Lesson 1 – Introduction to Information Technology

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 Lesson 1 – Introduction to Information Technology

LESSON 1 – INTRODUCTION TO
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

• define information technology
• discuss the components of Information Technology
• appreciate the uses of Information Technology

INTRODUCTION

Probably, you have encountered the word Information Technology or its contraction "IT”
every day. You might have heard a television and radio advertisement about "IT services and
solutions” or read news about the" latest trend in IT" on social media platforms and other
websites. Or you were asked to go to the "IT" department or see the " IT" guy in Building A,
and even perhaps someone asked you to enroll in an IT course. Whatever ways you have
encountered the "IT" word, the first thing that might come to your mind is a computer. Am I
right? You are correct in the notion that IT is associated with computers. However, IT is a
broad term that speaks more than that, and we will find out that in this lesson.

In this lesson, you will learn about the meaning and the different components of
information technology. How information technology is being used in society will also be
discussed.

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 Lesson 1 – Introduction to Information Technology

What is Information Technology?

According to Sawyer and Williams (2015), Information technology (IT)” is a general

term for any technology that produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and disseminate
information. “ This definition is supported by Fox(2013) where he defines IT as the technology
used in creating, maintaining and making information accessible. In other words, it is a field
where people used computing resources, software, data, and computer networks to produce
information that can be accessed readily.
IT merges computing with fast telecommunication links transporting different kinds of
data such as text, audio, and video. The link is based on one of more several types of
information transmission paths such as those provided communication satellites, terrestrial
radio communications infrastructure and computer networks to connect two or more points.

The term” information technology” first appeared in a 1958 article published in the
Harvard Business Review, authored by Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas L.

Components of Information Technology

There are two essential parts of information technology – computer technology and
communications technology.

Computer Technology
A computer is a multi-use, automatic machine that transforms data into information
according to a set of logical instructions called programs with the utmost speed. It has a
storage capacity that facilitates access and retrieval to billions of characters of data. Data are
raw facts and figures that are processed into information. Information is data that has been
summarized or otherwise transformed for use in decision-making. The whole purpose of a
computer is to speed up problem-solving and to increase productivity.

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 Lesson 1 – Introduction to Information Technology

Communications Technology

According to the National Academy of Science, communication or telecommunication refers to

a" suite of technologies, devices, equipment, facilities, networks, and applications that support
communication at a distance." Telecommunication technologies include telephone, radio,
satellite, broadcast television, cable TV, and computer networks. These technologies enable fast
transmission of data and information over any distance.

Communication among computers happens when people “go online” on the Internet. Hence,
the word online means using a computer or other information device, connected through a
network, to access information and services from another computer or information device. A
network is a communication system connecting two or more computers. The Internet is the
largest network (Sawyer and Williams, 2015).

Activity 1.1 – Concept Mapping

Draw a concept map that best describes your concept/ideas of information technology using
any applications/web technologies that support drawing.

To learn about concept mapping, click the following link. https://youtu.be/sZJj6DwCqSU

How Information Technology Affects Us

Information technology is affecting our lives in many ways and will do so even more in the
future. Here is how according to Sawyer and Williams (2015):

1. The education system benefits from information technology. Some uses of information
technology in the education system are:
a) Online systems allow students to enroll in courses at the comfort of their homes and
parents to track their children's grades.

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b) When properly integrated into the curriculum and the classroom, IT can allow students
to personalize their education, such as taking courses on flipped learning. It helps
teachers in automating tedious and rote tasks of teaching and managing classes.
Therefore, it reduces the teacher's workload per student so that the teacher can spend
more time reaching individual students.
c) Course-management software or learning management system allows teachers to
administer online assignments, examinations, schedules, and grades.
d) Online learning or e-learning paves the way for students in remote prairie towns to
access career and technical courses. Moreover, it helps busy professionals obtain further
credentials outside business hours.
e) Intelligent tutoring systems software gives students individualized instruction when
personal attention is scarce, such as Cognitive Tutor. Hence, it helps students improve
their performance in math and enthusiasm for the subject they have once disliked.
f) Interactive simulation games allow students to apply their knowledge to real-world kinds
of problems.
g) Some companies also use avatars in their employees' training programs, which
employees find engaging for mock conversations. Avatars are computer depictions of
humans, which are often found in online games representing imaginary customers and
coworkers.
2. Information technology is now often used in the fields of health and medicine. Digital
technology, such as phones and tablets, electronic record-keeping, and a host of clinical
innovations, is transforming medicine in virtually every way.
a. Telemedicine is a medical care delivered via telecommunications and has been
around for some time. For example, physicians in rural areas with no access to
radiologists have used "teleradiology" to exchange computerized images such as X-
rays via telephone-linked networks with expert physicians in metropolitan areas.
Image transfer technology allows radiologic images such as CT scans and MRIs
immediately transmitted to electronic charts and physicians' offices.
b. Robot medicine. Automatic devices that perform functions ordinarily performed by
human beings are called robots. Robot medicine helps free medical workers for more
critical tasks. For example, da Vinci Si surgical robot, can for the smallest incision

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and stitches for complex surgery deep inside the body, so that surgery is less
traumatic and recovery time faster.
c. Health Self-Help. There are thousands of medical websites that provide reliable
health information and offer online consultation for free or with a fee most people
use to figure out a medical condition. Some sites offer services that can predict
longevity and risk for particular inherited diseases. Examples, www.livingto100.com,
and www.hhs.gov/familyhistory.
3. Information technology is reducing the use of traditional money.
We are becoming a cashless and - virtual money - society. Virtual means something is
created, simulated, or carried on through a computer or network, but also that seems
almost real. Nowadays, paper checks, credit and debit cards, automatic transfers via bank
apps, and electronic wallet accounts such as PayPal, PayMaya, and GCash besides currency
are used for paying purchases. These cashless payment methods can be accessed using a
smartphone.
4. Telecommuters or people who work from home at least one day a week are increasingly
able to perform work at home as information technology advances. Among the home-based
or micro-jobs that people do hope to earn extra income are:
a. selling art, crafts, or anything interesting online
b. licensing photos to microstock photo agencies
c. taking on quick tasks such as doing quick fieldwork assignments
d. Putting experience to work such as a tutor

5. Information technology is helping the government to deliver services and affecting political
activism. The Internet and other information technology have helped the government
deliver better services and paved the way for making governmental operations more
transparent. They have also changed the nature of politics. For instance, all national
government agencies are required to maintain a transparency seal on their official websites
to enhance transparency and enforce accountability in public service.

6. Every occupation today requires some sort of computer skills, whether it is a top-paying or
an ordinary job. Working knowledge of specific computer skills is a must. Employees seek
and reward employees with the skills and expertise to send emails, use spreadsheets to

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create graphs, paste them to reports, and edit data in a database. A job candidate who
possesses these skills will stand out above those who do not.

7. Aside from traditional education with training in computer skills, one must also be smart about
job searching. Careers and job hunting are now available on job hiring websites such as
jobstreet.com.ph and pinoyjobs.ph. These websites are also used by employers for posting,
promoting, and filling new job openings.

8. Technology has affected our personal lives in ways that were almost unimaginable 20 years
ago. Two examples:
1. Communication platforms such as Skype, Zoom, Facebook Chat, or Google Meet make
communication among family and friends way much cheaper and more accessible.
2. Online relationship sites or online dating sites provide electronic forums that people may
join to meet compatible companions or mates. There are over 1000 such sites.

Activity 1.2. - REFLECTION

In not less than 100 words, describe how information technology has been useful to you as an

individual. Write it in your journal.

Please write legibly.

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REFERENCES

Fox, R. (2013). Information Technology An Introduction for Today’s Digital World.

Williams, B.K. and Sawyer, S.C. (2015). Using Information Technology: A practical
Introduction to Computers and Communications.

Renewing U.S. Telecommunications Research (2006). The National Academics of Sciences,

Engineering, Medicine. Accessed at https://www.nap.edu/read/11711/chapter/3.

Telecommunications link. Retrieved from

https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/telecommunications-link/m02y_372?hl=en

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