Technology in the Workplace
Technology is used everyday in the workplace and now bosses, employees and clients do not have to be physically in an office to work together. Whether it be at home, a distant office, across the world or a car, bosses, employees and clients can contact each other by mobile phone, email and skype, just to name a few.
The importance of technology in the workplace includes:
improvements in communication, as employees aren't limited to phone use only
efficiency, saves time as it speeds up the work process
mobility
allows business' to expand quicker
The impact of technology in the workplace includes:
new technology has been introduced into workplaces at a very high rate, which can mean that companies and employees are struggling to keep up with the new technology or they may have trouble learning as quick as the technology is coming out.
new technology has expanded companies providing new opportunities for non-traditional work arrangements. For example working teams can be made up of the best people even though they aren't all in the same state.
Software Development and Programming
Software development and programming is made up of the following:
GUI layout
Data types
Data operators
Algorithms
Control structures
Desk checking
Sub-programs
Programming language
Data structures
Testing
Error detection
Error correction
Programming code
An example of software development is SCRATCH. This can be used in the classroom to help show students what software development and programming is, by giving them a practical task to complete.
Software
Instructions and data which can be stored electronically, classes as Software.
There are 3 types of software:
Application software- including word processors, graphic editors,
communication software and business software
Operating software- controls the hardware and acts as an interface
between the application programs and the hardware.
Utility programs- these have a specific task to perform, however they usually run in the background of your computer, e.g. virus protection software
There are 3 types of interfaces:
Command Line Interface (CLI)
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Natural Language Interface (NLI)
Examples of Software include:
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Office- Word, Excel, Powerpoint
iTunes
Adobe
SOFTWARE
Robotics and Automated Systems
NASA states that robotics is the study of robots and that robots are used to do jobs. Some may work on their own, but others may require a human programming information into it to tell it what to do. Some important points regarding robotics include:
Robotics is a prime example of Artificial Intelligence
Robots replace jobs that are to dangerous for humans
2 types of robots; Stationary (found in assembly lines in factories) and Mobile (domestic robots, e.g. toys)
Robots are run on hydraulic systems, involving sensory devices, actuators and controlling devices
Example of a Space Robot
The following videos shows an example of robots in action: NOTE: Warning the second video may contain gruesome footage. However it demonstrates the use of robots in everday society.
According to Husted (2012), "A network operating system (NOS) which is a software program in itself, controls software and hardware that run on its network. It allows multiple computers to communicate with one main computer and each other, so they can share resources, run applications, and send messages. A computer network consists of a wireless network, which include:
local area network (LAN)
wide area network (WAN)
The following video provides an example of a networking system in use:
Past Technologies:
Past Technologies come between the years of 1642 and 1966. Some include:
1642: Blaise Pascal invented a machine with gears and wheels that could add and subtract
1805: Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented an automated loom, known as the jacquard loom
1820s: Charles Babbage designed a
machine called the 'Difference Engine' to calculate mathematical tables to twenty decimal places. Then in 1834 he designed the first digital
computer called the 'Analytical Engine' (shown below)
1939: Howard Aiken, whilst working at IBM, constructed a fully working calculator, however it was 17x2.5m
1943: Alan Turing and his team of mathematicians invented the first electronic digital computer, Colossus
1951: the first electronic computer became available to sell
1966: computers made after this time were made much smaller, were cheaper and worked at higher speeds.
Current Technologies:
Current technology is apart of the digital revolution, as all information is represented in the form of digits and numbers. Current technologies include:
Mobile phones
Internet
Digital Radio
Digital Television
Networks (LAN and WAN)
Examples of the impact of Current Technologies include:
Banking: now we have plastic debit and credit cards which enable us to use Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) and Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale (EFTPOS). Further than this internet banking allows us to make transactions using BPAY.
Offices: use a large range of software including word, spreadsheets and databases.
Design: computer aided design (CAD) software is used to produce drawings of products, so that a new product can be visualised.
Emerging Technologies:
Emerging Technologies are those that are just starting to appear, with new ideas coming into the market.
Examples of Emerging Technologies include:
Embedded Intelligence- this is the process of putting a computer inside a device so that it can perform specific tasks
Nanotechnology- the process of making a product smaller
Information on the technologies provides an insight into the history of technology and can demonstrate to students how far technology has evolved.
Artifical Intelligence, Simulation and Modelling
Artificial Intelligence:
(AI) is giving computers the ability to think like a human being. The term intelligence is given because the operation completed by the computer would be classed as intelligent by human standards.
The following example demonstrates what Artificial Intelligence is:
Artificial Simulation:
Artificial Simulation is using the models from Artificial Modelling to physically demonstrate concepts. It's used to analysis real life concepts so that solutions can be determined easily. Simulations use physical, mathematical and computer models.
The following example demonstrates what Artificial Simulation is:
Artificial Modelling:
Artificial Modelling is the representation of real world aspects in the form of a model. It's used when concepts are to hard to reproduce or they are to expensive.
The link is a demonstration of Artificial Modelling-
Teacher's can use the resources in the Artificial Intelligence, Simulation and Modelling to help show students the concepts in a practical manner.
A simplified definition of digital media is the content, whether it is
text, graphics, audio and video, that can be transmitted over the Internet (Digital Media, n.d.). It is any type of
media represented in an electronic format for the convenience of entertainment
purposes. Different types of media include:
-Digital media= is accessed using computers,
mobile devices and television mostly for entertainment and educational purposes
-Audio media= and music media is accessed via mp3
or radio devices. Audio files are easy to share amongst each other and are cost
effective as it can be downloaded off the Internet
-Visual media= and video media is used mainly to
share ideas, information and entertainment with everyone
-Gaming media= most often found in a physical
format which must be purchased at video game retailers, or the more convenient
downloadable forms that are found on the Internet
Some
examples of the ways teachers and students can use and subsequently use digital
media:
Hardware refers to any external parts, which are connected, to the
computer that you can physically touch. Some examples of hardware include:
-Keyboards
-Mouse
-Hard drive
-USB
Teachers can use hardware to make classroom activities relating to
computers easier and more practical to complete.
Authoring
“Authoring
is the process of compiling the individual video, audio, image
and graphic assets of your content into a format that will play on multiple
types of players and devices” (What is
Authoring? 2010). It also involves the creation of an interactive user
interface that allows users to access various elements of the content.
Multimedia
Multimedia is when computers use text, audio, video, animation, images
and interactive features in various ways to create an interesting way of
presenting content (Loretto, P., n.d.). By combining different types of media’s,
multimedia becomes more interesting as different parts of the multimedia would
appeal to different kinds of people. For example: combining a website with
video, audio, or text images, makes the multimedia more fun because it has lots
of different aspects to look at, but also it appeals to everyone’s different
multiple intelligences, providing an opportunity for different learning types.
References:
·What is
computer hardware? (2007) Retrieved March 23, 2012, from
