The Expository Speech

Creative Opening – 20s

The first thermometers were invented in the late 1500s to early 1600s but these were very
inaccurate and carried no standardized scale. In 1714 however, the Fahrenheit thermometer
was invented, later the Celsius thermometer and this technology has become safer and more
accurate ever since.
Pre- Amble – 23s
My name is Jamin Thomas, the theme we had chosen for our portfolio is technology, but we
decided to focus on the topic, “The Impact of Technology on Pandemic Relief”. In this
presentation I will be discussing the problems that have arisen due to Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Covid-19 and the deployed technological solutions. I will also
be evaluating the sources used in this presentation, and discussing the issues we faced while
doing this research.
Introduction – 53s
We chose this topic due to its relevancy, the availability of recent data, and the interest my
group has in technology. It is an undoubtedly important topic and our cumulative interest and
personal experience led us to researching this topic further for this discussion. The current
outbreak began in December 2019 and has since plagued every country on the planet. This
has however, been met with technological innovation worldwide, reminiscent of those major
advancements made during any crisis such as the invention of RADAR during World War II.
Today, I will be discussing technologies as it pertains to 2 areas: 1 – People; Their health,
economic wellbeing, and knowledge of the pandemic and 2 – Industries; Innovations,
Adaptations, and their importance in the pandemic.
The Body – 3m 41s
For this discussion we have selected and evaluated two sources: Firstly, “8 ways in which
technology helps pandemic management” by Professor Manjunath and secondly, our own
survey on “The Impact of Technology on Personal Wellbeing”. Professor Manjunath and the
majority of persons in the world would agree that this global crisis is devastating. It is evident
that the pandemic has decimated jobs and placed millions of livelihoods at risk. However in
the Professor’s report, he takes a more optimistic view as he explores various ways in which
technology has “lessened the impact” of the pandemic. One such way is remote working
which has allowed many to remain in their jobs, ensuring their economic wellbeing, all while
social distancing. Based on the individuals that participated in our survey, we note that 75%
of their working and learning experience is now done remotely/online but this can come with
its disadvantages. Some of the common struggles of online work is staying focused and
motivated, along with internet connectivity issues, however online work can also offer a
number of advantages such as a more flexible schedule, more free time and a reduced need to
commute which limits the amount of contact with other people. These are just a few ways in
which technology has allowed people to with the pandemic.
For people to be truly protected, though, one factor still remains which is the timely access to
accurate information concerning the pandemic. Technology allows for the swift transfer of
information, from our survey we see that individuals are updated about the pandemic many
times a day or at least once or twice a week. Inaccurate or misinformation, however, can
cause widespread panic, chaos, and at its worst violence and discrimination. Companies such
as Google, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok are tackling this issue by guiding users to
accurate and verifiable information states Prof. Manjunath. From this, it is clear that
technology has done a great deal in alleviating the issues the pandemic has caused for people,
but this only scratches the surface of how much technology has positively affected
businesses. Many shops have adapted and bolstered their online presence in the form of
advertisements, social media accounts and online stores. Others stores have become
contactless, meaning, they now use smartphones and smart cards for transactions while
drones deliver products. But the true innovation brought along can be best seen in the medical
field. Some hospitals in China and other first world countries have begun to use robots to
sterilize facilities, deliver medications and take information and readings from patients. Prof.
Manjunath writes on another sector of medicine where Artificial Intelligence (AI) are being
used to understand the virus and develop a vaccine. The medical field perfectly illustrates the
importance of businesses during the pandemic: Despite the circumstances, it is economically
impossible for most countries to halt work and as such, technological innovation is necessary
as it is the solution to the problems the pandemic has caused.
Evaluation of Sources
While conducting this research, due to the fact that Covid-19 is a relevant and fresh topic, our
group had more of a problem choosing from the variety of sources available. We settled with
the article, “8 Ways in Which Technology Helps Pandemic Management”, because it was
proven valid as it carries relevant information about ways technology is used during the
pandemic and it was published near the start of the current Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020.
The article is reliable because it was written by Professor Manjunath who is a highly
acclaimed professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The source is also credible
because it was published in The Economic Times Online Newspaper, which is a site that
produces factual news occurring worldwide. For our primary source we used a questionnaire,
however we had trouble getting the amount of people we had aimed for to participate.
Nonetheless, we believe that the survey conducted is valid because we chose a sample that
we know do majority of the working and learning online, therefore they would be able to
accurately provide information in that area. The survey is also reliable because we used
questions that were proofread by our teacher and we considered all the answers with care. It
is also credible seeing as everyone worldwide is affected by Covid-19 the audience chosen
has first-hand experience in the way technology has affected them during the pandemic.
Conclusion
In conclusion, advancements in technology indeed have a large impact in how we cope with
the problems arisen from the pandemic. In terms of a person’s health and economic well-
being, online working and education allows one to stay safe while securing their livelihood.
Companies and businesses have come up with solutions to combat the problems of the
pandemic such as contactless transactions and using robots to do high risk jobs in the medical
field. Sure technology has aided in providing relief from Covid-19, and no doubt our
appreciation for it has grown during this difficult time.