My first post covers Information Technology and Information Communications Technology. I will discuss the definition of both of these terms and define them in my own words. Technology is prevalent in today’s society and technology for most people has become commonplace. We all use technology everyday and in different ways. It has huge effects on our daily living. For me I use technology everyday and am comfortable using it. Without it my life would be much more difficult. I will discuss technology that I find easy to use and am comfortable and confident in using. Technology has become an important component for Occupational Therapists and as it grows the more people will become aware of it and the more OT’s will use it. Technology has so many advantages and positive impacts on people lives however there is also ethical implications that arise, which can create problems. Using Technology is a growing trend and for people like me it is an everyday necessity.
Definitions:
“Information Technology (IT) is concerned with technology to treat information. The acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications are its main fields” (Wikipedia, 2012)
“ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) 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.” (Techtarget, 2012)
IT and ICT are broad terms that include a wide range of components, software and devices. They are used in everyday life for storing, processing and sharing information.
IT and the use of capturing, processing, storing and transmitting information both textual and pictorial is common in our society. It is growing all the time and becoming more common in
everyday life. As technology is updated people become more aware of its benefits and its uses become more common. The following YouTube clip shows how much Information technology has changed over time and discusses the Information eras affects on society and communication. I found this clip to be very interesting and truthful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W26GFQo1ne0
In high school I studied information technology, web design and computing. From this I have found myself to be very confident in using computers, computer programmes and the internet. I find that I use computers everyday for study, leisure and social interaction. I depend on it for finding information, typing up polytechnic work, doing assignments and catching up with friends and family. This use of IT helps me to engage in purposeful occupations such as social relationships, polytechnic study and leisure. As technology grows and becomes more up to date I find that my knowledge expands and I use technology for more reasons. Without the use of my computer daily life would be much more difficult for engaging in meaningful occupations.
Within my fieldwork placements in Acute Surgical and Idea Services IT didn’t play a huge role. I didn’t have much of an opportunity to discover that technologies were used in these placements to benefit the Therapists and clients. I have however heard of other places the use IT within there practise and look forward to learning more in this course about the ways in which IT can be used in Occupational Therapy.
So far in this course from class readings and a session with Dave Speden from Kimi Ora School in Wellington I have realised that technology offers endless opportunity for people and is increasing every day. Verdonck and Ryan 2008 state that “Technology offers therapists new types of handiwork and enabling devices, which are being drawn from a virtual environment.” (Verdonck & Ryan 2008 ) Dave spoke to us about different technologies that enable his students to engage in meaningful occupations. I found his talk to be very inspirational and I learnt a lot about different technologies used by the therapists at his school. One issue that he spoke about was that it is easy to get caught up in all the new and improved technology being developed. The technology out there is growing and has so many uses however it is important that you think about an individual and then adapt the technology systems to fit their specific needs.
This made me envisage how IT use will become a potential tool of practise. “Technology can be used within Occupational Therapy in two ways. The first application is to improve a person’s functional independence, and the second is a therapeutic tool to improve occupational performance and its related components.” (Petty, 2003 as cited in Verdonck & Ryan, 2008) As technology grows and new ideas are developed it will be used to help those who need assistance in participating in meaningful occupations. IT will help people to participate in their daily lives and fulfil their goals of enabling occupation. I am really looking forward to seeing what IT tools are available and how they can improve daily living when I am practicing as an OT.
Information and Images can be captured, shared and transferred via devices and systems such as internet, mobile phones and more commonly now Iphones and Ipads. When considering using these devices or systems there are many ethical implications that arise. This includes informed consent and Intellectual Property such as Copyright. These are just a few of the ethical implications involved when transferring and sharing information from these devices. I will briefly discuss these ethical implications.
Informed consent is when someone has agreed to and allowed personal content or images to be captured shared and transferred. It is always important to gain consent from someone before using their personal information and sharing it via IT devices or systems, this way they are aware of what is being used and who is able to view it.
Intellectual property (Copyright) The internet gives us a wide range of information and images that have been shared by others. The internet makes it available for others to duplicate this copyrighted content. We may be able to access this information but it is wrong to do so without the authors consent and without referencing the source. You are unable to take information that is not yours and pretend it is your own.
Ethical issues will always arise when using IT devices and systems. It is important that everyone is aware of the ethical issues before capturing, sharing and transferring information via these devices.
References:
Techtarget. (2012). ICT (Information and Communications Technology-or Technologies) .Retrieved from http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/definition/ICT
Wikipedia. (2012). Information Technology. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology
Verdonck, M.C., & Ryan, S. (2008). Mainstream Technology as an Occupational Therapy Tool: Technophobe or Technogeek?. Britsh Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(6), 253-256.
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