Abstract:

The Research:
The current research reflects a case study of Japanese university students learning collaboratively to reach the goal of digital application creation. Students major in computer science provide technical knowledge and skills in Augmented Reality (AR), Projection Mapping (PM), and Light Emitting Diode (LED); while students with international studies background provide social and cultural contents for the joint project.
My basic research questions are: How do the learning processes take place in the cross-discipline environment? How are students’ personal developments facilitated through such learning process? Can such learning experience be applied in future pedagogical practice, and how?

The courses:
Students from the Department of International Studies are taking a course named “Hungarian fieldwork”. In the preparatory course in the first semester, students learned basic knowledge about Hungarian history, society, and culture. They, then, participate in their fieldwork trip to Hungary. When they come back from the fieldwork, they are supposed to complete their AR, PM, and LED applications based on their experience in Hungary. Students from the Department of Computer Science are taking a course named “project”, the overall purpose of this course is to help the students to develop knowledge and skills in creating AR, PM and LED applications. This collaborative learning project came from the idea of cross-discipline exchange of knowledge and skills. In addition to exchange and collaborative learning, the project also reflects a process of blended learning since students from both parties also learn and interact online and offline among insiders and outsiders of this team.

Data collection and analysis:
Empirical data includes observation of students’ activities (face-to-face meetings, online discussions, etc.), research notes, and semi-structured interviews with the students and other participants. Data are transcribed, coded, and analyzed to interpret students’ learning processes as well as skills obtained. Four categories of theories serve as the analytic framework, which are: the social learning theories, the social presence theories, the blended learning theories, and 21 century skills.

Findings:
My initial data analysis shows that learning is situated in particular social contexts and is embedded in meaningful activities. It is distributed across individuals and/or groups in diverse combinations and at different times. It also takes place through interactions among members in communities. Cross-discipline project-based activities enhance learner agency and professional identity construction. It also helps to strengthen community solidarity. Finally, collaborative learning process foster students’ metacognitive development.

Keywords:

Collaborative learning, project-based learning, case study.