Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tutorial One: Information Technology and Ethical Issues
Information technology: The use of computers, telecommunications, etc in electronic processing, storing, retrieving, and sending information.
Allen, R. (consultant editor). (2004). The penguin english dictionary. London: Penguin Books.
Consider the definition of IT you have provided. How is this form of technology prevalent in our society? How common place has it become?
This form of technology is prevalent in our society in the form of home computers, work computers, telephones, cell phones, laptops, PDA's, facsimile's, iPods, MP3 players, pagers, photocopiers, printers, digital camera's, and so on. It is very common place in NZ society; I think it is more common for someone to use a cell phone and computer then not.
What IT devices or system do you feel comfortable and competent using?
Cell phone, computer, fax, printer, photocopier, telephone, and MP3 player.
Thinking about your own fieldwork experiences consider how IT is being used in Occupational Therapy practice?
At my placement the OT's in my department used DHB telephones, computers, pagers, cellphones when out of the hospital on home visits, printer, photocopier, fax. Also digital camera if on home visit and needed to take pictures of areas of the house or furniture/equipment that needed adaptation/modifications.
What ethical implications arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices (e.g. mobile phones) or systems (e.g. internet)
People may have their privacy taken away from them without them even knowing. Also, when using emailing and text messaging, it is quite easy to accidently send the information to the wrong recipient/s. This can obviously cause the sharing of private information about yourself or someone else (perhaps a client) with someone totally inappropriate.
Another ethical concern is the posting of personal information or photographs on the internet. This is extremely easy to do and can have devastating effects on people because so many people use the interenet - your private life could become common knowledge (eg Pammy and Tommy's video).
Provide a definition of Computer Ethics (APA reference required)
Computer ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct.
With the growth of the Internet, privacy issues as well as concerns regarding computing technologies such as spyware and web browser cookies have called into question ethical behavior in technology.
Retrieved June 11, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics
Provide a definition of Intellectual Property (APA reference required)
Intellectual property (IP) is a legal field that refers to creations of the mind such as musical, literary, and artistic works; inventions; and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, and related rights. Under intellectual property law, the holder of one of these abstract "properties" has certain exclusive rights to the creative work, commercial symbol, or invention by which it is covered.
Retrieved June 11, 2008, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property
Provide a definition of Social Justice (APA reference required)
Social justice refers to the concept of a society in which justice is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. It is generally thought of as a world which affords individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of society. (Different proponents of social justice have developed different interpretations of what constitutes fair treatment and an impartial share.) It can also refer to the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society.
Retrieved 11 June, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justiceProvide a definition of Informed Consent (APA reference required)
Informed consent is a legal condition whereby a person can be said to have given consent based upon an appreciation and understanding of the facts and implications of an action. The individual needs to be in possession of relevant facts and also of his or her reasoning faculties, such as not being mentally retarded or mentally ill and without an impairment of judgment at the time of consenting. Such impairments might include illness, intoxication, insufficient sleep, and other health problems.
Retrieved June 11, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_consent
In your own words briefly summarise why (or why not) a great understanding of ITC and the ethical issues it encompasses will help us in our practice and daily lives.
I think a great understanding of Information Communications Technology in our practice as OT's and daily lives because it will allow us competent and confidential use of many technologies that will assist our work and make our personal life more convenient: computers for research, emailing, word processing with built-in spell check, spread sheets that solve equations for you; telephones and cell phones for keeping in touch with clients, colleagues, friends and family; digital camera's for capturing images of items/areas needing adaptation, of clients (for example) as a record of progress, of yourself or other people as a personal record/memorabilia.
An good understanding of the ethical issues will help us because we will be keeping client information confidential (this is a legal requirement as well as professional practice). Also we will avoid sharing personal information of ourself or others with the wrong people (privacy is a legal issue as well as one of personal principle or standards).
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tutorial Two: Digital Camera use and applications
Digital and analog cameras both have their pro's and cons.
Here are some of my personal opinions on digital vs analog cameras:
DIGITAL:
Pros:
1. You can see the picture as soon as you have taken it, and then choose to delete or keep it.
2. You can take hundreds of photos on 1 memory stick.
3. You can make the image more or less sharp which can reduce or increase the byte size of the picture which is helpful when you are downloading photos onto tradme and they have to be under 500kb.
4. You can edit the images at a photo centre place (eg at The Warehouse) and do neat things to the images before printing, eg put on captions, crop, rotate, take out red eye semi-effectively, put on borders etc. This is inexpensive.
5. If you purchase the software then you can edit and manipulate your images on your home PC.
6. If you purchase the hardware and ink you can print your pictures at home.
Cons:
1. The instructions for use / user manual are really hard to follow if you're not tech savy.
2. The are heaps and heaps of 'accessories' for the camera which are a pain to carry around and easily lost eg chargers, memory cards, flash sticks, data cable, TV cable, and remote to name a few.
3. Unless you buy a very expensive one that's like 8 megapixels with 12x digital zoom and 12x optical zoom (or something like that), the picture quality is pretty crap, ie dull and flat.
3a: Even the really fancy expensive digital cameras do not produce photos with as much depth and clarity as the analog.
4. You must had a decent optical zoom if you want to zoom in on pictures and still maintain some quality. Again, expensive.
5. Image editing software and colour printers and colour inks can be very expensive if you want decent quality photographs printed at home.
ANALOG:
Pros:
1. You only need to carry the camera itself and some film with you when you want to take pics. Not a lot of extra's to lug around.
2. The camera's are relatively easy and straight forward to use. Point and click.
3. The published picture quality is great.
4. When you are at a group event you don't take a picture and then the subjects all come up and say "show me show me! ew yuck delete!!" which can be very annoying.
5. You can get relatively inexpensive cameras that take great pictures.
Cons:
1. There is not that much of a range to choose from in shops anymore.
2. You cannot easily edit or manipulate the images.
3. You have to use roles of film that only take 24 or 36 exposures.
Overall I prefer the analog cameras for ease of use, picture quality, and price; but prefer digital cameras for editing images.
List some of the ways that digital images can be stored transferred and manipulated using other communications technology.
Images can be stored and or transferred using memory cards, flash sticks, discs, computers, cameras, phones.
Images can be manipulated using computer software like PhotoShop, and using equipment like photostations.
Given the prevalence of image capturing devices, and thinking about the issues discussed in tutorial one, consider what sort of ethical issues may arise with their use.
It has always been easy to take pictures or video without the subjects realising, but before the information age it was not usual to be carrying a camera with you all the time. Now that it is 'normal' for people to be carrying image capturing devices like cell phones in their daily lives, it has made this problem much more common. This is an ethical problem, and an example of this is that images may be used without the subjects consent, and this could cause great distress to the person and/or their family. Images on cell phones are easily pxt'd to other phones, and from these phones to other phones, and so on, which reduces the likelihood of containment of these images and means they could end up anywhere in the world.
Briefly discuss some of the ways that digital images could, or are, being used in occupational therapy practice.
Pictures of clients homes or property to use if adaptive devices or equipment is required (or may be required at a later date), video or pictures of different types of therapy/treatment, different illnesses/disabilities/diseases etc, client progress or deterioration, case studies, equipment etc etc.
Digital images in OT are mainly used to gather and share information.
Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Flickr.com
Online photo management and sharing site.
You can:
Upload from your desktop, send by email, or use your cameraphone.
Use collections, sets, and tags to organize your photos and videos.
Use groups and privacy controls to share your photos and videos.
Share where your photos and videos were taken, and see photos and videos taken near you.
Make stuff, like sexy cards, photo books, framed prints, Target pick up, DVDs, etc.
Keep in touch and get updates from family and friends.
Name one other photo storage website which offers a service similar to Flickr.com
www.webshots.com
Explain what the difference is between a digital and an optical zoom
Optical zoom allows you to magnify the image by changing the focal length. This is like looking through binoculars and you can see the image in much greater detail.
Digital zoom just enlarges a small portion of the image, but it is still exactly the same image. By doing this, you lose image quality because it becomes pixelated.
Explain what is meant by the term mega pixel
A pixel is a tiny square of colour. This is what digital photos are made up of.
A mega pixel is a million pixels.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
blaaaaaaaaablabla
As many people have astutely pointed out, OT's do some SEEMINGLY irrelevant stuff like the infamous basket weaving. The assessment for one of our papers this year is to create our own blog. What the hell are we doing this for? I don't know! Maybe in between shower assessments I will log on and tell you the latest goss, like what I had for lunch maybe??....