INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND
EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT
A Humanistic Perspective
Thao Lê
Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1307, Launceston, Tasmania, 7250, Australia
Keywords: Computer, Globalization, Humanity, Internet learning, Technology.
Abstract: In many industrialized societies, life has changed drastically due to the permeation of information
technology (IT) in many aspects of society such as business, government, commerce, education as well as
daily activities. How computer is viewed and valued in education depends greatly on the theoretical
perspectives of the beholders. reveal different views and attitudes of the users. From a humanistic
perspective, technology is a product of scientific knowledge in a human world which is culturally
diversified. Our worldview, self-concept and identity belong to the human world. Technology should be
used to change the way we think of ourselves in relation to other human beings and the land on which we
live. It raises the issues of environmental awareness, international understanding, and human co-existent as
world citizens. Technology permeates many aspects of society that it affects the quality of life both
positively and negatively. The quality of life is not just about goods and services, but fundamentally it is
about mindfulness. One of the big challenges in computer supported education is the response to the
question: How should computer technology be used to enhance learners in terms of intellectual, social and
emotional development? This challenge shifts our attention from the emphasis on a narrow context of
academic learning to a humanistic learning discourse.
1 INTRODUCTION
First of all, I would like to express my great
appreciation to the Conference Convener for inviting
me to speak at this conference as a keynote speaker.
I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to
participate in this unique international educational
conference which has attracted many delegates from
various academic disciplines and international
backgrounds. The two concepts, technology and
humanity, are significant and powerful enough to
capture the current context of education not only in a
changing but also a challenging world. We are no
longer confined to an isolated island metaphorically.
An event in one part of the world could have a great
impact on other regions of the earth. To some extent,
technology has turned the world into a global
village. However there are also challenges which
require leadership to maintain harmony between
technology and humanity. This conference gives me
an opportunity to share my views on this important
challenge.
2 THE MAGIC POWER OF
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
In many industrialized societies, life has changed
drastically due to the permeation of technology in
many aspects of society such as business,
government, commerce, education as well as daily
activities. Whether we like it or not, we are at the
mercy of computer technology. What would happen
if computers and the Internet suddenly disappear?
The potential Y2K computer disaster did not
eventuate but the massive preparation for it confirms
the view that we are still very much at the mercy of
computer as computer technology permeates many
aspects of society locally and globally. Occasional
incidents of the Internet breakdown or temporary
disconnection can easily hinder interaction,
communication and services at work. We develop
computer technology but we are so dependent on it
that we can become its prisoners. As we have been
deliberately or unintentionally acculturated into a
computer-based society, we are still marveled at the
Le T.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT - A Humanistic Perspective.
DOI: 10.5220/0006813700010001
In Proceedings of the First International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2009), pages 29-35
ISBN: 978-989-8111-82-1
Copyright
c
 2009 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

magical power that computer technology has offered
us. What we knew about computer technology two
decades ago now becomes things of the past and
there will be many magical wonders ahead in the
next two decades. History is measured in terms of
time and events, but for digital technology, history is
short but full of magical events and inventions.
In education, firstly the proliferation of software
items and computer-based projects showing their
positive impacts on teaching and learning is like
constant tidal waves. The numerous papers on
various aspects of computer-supported learning and
teaching strongly reinforce this optimistic view. An
internet search will prove this unstoppable
phenomenon! A quick glance at several proceedings
of the conferences on computers in education in
2007-2008 period shows thousands of research
papers on how to use computer technology
effectively and creatively in teaching and learning. It
would be a daunting task for a researcher to conduct
a comprehensive literature review of all the
publications on computers in education in recent
years.
Secondly, computer technology is rapidly
growing at such a fast speed that what we consider
as ‘current development’ will soon become outdated,
metaphorically like images of yesterday. Computer
educational software depends heavily on hardware.
A new development in hardware can trigger changes
in software development and implementation and
vice versa. This interactive wheel gets bigger and
stronger. The real challenge for educators is to
examine how computer software and hardware are
used to enhance learners’ development
intellectually, emotionally and socially.
3 COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY: A
CRITICAL DISCOURSE
CONSIDERATION
Modern technology is no more neutral than
medieval cathedrals or The Great Wall of China;
it embodies the values of a particular industrial
civilization and especially of its elites, which rest
their claims to hegemony on technical mastery.
We must articulate and judge these values in a
cultural critique of technology. By so doing, we
can begin to grasp the outlines of another
possible industrial civilization based on other
values (Feenberg 1991, p.3).
Computer, like many other products of different
technologies, is an instrumental entity which is
subjected to good use or abuse by social agents. It is
a product and an instrument which cannot be
divorced from its historical background and
functioning. It can be exploited by some social
institutions to serve their growing needs and to
reinforce their power control on others. IT,
particularly the Internet, does not exist in a
harmonious global village. There are different social
groups, locally and internationally, politically and
religiously, in competing discourses and they can
exert power on the use of IT to their advantages.
According to Rolf (2008), the Internet is also a
subject of discourse in its own right. Just as
controlling the mass media of newspapers, television
and radio gives the controllers the power to
influence the masses, the control of the Internet also
has this powerful influences. However, the
distributed nature and scale of the Internet make
such control very difficult as communication is no
longer unidirectional. The Internet is a medium
where those privileged to have a connection can
‘speak their minds’ on a global stage and therefore
be viewed as a threat by, and to, those who fear the
freedoms of speech and expression. It is important to
understand how some would manipulate the
meaning and position of the Internet within their
society and, also, how discourse across the Internet
can be influenced by those same groups. The recent
events on control battles of the Internet between the
government, Internet providers and users in a
number of countries show that the Internet cannot be
immune from discoursal influences. Its impacts are
manipulated by different interest groups and those
with great social power tend to exert stronger
influences on the discourses across which the
Internet travels.
Learning is not just about obtaining information
and absorbing knowledge. Learning is
fundamentally making sense of information and
knowledge, to free the mind from hegemonic
imposition of knowledge, and most importantly to
empty our prejudices and presuppositions. At the
International Conference on Education and
Globalisation: Technology Innovation and New
Learning Environment in 2008, Dr. Ayudhya, a
prominent Thai scientist, gave a keynote speech, not
on technology innovation, but surprisingly and
admiringly on education and inner peace. His
message was embedded in the following retold story
about human vulnerability.
A wife and her husband were having
breakfast at their home. She looked at the clothes
line in the garden of their neighbor and
commented:

“Look at the clothes hanging there. They are
so dirty! The woman in that house does not
know how to wash her clothes cleanly. How
dirty they are! She needs a washing machine.”
Her husband kept quiet. The following
morning, at breakfast the wife looked through
the window and said the same thing:
“Again, her washing is still very dirty. She
did not know how to wash clothes properly. She
needs a modern washing machine, absolutely.”
The husband did not say a thing. He kept
eating peacefully. On the third morning, while
eating breakfast, the wife could not believe her
eyes. She said:
“What! I could not believe it! That woman
knows how to wash her clothes.
They all are very clean now! ”.
The husband calmly told his wife:
“Actually, I could not bear your unkind
criticism of the neighbour any more. This
morning I woke up early and cleaned our dirty
window, and now you can see through clearly!”
This inspiring story gives us some thoughts on
the nature of our technological discourse. One of
the biggest challenges to IT managers, educators and
IT users is not about the technological knowledge
that IT has brought to society. The real challenges
are about how to deal with controlling forces with
their influence on the Internet, how to use it wisely
to enhance the global village in which there are still
so much social injustice, hegemonic globalization of
technology, and lack of resource sharing.
4 TECHNOLOGY AND
LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
In the context of education, as Le and Le (2007)
point out, instead of using traditional features for
evaluating software such as screen design,
navigation, text type, cost and user-friendliness, it is
useful to employ the concept ‘metaphor’ as a basis
on which we examine the role of computer in
teaching and learning. How computer is viewed and
valued in education depends greatly on the
theoretical perspectives of the beholders.
Educational software used by constructivists who
strongly believe in meaning making is expected to
be different from that used by those whose
pedagogical principles are teacher-centred. We can
use different computer metaphors to reveal different
views and attitudes of educational software users
and evaluators (Lê & Lê 2007).
• Software as a Tool. There are many types of
software and they are produced and used for a
purpose. In education, the most versatile
function of software is instrumental. It is used
for performing a certain function such as
calculating, drawing, editing, proofreading,
communicating, etc.
• Software as an Instructor. When software is
used as an instructor, its primary role is to
teach learners to develop knowledge and skills.
Within the behaviorist paradigm, it is
hierarchically structured in terms of content
and skill complexity. Each lesson focuses on a
specific content or skill and all the lessons are
arranged from introductory to advanced levels.
Instruction is sequential in the sense that
learners are expected to move sequentially
from the early lessons to the final ones.
• Software as a Facilitator of Learning. While
the instructionist model of educational software
focuses on the significance of instruction in
teaching and learning, the constructivist model
of educational software plays less attention to
instruction and more on the active role of
learners in the learning process. Learning is
viewed as a meaning making process as
learners bring their knowledge, experiences
and worldview to learning.
• Software as a Virtual Class. Generally
education software includes small items of
software such as programs teaching phonics,
multiplication, and typing. They are designed
to teach a specific skill. There are also
educational software packages which are
designed for a targeted group of learners such
as a web-based academic course and a
multimedia-based training program. In this
environment, courseware plays an essential
role in providing the syllabus, teaching and
learning experiences and communicative
interaction.
In a dynamic educational environment, whether
it is virtual, face-to-face or mixed modes, different
teaching and learning strategies and experiences
should be used. They include collaborative learning,
task-based learning, individualized learning, and
experiential learning. They are not mutually
exclusive as far as they are user-friendly and learner-
friendly.

5 THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN LEARNING AND
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
In language and literacy education, the relationship
between learning and language is perceived in terms
of three dimensions: learning language, learning
about language and learning through language. This
three-dimension relationship can be used effectively
to describe the link between learning and computer
technology, particularly for school children.
5.1 Learning Technology
A child is as an untrained IT ‘expert’. In applied
linguistics, the concept ‘critical stage of language
acquisition’ postulates that children learn a language
quickly and effortlessly when they are young;
whereas for adults, it can be an uphill battle.
Similarly, children feel very comfortable with the
computer. They can self-teach how to use software
and hardware without going through training
courses. Though one may not want to go so far as to
postulate that there is a critical stage of technology
acquisition in children, one would admit that
children know what computer is when they discover
what computer can do for them. Interestingly, their
learning tends to orientate towards game-based
activities, music and movie-type entertainment and
social interaction. The challenge for teachers is that
they should motivate children to divert their use of
computer from entertainment-based activities to the
academic learning discourse.
5.2 Learning about Technology
One of the main concerns of many parents about
their children’s safety and well-being in a
technologically driven society is the way in which
children are dangerously exposed to the Internet.
The Internet can be so powerful that children can be
acculturated into a virtual social discourse that the
traditional family tie is lost. Parents cannot properly
protect their children if they do not know whom the
children interact with on the Internet. The children’s
world is no longer confined to the familiar contexts
of the family and the close community. Thus
children need to be educated to know well about
dangers of the virtual world that computer
technology has created. It is impossible for parents
and teachers to protect children completely from the
dangers inherent in the virtual world. The best
solution is for them to learn about the positive and
negative aspects of using the Internet, which is
metaphorically a superhighway full of excitements,
risks and dangers.
Learning about computer technology needs to go
beyond the examination of the positive and negative
aspects of the Internet in children’s learning
discourse. It is important to critically examine the
impacts of computer technology on humanity in
general, and on different cultures in particular. The
Internet as a superhighway travels and carries
passengers across various countries and cultures in
the world and it cannot be value-free and
ideologically neutral. While its impacts can be
productive for some and they can be threatening for
others. This is important when we examine the
interrelated concepts of globalization and cultural
diversity and IT.
5.3 Learning through Technology
Traditionally, particularly in a teacher-centred
learning environment, the main resource in learning
is the teacher. It is also known as the transmission
model of learning model in which teachers transmit
knowledge to learners. Teachers are knowledge
transmitters and learners are knowledge receivers.
This model of learning has been vigorously
challenged by the constructivists who argue that
learning is not about receiving knowledge but it
involves making sense of knowledge and
challenging knowledge. Thus knowledge should not
be just derived from the teacher as the primary
source but it can also come from a diversity of
sources such as the learners themselves, the
community and the Internet. Nowadays, the Internet
can provide forums for discussion, virtual libraries,
and a huge source of information covering different
topics and issues. Teachers’ role is to facilitate and
guide learners how to use the Internet critically,
creatively and constructively.
The introduction of Critical Literacy to
education has shifted the focus of learning as
knowledge attainment to making sense of
knowledge through critical examination of texts.
Knowledge is basically embodied in texts and texts
are embedded with ideologies. Thus it is important
to teach learners to critically examine knowledge
and ideologies through critical text analysis.
‘Multiliteracies’ is a concept introduced by the New
London Group (1996) with a critical literacy
background which takes into account not only print
texts but also e-texts from numerous multimedia
sources, which children are now abundantly exposed
to. Also the emphasis includes the variability of

meaning making in different cultural, social or
domain-specific contexts.
6 COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
AND THE THREE WORLDS
Technology has undoubtedly made a great
contribution to humanity. However, one needs not
hastily accept its contribution without seriously
considering its possible negative impacts.
Technology provides modern conveniences to
improve our quality of life. However, it can also
create some conflicting discourses in our world
socially and individually. As mentioned previously,
it is important to look at education beyond the
traditional subject-orientated discourse to include
understanding and connection with what we
consider here as the three worlds of humanity: the
physical, human and spiritual words (Lê, 1995).
6.1 The Physical World
Scientists have constantly asked questions about the
physical world as, in their inquisitive minds, it is full
of mysteries and they are not satisfied with what
they have discovered. Newton wanted to find out
why things fall down, but not up. Archimedes’
‘curiosity with the gold crown getting lighter in
water’ led to the establishment of the Archimedes
Principle. Galileo was curious about the universe
and he was among the first to use a refracting
telescope to observe stars, planets and moons.
Science will cease developing if scientists stop
inquiring about the physical world which ordinary
people tend to take for granted.
Children, like scientists, are also curious about
the physical world. Their constant questioning about
the world indicates that they want to learn about the
world in which they live. They ask questions such as
“why are there low and high tides?”; “why does the
Sun rise in the East and sets in the West?”. My 5-
year old son asked why there are North Pole and
South Pole, but not East Pole and West Pole.
Computer technology has made a great
contribution to knowledge enhancement. A quick
search on Google can open many windows for us to
gain further knowledge about the physical world.
We do not need to go to other parts of the world to
know them well. Written and graphic texts on the
Internet can provide us a great deal of information.
The challenge for educators is not to expand
children’s knowledge of the physical world but to
help them to make connection to it. The physical
world should not be treated as an external entity but
as an important part of our existence. The changing
of the physical environment can greatly impact on
us. With the help of computer technology, children
should be taught to understand the physical world
and most importantly to protect it from human
destruction. Issues such as global warming and
climate change are not just physical issues.
Fundamentally they are about humanity and its
existence.
6.2 The Human World
When babies are born, they are born into a human
world. In a village, they are surrounded by caring
faces of their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles,
and other people in the family and the community.
In a modern city, they are welcomed to the world by
nurses, doctors, and other health workers as well as
their family members. Whether it is in a remote
village or a modern city, babies are introduced to the
human world, which can be a mysterious place for
them to discover gradually in their enculturation.
The arrival of computer technology, particularly
the Internet, can expand children’s human world.
The traditional concept of family may not apply to
some children. Their fathers and mothers may live in
different places. Their relationship is no longer
mediated through daily face-to-face family
interaction. Text message and email add a different
dimension to interpersonal communication. Thus
computer technology provides a new discourse of
human interaction and relationship. In other words,
thanks to the Internet, parents, colleagues, neighbors
are no longer the only people in our world. There are
significant others in our existence. However, the
expansion of our networking also creates issues and
problems which may enhance our interpersonal
relationship or destroy our happy co-existence with
others. As mentioned earlier in this paper, it is
dangerous for children to interact with strangers
through the Internet as there are always ‘big bad
wolves’ waiting there for them. Vulnerable children
can easily become targets of abuse in a virtual
world.
6.3 The Inner World or Spiritual
World
We may develop a good understanding of the
physical world and human world in which we live.
However, it is difficult to stand aside as an observer
to try to understand who we are. Questions about the

meaning of life are always with us, consciously or
unconsciously. How do we value our life? How do
we see ourselves in relation to our family, friends
and the community?
It first appears that computer technology has
nothing to do with the inner world as technology is a
product of scientific knowledge whereas the inner
world is personal and subjective. However, though
our worldview, self-concept and identity belong to
the inner world, they are a reflection of the outside
world. A long harsh winter in a remote area without
communication with others can bring loneliness and
depression. Technology may change the way we
think of ourselves in relation to other human beings
and the land on which we live. It raises the issues of
land care, international understanding, and human
co-existent as world citizens. Technology permeates
many aspects of society and it affects the quality of
life both positively and negatively. The quality of
life is not just about goods and services, but
fundamentally it is about mindfulness.
Thus the big challenge for us as educators is our
response to the question: How should computer
technology be used to enhance learners in terms of
these three worlds? This challenge has shifted our
attention from the emphasis on academic learning to
humanistic learning. This question seems to reflect
well the Vietnamese concept of ‘cultivated beings’
in the Vietnamese educational tradition.
7 TECHNOLOGY, CULTURAL
DIVERSITY AND
GLOBALIZATION
Computer technology, cultural diversity and
globalization are the three social forces which can
co-exist peacefully to enhance humanity. However,
they can also act as opposing forces and create
conflicting discourses which lead to social
disharmony, injustice and cultural domination.
Globalization has taken place for a long time
when different nations have opened their doors to
interact with one another. However, the concept
‘globalization’ and its impacts in an international
discourse are perceived and interpreted differently.
Basically there are two opposing perspectives on
globalization. On one hand, globalization enhances
the scope and magnitude of human contact,
interaction, and collaboration. On the other hand,
globalization reinforces cultural homogenization and
cultural domination. It is a threat to cultural diversity
and cultural preservation. According to Marsella
(2005), we should not take globalization for granted
and we should ask if the fruits of ‘hegemonic’
globalization constitute local and global
improvements. Does globalization help to build a
better world for all, or only for a small select group?
We also need to ask: “Are the values and actions of
the powerful, who support ‘hegemonic’
globalization, the values and actions we would
choose given the opportunity to control our
choices?”
I am not against change, nor am I against
globalization. I am, however, against
‘hegemonic’ globalization because of its
consequences for homogenizing cultural
diversity. I am against the asymmetrical
concentration of power and wealth of
‘hegemonic’ globalization because it is driven by
concentrated values and motives capable of
homogenizing the world’s diverse cultural
traditions for commercial and political gain.
‘Profit’ is not in itself evil, but when ‘profit’ is
driven by greed and avarice, it is simply
violence. We need a globalization that is driven
by equity and ethics (Marsella 2005, p.16).
Computer technology undoubtedly plays a key
role in reinforcing globalization. With the Internet as
a superhighway and English as a global lingua
franca, globalization has become a powerful
phenomenon. The challenge we need to face is: How
should we handle computer technology as a part of
scientific domain and technology as a product of
science which can be subjected to use and abuse in a
global context? How could developing countries
make use of computer technology to enhance their
society and at the same time maintain their cultural
identity? There are no easy answers to these
questions. For computer-support education, firstly
we should try to maintain and value our own culture
while at the same time being exposed to the world of
computer technology. Secondly we handle
computer technology so effectively that it not only
has practical values but also helps in the
development of the learner, making them more
aware and secure in their cultural identity, more
open to new form of experiences and more skilled in
meeting their challenges.
8 CONCLUSIONS
Computer technology should be used to change the
way we think of ourselves in relation to other human
beings and the land on which we live. It raises the

issues of environmental awareness, international
understanding, and human co-existence as world
citizens. Computer technology permeates so many
aspects of society that it affects the quality of life
both positively and negatively. The quality of life is
not just about goods and services, but fundamentally
it is about mindfulness. One of the big challenges in
computer-supported education is the response to the
question: How should computer technology be used
to enhance learners in terms of intellectual, social
and emotional development? This challenge shifts
our attention from the emphasis on a narrow context
of academic learning to a humanistic learning
discourse.
REFERENCES
Artong Jumsai Na Ayudhya, 2008. Leadership in peace
education. Paper presented at the Education and
Globalisation: Technology Innovation and New
Learning Environment conference, 8 – 10 April, 2008,
Phuket, Thailand.
Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M., 2000. Multiliteracies: Literacy
learning and the design of social future, Routledge,
London.
Feenberg, A. (1991). Critical theory of technology, Oxford
University Press, New York.
Lê, Q., 1995. ‘Science, technology and culture: A
Vietnamese perspective’, Journal of Vietnamese
Studies. Melbourne: Australian Association of
Vietnamese Studies, pp. 53 – 58.
Lê, Q., & Le, T., 2007. ‘Evaluation of Educational
Software: Theory into Practice’, in J. Sigafoos, V.
Green (eds.), Teaching and Technology, Nova Science
Publishers, New York, pp. 115 – 124.
Marsella, A., 2005. ‘“Hegemonic” globalization and
cultural diversity: The risks of global
“monoculturalism”’, Australian Mosaic, vol. 12, no. 4,
pp. 15 – 22.
Thich Nhat Hanh, 1999. Miracle of mindfulness. Beacon
Press, Boston.
Rolf, D., 2008. The Internet: A critical perspective.
TESOL Seminar paper, Faculty of Education,
University of Tasmania.
The New London Group, 1996. ‘A pedagogy of
multiliteracies: Designing social features’, Harvard
Educational Review, vol. 66, no. 1, pp. 66 – 92.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Thao Le completed the Bachelors Degree in
English linguistics at Saigon University in 1969.
With a special interest in ethnography and an
enthusiasm of a young graduate, he moved on to
undertake a research Masters in Jarai, a highland
minority language in Central Highlands of Vietnam.
However his dream of living with culturally isolated
mountain people as a part of his research fieldwork
was dashed due to the fierce war taking place
throughout Vietnam at that time.
In 1971 Dr. Thao Le was awarded a research
scholarship by Monash University, Australia, to
undertake PhD in linguistics. His PhD thesis was on
semantically based theories.
Dr. Thao Le was offered a lectureship at the
University of Tasmania in 1974 and has been
teaching in the Faculty of Education till now. He has
held various positions and played important roles in
the development of the Faculty such as: Senior
Lecturer, Assistant Dean, Director of the Masters
Program, Graduate Research Coordinator and
Associate Dean (Research). Currently he is lecturing
in postgraduate courses and supervising eighteen
research students. He was awarded the Faculty of
Education Mentor Award and the University
Teaching Excellence Award.
His research interests cover a wide range of
academic areas: linguistics, inclusive education,
educational multimedia, intercultural studies,
Artificial Intelligence, and research methodology.
His recent publications were three chapters in the
book Technology and Teaching edited by Professor
Sigafoos and published by Nova Science Publishers
in New York in October 2007.
His forthcoming book Critical Discourse Analysis:
An Interdisciplinary Perspective, to be published by
Nova Science Publishers in New York in 2009.