1

< BACHELOR ACCOUNTING>

< SEPT 2020>

< BBTT 1103>

< INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY>

MATRICULATION NO : <960828016204001>

IDENTITY CARD NO. : <960828016204>

TELEPHONE NO. : <018-4654028>

E-MAIL  : <[email protected]>

LEARNING CENTRE : <JOHOR>

 2

                                                    Content                                                  
Pages              

1.0 Explanation on the changes of working and schooling environment during

MCO……………………………………………………………         3-4

2.0 Discussion on the technology applications used for work from home

and schooling at home during the MCO…….……………………………… 5-7

          
  3.0 Discuss on the advantages of technology application and internet usage to
run the working operation and learning process………. 8-10

4.0 Discuss on the disadvantages of technology application and internet

usage to run the working operation and learning process………. 10-12

5.0 Summary …………………………………………………………………………… 12

 3

1.0 As the COVID-19 pandemic shatters the world and changes almost the whole of our

lifestyle, most of us are dealing with concerns, such as the health of family, friends or

themselves. But as life goes on, questions still lie on those who are working while being

kept home because of Movement Control Order (MCO) by the government, which is

Working from Home (WFH). While some of us might already get used to being at work

24-7, there are still some others who are tight to the usual working hours of 8am-5pm

five days a week, as their work is considered as critical which relate to system, filing,

customer service and others that require face-to-face communication. To some of us who

are working from home for the first time, the environment and everything might be little

hectic to really focus on work while playing their real-life role as partner, siblings, child

and spouses. According to the recent survey conducted by the Office of Corporate

Affairs, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) on its community, 73% out of 1040

respondents prefer working in the office. This is not surprising, as most of us find it is

just natural to work in the office, with a proper office setup, working colleagues, proper

working period of 8am-5pm, and working in the office provides a conducive

environment which invites the aura to work. Actually, there are always two sides of the

story, and we can look at the brighter side of WFH. There are still have major benefits of

working from home. Relaxed environment might be the best reason why WFH is better,

we are not obligated to spend time on ironing our formal attire, put on make ups and need

to look presentable as we are working at home. Any attire as long as we are comfortable

is acceptable. We are not tight to the punch cards and not need worry about our red

record attendance if we are caught in the traffic jam. Some employees prefer WFH as

they ‘suffer’ less pressure for not having to be under tight monitoring from the superior.

Being ‘away’ might give them more leniency in making decisions and more focus on

their work.
 4

1.1Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin instructed the Education Ministry to implement

home-based learning initiatives throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.

While many self-quarantines to avoid possible exposure to Covid-19, school age teenagers

are practising social distancing and making home their new studying environment. No

schools, no exams, more online learning which students lost their teacher’s face-to-face

support. Many young people will have experienced poverty and stress. Students claimed that

it is a bit difficult adjusting to the new normal; i.e. home-based schooling. There are still have

benefits of changes of the schooling environment to home-based learning which some of

them enjoyable as they are exposed to various online resources such as PowerPoint, YouTube

videos, Quiz and Google Form. Student can feel closeness and enjoy receiving answers from

their teachers about their work entry. Students tend to be more relaxed at home environment

and comfortable in front of their computers, laptop and handphone than sitting in the

classroom. Many parents also look at these changes from a positive side. They enjoy assisting

their children, besides being able to know the names of the teachers teaching each particular

subject. There is always a blessing in disguise. Furthermore, home based schooling

environment also help students to practise spiritual self-care. Regardless of their religion, take

time to count their blessings, pray and meditate. Such practices have been shown to improve

a person’s mental and overall health status. Prioritising these behaviours during the

coronavirus crisis help student to increase their psychological well-being and bolster their

immune system while home schooling.

 5

2.0 Although schooling from home or working from home is unable to fully replace their in-

class learning or working place, we must be responsible for our own learning or working

to create something out of nothing. Just because we are staying at home does not mean

we cannot interact with our peers, teachers and work colleagues. Discussions can be done

through various technology application such as Google Classroom, Zoom, WhatsApp.

Google Classroom is a free web service developed by Google for schools that aims to

simplify creating, disturbing and grading assignments. The primary purpose of Google

Classroom is to streamline the process of sharing files between teachers and students. It

is estimated between 40 to 100 million users use Google Classroom. Google Classroom

integrates Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail and Calendar into a cohesive platform to manage

student and teacher communication. Students can be invited to join a class through a

private code, or automatically imported from a school domain. Teachers can create,

distribute and mark assignments all within the Google ecosystem. Each class creates a

separate folder in the respective user’s Drive, where the student can submit work to be

graded by a teacher. Assignments and due dates are added to Google calendar, each

assignment can belong to a category or topic. Teachers can monitor the progress for each

student by reviewing revision history of a document, and after being graded, teachers can

return work along with comments. Secondly, Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing

service they use to virtually meet with others either by video or audio-only or both, all

while conducting live chats and its workers record those sessions to view later. It

provides videotelephony and online chat services and is used for teleconferencing,

telecommuting, distance education, and social relations. Over half of Fortune 500

companies reportedly used Zoom in 2019 and during 2020 has hit even greater heights,

recently claiming 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants. Zoom has following
 6

phrases; which is Zoom Meeting and Zoom Room. A Zoom Meeting refers to a video

conferencing meeting that’s hosted using Zoom. Workers or students can join these

meetings via a webcam or phone. Meanwhile, a Zoom Room is the physical hardware

setup that lets companies schedule and launch Zoom Meetings from their conference

rooms. Zoom host unlimited one-on-one meetings even with the free plan, host up to 500

participants (if purchase the “large meeting” add-on). The free plan, however, allows

they to host video conferences of up to 40 minutes and up to 100 participants and meet

one-on one or with large groups and share your screen with others so they can see what

you see. Third technology application is WhatsApp Messenger, or simply WhatsApp, is

an American freeware, cross-platform messaging and voice over IP service owned by

Facebook, Inc. It allows workers and students to send text messages and voice messages,

make voice and video calls and share images, documents, locations and other media. The

fourth technology is Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service developed

by Google. Launched on April 24, 2012. Google drive allows users to store files on their

servers, synchronize files across devices and share files. Storing documents to allow for

easy collaboration has always been a bit tricky for teams working together on a project,

but no longer with Google Drive, Google’s cloud-based office suite. Drive includes a

word processor (Google Docs), spreadsheets (Google Sheets), a presentation program

(Google Slides), and a form builder (Google Forms). The best thing about Google Drive

is that it allows for easy collaboration among team members. They no longer have to

worry about saving the document and closing before someone else in their office can

work on it; Drive allows whole team to work on the document at once. Google Drive can

make a business owner’s life easier and with a few add-ons, it can become a tool to keep

every team in the company organized and on track. The fifth technology application is

Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging, videotelephony and voice over IP service

 7

with end-to-end encryption for secret chat only, whereas could chat uses client-

server/server-client encryption. Telegram is considered a student-centred asynchronous

teaching method that uses online learning resources to facilitate information sharing

outside the constraints of time and place among a network of people. Asynchronous

learning is based on a student-centred approach that emphasizes the importance of peer-

to-peer interactions. This approach combines self-study with asynchronous interactions

to promote learning, and it can be used to facilitate learning, distance education and

continuing education. Telegram is a great platform for many fields other than education.

It enables many advertising and business companies to promote products and services,

create awareness on them and get feedback from users and also telegram as a social

media tools for teaching and learning. Finally, the sixth technology application is Google

Meet is a video-chatting service designed primarily for office use and studies, which lets

colleagues chat over video and text. A Google Meet Basic account will let you hold a call

with up to 25 people at once, while higher membership tiers will raise the limit up to 100

at once. Google Meet, also known as Google Hangouts Meet, is build let dozens of

people join the same virtual meeting, and speak or share video with each other from

anywhere with internet access. It’s meant for use by businesses and other organization,

and its great way for colleagues who working at home. A Google Meet organizer can

share whatever is on their screen with everyone on a call, and any participant can turn

their own audio and video feed off at any time participating however they want.

hn 

May19,2020,3:46 AM
 8

3.0 The advantages of technology application and internet usage to run the working

operation;

The first advantage of technology is better internet. Some employees might be having

difficulties while in the office as they might face trouble in the limited internet

connection. Thus, WFH not only provides better connectivity, it can also give more

advantages as they using personal computer which is much more convenient. Second

advantage is increase collaboration between employees. Work from home has given us a

level of communication never seen before. Technology application help connect to any

one of our employees, leaders and co-workers anytime, anywhere. Face-to-face meetings

are the backbone of many companies, platforms like Zoom, Google Meet make it easy to

stay in touch with co-workers or clients across distances. Third advantage is technology

application refer as instant communication tools. As helpful as video chats are, not every

problem requires face-to face resolution. Working from home, employees need to

textually communicate with their co-workers. Instant chat tools such as Telegram,

WhatsApp let them simulate the ease of in-office communication over the web. With the

ability to communicate privately or in groups, they can ensure that whoever needs to see

their message will do so instantaneously. The fourth advantage is efficiency. Work faster

and make fewer mistakes when use technology application to complete work. It’s quicker

than having to complete tasks manually, and it’s easy to check their work for errors. It’s

much more efficient to bring their work online and have their teams managing projects

using technology application. It also helps to store data in a manner that can easily be

retrieved for future use and to provide employees with the right hardware and software to

save time and get the job done.

 9

The advantages of technology application and internet usage to run the learning

operation;

The first advantage is improving engagement. When technology is integrated into

lessons, students are expected to be more interested in the subjects they are studying.

Technology provides different opportunities to make leaning more fun and enjoyable in

terms of teaching same things in new ways. For instance, delivering teaching through

gamification, taking students on virtual field trips and using other online learning

resources. What is more, technology can encourage a more active participation in the

learning process which can be hard to achieve through a traditional lecture environment.

Second advantage is encouraging individual learning. Technology application provides

great opportunities for making learning more effective for everyone with different needs.

For example, students can learn at their own speed, review difficult concepts or skip

ahead if they need to. What is more, technology application provides more opportunities

for struggling or disable students. Access to the Internet gives students aces to broad

range of resources to conduct research in different ways, which in turn can increase the

engagement. Third advantage is encouraging collaboration which students can practice

collaboration skills by getting involve in different online activities. For instance, working

on different projects by collaborating with others by sharing documents on their virtual

learning environments. Technology application encourage collaboration with students

from home-based-schooling. The fourth advantage is students learn useful skills through

technology application. By using technology application at home, both teachers and

students can develop skills essential for the 21st century. Technology is about

collaborating with others, solving complex problems, critical thinking, developing

 10

different forms of communication and leadership skills, and improving motivation and

productivity. It helps develop many practical skills, including creating presentations,

learning to differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the internet, maintaining

proper online etiquette. These are very important skills that can developed in home-

based-schooling.

4.0 The disadvantages of technology application and internet usage to run the working

operation;

The first disadvantage is technology application is highly distracting to employees at

work (WFH). With a quick click, employees can peruse social media, chat online with

friends, or text their neighbour. Technology application allow them to access to the world

while at work, and laptop or computer allow them to share, chat and follow news, friends

and family. These are all great for at home, but while work from home (WFH), they pose

a number of distractions that can actually decrease productivity, rather than boost it.

Secondly, technology application also tends to be risky, especially when it comes to data

security. All employees in important decision-making positions will need access to

private business information; this can pose as a threat, because it can be very difficult to

monitor the usage and privacy of this information. Most of the employees come with

flash drives while working, so they can transfer critical business information and use it

for their own personal gains. Third disadvantage is technology application affects

relationship between co-workers. Employees communicate via cell phones, text

messages, email or virtual video conferencing tools. This type of communication

technology eliminates face-to-face communication. Interpersonal communications are

important in building relationships because employees will get a chance to know each

other in person, sometimes they can even share non work-related information, this type

of interaction is killed by technology application. Employees become more reserved and

 11

self-centred; they get buried into their work which can be of great harm to a business.

The fourth disadvantage is since most tasks are automated by technology application,

many employees become lazy at work, technology application kills their creativity and

skills. Simple tasks such as calculating sales and tracking inventory are being done with

Calculator application, so that employees do not put their effort at work, they cannot

solve high-end business problems because a computer or software will do it with no

challenge.

The disadvantages of technology application and internet usage to run the learning

operation;

The first disadvantage is technology application provide a huge distraction to students as

well as educators and parents alike. Students while studying at home, students often get

hugely involved in their messages, social media when they had originally picked up the

gadget to research something for their homework. The average students check their

smartphone 100 times per day. That action occurs even if there are zero notifications for

them to check back on. Students may fine themselves trying to access other components

of the online experience instead of the learning experience. Secondly, technology

application affects students from face-to-face relationships with teachers. Interacting with

people online is a very different experience than interacting with them face-to-face. Face

to face interactions between teacher and students help students not just acquire facts, but

to understand, interpret and apply these facts into useful and interesting knowledge.

Technology application affects students from built their self-esteem, confidence and

emotional maturity. The third disadvantage is it can make it easier to cheat. Technology

application allows for easier communication between people and that is a definite

positive. That ease of communication also makes cheating more likely. All it takes is a

single group email broadcast to share the answer to a quiz or test, especially if the teacher
 12

is not monitoring student interactions on the laptop or computer. An easy way to counter

this issue is to provide assignments which require an individual perspective. Encouraging

though instead of memorization typically reduces the urge to cheat. The fourth

disadvantage is negative views on technology application. Consumerism has taught us

that technology application, from mobile devices, are widely viewed as tools to entertain

rather than educate. Textbooks, on the other hand, are seen as tools for learning. So,

between an application and studies, students are likely to gravitate towards learning,

while they are likely to use a tablet to paly games or spend time on social media. Finally,

difference in internet speeds and device’s capabilities can also lead to certain difficulties

that will de-motivate students. Add to this other thing that they will discover online,

which are completely unrelated to education, and they distracted to no end.

5.0 In conclusion, during the MCO people have adapted quickly to new ways of working and

studying, new method to engage with costumers, workplace, community and teachers.

People are seeing a streamlining of decision-making process and the use of technology

and data to increase responsiveness and planning. Furthermore, working and studying

from home would be better because the advantages of technology application overcome

the disadvantages. Working from home is a lot more comfortable for lots of people.

Employees can save a great deal of time and money since they do not have to travel so

often, which means people will have more time for work and for themselves, too. While,

many self-quarantines to avoid possible exposure to Covid-19, students are practising

social distancing and making home their new study area. Technology application play a

vital role to workers and students which enables them to still maintain a certain level of

quality of life during Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020.

 13

Words: 3022