Technology is an essential part of everyday life – from our cars and computers to medical advancements like the Covid-19 vaccine. However, it’s also important to understand how we shape and are shaped by the technologies we use, particularly within organisations. Whether it’s resistance to change, poor or insufficient training or choosing the wrong technology, businesses have to address these challenges and get employees on board if they want to reap the advantages of new technological tools.

The word ‘technology’ has become synonymous with gadgets, including mobile phones, computers, HiFi’s and even robotic grass cutters but it is much more than that. It is the process of using knowledge creatively to organised tasks involving people and machines to meet sustainable goals. It is a powerful force that has shaped our lives and can have a positive or negative impact on individuals, communities and society as a whole.

It can be hard to imagine a world without technology and that is why it’s important to understand how it works. The Open University Computing and IT qualifications offer a range of modules that can help you understand how different kinds of technology work, such as Mechanics, Electricity, Digital Technologies and more. For example, the Mechanics module explains the principles that underpin lots of devices and the Electricity module gives step-by-step explanations supported by simple graphics that show similar devices side by side and take them apart to show you how they work.