Careers in computer science are rewarding for a variety of reasons. Beyond earning a fair living, tech professionals can work on exciting and groundbreaking projects that often lead to remarkable feats. Some of these, however, are more crucial than others.
Inspired by the potential of today’s technological advancements, a growing number of tech visionaries are turning their attention to the all-important question, "How can computer science help the world?"
Careers in computer science are rewarding for a variety of reasons. Beyond earning a fair living, tech professionals can work on exciting and groundbreaking projects that often lead to remarkable feats. Some of these, however, are more crucial than others.
Inspired by the potential of today’s technological advancements, a growing number of tech visionaries are turning their attention to the all-important question, "How can computer science help the world?"
How Can Computer Science Help?
There are numerous charitable coding organizations and coding projects to help the community today — and these organizations and projects have proven successful in many different areas and fields, including environmental sustainability, healthcare innovation, education access, social justice, and disaster response.
Addressing Environmental Challenges
A leading web development career growth platform, Codemotion lists a range of ways that computer science is addressing environmental challenges. As just one example, software development has led to the creation of highly effective tools for monitoring and adjusting energy use. There are also effective digital solutions for managing greenhouse gas emissions, natural resources, and solid waste.
Ecologists can use specialized software to create authentic simulations of environmental systems, allowing them to better identify and understand areas of concern. Furthermore, software can effectively communicate the findings of ecologists to the public through apps, games, and other digital elements or formats that promote sustainable living practices or teach people about environmental issues.
While it is impossible to develop or operate computer software without consuming energy, many tech and coding organizations are prioritizing conservation and environmental concerns. This trend has coalesced into the green coding movement. IBM defines “green coding” as an “environmentally sustainable computing practice that seeks to minimize the energy involved in processing lines of code and, in turn, help organizations reduce overall energy consumption.”
Transforming Healthcare
Simply put, digital technology has precipitated nothing short of a revolution in the healthcare field over the past several decades. MoldStud lists electronic health record (EHR) tech, telemedicine, and predictive modeling as just three among many considerable healthcare advancements the digital era has brought us. EHR adoption has led to:
- Easier provider access to essential patient information
- Streamlined coding and billing processes
- Improved care coordination
- Fewer medical errors
- Greater patient safety
Beyond making care more convenient for a broad spectrum of patients, telemedicine uses online communication to deliver care to populations that would otherwise struggle to find it. An indispensable tool for modern healthcare professionals, predictive modeling uses big data analytics to map trends and make predictions to enable the early detection of disease outbreaks, optimize the allocation of healthcare resources, and identify high-risk patients for targeted interventions.
Advancements in computer science have also made it possible to monitor the health conditions of patients remotely, employ robotic surgical assistants in the operating room, and expand public healthcare education outreach. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) is driving the future of medical technology in diverse ways. For example, AI is making the diagnostic process faster and more accurate by enabling the development of innovative medications as well as driving the creation of personalized treatment plans and proactive healthcare interventions. Their ability to analyze large amounts of patient data lends AI algorithms the power to detect patterns and anomalies that can provide invaluable insights into medical diagnosis and treatment.
Expanding Access to Quality Education
It is difficult to adequately describe and quantify the positive impact of digital technology on education over the years. From online learning programs that bring students and instructors together over vast distances to internet search engines that make gathering information for research papers immeasurably easier, technology has both improved education and furthered educational outreach in countless ways.
The highly interactive nature of digital technology has given rise to a “gamification” movement, which borrows heavily from the world of video games to make exposure to academic information and practicing academic skills far more fun. Not to mention, individuals with learning disabilities and differences have benefitted from digital learning tools and platforms that take a multisensory and/or hands-on pedagogical approach.
Beyond its advantageous applications for students, digital technology has incredible potential to help educators do their jobs better while making their work lives easier. A 2020 report by McKinsey & Company determined that 20% to 40% of the tasks on which teachers spend the most time (including lesson planning, grading, and general administration) can be effectively outsourced to numerous forms of digital technology.
Advancing Social Justice
The digital educational outreach described above can be applied to informing people about pressing social issues and advocating for important social reforms. The Armenian Velvet Revolution of 2018 is just one among many examples of computer technology acting as a compelling force for political and cultural change. As discussed in the article “Teaching Case Social Media and the Velvet Revolution in Armenia,” the authoritarian Republican Party of Armenia had maintained control of the country for nearly two decades “with a grip on power which seemed indestructible.” However, the ruling party failed to adequately consider the power of social media: “The opposition used social media to mobilize people discontented with the situation in the country, coordinate and organize actions in a self-managed manner, instantly share information that the government-controlled traditional media kept silent about, and do many other things that made the revolution very efficient, effective, and successful.”
Enhancing Disaster Response and Crisis Management
Last but certainly not least, disaster preparedness and response have been fueled by computer science since the very beginning of the digital era. And the advent of AI and machine learning has expanded human disaster management capabilities immensely. As discussed by the disaster recovery consultancy Enigma Advisory, today’s computer systems can draw upon large amounts of historical data and real-time readings to make highly accurate predictions for all kinds of natural disasters. Additionally, digital systems have proven invaluable in training and assisting first responders using virtual reality and other advanced technologies.
Driving Global Change With Computer Science
The list above only partially addresses, “Why is computer science important?” In fact, computer science is driving global change in numerous contexts. As concerns over the rising dominance of AI and reports of cybersecurity breaches tend to dominate headlines, remember how digital technology has made (and continues to make) our lives better. Consider all the ways that you can use computer science to protect and advance humanity and the world we inhabit.
Learn More About How Computer Science Can Help the World
Want to make life better for people in your community or around the world? Technology can be a powerful tool — and the various tech programs at Champlain College Online can help you understand all the ways in which coding and computer science can drive global change. Starting with an investigation of healthcare technology, explore the Master of Science in Healthcare Analytics program at CCO. For more information about our Healthcare Analytics MS or any of our other tech degrees, contact an admissions representative today.
