Proposing the IOC pedagogy for Japanese higher education in the Universalize era

During the past decade, there has been a deregulation in the Japanese higher education system caused by the mass education era. Usually, the Japanese University is difficult to get into and easy to get out of; however, recently, more universities have become more easy to get in and easy to get out of, because of the mass education era and decreased population of 18 years old students. The faculty has to face the less motivated students who come to class without the basic knowledge of science and engineering. Therefore, there is a need for changes in the teaching and learning system. A pilot study of an experimental design for assessing impact on changes in student motivation on the Japanese higher education system is presented. This paper will discuss the experiences over the last eight years from 1993 to 2001 in the course of digital circuit design of biomedical engineering study in the Toin University of Yokohama by using the Interactive Operational Control, IOC. The IOC technique combines innovative learning strategies, such as interactive and cooperative learning, with uses of the discipline, the role model, the presentation and the feedback. The students have reacted positively to this novel approach, which can be adapted to many others courses. The technique has been proven to be effective, shown by the students'grades. In this paper, the teaching strategy and responses of the students will be presented.