IT and Society

This unit introduces students to the role of technology, particularly information technology, for the individual, organisations, society and the wider environment. The unit provides literacy of key terms, ideas and issues related to technology and technological advancement. Issues to be explored in relation to technology include: environment and sustainability; privacy and information access; ethics and politics; digital divide; globalisation; the information society; and the knowledge economy. Students consider the relevance and ramifications of current applications and research in a range of diverse fields including: artificial intelligence; games technology; human-to-computer speech and interaction; social software; and mobile computing. Students gain basic computer literacy and competence through practical activities and exploration of applications relevant to each topic.