#Japan #Edogawa, Tokyo #Study Valley #TimeTact #inquiry learning

Study Valley's Innovative Step Towards University Admissions

Introduction

In a groundbreaking move, Study Valley, a company based in Edogawa, Tokyo, is revolutionizing the university entrance application process with its newly launched feature, 'TimeTact Inquiry Smash'. This service allows high school students to submit their inquiry learning achievements and activity logs, stored on the TimeTact platform, directly to universities as part of their application materials. This initiative aligns with Study Valley's mission: “To create a world where everyone can leverage inquiry skills to carve out their future.”

Background and Challenges

With the mandatory adoption of inquiry learning in high schools since the 2022 academic year, universities have seen an increase in Comprehensive Selection and School Recommendation Selection, which now account for over 50% of admissions. The main battleground has shifted to showcasing inquiry activities. However, many universities face significant challenges in this new landscape:

1. Difficulty in Process Evaluation: Simply looking at submitted materials such as posters and papers doesn't reveal the students' processes, struggles, and their degree of involvement.
2. Black Box Effect: It's challenging to ascertain how much input from educators influenced the final output, making accurate assessment of students' abilities difficult.

Conversely, high school students struggle to communicate their three-year journey and nuanced insights effectively through limited application documents.

Study Valley's Collaborative Initiatives

Thus far, Study Valley has been proactive in promoting partnerships between high schools and universities through TimeTact:

• - Classroom Use of University Themes: Study Valley has been integrating university research topics into high school inquiry classes, allowing students to engage with academic questions actively.
• - Experience Workshops at Open Camps: During university open campuses, students participated in TimeTact-based inquiry workshops, experiencing inquiry processes firsthand and documenting their experiences.

In these efforts, numerous universities expressed a strong desire to utilize real activity data accumulated on TimeTact as evaluation criteria for admissions, leading to the development of this new service.

About 'TimeTact Inquiry Smash'

The 'TimeTact Inquiry Smash' feature allows high school students to submit their recorded inquiry activities as digital data directly to their desired universities:

Features and Benefits:

• - Visualization of Processes: Students can provide universities with comprehensive data, including daily activity logs, feedback from teachers or AI, and self-reflection records—showcasing the entire inquiry process, not just the final product.
• - Improved Matching Quality: Universities can gain a detailed understanding of how students engaged with their chosen themes, facilitating the evaluation and selection of candidates aligned with their admission policies.
• - Simplified Application Process: Students can select their best work from their TimeTact dashboard and smoothly transmit this data to chosen universities.

Future Prospects and Application Requirements

Applications from universities wishing to participate in the 'TimeTact Inquiry Smash' service begin today. However, due to system limitations, the number of participating universities will be prioritized as follows:
1. Universities that have already provided inquiry projects on TimeTact.
2. Newly applying universities (on a first-come, first-served basis).

Through this feature, Study Valley aims to enhance the rightful evaluation of high school inquiry activities, enabling students to utilize their inquiry skills to navigate their desired educational pathways successfully.

Overview of the TimeTact Learning Platform

TimeTact is a comprehensive platform that manages everything from curriculum design for inquiry learning to task management, AI feedback, and evaluation. Its adoption across high schools nationwide alleviates educators' workloads while fostering an environment that nurtures students' self-driven learning abilities.

For more information about TimeTact, visit: TimeTact Presentation Page.

For updates and insights, visit: Study Valley Blog.

About the Representative

Yuki Tanaka, the Representative Director, serves as a committee member for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Study Group on Promoting Learning and Social Collaboration for Innovation Generation. A graduate of the University of Tokyo, he has worked with Goldman Sachs in technology and served at Recruit Holdings, dealing with early-stage startups in the US and Israel.

Contact for Inquiries

For further inquiries regarding this matter, please contact Study Valley:
Email: [email protected]