INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Technology is the advancement in communication and handling of information which enables government, organizations, industries
and ordinary individuals to improve on their decision making, business processes, and everyday living.

ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is related to technologies that facilitate the transfer of information and various
types of electronically meditated communication (Zuppo, 2012).

4 Classifications of ICT
1. Economic Development
2. Economic Sector
3. Education
4. Business/IT

IT vs ICT
I.T refers to the industry that involves computers, software, networking and other IT infrastructure. Thus, a subset of ICT. (Wang,
2016)

ICT or Information and Communication Technology

A. Information refers to the knowledge obtained from reading, investigating, study or research. Some of the tools that transmit
information are the telephone, television, and radio.
Information is needed to make decisions and to foresee the future. E.g. typhoon, tsunami or earthquake that can be detected using
the latest technology and warn the public to avoid disasters in affected areas.
Knowledge is processed information. Knowledge helps to fulfill daily tasks. E.g. weather updates.

B. Communication is an act of transmitting messages. A process in which information is exchanged between individuals through
verbal and non-verbal means. Forms of communication has evolved through time as communicating more and more complex
ideas have become necessary. In prehistoric days, signs and symbols are utilized as evidenced by cave painting and drawings,
rock art, stone carvings and the like. With technology, communication is faster, more convenient, and more efficient. When face-
to-face meeting is not possible, long distance communication or virtual communication is now common and easy with the use of
smartphones and computers with internet access.

C. Technology has evolved in ways that improve people’s daily activities.

a. Communication – easier and faster. e.g. telephone, fax machines, mobile devices and the internet
b. Information – broadcasting of news or weather reports is more effective. Radio, television, satellites and the World Wide
Web are powerful tools that can be used by individuals to gather needed information to aid them in their office, school or
house work, or in simple day-to-day activities.

Evolution of Technology

 Depended on Human rationale – thinks of ways to accomplish workload, task or daily activities easily
 Tool – basic component of technology. e.g. house = hacksaw, hammer and set of nails, transport = wheels
 Machines – combined set of tools that can do the tasks faster and more efficiently. e.g. Wheels  vehicles
 Machines: Luxury  necessities e.g. transportation: public vs private, computer
 Automation: caused the evolvement of gadgets. (e.g. computers in the past, or Iphones). It is the technique of making an
apparatus, a process or a system operate automatically. It includes a broad range of technologies normally connecting computer
systems to other systems, such as sensors, wirelss applications, expert systems, and systems integration among others. The
integration is made in such a way that these interconnected systems are capable of self-acting or self-regulation.
 Automated systems can reduce the instances of errors, which are usually caused by human-based decision and comprehension.
Companies often used automated system because it  productivity and  the time to market.

History of Computer

Evolution of technology = people’s dependency on computers to do their daily tasks in school, at work, or in their routines. From
research purposes to more compact, more mobile and more integrated computers.

Generation Period Description

Living in the Information Technology Era
Prepared by: Calderon, Lady Mae B.
Instructor
 Designed by J. Presper Eckert & John Mauchly; known as the Electronic Numeric Integrator
and Calculator (ENIAC). It is a modular computer, composed of several panels capable of
performing different functions.
First 1946 – 1959
It could store only limited or small amount of information and only do arithmetic operations
such as addition and subtraction of up to 10 digits. Size: 167 square meters and weighed 27
tons
The transistor was used as the interior sections of the computer. Transistors were much
Second 1959 – 1965 smaller, faster, and more dependable than the vacuum tubes of the 1st gen. They generated less
heat and consumed less electricity but were still very costly
Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit (IC) that was used instead of transistors as the
interior sections to build the computer. A single IC has many transistors, resistors, and
Third 1965 – 1971 capacitors that even the full circuit board of a transistor can be replaced entirely with one chip.
This chip made the computers smaller, unfailing, and effective. Remote processing, time-
sharing, and multiprogramming operating systems were used.
Very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits were used to build computers. These circuits have
about 5,000 transistors and other circuits elements with their connected circuits on a single
Fourth 1971 - 1980 chip known as the microprocessor. Computers became more powerful, dense, reliable, and
inexpensive. The other application of this microprocessor technology can be used and applied
for pocket calculators, television sets, automotive devices, and audio and video appliances.
VLSI technology has evolved into what is called ultra large-scale integration (ULSI)
technology, with manufacture of microprocessor chips having 10 million electronic
Fifth 1980 onwards components. This generation involves computer intelligence which is associated with artificial
intelligence (AI), natural language, and expert systems that interpret the means and practices
of producing computers that think like human beings.

Why computers are powerful?

Can store large amounts of data and information and allows users to communicate with other users or computers. User is anyone who
communicates and interacts with a computer or makes use of the information it generates.

1. Speed - In the system unit, operations get done through electronic circuits. When data, instructions, and information drift
along these circuits, they travel at incredibly fast speeds.
2. Reliability and Consistency - The electronic components in modern computers are dependable because they have a low
failure rate. The high reliability of components enables the computer to produce consistent results.
3. Accuracy – computers process large amounts of data and generate error-free results, provided the data is inputted correctly
and the instructions work properly. If data is inaccurate, the resulting output is also incorrect. *garbage in, garbage out =
accuracy of a computer’s output depends on the accuracy of the input.
4. Communication – happens between two or more people sending and receiving messages from one another. Sender 
Receiver. Message can contain facts, thoughts, perceptions, judgments, beliefs, attitudes, commands, and even reactions.
Digital Age, Information Age, and Computer Age

Used interchangeably, capture the ubiquitous nature of computing and the prolific use of technology in almost all aspects of human
activity such that digital interaction is a defining characteristic of human activity.
It is a period in human history characterized by the shift from traditional industry to information technology-based economy brought
by industrialization during the Industrial Revolution. The definition of what digital means (or what information means) continues to
change over time as new technologies, user devices and methods of interaction with other people and devices enter the domain of
research, development, and market launch.
This period is characterized by the digital industry creating a knowledge-based society surrounded by a high-tech global economy that
exerts its influence on how the manufacturing process and the service sector work in an efficient and convenient way.

Media in the Digital Age

Media = means of communication that uses unique tools to interconnect among people. Forms of media: radio, television, cellular
phones, and internet (which involves the access and use of various social media sites). In the digital age, however, media can be
considered as the message, the medium, and the messenger.

The Message
Media is considered to be the message itself for those who create and own the rights of content. The forms of content can be user-
generated or professionally-produced. User-generated content (UGC) is a form of content created and owned by the users of a system.
UGC has grown exponentially especially with the wide internet coverage or easy WIFI access, increased social media participation,
Living in the Information Technology Era
Prepared by: Calderon, Lady Mae B.
Instructor
and affordable smart devices.

Examples of media tools used by millennials to generate content:

Blog – combination of web and log; keeping a diary or a journal is a traditional method of recording one’s thoughts or expressing
one’s emotions through online writing.

The Medium
The medium used refers to the tool/s used in sending a message from the source to the destination. Traditionally, for example,
professionals send messages to the audience, such as a news anchor delivering the news on TV and/or radio. However, with the latest
technologies, the so-called social media has become an avenue for information dissemination even taking over news sites in bringing
the latest or up-to-date content. E.g. twitter. The media, instead of just being an avenue for delivering messages, is becoming
increasingly social – with the audience themselves crating their own content and interacting with one another.

The Messenger
The one who delivers message. Broadcasters are messenger of news = media. In the digital space, however, “media” also refer to
social network users who create content themselves but are not professional journalist? Hence, although the media can be the message,
the medium, and the messenger, in the digital age, the demarcation line between them are somewhat blurry.

Evolution of Media
Transformed itself based on two things:
1. How information presented
2. How the connection is established

e.g. newspapers, magazines or textbooks, radio and television and shopping

In line with this development, the audience regardless of their professions can now interact with one another and no longer
disconnected. News sites can even get news stories from social media sites.
Individuals now can deliver content to everyone through their social media apps and connections are no longer controlled by
professionals.

Overview of Current Trends

Trend – something hip or popular at a certain point in time. It can either be in fashion, devices, or entertainment.
Technology is bound to upgrade.
e.g. cellular phone + digital camera + portable music player + laptop = smartphones

In an article from Forbes.com (DeMers (2016) identified seven major trends in 2017:
1. IoT and smart home technology – Internet of Things
2. Augmented reality and virtual reality
3. Machine learning
4. Automation
5. Ig Data
6. Physical – digital integrations
7. Everything on demand

Impact of ICT on Individuals, and Society

Positive Effects Negative Effects
Improved access to Education Reduced personal interaction and physical activity
Access to information and communication Job loss or increase in unemployment
Security Security

Ethical Issues in ICT

1. Plagiarism
2. Exploitation
3. Libel

Living in the Information Technology Era

Prepared by: Calderon, Lady Mae B.
Instructor
 Living in the Information Technology Era
Prepared by: Calderon, Lady Mae B.
Instructor