Technology and World Change (Session 5)

Technology and World Change

Session 5

Brief Overview

It this session, it was all about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and world change. ICT is gradually changing and improving and has infiltrated all aspects of our lives and we are utilizing it everyday, sometimes even without our knowledge. We looked into how ICT has evolved from when it first started and delved into the many facets of ICT and how it has enabled the world to change over time. Some of the articles also mentioned the potential future of ICT and how it can be used to resolve some of the very pressing issues we face in the world today such as world poverty or achieving education for all as part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Interesting Observations and Ideas

While watching the video on the evolution of the web titled “Evolution Web 1.0, Web 2.0 to Web 3.0”, many drastic changes and improvements have been made. The first generation of the web was actually used to provide information, whereas the second generation of the web looked toward transforming how the information is given out, it became more interactive such that it was the user who produced the information. It was also the era of blogging and social networking, which ultimately led to the formation of Web 3.0, a continuum of currently established techniques. The video talked about how as more everyday appliances become more connected to the internet and to each other, the web becomes “more present but less and less visible”. This is because we no longer need to employ the use of the large, bulky separate computers. Appliances are connected and operated through the Internet via the exchange of information. Web 3.0 will be about semantic web, personalizing searches, mobility, and artificial intelligence. Searches will know our search patterns and possibly make some suggestions and recommendations for us. The video talked about last.fm as point of reference about the type of music we are interested and how the website is able to recognize our preferences and link us to other music types based on that. Although this is still fairly new, it is an ongoing process that I believe has a lot of potential for.

Furthermore, reading 3 introduced the notion of how ICT can potentially be used to address some of the social issues that we face today such as to eliminate poverty or to enhance education and to build a better healthcare system. Even when many initiatives had been implemented, most of them failed because there were too many entities involved from governments to research institutions, none of which had a clear direction and a proper way of interaction. ICT, if used correctly and appropriately, can be a catalyst for both economic and social development. The paper talked about in reading 3 recognized that ICT development should be based on 6 axes: strategy, regulatory framework, implementation, capacity development, partnerships, and measurement. Identify and develop a national strategy to address a national vision and goal. Then review policies that must be put in place to support the plan. Ensure that the plans that are to be implemented avoid duplication; check if they are in line with any existing policies and always align to make sure that implementation follows original objectives. Build on the infrastructure and manpower needed to sustain the policy and include the private sectors, society and educational institutions in the planning and implementation process because they would be able to help a great deal. Ensure that progress can always be measured so that progress can be tracked and followed up with.

Key Takeaways

One component of the lesson was about identifying ICT as a driver of world change. Today, I also gave a presentation on ICT that is used in education with regard to Singapore’s ICT Masterplan 1, Masterplan 2 and Masterplan 3. My question for discussion was whether or not the plans that were put into place were actually effective in guiding us with our education. In my honest opinion, the masterplans had minimal impact on me even though I was able to live through and experience all components of the 3 Masterplans. Even though we had IT lessons in school, there was really no educational value in the lessons because we were not able to properly synthesize the information, think critically through it, argue or debate about certain topics. ICT was about using the information that we have attained and communicating them with our peers and discussing about it so that we are able to learn from one another because it is during this process that we are able to acquire a whole other set of skills from collaboration skills, analytical skills and synthesizing information. Furthermore, some of the other classmates have recounted the experiences that they have actually had the opportunity to use laptops in class as part of ICT learning experience but they too admitted that instead of helping them with their lessons, things backfired because the laptop became a source of distraction more than anything else. One key takeaway for me was that ICT is only involved when we are able to process and learn the information we attain, the act of using technology does not mean that we have truly understood the means of using ICT as part of education.

Another key takeaway for me was that of reading 4 where it explored using ICT to support an eco-efficient economy. The article said that ICT has brought about a fundamental shift in our economic and social lives such that the relationship between producers and consumers are more interactive. In the light of this, I believe that it will be easier to create a green-movement such that more consumers are able to find out more about green ICT products and services market, understand and explore the various options that they are entitle to. Furthermore, these consumers can also talk about what they would like to see and give more feedback about the different products out there in the market and perhaps even lend a hand in improving all of this.

Issues for Further Discussion (Presentation)

Can we survive without the Internet?

To me, with the advent of technology alone, we are not able to survive at all if we were to be hit with a technical error such that it renders systems useless. Technology has infiltrated every aspect of our lives from the way we communicate, to the way we work or study, or even as we relax! We use emails as a form of communication, we use computers to get our work or assignments done, we use our smart tablets to unwind. All of the abovementioned are almost impossible to complete if we did not have the Internet. In many ways, I feel that we are almost limited by what the Internet can do for us or what we choose to use the Internet for. So I believe that we cannot do without the Internet because that affects our way of life.

With ICT constantly developing and advancing, is it the government’s responsibility to ensure that these developments and benefits are accessible to the majority of people?

The government holds a huge responsibility when it comes to ensuring that majority of the people are able to enjoy the benefits that comes around with the development of ICT because they have to power to affect everyone, especially the younger generation – students. They can instill several legislations or implement certain policies that could help to integrate ICT into lessons such that digital literacy could be heightened. They have the ability to influence the way future generations use ICT to their advantage. Although, it is not only the government’s responsibility to do so, I feel that everyone can play a role, no matter how small.

Personal Ratings

I would rate this lesson a 9 because I really felt that this was a part of TWC that was applicable and something that I could relate to in real life. Furthermore, because I finished my individual presentation in this session, I feel extremely proud of myself!!