大学, Lecturer
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 模擬国際会議 / EAP / ESP / PBL / アクティブ・ラーニング / ラーニング・コモンズ / 図書館との連携 / グローバル英語教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to enhance learners' autonomy through a project-based learning of organizing a Mock International Conference (MIC). MIC held annually is promoted and managed by students of Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT). At the same time, it provides the perfect setting of a quasi-international conference for students who intend to present, in English, the fruits of their daily research. It also helps the students achieve their full potential as experts skilled at operating within the global community. The MICs held during the research period ended successfully and proved to be enjoyable opportunities for the students to watch presentations covering a variety of topics, discover new ideas and make a new networking beyond their own research fields.
The participating students took advantage of the OIT library's learning commons as the place for their preliminary work, which fostered their motivation to learn. This was the secondary effects caused by this MIC project.

Free Research Field

English for Specific Purposes (ESP)