[TriLUG] [OT] What's the value of IT?

[Cristóbal Palmer]

On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:17 AM, Phillip Rhodes
<mindcrime at cpphacker.co.uk> wrote:
> and I'm using the term in a *very*
> general sense here, basically anything that uses a computer

Be careful with your definitions. I think you should revisit this and
ask what you're really looking at. There's a famous case study about
Xerox technicians for example that involves their radios.

Also, in educational contexts, you'd be talking about "Instructional
Technology" or "Learning Technologies," which includes overhead
projectors, DVD players, and in some texts covering these issues even
includes pedagogical manuals and teacher training materials. Why is
the practice of staggering lunch hours for different grades (for more
efficient use of the cafeteria) any less of a "technology" than the
web-based timesheet system for staff? Answer: the former has been
around longer and is no longer considered "technology" by those who
use it.

So what you're _really_ asking is why people value _new_ or _emerging_
technologies. Let me know when you come up with a good definition. :)

If you're interested in research that deals with emerging technologies
in the context of education, have a look here for a start:

http://www.nmc.org/horizon

Cheers,
-- 
Cristóbal M. Palmer
"The fun thing is to try to persuade others to share your opinions
about what rules and what sucks. Nothing is more fun than evangelism."
  --Larry Wall