Lesson 12 (8 Nov 2011)

Reflections on the Entire Course

Today marks the last lesson of Technology and World Change. Throughout this course, I can say for sure that my understanding of technology and how it changes the world has increased significantly. Given how we are swiftly progressing towards an era where technology will be heavily emphasized, the learning gains from this course would certainly be useful in the near future.


Prior to this course, I have been rather skeptical about our increasing reliance on technology due to the detriments that follows. However, upon further understanding about technology, I feel that the benefits of technology more often than not outweigh the detriments. For instance, some may claim that the use of Facebook in the workplace has led to a loss of productivity, and indeed, statistics have proven so. Close to US$1.14 Billion had been lost. However, allowing the usage of Facebook in the workplace had also been proven to improve the mental well-being of the employees and in doing so, improve their productivity. At the same time, firms who are less strict about the use of social media in the workplace will also be more appealing to job applicants who view this generosity as a form of staff welfare. Ultimately, the benefits that firms stand to gain will be greater than the loss of productivity they may experience.


This course has also given me greater insights about what the term technology encompasses. What I found most interesting was the idea of technology forecasting. It had never occurred to me that technology should be forecasted. Rather, I have all along thought that new innovations should merely arise to meet the needs of the present. Thankfully I am not the owner of any firms else the firm is doomed to failure.


To sum up, this course has been a very enriching experience and in my opinion, has achieved the desired outcome of educating students more about Technology and World Change.