Information Technology Reference
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thesis or new application of existing knowledge, much of which is produced in PhD
programs or by university faculty.
The model shows the traditional divisions of academic disciplines in universit-
ies: fine arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and life sciences.
The diffusion circle represents the teaching/learning process that is the central re-
sponsibility of the university, the diffusion of knowledge. The outer rings represent
public policy and the professions, showing that knowledge is utilized through pub-
lic policy and its application by the professions.
Public policy is an amalgamation of the laws, regulations, and rules that society
requires for stability and structure. Public policy is the result of actions by a cor-
porate body or public agency to enable the use of information. Public policy can
support or inhibit information transfer. For example, a governmental body can pass
regulations that restrict use of stem cells in medical research or stipulate guidelines
for research grants that encourage investigation in certain science areas.
The professions/utilization circle in the model shows that professions promote
a screening process that promotes the utilization of knowledge by society. Profes-
sions include those schools that teach new theories and methods and support re-
searchers who create new theories and models for practicing the profession, and
disseminate new knowledge through journals and professional organizations.
In the digital age, educational programs in private enterprise and online uni-
versities have changed the structure of higher education and public education.
Although technologies have changed, this model reflects the general pattern of
knowledge creation and diffusion in society.
The Changing Information Infrastructure
In Chapter 2 of this topic, we discuss the complexities of our changing world
and the reality that technology has dramatically altered how we communicate,
learn, use, store, and create new information and knowledge. In our fast-paced
world, we have come to rely on only one constant, and that is change. We function
differently today than we ever have before. In Chapter 3 we examine the historical
roots of technologies that have led to societal changes. From Gutenberg's inven-
tion of the printing press to a technologically driven environment where information
is networked, there is a growing potential for every person to communicate.
Technological advances have fueled ongoing change. We have seen the fun-
damental perceptions of our Western world reconceptualized as the dominant val-
ues are questioned and challenged by emergent paradigms. A new reality has
emerged: a holographic, virtual world, where networked systems provide intercon-
nected information. Society increasingly relies on short-term resolution of problems
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