Course Review

It has been an awesome journey with this bunch for TWC thus far :) This is a review of the TWC course for 2013/2014 Term 2 for Technology and World Change by Prof Shahi.

TWC has really been an eyeopener for me as I am not a very technological savvy person and this course really opened the world of possibilities for me. In the beginning, I really was not very sure of what to expect but as the course proceeded on I find myself being able to apply certain concepts that Prof has shared with the class to real life situations. I found Prof's models and quotes used in class to be very educational on many different levels. It was also very inspiring to hear my classmates share their knowledge on the various technologies we have covered through class participation and individual oral presentations as challenged everyone of us to think.

In Session 1, we covered the topics on Technology and the Rise of Civilisation. We covered a brief history on the various technologies across time.The highlight of this session was Yali "posting a question" to the class stating why do white people have so much of cargo whereas the people of Papua New Guinea has so little. I was anticipating to find out the answer at the end of the course.

In Session 2, we covered technology on society and global dominance as well as human development. The Shahi Organizational Behaviour Model for Identifying Innovation Leaders and Dominant Players was brought up during this session and is till date one of the models that I really like and can relate to. This is because it is able to encompass not only an individual's state of mind with regard to accepting or rejecting change and his adaptability but also other entities such as a company. We also discussed how colonialism was able to impact colony countries in terms of their level of technological advancement. Next, we moved onto technology and human development. I enjoyed the various issues that we talked about such as how the level of technology available is able to directly affect the level of human development as well as the Millennium Development Goals by the UN.

In Session 3, we continued on technology and human development as well as talked more about sustainable technology. I also particularly enjoyed this session. A few key concepts that were brought up were the linear VS cyclical approach that we should adopt now in order to become sustainable in our energy usage, the IPP toolbox used to classify different types of ways to promote a greener environment and the RDA translation process.

In Session 4, we covered the drivers of world change and change management and change leadership. In this session, I felt that there was a fresh perspective to management VS leadership and understood more about it from a different angle than the usual one. We also re-visited the concept of singularity.

In Session 5, we covered ICT and world change. I think that this session was the most appealing out of all 10 sessions as it was something that I could really get and was the most knowledgeable. I also did a presentation in this session on Skype and how it is able to impact the world in different aspects. Preparing for this presentation really allowed me to understand more about this topic so that I am able to share my insights with my classmates. The highlight for this session for me was Project Natal Milo and the endless possibilities we are able to create with technology.

In Session 6 and 7, we covered the various aspects of the BioBusiness Revolution. I felt that although this topic was essential, it was also very dry and difficult to understand and appreciate. Nonetheless, it highlighted important information for me such as Singapore's healthcare expenditure and the amazing options we now have to aid healthcare provision such as the video on prosthetic legs. As for the environment, it was brought up in class how we are able to incorporate vertical farming to solve the various constraints Singapore might be facing in terms of being involved in plantations.

In Session 8, we covered energy and world change. This was a very relevant topic to discuss and a good continuation from the previous topic in session 7 as it ties in nicely with environmental issues. We were challenged about the various reasons why and how we can move away from a non sustainable way of live through burning of fossil fuels to a more environmentally sustainable one. There were many interesting individual presentations this week as well!

In Session 9 and 10, we talked about the emerging technologies as well as forecasting of technology. I found this session relatively more interesting as well as these had many social impacts that were worth considering such as the advent of AI.

There were also other opportunities to explore topics that were not specifically covered in class through our individual topical review paper as well as group web report/presentations. I felt that despite the challenging rigour that we have, it definitely pushed our limits and expanded our horizons.

All in all, I feel that TWC has been a very mind boggling yet fascinating journey that will not end just as the course comes to a close :) Thank you to Prof Shahi for imparting to us not only knowledge but also the wisdom that will continue on after, Sylvester for the great assistance and kindness he has shown to us as well as my the classmates this sem for sharing and making class a very conducive environment for learning to take place.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” - Dr Seuss