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Incompatibility of Education and Information Technology have been shaking the very foundation of Education of Schools and Universities. Without bothering the compatibility, Information Technology has been put into application in the entire spectrum of Education.for the last 27 years. However, IT could not enter deep in the heart of Teaching, Learning and Research, Smart Class Rooms, Virtual Schools and Universities, have been bombarding the Brains of the Learners with overloaded Data or Information without much Knowledge. Education has been reduced in the art of Searching and Manipulating Data or Information without Knowledge Consumption and Production. Asa solution, Knowledge Industry has been proposed.
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EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY-
MYTH AND REALITY
DR. RAJU M. MATHEW
DATA,INFORMATION & KNOWLEDGE
Information Technology is a combination of Data Processing and Data Communication Technologies. Quite often, Data is called Information and many cases, Data is even called ‘Knowledge’ out of widely prevailed misconceptions.
Data is made of ‘bytes’ , a combination of ‘1’s and ‘0’s. When Data is processed, we can generate ‘Information’.
Knowledge gives value, relevance and meaning to Information. When knowledge is split or put into application, we can generate Information. But a pile or heap of Information never makes ‘Knowledge’
WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE ?
Knowing ‘Knowledge’ is a complex task, compared to that of Data or Information. People rich in Information may be poor in Knowledge, as data rich need not be Information rich.
Most of the dictionaries treat Information as Knowledge .Missing knowledge for Information is a common phenomenon, a concern expressed by the poet Eliot in ‘The Waste Land’.
Knowledge is built upon ‘Concepts’. Concepts have their own independent existence and meaning. Data or Information cannot exist independently. Structure of Knowledge is non-linear and dynamic. Education, Research, Decision-making and Professional Practices are ‘Knowledge-Based’.
DATA, KNOWLEDGE AND HUMAN BRAIN
Can we treat human brain as a Data Processing and Data Storing mechanism ? Biologists and Brain Researchers tell us that the major function of the Brain is collecting, processing, storing and retrieving ‘Data’ or ‘Information’. Can we reduce ‘ dreams’ ‘thoughts’, ideas, plans, decisions, learning, beliefs or imaginations into mere Data or Information?
Can we consider the Bible, the Quran or the Vedas as the books of Data or as the books of Knowledge? Though we can find many people who can recite the entire Bible or Quran or Vedas, we cannot find many who can recite an entire telephone directory. Why? Brain is essentially a concept or knowledge processing, storing, recollecting and communication mechanism. It facilitates direct access in stead of serial access.
KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION TECNOLOGY
Information Technology is built upon not on ‘Knowledge Structure’ but on ‘Data Structure’. On the other hand, Education, consisting of Learning, Teaching, Training and Research, is built upon Knowledge Structure.
As and when Education is reduced into Data or Information manipulation, Information Technology dictates the terms of Education and of course the looser is the Humanity, especially the young generation who misses Knowledge for Data. Data or Information cannot empower anybody but Knowledge.
IT and Education
IT cannot enter deep in the heart of Education- Teaching, Learning and Research in Schools, Colleges and Universities.
Such a realization lead to the birth of Knowmatics- Mathematics and Engineering of Knowledge, to study the nature, structure, production, consumption and marketing of Knowledge.
Knowmatics is the basis of Knowledge Industry- mass or industrial production and marketing of Knowledge.
KNOWMATICS
For more details about Knowmatics and Mathew’s Theories of Knowledge and their Educational applications, please refer 1): Mathew, R. M. and Mathew, R. R. Knowmatics- A New Revolution in Higher Education, Journal of the World Universities Forum 4,1,2011:1-11. Its video presentation is posted in YouTube; 2) www.slideshare.net/drrajumathew
Knowmatics-based Knowledge Industry offers very great business and employment opportunities, besides attractive additional income for the Best Teachers, Experts and Professionals.
System, Technology and Business Model for Knowmatics –based Knowledge Industry have already been developed for the potential investors and entrepreneurs.
