Unfortunately I have not yet figured out a way to delete my second blog. I am now just going to carry on as if it does not exist and has never done so.
Our task for class this week has been formally described as “annotation of student experience of using digital technology as well as ethical issues related to technological use as a medium for information distribution”, but that’s a bit of a mouthful. I thought it best to stick with simple language in order to convey my ideas more clearly.
Anyway on with it; there are a lot of issues with technology today. In our developing world, technology has become commonplace. Ordinary. How many people do you know that have never used a cell phone? A digital camera? Or the internet? And when was the last time you played solitaire with a real pack of cards? Have you even ever done that in your life?
Well for me the answers to those 5 questions are; no-one under the age of 5; ditto; ditto; no; last week and; yes – but then all things considered I’m a bit of an exception, I’m not particularly technology savvy. I don’t have Facebook (yes I did hear that ‘WHAT?’) in fact I don’t have anything other than email. My cellphone is a Nokia 2112 (the good old black and grey screen) used more for its total indestructibility than any other special feature and sometimes I say things like ‘wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot barge pole’ which totally mystifies some of my friends.
So what is information technology? Well, I wasn’t too sure either, so I pulled out my trusty penguin dictionary (a real book, not an e-book) to find out. It defined Information Technology as “the use of computers, telecommunications etc in electronically storing retrieving and sending information” (‘Information Technology’, p.720).
If you have an extra few minutes, this youtube clip is semi-related to information technology. It’s a few years old but I thought it was very interesting (you have to listen to the music as well). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl6k8bBCaoI&feature=related
The next bit: How is information technology used in an occupational therapy context?
When I was on placement last year I noticed that the health professionals used technology much like the ‘run o’ the mill’ Joe does. It enables them to keep in contact with clients and other team members, share and store medical records and information. They researched treatments or conditions on Google (just like everybody else does). Technology was also used to do some slightly more High-Tech stuff: teleconferencing and sometimes supervision. For some clients in the service, the internet was one way they could pass time, as well as finding resources and support chat rooms. The internet helped them in a big way to have a life and live through a different medium where they were not stigmatised or judged.
It can also be used for making cool songs about OT’s. Alice (of Alice’s Adventures in Bloggerland) showed me one such song. If you have a few spare minutes check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncqQBoxPz3Y&feature=related.
Last but not least we get to ethics… what ethical issues surround the use of information technology?
Our hand-out conveniently provided definitions that might be useful. These are all linked with different aspects of information technology ethics.
Intellectual Property: noun, in law , property that is the product of the creative imagination and cannot therefore be touched but may still be owned, such as a copyright(‘Intellectual Property’, p. 729).
Since I don’t know a whole lot about this sort of thing I have linked the good old (not-allowed-to-be-used-in-research-assessments) Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_ethics. Also Ehow (equally unreliable and unusable in research assessments) http://www.ehow.com/about_4743180_ethics-information-technology.html.
Next we’re onto informed consent:
Informed: possessing or based on possession of information, or knowledgeable about matters of contemporary interest (‘Informed’, p. 720).
Consent: verb intrans, to give assent or approval to something, to agree to it or compliance in or approval of what is done or proposed by another; acquiescence (‘Consent’, p. 291).
But in addition I do know a little bit about this it’s been a bit of an issue with Facebook.
This article details a bit more about it, and though it’s a few years old it is still relevant in terms of companies being caught out over ethical issues like informed consent. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/140372/wakeup_call_in_facebookbeacon_controversy.html.
And lastly Social Justice:
Social: adj, of human society or of or based on status in a particular society (‘Social’, p. 1327).
Justice: noun, the quality or principle of being just, impartial or fair. Conformity to truth, reason or fact. To do justice to: to treat something or somebody fairly and adequately (‘Justice’, p. 760).
Social justice within Information Technology is a huge issue today. Advances in Information Technology have widened the gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ in an unmistakeable way. Due to the world’s dependence on technology anyone without access to the technology is at a significant disadvantage.
This is 10 ways to use technology for Social Justice: which talks about exactly what you’d think: 10 ways to use technology to promote Social Justice: http://www.techoozie.com/10-ways-to-use-technology-for-social-justice/.
And we come to the end of my first tutorial session.
References
Information technology. (2004). In The Penguin English Dictionary(p.720). London: Penguin.
Intellectual Property. (2004). In The Penguin English Dictionary(p.729). London: Penguin.
Informed. (2004). In The Penguin English Dictionary(p.720). London: Penguin.
Consent. (2004). In The Penguin English Dictionary(p.291). London: Penguin.
Social. (2004). In The Penguin English Dictionary(p.1327). London: Penguin.
Justice. (2004). In The Penguin English Dictionary(p.760). London: Penguin.
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