Dr. Masato Homma advocates for "learnology," a concept he coined in 1993, which encompasses life-long, life-wide, and life-deep learning. He believes that humans should be defined as a "learning species" (homo discens) and emphasizes that learning takes place throughout one's entire life, not just the schooling period. He highlights the importance of learning outside the traditional classroom, as many essential life skills, such as parenting, communication, and conflict resolution, are not taught in school. He argues that we should shift our focus from individualistic learning to collaborative learning, as teamwork is a powerful human trait. In the era of generative artificial intelligence, Homma stresses the need to develop uniquely human skills and adapt to new realities. He advocates for learning through experiences and observing the world with all our senses, and emphasizes the importance of self-directed personal growth over comparing ourselves to others. Homma proposes a vision of a "Learning Planet 2050," in which people learn anything, anytime, and anywhere, embracing nature, history, and cultural diversity. He challenges the audience to begin their own learning journey by setting personal goals and committing to self-improvement every day. He is an advocate of "learning studies" that goes beyond "pedagogy", has been practicing active learning for more than 25 years as an instructor of "fun, immediately useful" participatory training, and has presided over "Training Instructor School" and "Harmony School". His life's work is to create a "vision of a learning global society (Learning Planet 2050)" in which everyone continues to update their learning history.
Currently, he is a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts, representative director of the NPO Learning Association, representative director of Crossover Career, and author of 79 books on coaching, compliments, and English learning methods. He is also known as a lecturer on NHK Educational TV's "Practical Business English Conversation" and a commentator on TV news programs. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx