This study investigated how uncertainty orientation affects the discussions of people when they are combined with another person who has a similar or different uncertainty orientation. 114 male and female university students participated in mock-trials; pairs of students were asked to determine punishments for theoretical offenders. Discussions surrounding the decision making process were analyzed to determine how the combinations of similar and different uncertainty orientations affected the judgments rendered by these pairs. Results showed no discernable difference in the punishments meted out by pairs with similar or different uncertainly orientations. However, pairs that combined students with different uncertainty orientations showed less latitude of acceptance, leading to clearer outcomes; whereas, pairs that combined students with similar uncertainty orientations showed neither tendency. Thus, discussions were seen to be influenced by whether both people were of the same or different uncertainty orientation.

  Higher Education developed as a system for transmitting both knowledge and methods, both of which have accumulated through academic scholarship. A logical consequence of this process is the lecture style of teaching: It has proved most efficient in the transmission of knowledge. However, the lecture style is not always appropriate in “teacher training programs”, in particular, when teaching pedagogy, educational psychology, and instructional methods for each subject.

  “Teacher training programs” must meet two objectives. One is the transmission of knowledge, skills, and ideals regarding the teaching profession to students. The other is to help students acquire the leadership skills they will need as teachers. In this paper, I will propose an alternative style to the attainment of these two goals in teacher training programs. I will reconsider the process of teaching in “teacher training programs” based on the idea of “Cooperative Collaboration in Classroom Learning: Jishu Kyodou Gakushu”. In this alternative style, the instructor tries to transfer their leadership to students. Each student is then expected to realize they must learn on their own initiative and acquire leadership as a teacher. In other words, CCCL will change the process of teaching from a teacher-oriented style to a student-oriented one, and via this change, students will learn about leadership in teaching. I will argue that CCCL will improve the process of teaching in Higher Education, particularly in “teacher education programs”.

In this paper, I used activity theory as a framework to analyze a group of students working on the production of a video in a university class. I reported the students’ learning of video production as a case study. I proved that expansive learning was generated by students’ collaborative engagement in problem solving in situations where they were challenged by the use of tools in production. At first, students reconstructed their division of labor and rules for breakthroughs in problem situations. Then, they reconstructed their methods of tool use by expanding the use of an existing tool, the digital video camera, and discovering the use of tools in their environment. I revealed that students, through the reorganization of their activity of video production, realized the importance of human relations and confirmed the utility of tools for video production,