**8. References**


It is obvious that social sciences and humanities in general have been in a disadvantageous position to partake in the money game in on-going quality assessment and assurance policies in higher education. However, the pressures of globalization, especially in terms of human resource development, are providing a great opportunity for social sciences and

Academics and experts in social sciences and humanities have a great responsibility for the future direction of Japanese higher education policy and the future destination of the social sciences and humanities in Japan. What social sciences and humanities can contribute to society should be demonstrated through autonomous peer initiative, including the formulation of a quality assessment scheme, which could serve as a good model for other fields. At the same time, both international communities and the Japanese general public are

This article is partly based on the author's article 'Quality Assessment and Assurance in Japanese Universities: The Plight of the Social Sciences'. Social Science Japan Journal, 11(1),

Altbach, Philip G. & Jorge Balan eds. (2007). World Class Worldwide: *Transforming Research Universities in Asia and Latin America*. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Amano, I. & Poole, G. S. (2005). "The Japanese university in crisis", *Higher Education* 50-4:

Baba, M. & Hayata, Y. (1997). "The changing role of JUAA in Japanese university evaluation", *Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education*. 22(3): 329 – 335. Cavalli, Alessandro ed. (2007). *Quality Assessment for Higher Education in Europe*, London:

Central Council for Education Working Group on the Promotion of Globalizing Universities

Cutts, R. L. (1997). *An Empire of Schools: Japan's Universities and the Molding of a National Power* 

Doi, R. (2007). *Daigaku ga Teikyo Suru Kyoiku Kenkyu ni Kakawaru Kyoso Kankyo ni Kansuru* 

*and research provided by universities]*. RIETI Policy Discussion Paper 07-P-003. Dore, R. (1997). *The Diploma Disease: Education, Qualification and Development: 2nd ed.* London:

Eades, J. S. (2000). "Why don't they write in English?" Academic modes of production and

Eades, J. S. (2001). "Reforming Japanese higher education: Bureaucrats, the birth rate, and visions of the 21st century". *Ritsumeikan Journal of Asia Pacific Studies* 8, 86-101. Eades, J. S. (2004). "Local research, global audiences: Linguistic hegemony and transnational

(2010). *Guidelines for Building Organized and Continuous Cooperation Including Double* 

*Kozo teki Bunseki [Structural analyses on competitive environment related to education* 

academic discourses in Japan and the West. *Ritsumeikan Journal of Asia Pacific* 

publishing in the information age". In P.J. Matthews & J. Akamine (eds). *Research writing in Japan: Cultural, personal and practical perspectives*. Osaka: National Museum

humanities to revitalize themselves, not least by internationalizing their profile.

becoming intolerant of further delays in increasing international competitiveness.

**7. Notice**

2008.10, 69-82.

**8. References** 

685-711.

Portland Press.

*Studies* 6, 58-77.

of Ethnology.

*and Joint Degree Programs*. Tokyo: MEXT.

Institute of Education, University of London.

*Elite*. New York: M.E. Sharpe.


(http://www.mext.go.jp/b\_menu/toukei/chousa01/kihon/1267995.htm)


Neave, G. (1988). "On the cultivation of quality, efficiency and enterprise: an overview of recent trends in higher education in Western Europe, 1986-1988", *European Journal of Education*, 23 (1/2): 7-23.

**22** 

*Sweden* 

Thomas Hansson

*Blekinge Institute of Technology* 

**ICT, Learning Objects and Activity Theory** 

Exploration of "human agentive consciousness", "private realms of subjects" and "reflexive agents" in López-Varela (2010, p. 125) incorporate a dualism of subjects ("producers") and objects ("consumers") into the framework. However, focus (ibid., p. 127) on "betweenness" and computer-mediated communication enable for analysis of intersubjectivity transcending individual, cultural-historical and economic contexts. In a similar approach, Garrison (2001, p. 276) argues against dialectic thinking based on a list of dualisms first published in Dewey (1952/1989, p. 408) "The material and spiritual, the physical and the mental or psychological; body and mind; experience and reason; sense and intellect, appetitive desire and will; subjective and objective, individual and social; inner and outer." In responding to a philosophical approach to characterizing the functioning of the human brain or how we think, learn and memorize, Roth (2007, p. 40) acknowledges the relation between individual initiative and collective influences. Kaptelinin and Nardi (2006, p. 11) outlines agency versus structure for ICT environments, saying "activity theory has always had a strong notion of the individual, while at the same time understanding and emphasizing the importance of a socio-cultural matrix within which individuals develop." [So, emphasis] of this text [is on...] a combination of individual and collective influences on human behavior. The approach provides a productive venue for describing and explaining how people think, learn and

Regardless of approach there seems to be creative dynamics at work, because for any human encounter there is transaction between participants. Wells (2007, p. 165) labels such meetings an "occurrence of a joint activity in which multiple participants are collaboratively involved." It is intriguing to find that people seem to struggle with ongoing dilemmas and recurring contradictions without considering issues of agency and systems thinking. Also, conceptual analyses suggest that by agency we understand that individuals are free and willing to act on impressions, to take action, support activities and (re)act on other people's behavior. Our ability to act on personal needs and motives so as to control actions in Self and Other is a specific human ability, be it informed, planned or spontaneous. Furthermore the general idea for a human need to exercise agency is to produce an effect according to an original plan or an adjusted intention. On the other hand people seem to continuously build social systems in their minds whenever they listen to, calculate, process and respond to events, situations and other people, be it in physical, virtual or social worlds. Thus, any such social system – a football team, an army or an orchestra - is a community of practitioners with people relating to each other with a shared understanding of the limits of the system,

**1. Introduction** 

know.

