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Learning chemistry is cumulative: basic knowledge and chemical calculation skills are required to gain understanding of higher content. However, we often suŠer from students' lack of learning skills to acquire these concepts. One of the reasons is the lack of adequate training in the knowledge and skills of chemistry, and one of the reasons for this lack is the lack of adequate evaluation of training procedures and content. Team-based learning (TBL) is a strong method for providing training in the knowledge and skills of chemistry and rea‹rms the knowledge and skills of students of various levels. In our faculty, TBL exercises are provided forˆrst-year students concurrently with lectures in physical chemistry and analytical chemistry. In this study, we researched the adoption of a peer evaluation process for this participatory learning model. Questionnaires taken after TBL exercises in the previous year showed a positive response to TBL. Further, a questionnaire taken after TBL exercises in the spring semester of the current year also yielded a positive response not only to TBL but also to peer evaluation. In addition, a signiˆcant correlation was observed between the improvement of students' grades in chemistry classes and the feeling the percentage (20％) of peer evaluation in overall evaluation low (logistic regression analysis, p＝0.022). On the basis of theˆndings, we argue that TBL provides a generic, practical learning environment including an eŠective focus on learning strategy and evaluation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and studies on the educational eŠects of TBL and peer evaluation.

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The KJ method (named for developer Jiro Kawakita; also known as a‹nity diagramming) is widely used in participatory learning as a means to collect and organize information. In addition, the World Caf áe (WC) has recently become popular. However, diŠerences in the information obtained using each method have not been studied comprehensively. To determine the appropriate information selection criteria, we analyzed diŠerences in the information generated by the WC and KJ methods. Two groups engaged in sessions to collect and organize information using either the WC or KJ method and small group discussions were held to create``proposals to improveˆrst-year education''. Both groups answered two pre-and post-session questionnaires that asked for free descriptions. Key words were extracted from the results of the two questionnaires and categorized using text mining. In the responses to questionnaire 1, which was directly related to the session theme, a signiˆcant increase in the number of key words was observed in the WC group ( p＝0.0050, Fisher's exact test). However, there was no signiˆcant increase in the number of key words in the responses to questionnaire 2, which was not directly related to the session theme ( p＝0.8347, Fisher's exact test). In the KJ method, participants extracted the most notable issues and progressed to a detailed discussion, whereas in the WC method, various information and problems were spread among the participants. The choice between the WC and KJ method should be made to re‰ect the educational objective and desired direction of discussion.

We tested possible intrapersonal effects of a sigh as a psychological "resetter/rebooter." Fifty-eight undergraduates were randomly assigned to a sigh or a normal exhalation (control) group. We asked participants on each task to model the experimenter demonstrating how to exhale air into a small plastic bag for breathing manipulation under the pretext that we were interested in the exhaled gas in stressful situations. Results revealed that the sigh group did not experience more relief (as shown by prolonged reaction time) after exposure to threat stimuli, but showed more persistence on a highly-difficult puzzle task (p = .03, d = .62) and more willingness to continue working on a monotonous task (p < .10, d = .48), than the normal exhalation group. A sigh may have an adaptive function to motivate further work; although it may not induce relief--suggesting that a "sigh of refresh" is a voluntary but a "sigh of relief" is an involuntary response.