Module 006 – Technology in Various Fields and

the Internet

This module contains the following topics:

1. Technology and Economy
2. Technology in Education, Communication, and Mass Media
3. The Internet Domination
4. Internet Regulation and Legislation

Technology and Economy, Education, Communication and Mass Media

Technology and Economy
Technical progress is defined as new and better ways of doing things and new
techniques for using scarce resources more productively. An improved technology
yields greater output from the same quantity of resources. It involves two activities:
process innovation and product innovation.
There is no sharp distinction between process innovation and product innovation.
Process innovation is more emphasized because there are many literatures related
to the effects of technical change on productivity or new ways of satisfying existing
wants, rather on satisfying new wants.
Producing a new technology involves two processes: invention and innovation.
Invention entails the conception of a basic idea. This is the product of laboratory
scientists. Innovation is the application of that idea to something directly useful to
humankind. This is the work of engines. Innovation also pro vides cheaper and more
efficient ways to make existing goods.
According to Joseph Schumpeter, technical progress is partly technological and
partly economic in nature. Inventions are the emergence of new scientific or
technological ideas that may be part of a random, exogenous process. An innovation
is an economic process that occurs as a response to perceived profit opportunities,
through an act of foresight of the capitalist entrepreneurs, who create or realize
these opportunities though innovations.
Technology is a complex set of knowledge, ideas and methods and is likely to be the
result of a variety of different activities, both intentional and accidental.
Technological progress is a gradual process consisting of a sequence of small
increments lying along a continuous path.
For example, a generator and electric lights were demonstrated in 1876. Until six
years later, Thomas Edison opened the first commercial generator to power electric
lights in the Wall Street district of New York. Only in the 1930s, 60 years later, the
Rural Electrification Act provided the financing to bring electric power to most rural
areas of the United States.
It seems that the new idea spreads slowly initially, then it begins to be applied more
often, gradually attaining widespread acceptance and adoption; and finally it
reaches 100% diffusion as the last potential users are won over.
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 While the growth path of technology is continuous, it does not generally exhibit a
constant slope or growth rate; technology can grow rapidly, stagnate, or even
decline. The path may take sudden sharp turns.
Technology is partially nonrival in nature. If one person uses an idea or method, that
does not prevent another from using it. Thus the marginal cost of using a particular
form of technology is zero, meaning that competitive market forcer will tend to
drive the price of existing technology toward zero.
Creativity and innovation will tend to be very low if nonrival ideas are freely used by
anyone. Therefore, the creators of the new ideas get no reward from their creative
efforts.
New ideas may be excludable. Patent laws seek to give the creator of an idea to use
the product or process exclusively for a specified number of years.
For example, the Coca-Cola Company has kept its formula secret for over 100 years;
its idea is protected by the complexity of a formula that no one has be en able to
reproduce exactly.
Some growth economists describe technology as path-dependent. The ability to
create new technologies depends on the level of technology already accumulated. It
means that previous technologies are often difficult to abandon.
Often, technology is not excludable. If old knowledge is not available, then others
cannot create new knowledge. Thus, patent laws set limits on the length of time tha t
a patent remains in effect.
The formal recognition of intellectual property rights is likely to facilitate the spread
of technology. Patents and copyrights permit the owners of intellectual property to
sell and sent their rights to others.
As long as the price for the use of the idea exceeds the possible loss of monopoly
profit, the owner of the idea should be willing to let others use the idea.
If a certain idea can be productively used elsewhere in the economy, others should
be willing to pay for the right to use the idea.
Technology in Education
Every day, many students are spending countless hours immersed in popular
technologies—such as Facebook or MySpace, World of Warcraft, or Sim City—which
at first glance may seem like a waste of time, and brain cells. But these genres of
technologies—Social Networking, Digital Gaming, and Simulations—deserve a
second, deeper, look at what’s actually going on.
Market research data indicates that many a normal, middle-aged adult uses these
technologies with frequency. The fact is, one can be 17, 35, or 60, and when one
begins to engage with them and observe what’s really going on, one can begin to see
that these technologies are more than just entertainment. These technologies are
already demonstrating how they impact the way we think, learn, and interact—and
they are also demonstrating the tremendous potential they have in these areas as
well. The emergence of social networking technologies and the evolution of digital
games have helped shape the new ways in which people are communicating,
collaborating, operating, and forming social constructs. In fact, re cent research is
showing us that these technologies are shaping the way we think, work, and live.
This is especially true of our youngest generations— those arriving at classrooms
doors, soon to be leaving them and entering the workforce and society-at-large.
 Our newest generation – currently in K-12 – is demonstrating for us the impact of
having developed under the digital wave. These youths have been completely
normalized by digital technologies—it is a fully integrated aspect of their lives
(Green & Hannon, 2007). Many students in this group are using new media and
technologies to create new things in new ways, learn new things in new ways, and
communicate in new ways with new people— behaviors that have become
hardwired in their ways of thinking and operating in the world. Green and Hannon
give an excellent example of this, “Children are establishing a relationship to
knowledge gathering which is alien to their parents and teachers” (2007, p. 38)
Nearly all institutions known such as business, industry, medicine, science and
government, have all harnessed aspects of these technologies for decades. Games
and simulations have been a key component of training doctors and military
personnel, but even businesses like PricewaterhouseCoopers used a game about a
mining company in outer space to teach its employees about derivatives. Although
that may seem a bit “off the wall,” the fact is major corporations, the Department of
Defense, and the medical community would not use these tools if they were not
highly effective.
Although these examples are mainly centered on training purposes, there are
deeper educational benefits to digital simulations and games. Yet educational
institutions have been reluctant to embrace these technologies. Likewise, where
schools have often shied away from giving students an online identity in a digital
networking platforms to increase opportunities for learning, professional
organizations are leveraging networking technologies to increase collaboration,
knowledge-sharing, and production amongst their employees. Traditionally,
education has been impeded by the security and other po tential dangers of
employing social networking technologies. These concerns should not be ignored;
however, neither should these tools due to these concerns. Advances in these
technologies continue to afford us new ways to manage the potential dangers.
Simulations, digital gaming, and social networking technologies have all definitely
suffered the same public relations problems that all new technologies do. However,
there are countless examples of these technologies demonstrating their educational
value to other industries, confirming the powerful learning opportunities and
advantages they afford. It is our position that these technologies are safe, valuable
tools schools must take seriously.
Of course, changing instructional approaches is no easy task, particularly when
technology is involved. Adopting and integrating technology-based instructional
strategies has a long history of challenges, but with it has come a great
understanding of how to achieve success with them. In the contents to follow, we
will discuss:
 the background and affordances of Simulations, Digital Games, and Social
Networking;
 the cognitive implications of these technologies;
 specific challenges with using these tools in the classroom, as well as
strategies for overcoming these challenges in order to achieve successful
learning experiences; and
 the future of these technologies and their impact and learning and teaching.

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 Read more about technology in education through the link to this paper:
http://education.mit.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf

Technology in Communication
Communication has been one of the deepest needs of the human race throughout
recorded history. It is essential to forming social unions, to educating the young, and
to expressing a myriad of emotions and needs. Good communication is central to a
civilized society.
The various communication disciplines in engineering have the purpose of providing
technological aids to human communication. One could view the smoke signals and
drum rolls of primitive societies as being technological aids to communication, but
communication technology as we view it today became important with telegraphy,
then telephony, then video, then computer communication, and today the amazing
mixture of all of these in inexpensive, small portable devices.
Initially these technologies were developed as separate networks and were viewed
as having little in common. As these networks grew, however, the fact that all parts of
a given network had to work together, coupled with the fact that different
components were developed at different times using different design methodologies,
caused an increased focus on the underlying principles and architectural
understanding required for continued system evolution.
This need for basic principles was probably best understood at American Telephone
and Telegraph (AT&T) where Bell Laboratories was created as the research and
development arm of AT&T. The Math center at Bell Labs became the predominan t
center for communication research in the world, and held that position until quite
recently. The central core of the principles of communication technology were
developed at that center.

Internet Regulation and Legislation

Internet Law, or Cyberlaw as it is sometimes called, refers to the legal issues related to
the use of the Internet. It is less a distinct field of law than a conglomeration of intellectual
property law, contract law, privacy laws, and many other fields, and how they pertain to
the use of the Internet.
Unique Nature of Cyberlaw
If there can be laws that could govern the Internet, then such laws will require a
unique structure to grapple with the international and ethereal nature of the web.
Many argue the Internet is not actually “regulable” at all, while others argue that not
only can it be regulated but substantial bodies of law already exist. Since the
Internet is not geographically bound, national laws can not apply globally. A few
international agreements exist, but some have argued that the Internet should be
allowed to self-regulate as its own "nation."
Internet Regulation
Aside from blatant censorship of the Internet in nations like China, Saudi Arabia, or
Iran, there are four primary modes of regulation of the internet: Laws, Architecture,
Norms, and Markets.
 1. Laws are the most obvious form of regulation. As various states, countries,
and international groups attempt to grapple with issues raised by the use of
the Internet, they normally effect their policies through the implementation
of laws. Such regulations govern areas like gambling, child pornography, and
fraud. Of course, the shortcoming of laws are their limited geographical
scope. After all, should internet sites hosted in foreign countries but available
globally have to comply with varying, and sometimes conflicting, laws in
every corner of the globe?
2. Architecture refers to how information literally can and cannot be
transmitted across the Internet. This can refer to everything from internet
filtering software, to firewalls, to encryption programs, and even the very
basic structure of internet transmission protocols, like TCP/IP. In many ways,
this is the most fundamental form of Internet regulation, and all other areas
of Cyberlaw must relate to or rely upon it in some fashion since it is, quite
literally, how the Internet is made.
3. Norms refer to the ways in which people interact with one another. Just as
social norms govern what is and is not appropriate in regular society, norms
also affect behavior across the Internet. In other words, while laws may fail
to regulate certain activities allowed by the architecture of the internet,
social norms may allow the users to control such conduct. For example, many
online forums allow users to moderate comments made by other users.
Comments found to be offensive or off topic can be flagged and removed.
This is a form of norm regulation.
4. Similar to norm regulation is market regulation. Market regulation
controls patterns of conduct on the internet through the traditional eco nomic
principles of supply and demand. If something is unpopular, it will lack a
demand and eventually fail. On the other hand, if there is too much supply,
then competitors will eventually have to find ways to differentiate
themselves or become obscured by the competition. This helps to prevent
predatory conduct, drive innovation, and forces websites to self-regulate in
order to retain customers and remain viable.
Net Neutrality
Another major area of interest in Internet Law is net neutrality. Net neutrality refers
to regulations of the infrastructure of the Internet, itself. Every piece of information
transmitted across the internet is broken into what are called “packets” of data, then
passed through routers and transmission infrastructure owned by a variety of
private and public entities, like telecommunications companies, universities, and
government agencies. This has become a major area of concern in recent years,
because changes to laws affecting this infrastructure in one jurisdiction could have a
ripple effect, changing how information is sent and received in other jurisdictions
whether those areas would otherwise be subject to the jurisdiction of the country
implementing the new law or not.
Free Speech on the Internet
The Internet has allowed those living in many repressive countries, where free
speech is not a right, to rely upon the cloak of anonymity granted by the Internet to
have their voices heard. The rise of the Internet has been credited, in part, as the

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 cause of many of the political movements around the world seeking greater access
and equality, such as the “Arab Spring” incidents.
Of course, this leads to an inevitable backlash in the form of internet censorship.
China is one of the staunchest in its efforts to filter unwanted parts of the internet
from its citizens, but many other countries, like Singapore, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and
Tunisia, have also engaged in such censorship.
In the Philippines, Republic Act No. 10175 or the Act Defining Cybercrime Providing for the
Prevention, Investigation, Suppression and the Imposition of Penalties therefore and for
other Purposes, has been begun in 2011.
The Cybercrime Offenses that are punishable under this act are the following:
a. Offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and
systems:
1. Illegal Access. – The access to the whole or any part of a computer system
without right.
2. Illegal Interception. – The interception made by technical means without right of
any non-public transmission of computer data to, from, or within a computer
system including electromagnetic emissions from a computer system carrying
such computer data.
3. Data Interference. — The intentional or reckless alteration, damaging, deletion
or deterioration of computer data, electronic document, or electronic data
message, without right, including the introduction or transmission of viruses.
4. System Interference. — The intentional alteration or reckless hindering or
interference with the functioning of a computer or computer network by
inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering or
suppressing computer data or program, electronic document, or electronic data
message, without right or authority, including the introduction or transmission
of viruses.
5. Misuse of Devices.
i. The use, production, sale, procurement, importation, distribution, or
otherwise making available, without right, of:
01. A device, including a computer program, designed or adapted
primarily for the purpose of committing any of the offenses under
this Act; or
02. A computer password, access code, or similar data by which the
whole or any part of a computer system is capable of being
accessed with intent that it be used for the purpose of committing
any of the offenses under this Act.
a. The possession of an item referred to in paragraphs
5(i)(aa) or (bb) above with intent to use said devices for
the purpose of committing any of the offenses under this
section.
Please read the full document on the Cybercrime Act through this link:
http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/09/12/republic-act-no-10175/

References and Supplementary Materials

Online Supplementary Reading Materials
 1. Technological Progress and Economic Growth; http://www.sy-
econ.org/share/growth/growth-ch4.pdf; November 7, 2017
2. The Instructional Power of digital games, social networking, simulations and How
Teachers Can Leverage Them; http://education.mit.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf; November 7, 2017
3. Introduction to digital communication; https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-
engineering-and-computer-science/6-450-principles-of-digital-communications-i-
fall-2006/lecture-notes/book_1.pdf; November 7, 2017
4. Computer as Paintbrush: Technology, Play, and the Creative Society;
https://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers/playlearn-handout.pdf; November 7,
2017
5. Internet Regulation and the Role of International Law;
http://www.mpil.de/files/pdf3/06_antoniov1.pdf; November 7, 2017
6. Internet Law – Guide to Cyberspace Law; https://www.hg.org/internet-law.html;
November 7, 2017
7. Internet Policy; https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/topics/Internet-
Policy/Pages/default.aspx; November 7, 2017

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