Blog # 8 -- Continuation of Blog # 7

What then are the other DL descriptors which will influence the lives of Singaporeans 1 -5 years down the road?

In the medical arena, soon, there will be telemedicine and chronic health care services, particularly suitable for diabetes and hypertension patients. Presently, they have to go to the polyclinics for follow-up care but soon, these care services could be delivered to the patients at home where instruments connected to the Internet can measure sugar levels and blood pressure, letting medical staff monitor the patients remotely.

The IT experts are also predicting that within the next 36 months, there will be a video revolution where the majority of people will communicate through video email rather than typing an email messsage. This vision will materialise with the NGBN (Next Generation Broadband Network) which promises speeds of 100MBps, thus making interactive video a reality.

At the moment, the hurdles to overcome are the problems associated with the lots of fast bandwidth, namely, unstable and inconsistent delivery, too expensive for the masses and compounded by the use of complicated devices eg camcorder. To lend support to the prediction, already, the Flip pocket camcorder is being marketed and it promised easy-to-use features as well as a user-friendliness to children and grandparents alike.

And finally, what I would term the 'Mother' of all DL descriptors which could happen in the next 3 - 5 years and that is the 'omnipresence' of the Internet, regardles whether it is 3G, wired or wireless Internet. Already NTT Domoco in Japan is testing wireless speeds of 100 MBps and the tech providers and device makers have already been identified. The trick is HOW to stitch them together to deliver services securely and in an affordable manner.

When that day comes, as I am confident it would, communication would no longer be the same. The impact on Education would be great as it would drive experiential learning away from rote. For example, students who are learning about ecology with netbooks or e-readers can go to MacRitchie Reservoir or Bedok Reservoir and learn about the ecosystem of the surrounding areas. They can tap into the data centre, pull data down and post video clips of what they have seen without worrying about whether there is a broadband connection or not.

The list of possibilities is simply endless. Isn't the future of the IT world amazing...so full of yet-to-be-explored wonders?

Tell you a secret. Sometimes, I do feel a little unc0mfortable during the Digital Literacy class. Not to worry. It has nothing to do with the way it is conducted. On the contrary, I think, credit must really be given to Dr T and Dr N for their creativity and innovativeness in organising the lesson plans to give the students maximum hands-on practice on the Net, at the same time beefing up the fundamental knowledge of the less tech-savvy students like myself.

The discomfort comes from glancing round the class now and then and reminding myself that I am the oldest member, yes, even older than both our lecturers.

Well, that thought is gone now...replaced by an earnest desire to equip myself to the best of my ability to welcome the revolutionary changes to the IT world in the next 5 years and barring any unforseen circumstances, I want to participate actively and be engaged in these changes, in a professional sense.