Class report of the environmental international relations : an example of a participatory class in the Japanese college education

This article presents an evaluation of the Environmental International Relations, which the author taught from October 1999 to February 2000 in the Department of Environmental Studies, Nagasaki University. Following the model of liberal arts college education, which the author received in Carleton College in the United States, the author placed emphasis on writing, researching, presentation, discussion and negotiation, not just listening to lectures. Many students showed tangible improvements in those essential academic skills. In the first part of the class (nine weeks), the students were required finish reading assignments and to write five short essays (typed and one page). Students were encouraged to discuss major points raised in the textbook and short essays written by fellow students in the class. In the second part of the class (six weeks), the students were required to participate in a role-playing game. The class was divided to 14 groups. Each group represented one of the major countries in the Third Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP3). All the groups were asked to make research on the political, economic and social background for the climate change policies of their assigned country. Based on the research, they made a proposal for a legal document, which would regulate emissions of green house gases after 2000. Then, students took part in the negotiations just like the parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change did in the COP3. Another requirement of the class was to write one research paper (typed and eight to ten pages) through the class period. Students were instructed to write on an issue concerning the international regime (treaties, international organizations, etc.) on the global environment. Most students demonstrated noticeable improvements in basic academic skills. They became more careful in basic factors in effective writing, such as clear thesis, solid paragraph and sentence structure, and appropriate word choices. Another point many students acquired in the class was importance of citation in academic writing. They learned how to utilize research facilities available in Nagasaki University. The second part of the class provided the students with a good opportunity to think about what is necessary to make an effective presentation. The author asked the students to submit their evaluations at the end of the class. Their evaluations showed many points, which would be useful for improving the quality of the education in Nagasaki University. Among those points, closer communication between students and teachers, better coordination among teaching staff and more responses on their work from teachers deserve particular attention from the faculty of the Department. The achievement that many students made during the class and the evaluations of the students clearly confirm that active participation of the students in the class is of crucial importance in effective college education