2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Technology and Innovation Management Graduate major in Technology and Innovation Management
Information and Service Science for Social System I
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Technology and Innovation Management
- Instructor(s)
- Seiichiro Honjo
- Class Format
- Lecture (Livestream)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 11-12 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- TIM.C516
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 5, 2026
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course will lecture on the theories of how technologies emerge, how technologies evolve by inducing innovation, and how they change economic and social systems. In addition, through group discussion, students will learn the premises, principles, and challenges of the social implementation of digital technologies to change economic and social systems.
Course description and aims
This course has two main goals:
- To understand the evolutionary theory of technology
- To be able to practice the principles of social implementation of digital technology to transform society and economy
Keywords
Combinatorial evolution, governance, innovation, impact, structural deepening, sense-making, technology, risk
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Students are required to submit a communication sheet after presenting and conducting group discussions on the textbook and the academic paper.
The content may be changed with the consent of the students, depending on their interests and the progress of the course.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Course guide |
Group discussion and submission of communication sheets |
| Class 2 | Innovation in energy and public health |
Presentations, group discussion and submission of communication sheets |
| Class 3 | Innovation in transport and food |
Presentations, group discussion and submission of communication sheets |
| Class 4 | Low-technology innovation, communication and computing |
Presentations, group discussion and submission of communication sheets |
| Class 5 | Prehistoric innovation and innovation's essentials |
Presentations, group discussion and submission of communication sheets |
| Class 6 | The economics of innovation and fakes, frauds, fads and failures |
Presentations, group discussion and submission of communication sheets |
| Class 7 | Resistance to innovation and an innovation famine |
Presentations, group discussion and submission of communication sheets |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for and reviewing the content of each lesson, referring to the textbook.
Textbook(s)
Ridley, M. (2020). How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom, Harper.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Arthur, W. B. (2009). The nature of technology: What it is and how it evolves. Free Press.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Grades will be determined based on the following components:
- Class participation:30% (assessed through communication sheets and other contributions)
- Presentation：40%
- Final Project: 30%
Students who do not submit the final project materials will not be eligible for a grade.
Related courses
- TIM.C517 ： Information and Service Science for Social System II
- TIM.B536 ： Computational Social Science
Prerequisites
Proactive attitude