Overview

IT Applications — putting information technology to work in governance and learning

So far in your Information Technology course you have studied how a computer system is built, how it is programmed, and how data is organised and managed in a database. This chapter turns from how the technology works to what the technology is used for — the real-world applications of computers, the internet and information technology in two areas that touch the life of almost every citizen in India today: e-Governance (the use of IT to deliver the services and functions of government) and e-Learning (the use of IT to deliver education and training). Both are practical, high-relevance topics: as a commerce student you will interact with government portals to pay taxes, register a business or obtain a certificate, and you already use online resources to study, so the ideas here are as useful in daily life as they are in the examination.

The chapter is organised into two connected halves. The first half deals with e-Governance. It begins with the concept and meaning of e-Governance — what it is, and how it differs from the wider idea of e-Government. It then explains the main types (interaction models) of e-Governance, described by who is dealing with whom: Government-to-Citizen (G2C), Government-to-Business (G2B), Government-to-Government (G2G) and Government-to-Employee (G2E). It goes on to set out the benefits e-Governance brings to citizens, businesses and the administration, and describes, in a general way, the kinds of e-Governance initiatives that have been launched in India to bring public services online.

The second half deals with e-Learning. It explains the concept and meaning of e-Learning and how it differs from traditional classroom teaching; the main types and modes of e-Learning (synchronous, asynchronous and blended learning); the common tools and technologies that make e-Learning possible; and finally a balanced view of its advantages and limitations, so that you can judge for yourself where e-Learning helps and where it falls short.

None of the ideas in this chapter belongs to any one board or textbook. The meaning of e-Governance, the G2C/G2B/G2G interaction models, and the distinction between synchronous and asynchronous e-Learning are standard, well-established descriptions of how information technology is actually applied in administration and education anywhere in the world. What is specific to the Odisha CHSE Information Technology syllabus is the selection of these topics into this applications chapter and the Std-11 depth at which you are expected to explain each — which is exactly what the sections below develop, in order.