Workshop at Kyushu Sangyo University – Making change makers by creating mobile app

On Saturday, October 26th, a full day workshop was held at Kyushu Sangyo University. Six hours plus long workshop gave a chance to students to think about their thinking about a world problem thus to extract a principles for designing a solution. Participating students then actually created a mobile app in each group using MIT App Inventor.

The workshop was initiated by an invitation from Management School Dean, Prof.Osamu Kikima after a short discussion with Masao Ishihara, a MIT Master Trainer in Educational Mobile Computing. We set three goals in the workshop.

– Unlocking hidden knowledge using LEGO®️ SERIOUS PLAY®️ method and material, to help student have deeper and broader view to world problem.

⁃ Design a mobile app with a clear purpose of helping others using design thinking and short cycle prototyping similar to design sprint.

⁃ Rapid prototyping that leads to fully functioning mobile app development using MIT App Inventor

Workshop contents :
– Introduction to MIT App Inventor (30 min.)
– MIT App Inventor app development cycle ( 2 apps, 90 min.)
– LEGO®️SERIOUS PLAY®️ skills building (45 min.)
– Extracting a design principle for a world problem (w/ LSP, 90 min.)
– Designing a mobile app based on design principle found (100 min.)
– Final team presentation of mobile app (20 min.)

At the end of the workshop, participating students had more confidence in thinking about world problems and they came to know one powerful tool that help them to design and prototype a solution with our mighty computing tool, mobile devices.

Students also shared their feeling how LEGO®️ SERIOUS PLAY®️, a method new to them helped them deepen thinking as well to share ideas far more effectively among friends.

The workshop was designed and facilitated by Masao Ishihara. He is a trainer of facilitator certified by Association of Master Trainers in the LEGO®️ SERIOUS PLAY®️, he is also a MIT Master Trainer in Educational Mobile Computing certified by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

If you are interested in having this workshop at your school or organization, please contact Masao.