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U1 Empowerment Technologies Lesson 1

This document provides an introduction to the unit on Information and Communications Technology (ICT). It discusses the objectives of understanding what ICT is and its relevance to society. The document defines ICT and its components, which include people, procedures, hardware, software, data and information. It also discusses the large impact ICT has had on society, enabling communication, education, employment, government services, commerce and entertainment.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
91 views14 pages

U1 Empowerment Technologies Lesson 1

This document provides an introduction to the unit on Information and Communications Technology (ICT). It discusses the objectives of understanding what ICT is and its relevance to society. The document defines ICT and its components, which include people, procedures, hardware, software, data and information. It also discusses the large impact ICT has had on society, enabling communication, education, employment, government services, commerce and entertainment.

Uploaded by

San San
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 14

Unit 1: Introduction to Information and

Communications Technology
Lesson 1: Understanding ICT and Its
Relevance to Society
Contents

Engage 1

Introduction 1

Objectives 2

Explore 2

Explain and Elaborate 5

Information and Communications Technology 5

Components of Information and Communications Technology 6

Impact of ICT on the Society 9

ICT at Home 9

ICT as a Communication Tool 10

ICT and Education 10

ICT and Employment 11

ICT and Government 11

ICT and Commerce 12

ICT and the Entertainment Industry 12


Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology

Introduction

Fig. 1. Students doing their assignments using computers

Computer and internet technology has brought about many changes in the way we live today. The
word online, when added to activities like shopping, banking, payment, enrollment, and learning,
immediately brings smiles to our faces because it means we can accomplish the said tasks in a more
convenient and time-saving manner. Buying gifts during special events or holidays for example is a very
tiring task for people during the pre-internet era because we have to physically be at gift shops to find
that perfect present for our families and friends. Now, by using online shopping applications,
customers are presented with numerous options for gift items that are delivered right to their
doorstep.

Twenty-first-century learners like you are now capable of accumulating numerous answers to a
question in the form of text, image, and videos just by using search

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology
engines. Teachers and students can now easily communicate with one another while working on
assignments or group projects with the use of online communication services like chat applications,
email, and social media sites.

How would you describe life without computers and other digital technologies? How do you think
computers affect the different aspects of your life and yourself? When you think about it, are they all
positive or are there negative effects of digital technologies too? In general, how do you think digital
technologies contribute and affect society?

Objectives
In this lesson, you should be able to
● define information and communications technology (ICT),
● categorize the components of ICT, and
● evaluate the benefits of having ICT as a tool in societal development.

DepEd Competency
Explain the relevance of ICT to society. (This is an additional lesson for enrichment.)

10 minutes
Are you familiar with the expressions “OMG” and “LOL”? These two are called acronyms. Acronyms are
shorthand ways of saying an expression, a phrase, a name of an institution, a place, or an event, which are
formed by combining the first letters of each word from a series of words. For example, the acronym “LOL”
stands for “Laughing Out Loud” while “OMG” is short for “Oh, My Gosh!” Can you share with the class
some other acronyms that you know?

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology
In this activity, we will reverse the process by letting you create meanings from the letters of the word that will
be given by your teacher. This is a group dynamics activity wherein you will be required to use the letters
C-O-M-P-U-T-E-R, to represent the impacts of the existence of computers in society. Each letter must
represent a noun, an adjective, a verb, or a phrase. For example, let us have the letter C, which can represent
communication because as we all know, computers are used as communication tools (email, chat, and
social media) that enable people to interact with one another online.

Form a group with a maximum of five members. Discuss with your group what you think are the impacts
of computers based on your observations and experience. Then, choose which of those can be represented
using the letters of the word computer. Provide a short explanation for each of your choices. Use the
table below to write your answers.

Letter Word Explanation

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology

Guide Questions
1. With all the words that you have included in the activity, which word or phrase was the hardest to
provide? Which was the easiest?

2. Which word or phrase do you think represents the most significant effect of having computers in
society? Which word or phrase do you think represents its least significant contribution?

3. How do you think your life would be if computers did not exist up to now?

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology

Information and Communications Technology

Information and communications technology (ICT) refers to all electronic and communication
technologies that enable the management and distribution of information.

There is currently no universally accepted definition of ICT, considering that the various components,
concepts, and tools related to ICT are evolving rapidly. However, the generally accepted definition provided
by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), defined ICT as "basic information-handling tools, a
varied set of goods, applications, and services that are used to produce, store, process, distribute, and
exchange information. They include the "old" ICTs of radio, television, and telephone, and the "new" ICTs of
computers, satellite and wireless technology, and the internet. These different tools are now able to work
together, and combine to form our "networked world"—a massive infrastructure of interconnected
telephone services, standardized computing hardware, and television, which reaches into every corner of
the globe." ICT also includes social media, music and video streaming platforms, software, and the
applications installed in your smartphones. The coverage of ICT is far-reaching, and the list continues to
grow as new technologies emerge such as smart TVs, 3D printing and self-driving cars.

ICT is a combination of its components—people, data, procedures, hardware, software, and information—
that has to work hand in hand to create systems that aim to improve our way of performing day-to-day
activities and enable us to communicate easily.

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology

Components of Information and Communications Technology


Information and communications technology (ICT) is composed of six components: people, data,
procedures, hardware, software, and information. These components are equally important to the
processes within an ICT system.

Fig. 2. Components of information and communications technology

People
People refer to individuals who are responsible for the development, improvement, and maintenance of
an ICT system. People are also responsible for the input and supply of data to the system and make
decisions from the output information from the system. They include computer programmers, computer
engineers, technicians, graphic designers, web developers, encoders, and systems analysts.

Procedures
Procedures are actions performed in a certain order and condition to make sure an ICT system runs
smoothly. This also includes the exchange of data or information between different people or systems.
Procedures are important in guiding the people or system what to do when situations such as accidental
deletion of data and system failures happen.

Hardware
Hardware is the technical term used to describe physical or tangible parts of an ICT system. If you can touch
it, then it is considered hardware. Examples include input devices (mouse, keyboards, touch screens,
microphones, digital cameras, etc.), storage (hard drives, flash drives, SD cards, etc.), processors (central
processing unit, graphics processing unit, etc.),

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology
and output devices (monitors, printers, speakers, 3D printers, etc.). Communication devices that enable the
distribution of data across networks are also categorized as hardware.

Fig. 3. A laptop, tablet, and smartphone are hardware devices.

Software
Software is the generic term for programs and applications installed on your personal computer, laptop,
or smartphone. It is an ICT component that is responsible for providing sets of instructions that the
computer has to follow to accomplish a specific task. Word processing software, spreadsheets, graphic and
photo manipulation software, antivirus software, computer games, and operating systems are just a few
of the items that are included in this category.

Fig. 4. Apache OpenOffice is a free and open-source productivity software composed of a word
processor (left image), a spreadsheet, a presentation application (right image), a
drawing application, a formula editor, and a database management application.

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology
Both hardware and software are ICT components that people can continuously develop to increase
efficiency and productivity. For example, a printer, which is a hardware, has changed a lot from being a slow
noisy dot matrix printer that prints in black and white to the wireless laser printers that can print multicolored
documents rapidly.

Data
Data are the raw facts or figures that can be processed, stored, and transmitted by an ICT system. Examples
of data include sets of numbers, the characters in a document or website, audio and video recordings, and
transaction records. Data, when viewed by us, can seem simple, random, and without meaning, until it is
processed and organized, which transforms the data into information. Data are the building blocks of
information much like the individual pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Information
Information is the result of processed, organized, and structured data. It is the output of an ICT system with
context and meaning that makes it useful for the people using the system. Recall that data is like the
individual pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. After you have organized and put each piece in its right place (processing)
that you see the whole image—you have transformed data into information. Another example of data is a
list of student scores in an exam. Information is the calculated average score since a user, in this case a
teacher, can use that information to identify which students are struggling if their scores are below
average.

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology

Impact of ICT on the Society


The developments in ICT have become one of the greatest influences in shaping our society. From the
moment we wake up until we close our eyes to sleep, our lives are affected by the marvelous inventions
brought about by ICT. Computers, the most popular icon of ICT, are present almost everywhere—from our
homes, schools, churches, hospitals, government offices, restaurants, and grocery stores, to name a few.
This serves as proof that ICT plays an important role in almost all aspects of our society. Computers pave
the way for a more convenient, efficient, and effective way of performing day-to-day transactions. Even
our regular buddy, the smartphone, is a product of ICT.

ICT at Home
ICT is undeniably present in our home when we do our daily household activities. With the use of laptops,
desktop computers, and internet connectivity, children can now accomplish their homework, research, and
school reports in the comfort of their bedrooms while listening to their favorite music. Mothers can always
surprise their families by preparing dishes that they learned from watching videos or by accessing recipe
books from cooking channels and websites. Fixing the faucet and repainting the fence now becomes an
easy task for fathers because they are guided by do-it-yourself (DIY) tutorials from video-streaming
websites, which are usually offered for free and available all the time. The whole family can also be
entertained by watching movies using multimedia devices like television sets or play their favorite video
games using home video game consoles. Aside from entertainment, products of ICT such as CCTV or IP
cameras can also provide security to our homes.

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology

ICT as a Communication Tool


Our way of communicating has changed dramatically through the development of mobile phones that are
capable of connecting to the internet and the introduction of applications that support different formats of
communication. These developments in communications technology have connected millions of people
across great distances using modern communication methods such as chat, email, video chat, and social
media platforms. Its effect is very evident in the delivery of crisp-sounding voice calls, high definition (HD)
quality video streams, and real-time chat responses that have brought families and friends closer together.

ICT and Education


ICT has greatly affected the education sector, bringing
about the enhanced facilitation of learning through
computer-aided learning, e-learning, educational
games, and learning management systems (LMS).
Classrooms are often equipped with multimedia
devices like projectors, smart televisions (smart TV),
and computers so that teachers can make use of
multimedia materials like pictures, audio, and
videos for their lesson presentations. Classes have
become more creative and interactive for students
because

Fig. 5. Students use laptops inside the


classroom to enhance learning.
of the learning tools that their teachers have downloaded from the internet. With the use of search engines
and learning communities, students are now capable of gaining new knowledge and skills that will help
them study in advance or learn about various topics that are not included in their curriculum.

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology

ICT and Employment


The internet has empowered people by providing
them with a way to work without the need to leave
the comforts of their home. Many occupations
such as teaching, secretarial work, graphic design,
medical transcription, and telemarketing are now
being offered as online jobs that allow people to
perform tasks assigned to them using online
platforms. This is very valuable, especially for
mothers who want to take

Fig. 6. Employees can now work anywhere as


long as they have internet connection.

care of their children while earning money for their needs.

ICT and Government


The Philippine government recognizes ICT as an effective tool in delivering quality and efficient services to
its people. E-governance (or e-government) is a standard practice in most of our government agencies, that
encourages the use of ICT to improve the access and delivery of government services like tax filing,
document registration, and file requests to the public. With the passing of Executive Order No. 02, s. 2016 or
the “Operationalizing in the Executive Branch the People’s Constitutional Right to Information and
the State Policies to Full Public Disclosure and Transparency in the Public Service,” government
agencies under the executive department are now required to upload their documents for the public to
view and scrutinize to promoting transparency and good governance. In addition, different branches of the
government—including city and municipal government—are starting to utilize social media sites to cascade
information and respond to the issues of their constituents swiftly.

ICT and Commerce


In the Philippines, online shops have become very popular through the rise of smartphones and the
continuous development of internet infrastructure. Goods as simple as toothpicks up to gigantic-sized LED
TVs can now be purchased just by clicking a few buttons on an application. This technology has empowered
business owners by allowing them to sell

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology
products without the need for physical stores. Customers benefit from this technology because of the
capability of buying items from a wide variety of choices that can be ordered in several clicks.

ICT and the Entertainment Industry


Local media outfits have adopted a new form of delivering their content to their audience through online
video streaming. Viewers will have no problem missing their favorite television shows since all the episodes
are uploaded on the internet, making them accessible 24/7 through the use of a smart TV, a laptop or
computer, or even a smartphone with an internet connection. It empowers the audience by allowing them
to watch only the shows they like, sometimes without advertisements, at their own convenience. The
advent of machine learning has also impacted the way we consume content by giving us
recommendations based on what we watched or listened to before. Parents can also benefit using this
technology because they can use the settings to select shows that are suitable for their children. Movies,
documentaries, and even songs can be made available on-demand using applications for streaming and
downloading media.

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Unit 1: Introduction to Information and Communications Technology

Wrap Up
___________________________________________________________________________________________

● Information and communications technology (ICT) refers to technologies that are used
to support the processing, storing, securing and transmitting of information.
● Software, hardware, information, procedures, people, and data are the six
components of ICT.
● The impacts of ICT are seen at home, communication, education, employment,
government, commerce, and the entertainment industry.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

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