"Math isn't popular because the problems are written in a condescending way." ~ Osaka Prefectural Kanaoka High School [Part 1]

Since its establishment on October 15, 2015, DENTSU SOKEN INC. Active Learning "How About This?" Research Lab has conducted unique collaborative and practical lessons with teachers at various schools.

Rather than simply providing lesson content, we collaborated with the teachers—the education professionals—to explore the best way for each specific school and class to become most "active." Each time, highly original methods and compelling stories emerged. The researchers in charge report on these sessions.

Creative Tests: Problems with No Single Answer

Without further ado, it's a pop quiz!
We'll ask Dentsu Inc. readers to consider the same problem we posed to high school students. The time limit is 30 minutes. Now, ENJOY!

Time's up!
The Creative Test: Problems with No Single Answer.
How did you find it?

This is an actual problem given at Osaka Prefectural Kanaoka High School. Starting in April, we began a collaborative class called "Explore Q: Weird Lessons," but honestly, this school was already weird before that.

Principal Kazuri's Unconventional Ideas at Kanaoka High School

First off, the principal is unusual. Principal Takashi Wakuri, a private-sector principal, is a former broadcast writer who worked on many programs we know.
He used to pass by Nippon TV near the Dentsu Shiodome headquarters building every day before becoming principal in Osaka.

Leveraging his talent and experience, he daydreams up, plans, and implements all sorts of bizarre ideas daily.
For example:
・Established the world's first "Going Home Club."
・His office is filled with popular manga that students recommended to him. (A reverse mentor approach, right?)
・Last year, he collaborated with Shochiku Geino's "Laughter Education." He implemented classes using manzai comedy to train communication skills, presentation skills, and creative thinking.
・Furthermore, he himself competed in the M-1 Grand Prix as the duo "Principal & Vice Principal" (Education Through Example!).
・Realized that standard indoor school slippers are impractical for disaster evacuations! Co-developed running-friendly indoor shoes like Crocs (less weird, more brilliant solution).
・Somehow, they host numerous guest lectures from outside the school. Speakers include Takafumi Horie (aka Horiemon), LINE's Ryo Morikawa, etc.
・Recently published a book titled "The Weird Principal," covering all the oddities, challenges, and tear-jerking dramas with students.
And so on.

Weird, weird, weird—it's all about being weird. But this name? Totally ripping off our long-running "Weird Homework" project (lol). We're turning a blind eye, thinking if Mr. Wakuri and Kanaoka High stand out and make Japanese education just a little more interesting, that's fine. We love Mr. Wakuri, so let's just call it an homage to us. What can you do? He's just that kind of charming, go-getter type.

However, the claim that "strange is often used in a negative sense, but it shouldn't be. Change, transformation, evolving. Strange is a good thing" is Principal Wakuri's original assertion. Of course, all the various initiatives are also completely original ideas from Principal Wakuri and Kanaoka High School. Just to be clear.

Joining "Dentsu Inc. Kanaoka High School Branch?"

When I first got the offer, they suddenly sent me a proposal asking me to do the Kanaoka High School version of their "Weird Homework Project" called "Weird Lessons." But as I discussed things with the teachers on the ground, I heard they wanted something focused on communication skills.

I was hesitant, thinking that sounded like a straightforward request. But then came the decisive line: "Could you let all 362 second-year students join Dentsu Inc.?!". That sealed it for me: "Alright, let's give it a shot." So, we started by having them join a fictional branch called "Dentsu Inc. Kanaoka High School Branch?".

Since it was an 'employment,' there were various standard procedures to follow. So, on May 12th, during periods 5 and 6, we held a rather peculiar 'employment ceremony.' The students were like, "After Shochiku, now Dentsu Inc.? Wait, what kind of company is Dentsu Inc. anyway?"

Then, straight into the first training session. We figured, once you join, you need to make the essentials first. Business cards.

Under the facilitation of Dentsu Inc. art director Akihiro Honda, who handles covers for magazines like Sotokoto, we spent an hour creating business cards that weren't like real corporate ones, but were more unique and one-of-a-kind, truly our own.

We actually exchanged these first-ever business cards with friends around us. Honda's message was: "I want to visualize the 362 unique personalities that can't be expressed by test scores, grades, or numbers." I wonder if it reached everyone~.

Shy Tsujimoto-kun's card, true to his nature, had his name written in the corner. Math-loving Tomu-kun expressed his name with numbers. Ms. Onishi, with her wonderful smile, expressed her name with a smile. And then, using the cards we all made, we exchanged business cards for the very first time in our lives.

New Employee Training: Dentsu Inc. Famous "Creative Test"

Day 1 of New Employee Training. June 2nd featured Dentsu Inc. famous Creative Test. We tackled the opening problem with no single correct answer. How did you all do?

We researchers came up with about 100 ideas for this test, then selected the ones best suited for Kanaoka High School. We also had actual new employees solve them, and these four ideas were chosen from their responses.

"Try solving questions with no single correct answer. Enjoy the process."
That was our message.

Truthfully, even within school, there shouldn't be that many things with just one correct answer. Even in math proofs, in essays, or in club activities like "Let's make it to the prefectural tournament!" – there isn't just one right answer. Yet, somehow, we inevitably find ourselves chasing that one correct answer. The goal was to break that mindset right from the start.

To convey something incredibly important in life: the joy of imagining and creating. That's why we all brainstormed and came up with so many weird problems to pose.

The robot one had ideas like, "It's metal, so I want to give it a magnet. That way, it can become stylish," or the button one had things like, "When you press it, it says 'Press me more~' in a sultry voice," or "Four Colombians fall down." There were lots of interesting ones. Among them, I'll just introduce one that was particularly memorable.

Indeed. Why do school problems always feel so condescending? (Even our creative test said "Write this," didn't it? We just couldn't help it). At Kanaoka High, we actually plan to give math problems this semester that aren't condescending (right, teachers?).

In the latter half, I'll write about the challenges and joys of collaborating with teachers, and what we discovered, while also covering other problems we did in the first semester. There are actually all sorts of ways to make things weirdly fun and entertaining~. I think sharing those could be helpful to many people in the education field. Looking forward to the second half.