In “An Introduction to Japanese Society and Culture” class, the author used “The World Café”style of discussion, which he had used in a previous school. The effects of using “The World Café” include: creating an atmosphere conducive to conversation, increasing the number of opportunities to speak, gathering the opinions of all participants, increasing awareness of participation, increasing satisfaction, and creating a connection between participants. The author verified whether such effects were actually seen by analyzing student questionnaires. As a result, it was found that “The World Café” discussion was especially effective in encouraging active participation, broadening ideas and improving the ability to explain, leading to a deeper understanding of Japanese society and culture.
