Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 8
Computer Mediated Communication
and Telecollaboration for Language
Learning: Issues of Technology
Paul Spijkerbosch
8.1 Preamble
Education is a critical element of most contemporary societies. The level, quality
and type of education that individuals receive can have a major influence on both
the types of job positions they may acquire and the earnings that they may generate.
Furthermore, lifelong learning is important in acquiring new knowledge and
upgrading one's skills, particularly in this age of rapid technological and economic
changes. The educational services industry includes a variety of institutions that
offer academic education, vocational or career and technical instruction, and other
education and training to millions of students each year (Wilhelm
2011
). And
technological proficiency, most would argue, is critical.
Yet technology is not just about innovations; it is about service, access, literacy,
and relevance. If these are missing or deficient in any way, adoption is likely to be
constrained. This construct is certainly relevant in the education industry. And it
stretches across borders. No longer, for example, are gadgets being priced cheaply
only for learners in developing countries. The Raspberry PI, priced below 50
American dollars and developed by a charity for users in the United Kingdom, is
hardware designed to provide Internet connectivity and app developmental capa-
bility at low cost for children at a fraction of the cost of smartphones currently out
on the market. This nexus of access, literacy, and relevance has ensured the
Raspberry PI being sold out, with further production runs being planned at an
even lower user cost (Davison
2012
).
When people think of technology, invariably they think of computers, machines
and other similar artifacts that either simplify or enable their day-to-day life. In an
intriguing reconceptualization of technology, Zhouying Jin (
2011
) asserts that
people need to have a much wider appreciation of what technology means to