History and activities of the Research Committee on Education in Acoustics in ASJ

Abstract

In the Acoustical Society of Japan (ASJ), the Research Committee on Education in Acoustics was established in 1997. Although its history is relatively short in comparison with the Administrative Committee on Education in Acoustics in the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), many activities have been steadily carried out. For example, surveys of syllabi (educational plans of subjects in universities) were made. Demonstration tools used in university classes were also surveyed. The extent of our research was not limited to only universities. Textbooks and teaching materials used in elementary schools, junior high schools, and senior high schools were also researched. Furthermore, activities in cooperation with the National Museum of Nature and Science in Japan have been taking place, including an exhibition and a class with acoustic demonstrations and handicrafts for children. We believe that such activities are very important as social contributions of an academic society. In this review, some of our activities, our discussions, and the like will be introduced.

The Euler disk and its dynamic finite time singularity: Investigating a fascinating acoustical and mechanical phenomenon with simple means

“…It is intended for acoustics and physics lecturers interested in emphasizing the connection to everyday life, and potentially for undergraduate lab-work courses or research projects in the area of oscillations and sound. In this sense, the present example contributes to the collection of inspiring educational experiments and investigations published in this journal, in two special issues [6,7], and on topics like architectural acoustics [17], sound tract modelling [18], and others [19]. As a perspective for future work, we also think that this contribution provides a further example of how the availability and mobility of smartphones (or tablets) allows to investigate sound and oscillation phenomena in particular in everyday life settings.…”

Exhibition at `Summer-Holiday Science Square' hosted by the National Museum of Nature and Science

“…Apart from Summer-Holiday Science Square, RCEA has additionally facilitated interaction with the science museum [1,3], and since 2006 has taken part in the 'Sound Lab.' held at the National Museum of Nature and Science [9,10].…”

“…In this short note, we will describe our recent exhibits for the record and summarise the characteristics of the education in acoustics at scientific events. For details of the exhibits and the outline of RCEA's activities, please see references [1][2][3] and the committee's web page [4].…”

Survey on education in acoustics at science museums

“…Besides the collaboration with schools, science museums recently co-worked with local governments, and the museums have a good relationship with local communities and academic associations [4,5]. Additionally, in Acoustical Society of Japan, Committee (previously Research Committee) of Education in Acoustics has participated in exhibitions at Summer-Holiday Science Square and Sound Lab at National Museum of Nature and Science and achieved a big success [6][7][8].…”