Video: The modern world of work

﻿Hi, I'm Rebecca, your computing teacher for the IT and the world of work unit. For this lesson, your going to need a pen and paper so that you can answer the questions that I give you during the lesson. You're also going to need to make sure that you remove as many distractions as possible so that you can really focus in this lesson. Once you've got that ready, we can begin. In this lesson, you will examine traditional and modern team working. You'll interpret the advantages and disadvantages of 24/7/365 availability and you'll compare inclusivity and accessibility within traditional and modern teams. So, how has the world of work changed over the years? Let's take a look at some case studies. We're going to start off with retired office worker, Carol. And she says, "I commuted to work using public transport, which could be inconvenient, especially in the winter when the days are shorter and the weather could affect the bus and train services. My job involved taking notes in meetings, writing up the meeting agendas, filing important documents, taking and making phone calls, plus a variety of other things. I used pen and paper to take meeting notes, and used a typewriter for formal documents and file them in a filing cabinet, in an alphabetical system." So what was that like for her then? Let's have a look. So, her commute to work was problematic. Travelling to work can become very tiring and this can have an impact on productivity. She used shorthand on pen and paper to make meeting notes. So a specific skill set is required for this. Pitman shorthand is used for making rapid notes. This involves the use of abbreviations and symbols. And she used a typewriter to produce formal documents. Although speed typing is a requirement, the keys on a typewriter are heavy, which lowers productivity in the workplace. Any paper documents were stored in a filing cabinet, in an alphabetical system. Paper filing is labor-intensive. Workers need to understand the system in place and then sort documents before filing them. Let's take a look at IT company employee, Sanjay. He says, "I have worked for the same IT company for over 30 years and I've seen many changes to the way I work. At first, I was based in an office and had access to a PC that was very slow by today's standards. We also communicated using a telephone, with the post office sending various documents internally and externally." So what was that like? "Over time as technology progressed, I began communicating using mobile technology and email services. I had an office space, but also commuted to different regions to engage with the teams I was then managing. Nowadays, I work from home in a home office using various platforms to communicate and collaborate with my team." Let's take a closer look then. So, he has seen many changes during his time in the workplace. He can see the advantages and disadvantages of the changes that have occurred. Technology was fairly limited initially. Slow PCs meant that productivity would be lower than it is today. He travelled a lot to manage teams. So spending a lot of time away from home for business had a negative impact on a family. He now works remotely, so he can now spend a lot more time with his family. So here we have freelance animator, Ellie, and she says, "I have a home office from where I work on a daily basis. To get work, I have a client base for whom I have worked previously, I also use an online platform where I can apply for jobs. I have all of the equipment needed for this work at home and use an online calendar to help manage my time." So she has a home office. This means that she doesn't need to commute long distances and has gained time here. She has existing clients and searches for work online. So she can find work easily and is able to select what work to complete. She has more control of her daily activities. She purchased her own equipment. So animation requires specialist equipment, which may be costly. She uses online tools to stay organised. So she needs an internet connection to maintain a diary, which might be problematic if there is disruption in the service. So what I want you to do, is just think about those three case studies and see if you can come up with a paragraph based on those case studies about how the world of work has changed over the years. Pause the video while you have a go at that. Excellent. So this is a traditional workplace then. This is what it was like. So it takes time to travel to and from the workplace. Usually would wear formal workwear. They'd be desks and workstations. They were quite labour- intensive tasks. There was slow communication. There was a community effect then and it was sociable and sociable hours too. So those are the positives because you were always around your colleagues throughout the day and you could speak to them whenever you needed to. Now, the modern workplace is slightly different. So use of technology allows flexibility for the stakeholder and organisation. Teams can be local, national, or global. Communication can be immediate. Data and information is sent digitally and quickly. Increased productivity, but it can be isolating particularly for remote workers. And stakeholders can be contacted anytime, anywhere, which can often be draining. So pause the video now. There are many features of the modern workplace. Use the worksheet to identify which of the features you think are an advantage and which are a disadvantage. Pause the video while you have a go at that. Excellent. So let's take a look at the answers. So here are the solutions, and you can pause the video while you mark your work. Great! So now we're going to look at inclusivity and accessibility. What do these terms mean to you? Well, inclusivity means trying to include many different types of people and treating them all fairly and equally. And accessibility is the quality of things being easily used, understood and physically reached. And here are some case studies from people with disabilities. So we have Amna Raheel. She says, "My role is not affected by my disability. The digital world has made everything accessible." And then we have Francis Ryan. "I've never looked for nine-to-five jobs, because I know they wouldn't suit my disability. Although employers should be helping with reasonable adjustments, when you're able to control your hours and tasks, you can manage your workload and disability in a way you might not be able to with an employer. If I need to have a lie-in, I have a lie-in. I also save on commuting time." And then finally, we've got Rachel Fox. She says, "After a bad experience in the workplace where a company failed to meet my accessibility needs, I decided to become a virtual PA. This went well, but after 10 years I realised I was missing out socially. I then founded a company called The Beauty and Blow Dry Studio, which caters specifically to disabled people's hair and beauty needs." The use of technology enables individuals, or we call them stakeholders, with either a visible or hidden disability to manage their time when working remotely. Access jobs that might otherwise be impossible for them to do. Communicate and collaborate with colleagues effectively and be valued members of workplace teams. Now, we've got some questions then to see what you've remembered. So, the traditional workplace allows employees to be more sociable outside the workplace. Why is this? Pause the video while you have a think. And the answer is, co-workers live locally to each other. So in the traditional workplace, people lived near their offices and so certainly within distance of half an hour, an hour of their home. So they lived next to their colleagues so they could socialise outside work hours. Which of the following tasks is labor-intensive in the traditional workplace can you remember? Pause the video while you have a think. Let's have a look at the answer then. So, filing documents was their labor-intensive thing. Now, which of the following is an advantage to organisations of the use of technology? Pause the video while you think. So it was increased productivity. That's everything for this lesson and if you'd like to, please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tagging @OakNational and #LearnwithOak. And you can share maybe that paragraph that you did for the first activity. And I'll see you again soon for lesson two.

Worksheet: The modern world of work

Exit Quiz: The modern world of work

Completed: The modern world of work

This lesson will introduce you to the way the workplace has changed over time. This includes an overview of traditional and modern work practices; how flexibility is achieved through 24/7/365 availability; and how modern technology facilitates inclusivity and accessibility for all stakeholders. 

Computing (Non-GCSE)

The modern world of work

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Worksheet

Final Quiz

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