What kinds of technologies are students using and with what levels of skills?
With the advancement of time, lot of things have been changed; like black/white board at which teacher used to write with marker has now been switched with projector and multimedia presentations, calculators and all analyzing devices have been swapped with mobile phone applications. If its about students, so yes students today need internet for downloading and uploading assignments and course materials need smart phones to explore more into technology via mobile applications and there has been a trend developed to get online education via many distant education resources. Ultimately internet is required. But the level of skill is totally dependent on how students prioritize. Its odd to say now that they are not aware of these all, but it depends on student, if he wants to avail it or not, besides financial issues there has been an increase in scholarships, free laptops, merit education assessments funds etc. So if one really desires for all of these he/she can certainly get those.
What obstacles students face in their use of technology?
There should be no obstacle I guess for right now, as tutorials for everything to use at its best are available at YouTube, community has changed and building up through social media networking so like I said if they really intend to make it done, it would be done! Still possible obstacles for students could be financial one. For that if Pakistan science media oblige themselves to make healthy efforts to inform students for every other different sponsorship packages the ratio of usage to technology would increase and then some youth activities should be planned to bring in interest among students to prosper the mobile applications culture and guide them for all free ware mobile app tools available so that they can explore it and make work out to create some good useful apps. But its again on the motivation level and intentions of students.
How these technologies contribute to your undergraduate experience?
Yes, they do have a part in students life while he/she is pursuing studies, like the world right now is a new era of technology and to remain intact with technology you would have to be connected, even teaching methodologies have been changed and its became obvious for every student to touch the technology at least, and thats a good thing. Basically, many efforts have been taken place on that by the government and public incubation centres too, need a lot more.
During the academic year what is your most frequently used method for access to internet?
Normally, we use to access internet via our installed broadband internet equipment at campus in university timings, but off the university I use to have PTCL Evo Broadband for internet usage, but again as I said its all on how students prioritize things.
What passion do you have?
I am passionate to involve students in writing and blogging. Honestly, I was not like such since my childhood, but I realized writing up articles; and all this gives you confidence, improve your writing and thinking skills, and by trying new topics and formats give you enough courage to survey the theme more wisely. I believe students should be able to answer all questions not only related to his/her field but also to all the topics present in world like on general knowledge, technology in world, scenario and dilemmas in Pakistan etc and one can only get such power when he/she has ideas about it and ideas by far come by writing and summing up things. Thats why I am running a listing blog and writing up for three more Pakistani blogs. In addition, I also write for Indian E-Magazine Eccentric India and one for Srilankan magazine Chokolate.
When students limit themselves for study you volunteered a lot. What is your objective?
Put me in one place, but think and visualize logically, do we really need such volunteers right now in Pakistan. Having altruistic faith to deliver their best for the country, or their city or at least for their community, if everybody starts working like this for his/her own community Pakistan would become an ideal place to live in. And if volunteering on student level, yes it should be imposed on every student, as it gives you an extra experience and knowledge. Volunteering for causes with different people makes you social, give you a chance to explore oneself, learn new things and plus with your degree programme facilitating you with different managerial and marketing experience. Students should not limit themselves to books only, as books can give them only knowledge but the key to success lies on three things – knowledge, talent and being social. Volunteering makes you social, reading books gives you knowledge and ultimately you end up as a talented individual. My objective was just the same as told above.
What is your career path?
My career path is on the way where technology resides, and I am with a mission to turn people on. So whatever I would do ahead it would really reflect this concept. Things get invented when we explore it more, get in detailing of it by then we are able to craft some part of it our own.
I believe every student at least should be alert of al free ware tools and websites for every next thing so that can boost up his/her neurons to wonder more and invent or suggest some of its advancement. As for now many students I bet would not know the exact definitions of Newtons Law ad specially his third law, which says, If you impose a force on any object it would move in the direction of force applied but this is not certainly true for every case, and only for areas where the frame of reference is related to ground and gravity. But seriously how many students would be knowing it? If I put the example of ball in any vehicle which moves in opposite direction to the force when applied as the frame of reference for that is vehicle base body. I dont know what I am going to do but what I know is not only I but everyone should promote this methodology at least to his/her community people so that a sense of understanding things to its pure concept could be developed.
Why you have chosen this subject?
I chose Bachelors in Telecommunications Engineering and its because of the fact that society is bragging change, a change that is possible with connecting people and building up such communities no matter what social website you use. It is all programming but at the back end its all about telecommunication, somewhere as carrying internet data packets via fiber cables under sea, or may be mobile network planning on simple mobile telephony service, and the future is on this, so let it be a part of future.
Do you think there is a need of science media in Pakistan?
Yes, definitely there is a need of science media in Pakistan to make students more aware of technology insights and all these distant education programmes plus providing a platform to students to showcase their efforts and technology related achievements in a better way not only to Pakistan but to the global world.
There should be some way for it to reach common people too, as despite this technology having influenced the world there are people still not really using technology.