INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Information Technology

Information Technology

Three decades ago? Marshall McLuhan quoted? “The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village.” (Brockman? 2000) His insightful declaration is now clearly a matter of fact. At present? we live in a global village in which computers and people are linked within companies and between countries. The global village is a corollary of the computer network. When we tap into networked Computers? (Celente? 1997) we can hold electronic meetings with widely dispersed colleagues? retrieve information from the corporate database for schools and colleges. We as society are caught in an information technology paradox: information technology is thriving in a society that may not be ready for it.

It is a fact that merely 10% of the working population can claim computer aptitude. Many college programs of study do not require courses on computers. For a better work force in these days explosion of information technology is a must and by this means raise the standards at all levels of education. (Brockman? 2000)

Some of us want to wrap ourselves in information technology. Some of us want nothing to do with it. Most of us want it? but with moderation. This reluctant acceptance of information technology has resulted in many information technology- based opportunities being overlooked or ignored. For whatever reasons? business? government and education have elected not to implement computer applications that are well within the state of the art of computer technology. Literally thousands of cost-effective information technology-based systems are working in the laboratory and? on a small scale? in practice; however? society's pace of information technology acceptance has placed such applications on the back burner.

Some people believe that a rapidly advancing information technology exhibits little regard for “man himself and his fate.” (McRae? 1994) They contended that computers are overused? misused and generally detrimental to society. This group argues that the computer is dehumanizing and is slowly forcing the society into a pattern of mass conformity. (Shelly? Cashman? Vermaat and Walker? 1999)Surely? the age of information is presenting society with difficult and complex problems? but they can be overcome.

With rapid developments in Information technology? colleges today face new pressures to remain relevant? competitive? and effective. These pressures will force the colleges to change in collaboration with faculty and information technology staff.

It is common especially when there are dealings with colleges and schools. New and innovative systems are entering into the cores of college education. (Adelman? 2000)

Schools and colleges use websites as marketing tools which in technological language is know as E-commerce. It is just simply the practice of conducting business transactions online such as selling products from a World Wide Web sites. Through this innovation students may be of college or universities have the advantage of getting a good know how of the institution and can order the details for their further information.

There are approximately 3?300 colleges and universities in the USA and all of them have been affected to some degree or another by what has been called ...