To reiterate, the most distinctive feature of STEM education in the Society 5.0 era is “information technology.” It must be said that the greatest challenge in promoting STEM education in Japan going forward is the development of a digital education environment.Japan’s school IT infrastructure remains at a developing-country level. In elementary schools, there is one computer for every 5.6 students. Ten years ago, the ratio was one computer for every seven students, and despite the goal of providing one computer per student, progress has stalled. Ten years ago, the U.S. had one computer for every three students; I know of no other country that lags behind as much as Japan.
　The percentage of students using computers or the internet—both inside and outside of school—is the lowest among OECD countries in Japan. The percentage of students using computers for group work at school is 82% in Norway, 45% on average across the OECD, and 7.4% in Japan. The percentage of students using the internet for school assignments is 94% in the Netherlands, 86% on average, and 44% in Japan.
　It must be said that, in order to promote STEM education going forward, the urgent priority is to establish a digital education environment. Furthermore
, as other countries vigorously discuss and implement next-generation education systems, Japan should also devote itself to developing cutting-edge educational methods, in addition to improving the aforementioned educational infrastructure.Technologies representative of Society 5.0—such as AI, IoT, and blockchain—have the potential to bring about changes that will reexamine the content, environment, and assessment of learning, including academic subjects, exams, and schools
. In terms of academic subjects, AI will enable hyper-personalized learning that transcends traditional subject boundaries. This will require a reorganization of the curriculum.This could call into question the very existence and content of standardized certification exams and official curriculum guidelines. Furthermore
, by using blockchain technology to store all learning histories, the need for exams may disappear, which will in turn call into question the nature of entrance examinations
. Such changes will make it possible to design learning environments that transcend the boundaries of grade levels, schools, and other educational institutions. It may even lead to a reevaluation of the school system itself.
　Therefore, with the goal of building an industry-academia collaboration platform to “implement” a vision that transcends subjects, exams, and schools, we established the “Learning of Tomorrow” association last year. Why not create the world’s most advanced learning environments through a coalition of domestic and international educational institutions—spanning early childhood education, elementary and secondary education, universities, and lifelong learning—alongside private-sector companies?
　The learning style required by STEM education leads to the realization of self-directed learning. This, in turn, fosters a mindset of lifelong learning. This is precisely the “ability to adapt to change” required in the Society 5.0 era. Japan lags behind other countries in both programming education and STEM education.As we approach Society 5.0, isn’t it time to redesign our education system once again—and to do so ahead of the rest of the world? I believe this means creating a design centered on all learners and envisioning “Learning of Tomorrow”—a learning environment that transcends the traditional boundaries of the school.

References

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What Is STEM/STEAM Education? Vol. 7: Conclusion
https://creativekids.jp/?p=18651
What Is STEM/STEAM Education? Vol. 6: The Current Situation in Japan
https://creativekids.jp/?p=18648
What Is STEM/STEAM Education? Vol. 5: The Global Landscape
https://creativekids.jp/?p=18643
What Is STEM/STEAM Education? Vol. 4: STEM Education and Programming Education
https://creativekids.jp/?p=18640
What Is STEM/STEAM Education? Vol. 3 What Is STEM Education?
https://creativekids.jp/?p=18637
What Is STEM/STEAM Education? Vol. 2 STEM Literacy as a Foundational Skill
https://creativekids.jp/?p=18633
What Is STEM/STEAM Education? Vol. 1: Social Change
https://creativekids.jp/?p=18628