Japanese version of this article
“Introduction to Logic” was offered as one of the classes for Hokkaido Summer Institute 2017. It lasted for 5 days, from August 14th to the 18th.
This course is designed to serve as an introductory program for the students who wish to learn logic but have no substantial prior knowledge. It can also be utilized as a preparatory course for the following week’s course, “Dynamic Epistemic Logic and its Applications”.
The main lecturer for this year was Associate Professor Katsuhiko Sano of Philosophy Department. In a smile-filled, easy to understand lecture with a bright atmosphere, students eagerly worked to understand this difficult topic.
Associate Professor Katsuhiko Sano (Graduate School of Letters/Philosophy Department)
The class was given as a mix between lecture and seminar. At the end of each day, the next day’s task would be given. When the next day started, students would present their own answers to the task and check the answer together. Students would also be given time to work on their task in class. By quickly working on problems related to the lecture content, students were able to pursue an improved understanding of logic.
Students working out the problem
Trying to solve a problem while asking the teacher questions
According to some student surveys, the use of formulas, symbols, and specialist terminology made this course difficult. However, many students also commented on Associate Professor Sano’s passionate teaching style, noting that he would clearly answer all students’ questions no matter how many times he was asked to do so. Surveys also reveal that this class’ active learning style facing a small number of students yielded a high degree of satisfaction. Perhaps as a result of the feeling of accomplishment after learning such a difficult topic, the class ended with a very serene atmosphere.
