Computer SystemsPart 3: Issues In Technology

Inherent in all technology is both cost and benefit…

Consider the automobile, which at first promised freedom and

joy:

But now gives us traffic jams and smog.

If you own a car, does it represent a cost or a benefit?

What if every person on Earth owns a car?

When assessing technology, we should consider cost and benefit

to:

OurselvesSociety

The Environment

Your task is to prepare a rapid presentation on an issue

related to technology. Your presentation should:

Make use of ICT to……communicate your issue…… in less than 60 seconds.

Some issues to chose from:

Technology and ChangeWhat are the effects of this change? Look at historical (loss of traditional crafts due to mass production) and contemporary

(disruption of music and movie industries by P2P file sharing) examples. Why do

some people see change as a bad thing?

ICT and EducationHow has technology changed education for ICHK students? How about students receiving the OLPC? Is it just hype or is

there a real positive effect?

ICT and the EnvironmentWhat happens to our eWaste? Who does

this impact? Should consumers be responsible, or should the

manufacturers?.

ICT and EconomicsWhy is the Open Source model of

software development becoming so successful, when it flies in the face of

the traditional market-based model for software? Where else can this more

enlightened model succeed? Are there any downsides?

Online CommunitiesSystems such as Facebook and World of

Warcraft allow us to be part of communities. What characteristics do

these online communities have? In what ways are they different to a school

community?

Misuse of ICTInformation technology can be

extremely useful, but it can also be destructive and harmful. In what ways can ICT misuse occur? How can such

misuse be prevented?

Now, choose an issue and prepare your presentation.

But remember…

Not all technology Is ICT!

Technology

ICT

Some issues relate to technology in general, others specifically to ICT.

LicensingAll original work used here is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-

Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Hong Kong License. For more details please look http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/hk/.

This license has been chosen to permit a high degree of sharing, whilst protecting the author’s control as to how the content is used.

Please respect this license and use accordingly!

Recycled and borrowed works from other sources are used under appropriate licenses, which are not affected by this license.

The original source is always given. All original work created by Ross Parker (International College Hong Kong), except where specified.

CreditsCircuit Board PhotoBy R. Butler on Flickr

Available under Creative Commons, BY-SA

Old Car PhotoFrom Wikimedia Commons

Available under Creative Commons, BY-SA

Traffic Jam PhotoBy lasgalletas on Flickr

Available under Creative Commons, BY-NC