Tech

Proceedings of the NACCQ 2000 Wellington NZ www.naccq.ac.nz

Exploring the Impact of Information Technology on Society
Donald Joyce
UNITEC Institute of Technology Auckland djoyce@unitec.ac.nz

1.

INTRODUCTION

ABSTRACT
When the postgraduate computing programme at UNITEC Institute of Technology was developed it was considered essential that all students, whether undertaking a master’s degree or postgraduate diploma, should examine in depth the impact of information technology on society. Since students with a strong technical background may not have much, if any, experience of exploring social issues, the teaching staff have had to identify an approach that would appeal to the students and ensure their involvement. This paper outlines the structure of the programme, profiles the members of the class, explains the approach taken by the lecturers, and reviews the learning experiences of staff and students. Keywords Postgraduate programme, social issues, learning experiences

The postgraduate computing programme at UNITEC Institute of Technology was approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority in December 1999 and classes began in February 2000. Students may complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Computing, consisting of two compulsory courses and six optional courses, in one year of full time study (or the equivalent part time). The Master of Computing requires four compulsory courses, and either three optional courses and a thesis or seven optional courses and a dissertation; it may be completed in two years of full time study (or the equivalent part time). At present the optional courses focus on enterprise networks, instructional technology, interactive multimedia, and the Internet (Joyce,1999). The development process for the programme took more than a year and involved extended consultations with academics (at UNITEC and at other tertiary institutions in New Zealand, Australia, the USA and the UK) and industry representatives (Joyce and Young,... [continues]

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