The definition I have come across for the meaning of IT (Information Technology)/ ICT (Information Communication Technology) is: "an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning" Tech Target (2011).
From this definition, I interpret IT as a modern way of communicating and spreading information/ messages across quickly, to a large number of people.
It is everywhere and we are being constantly introduced to more as time goes by and technology advances. Technology is progressing faster than ever before where a computer bought a few years ago can now seem 'ancient'.
If we look at an example of a typical day of the average student, he/she gets bombarded with all sorts and forms of IT in only a few hours. At school: using phones to text and communicate messages in class, course content is only accessible via computers. To make an appointment with a specialist of any sort (eg. health care professional), computers are commonly used as diaries. To buy a product, eftpos machines must be used to swipe cards. Alternatively if cash is used, it would be put through an electronic till and so on...
IT is all around us and we have become very dependent on it. Without IT, society would stop functioning and financially our economy would be doomed.
This youtube video shows us how we are becoming more separated from ourselves, others and the world by the use of technology.
The IT devices or system that I feel comfortable and competent using are:
-Mp3 players (older versions)
-Cell phones (older versions)
-Lap tops and most computer programmes
I state ‘older versions’ in brackets as the newer versions seem overwhelming. They are unfamiliar and I feel like I have to spend a lot of time getting my head around learning the basic programme they run on. In the end, this can be too time consuming and I don’t have the patience to sit there and waste a lot of time achieving...not much.
IT is beginning to be used a lot in occupational therapy practice. Just some examples are:
-Nintendo Wii : used as a way for clients to exercise and have fun in the comfort of their own home, learn how to drive, working on clients co-ordination skills.
-Mobile phones: OTs can text clients to remind them off their next appointments
- Digital audio players, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s), hand-held game consoles: can function as alarms, personal organisers, as a form of enjoyable occupation, memory aids
-Internet: way of connecting with others, keeping up with news and global issues Verdonck & Ryan (2008).
Issues that can exist around OTs adoption of IT systems could be to do with the purpose intended for the particular IT. Are they really going to benefit the client?
I can imagine future Occupational Therapists using a lot of IT in their practice as technology advances more and more. People that are blind, death, have limitations in movement and so on will be given various IT that can help them do the same as everyone else, use computers to create, communicate and learn. With time and the further development of these already accessible programmes, IT for the disabled will become easily available and much more cheaper.
This you-tube video got me thinking... you could teach a person that struggles to recognize human emotions that people display in their body language and facial expressions with this ICT. (For example someone with Asbergers Syndrome)
I believe that a great understanding of IT is useful in become a good practitioner, however I also believe that as organic beings, we are losing our connection with nature and that this loss can have devastating effects on our mental states. Therefore in some ways, adding more technology into our lives could be doing the opposite affect of what we could be initially intending.
Some ethical implications from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices (e.g. mobile phones) or systems (e.g. internet) are:
-Accessing personal and private information
-Displaying images, videos of others that may not agree to having them shown publically.
-Not knowing exactly who the other on-liners are
-False information, identities
A definition of intellectual property is: “Documented or undocumented knowledge, creative ideas, or expressions of human mind that have commercial (monetary) value and are protectable under copyright, patent, servicemark, trademark, or trade secret laws from imitation, infringement, and dilution” (WebFinance Inc, 2011).
I think Intellectual property is ideas and theories that other people have come up with where I believe it can be very easy to copy over the internet.
For me, social justice means that people should get a particular response that is ‘just’ to the actions they take. With ICT, if someone exploits or uses the internet unethically, there should be consequences for those actions. However when exploring this definition on the internet, I discovered that social justice within information technology can mean “inequalities in access to information and communication technologies” (IGI Global, 2011).
In Occupational Therapy, people with disabilities can struggle to access the same ICT resources as someone who is living without a disability.
I believe informed consent is very important before information is displayed publically or shown to another person. An individual has to agree before her/his images, quotes, videos, songs and so on can be accessible to others. This provides safety and a form of respect for both parties. An OT should always ask for permission (even written consent) as this makes her/him a professional practitioner that is empathetic and respectful towards their client where maintaining privacy of that patient is very important.This video shows what some patients think about informed consent.
IGI Global. (2011). Information Technology and Social Justice. Retrieved from http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/titledetails.aspx?TitleId=582
Tech Target. (2011). ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies). Retrieved from http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci928405,00.html
Verdonck, M. C., & Ryan, S. (2008).Mainstream technology as an occupational therapy tool: technophobe or technogeek? British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(6)
WebFinance Inc. (2011).Intellectual property. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/intellectual-property.html
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