EDU 1207 INTRODUCTION TO ICT IN EDUCATION I Level 100

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CHAPTER TWO

CONCEPT OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE

2.0. Introduction

Software is a generic term for an organized collection of computer data and instructions.
Software is the set of instruction that tells the computer what to do and when to do it. The
computer uses this instruction to manipulate data, and enhance the proper functioning of the
hardware components. It is designed to exploit and provide the potential capabilities of the
hardware to the user. It converts data into information and allows users to use the computer in
different ways.

Computer programs are always in written form. This means that the person who writes a
program also decides on its functionality and behavior; which explains why two programs that
are supposed to do the same thing, don't do it the same way. This is why, regardless of the
expertise, one need to be acquainted with a particular program in order to make better use of it.
The fact that one does not know a particular program does not say anything about your
intelligence or lack of it. It simply means that one is not familiar with that program.

These programs are usually stored and transferred via the computer’s hardware to and from the
CPU. Software also governs how the hardware is utilized; for example, how information is
retrieved from a storage device. The interaction between the input and output devices is
controlled by software called the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) Software. Software as a
whole can be divided into a number of categories based on the types of work done by programs.

2.1. Operating System

An operating system is a program that acts as an intermediary between the application programs
and the computer hardware. Operating systems control the computer hardware and act as an
interface with application programs. One cannot directly use computer applications (or
programs) with computer hardware without a translation system between the hardware and the
applications. This translation system is called the operating system (OS). The Windows or Mac
OS works behind-the-scenes to run the computer (i.e., the software and the hardware). It tells the
computer what to do when it starts up and keeps track of your documents, files, and other

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software. It also provides the standard user interface component (like menus and the desktop)
that you see when one looks at the computer screen. Both the Windows and the Mac OS
operating systems use a graphical interface (pictures or icons instead of text) that allows one to
immerse in multitasking (accessing multiple applications and files simultaneously).. These
windows are a series of boxes, which can be opened and closed as needed.

The most common type of the personal computer is Microsoft windows Operating System. There
are various types of Microsoft Windows. A type of Microsoft Windows is referred to as a
version. Examples of versions are Microsoft Windows 3.3, Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft
Windows NT Workstation, Microsoft Windows NT Server, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft
Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows Millennium, Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft
Windows XP Professional, and Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

Functions of the Operating System

 Memory management: It manages the effective usage of internal memory, RAM while
running multi-programs.

 Protector and error handling.

 File management.

 Facilitates booting

 Resource sharing: manages resources by ensuring proper and effective use.

 Provision of virtual machine: Hidings the hardware details from the user.

 Manages multitasking: determines which application should run, in what order, and how much
time should be allowed for each application before giving another application access to run.

2.2. Types of Software

There are two types of software, which includes Application software and System software.
2.2.1. Application Software

Application software helps users solve a particular problem or carry out a specific task. A word
processor is an example of application software. Applications, or apps, are end-user software.

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They contain basic to advanced sets of digital tools that are designed for productivity tasks such
as calculations and text editing. They are at the end of the software queue because they enable
users to accomplish complex to simple productivity tasks.

The Two Types of Application Software are General Purpose Applications and Custom
Software.

A. General Purpose Applications Software

These are sometimes referred to as off-the-shelf applications, are designed as fully-featured

packages. They are meant to accomplish a broad range of tasks as opposed to custom software
which accomplishes tasks specific to user requirements. General purpose applications are
available in standalone versions or are bundled together to make up application suites.

Application suites such as MS Office, Apache OpenOffice, iWork, WPS Office, CorelDRAW
Graphics Suite, and Adobe Creative Suite are bundles of applications with different
functionality. They complement each other to make complete productive packages for the office,
school, and home.

A typical suite includes at least a word processor, presentation app, database app, and graphics
app. Corel and Adobe suites, however, favor graphics and video editing applications. WPS
Writer is an application software for word processing

i. Word Processors
These types of application software feature basic tools to create, edit, format, and save text files
until they are WSYWIG (what you see is what you get). The saved files can then be sent to a
printer to produce a hard copy or used for other purposes.
Word processors can be used to create multiple kinds of documents such as reports, letters,
newsletters, invoices, and manuals. They have additional features such as mail merge, email, and
send to blog.
They also have tools for the advanced formatting of graphics for publishing.
Examples of word processing applications include MS Word, WPS Writer, and Apple Pages.
ii. Electronic Spreadsheets

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Spreadsheets are used to manipulate large amounts of financial data in business, science, or for
personal accounting. Numeric or text data are entered in cells of tables to be calculated,
compared, and analyzed using select formulas.
The information gathered from these calculations are laid out for report preparation and
presentation.
Additional features in spreadsheets include the creation of graphs, charts, 3D data maps, pivot
tables, forecasting, etc.
MS Excel, LibreOffice Calc, and Google Sheets are examples of spreadsheets. phpMyAdmin is a
management tool for MySQL
iii. Data Management
Database applications are containers of related data for processing, analysis, storage, and
retrieval. They are comparable to a book library where items are stored in an orderly fashion for
ease of manipulation and access.
Typical desktop applications like MS Access, Filemaker, and dBASE are used for operational
assignments to create, organize, and update all kinds of related records like inventories, mailing
lists, purchases, catalogs, phone numbers, etc.
They allow users to query for specific information and generate reports with relative ease.
Relational database management systems like SQL, Cloud SQL, and Oracle are used in complex
installations to manage vast amounts data and ensure data integrity.
Facebook, Pinterest, and Symantec are just a few of the complex database systems built on
MySQL foundation.
On the other hand, non-SQL (NoSQL) database management implementations have taken shape
in recent years. This has given credence to document-oriented databases. They are based on
XML and JSON pages unlike relational databases which rely on tables.
Those favoring NoSQL value them because of their flexible data models and better scalability.
iv. Accounting
The field of accounting is about communicating financial details in a business by recording,
manipulating, sorting, storing, summarizing, and retrieving financial transactions in a
comprehensive manner.
Ultimately, general purpose accounting packages will be used to create and present balance
sheets, income and financial statements, and tax reports all according to set rules and procedures.

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A good accounting setup must also be vetted regularly by external auditing firms to ensure it
complies with set standards which govern financial establishments. Besides the eagle eyes of
auditors, the services of professional accounting firms can be sought to help streamline
procedural requirements.
Popular accounting software programs for small businesses include Quickbooks, Zoho Books,
and Sage.
Popular applications for enterprise are Xero, Intacct ERP, and Microsoft Dynamics.
Audit Desktop, MetricStream, and ECAT are examples of audit management software.
Google Slides is an online presentation app
v. Presentation
Presentation software is used to display ideas or concepts for business and educational purposes.
They typically show information in a slideshow format. Popular feature like bulleted lists,
graphs, charts, animations, text, audio, and video are used in creating slideshows.
These applications rely on the computer VGA or other output ports, like a projector or
smartboard, to display slide contents.
Additional features include screen recording, sharing, and collaboration tools.
Keynote, MS PowerPoint, and Corel Presentations are examples of presentation application
MS Publisher is a DTP application software
vi. Desktop Publishing (DTP)
DTPs are used to create illustrations, animations, and 3D images using text and graphics
embedded within the clip art library. DTP page layouts feature design tools and other elements
which allow the user to create quality typographic texts and imaginative graphics.
DTPs can be used to create brochures, newsletters, fliers, logos, magazines, newspapers,
business cards, and 3D models for publishing or printing.
Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Microsoft Publisher are just a few popular DTPs.
A car drawing using Sketchup.
vii. Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing
CAD and CAM applications are used by artists and engineers to create 2D and 3D drawings,
technical drawings of electrical and automotive structures, film animations, interior design and
3D models, and surveying images. They are intended for professionals to produce product
models on the computer before implementing the final design in the real world.

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CAD applications are commonly used to make architectural and construction drawings; they are
used to design cars, ships, planes, weapons, and other forms of machinery.
Popular software in this category includes AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, and PowerShape.
viii. Digital Video Editing
Digital video editing applications are tools used to edit video footage and sound recordings. This
can include sequencing and trimming clips as well as adding special effects. The goal is to
manipulate the video to enhance the quality of presentation.
These applications are commonly used in movies, television shows, documentaries,
advertisements, and in private events.
Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle Studio, and Final Cut studio are examples of editing applications.
ix. Educational Reference
Educational applications help students learn new information and skills through interactive
presentations. A computer-aided instruction (CAI) application helps students learn how to fix
things, learn new languages, strengthen math skills, etc.
Educational simulations of computerized models allow students to simulate experiments which
would otherwise be tricky to do in the classroom. Students can also build their own computerized
models, which they can share with other students locally and globally.
Other applications are research tools that students use for reference purposes. They can also
connect to the Internet to provide updated material.
Educational applications include electronic maps, Encarta encyclopedias, electronic dictionaries,
and electronic books.
x. Computer Games
Computer games are probably the most popular form of entertainment with young users. They
are more or less similar to games played on video consoles. Typically, they involve users
interacting with avatars and other kinds of characters on the display panels to drive, play card
games, solve mysteries, fly simulation planes, engage in virtual warfare, etc.
Gamers use all sorts of controllers to interact with games. The most popular types of controllers
are keyboards, joysticks, and USB controllers.
Besides games played between two individuals at home, online games are played between
different people from anywhere in the world using the internet.

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Popular desktop games include World of Warcraft, Need for Speed, Dead Rising, and FIFA
Football.
xi. Web Browsers
Browsers are used to access information on the World Wide Web (WWW). They are used to
request information from local networks or file servers. Browsers allow users to search, upload,
read, and even download text files, music, videos, images, web pages, and other content from
millions of resources available online.
Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, Opera, and Mozilla Firefox are the most popular
browsers in the market.
Besides the browsers listed above, another category of browsers is built around the foundation of
online anonymity and privacy. At the forefront of these browsers is the Tor network, which
primarily blocks third-party snoops from seeing websites visited by a user. It addition to
preventing websites from tracking user location, this network also permits a user to access
websites that are usually blocked by ordinary browsers.
Tor browser hides user identification by bouncing the transmission between network relays
around the world. This way, user search data and other communications are not easily analyzed
and monitored.
Epic and Comodo Dragon are other examples of browsers which support anonymous browsing.
xii. Search Engines
Search engines are types of application software which are used to search for information on the
internet. They work on top of browsers and use crawling or spider-like scripts to search for user
requests from every corner of the World Wide Web.
When a user types a search query in the browser, search engine algorithms immediately go to
work inside web page and directory databases to look for information that best answers user
requests.
Popular search engines include Google Search, Baidu, Bing, Wolfram Alpha, Yandex, and
DuckDuckGo.
xiii. Communication Softwares
These are applications which facilitate remote transmission of information between two or more
computer users. Transmission typically happens using internet, intranet, or other types of
network infrastructure.

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These applications facilitate all kinds of transfers ranging from audio, video, text, and graphics
files to real-time chats.
Communication tools can be grouped under the following:
• Email like Hotmail, Yahoo mail, and Gmail.
• Social network like Facebook, WeChat, and Twitter.
• Video conferencing like ChatBlazer, Google Hangout, and GoToWebinar.
• Instant messaging like WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, and QQ International.
• VOIP like Skype, Viber, and WhatsApp.
xiv. Other Categories of Application Software
• Network software: CytoScape, Snort, and igraph.
• Data analysis: SPSS, SAS, and Stata.
• Medical software: Advanced MD, FreeMED, and Compulink.
• Religious software: e-Sword, OpenLP, and Logos Bible Software.
• Virtual applications: Virtual Box, VMware, and Windows Virtual PC.
• Multimedia: Movie Edit Pro, Sony ACID Music Studio, and Maya.
• Media players: Power DVD, VLC, and Windows Media Player.
• Animation software: Cinema 4D, Maya, and Blender.
• Simulation software: Simulink, Enterprise Dynamics, and MATLAB.
• Document viewers: Adobe Reader, DocX Viewer, and FreeFileViewer.
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP): File Zilla, Cyberduck, WinCSP, and P2P
• Remote desktop access: TeamViewer, AeroAdmin, and Windows Remote desktop.
• Cloud storage: Google Drive, BackBlaze, and SugarSync.
• Music production: Fruity Loops, Logic Pro, and Garageband.
• Photo editing: Photoshop, Gimp, and Affinity Photo.
• Braille Editors: DBT Duxbury US, PictureBraille, and Lambda.
• Virtual assistants: Siri, Google Assistant, and Braina

B. Custom Software

Custom software is tailor-made to provide specific features and tools. while custom software is
tailor-made for a client's specific needs. They perform specific requested functions and may
contain borrowed features from off-the-shelf applications. Overall, they are meant to maximize

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productivity and provide cordial interfaces for users while cutting out the excess features of
general purpose software.

Custom applications are tweaked to suit the changing demands of the client organization.
Tweaks may include adaptations to evolving business trends and removal of obsolete features.

Custom software can be customized to create:

• Security and client identification systems.

• Consumer application portals.

• Attendance rosters.

• Custom receipts and invoices.

• Stock management applications.

• Student enrollment, performance, and records tools.

Organizations and schools tend to favor custom applications because they work with multiple
users and attend to multiple clients.

The ownership rights of an application also remain with the client, giving him/her absolute
authority to use or sell the application.

An application can be customized to run on traditional computing setups or inside browsers.

Popular examples of software under this category includes:

• School Management Information System (SMIS).

• Point of Sale (POS).

• Electronic registration software for schools

2.2.2. System Software

System software coordinates the activities and functions of hardware and software, and it
controls the operations of computer hardware. It also consists of programs that start up the
computer and perform some utility functions such as checking and getting the computer ready
for use. They are usually written to accomplish loading, execution, storage, and retrieval of files

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from/into the computer. A computer's operating system is an example of system software.

System software also includes utility software, device drivers and firmware.

A. Utility Software
Utility software helps to manage, maintain and control computer resources. Operating systems
typically contain the necessary tools for this, but separate utility programs can provide improved
functionality. Utility software is often somewhat technical and targeted at users with a solid
knowledge of computers. If you use a computer mostly for e-mail, some Internet browsing and
typing up a report, you may not have much need for these utilities. However, if you are an avid
computer user, these utilities can help make sure your computer stays in tip-top shape.
Examples of utility programs are antivirus software, backup software and disk tools. Let's look at
each of these in a bit more detail.
Antivirus software, as the name suggests, helps to protect a computer system from viruses and
other harmful programs. A computer virus is a computer program that can cause damage to a
computer's software, hardware or data. It is referred to as a virus because it has the capability to
replicate itself and hide inside other computer files.
One of the most common ways to get a virus is to download a file from the Internet. Antivirus
software scans your online activity to make sure you are not downloading infected files. New
viruses are coming out all the time, so antivirus software needs to be updated very frequently.
Backup software helps in the creation of a backup of the files on your computer. Most computer
systems use a hard disk drive for storage. While these are generally very robust, they can fail or
crash, resulting in costly data loss. Backup software helps you copy the most important files to
another storage device, such as an external hard disk. You can also make an exact copy of your
hard disk.
Increasingly, backup software uses cloud storage to create backups. This typically means you
pay a fee to use the storage space of a third party and use their backup software to manage which
files are going to be backed up.
Disk tools include a range of different tools to manage hard disk drives and other storage
devices. This includes utilities to scan the hard disks for any potential problems, disk cleaners to
remove any unnecessary files, and disk defragmenters to re-organize file fragments on a hard
disk drive to increase performance. Disk tools are important because a failure of a hard disk

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drive can have disastrous consequences. Keeping disks running efficiently is an important part of
overall computer maintenance.

B. Device Drivers
A device driver is a computer program that controls a particular device that is connected to your
computer. Typical devices are keyboards, printers, scanners, digital cameras and external storage
devices. Each of these need a driver in order to work properly. Device drivers are a set of highly
specialized programs. They help application programs and the operating system do their tasks.
Device drivers (in particular, adapters), do not interact with you. They interact directly with
computer hardware elements and shield the application programs from the hardware specifics of
computers.
Device drivers act as a translator between the operating system of the computer and the device
connected to it. For many types of devices, the necessary drivers are built into the operating
system. When you plug in a device, the operating system starts looking for the right driver,
installs it and you are ready to start using the device. This is referred to as plug-and-play and is
much preferred over having to manually install the correct drivers.
There are so many different devices, however, that not all of them are built into the operating
system. As an alternative, the operating system can look online to find the right driver to install.
Many hardware devices, however, come with the necessary drivers. For example, if you buy a
printer, it may come with a CD that typically will include the correct driver. The advantage of
this is that the hardware manufacturer can make sure you have the right driver for the printer.

C. Firmware
Firmware is a computer program that helps the operating system do whatever it wants to do. We
can see Firmware on many devices, including computers, mobile devices, remote controllers,
gaming consoles, smartwatches, USB drives, and various embedded systems. Even the dumb TV
remote used to change channels has a preloaded firmware that makes its buttons work.
The Firmware is designed to control the hardware of a device. It is present on a non-volatile
memory chip and rarely requires an update. In the case of a personal computer, we call it the
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface).

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BIOS is the first thing that comes to life after the computer is powered on. It can interact with the
hardware and check it for any errors.
BIOS calls another program called a bootloader, which does the job of waking up the operating
system sleeping inside the hard drive and put it in the Random Access Memory (RAM).
In conclusion, the fundamental difference between firmware, driver, and software is their design
purpose. Firmware is a program that gives life to the device hardware. A driver is a middle man
between the OS and the hardware components. And software makes the use of the hardware in
the best possible ways.

2.3. Three Popular Platforms to Designed Application Softwares

Most application software is designed to run on three popular platforms: desktops, mobile
devices, and browsers.
A. Applications for Desktops and Mobile
Up until recently, application software was meant to be used on computer desktops. With the
extensive adoption of mobile devices and the internet now adays, softwares for mobile platforms
are now mainstream.
Now the trend for developers is to create two or more versions of applications to install on
desktops, mobile devices, web platforms, and embedded systems.
Applications on desktops usually have plenty of room and features, while apps for mobile are
trimmed down versions. Browser optimization on mobile requires that just a few of the feature
load. This is so that the application does not to eat away at resources and battery life.
While some people still need the muscle of traditional computers, smartphones and tablets have
become the popular choice for most users.
B. Applications for Web Browsers
Web apps can be installed to run on web browsers. They are capable of accomplishing tasks that
were previously only possible inside native operating systems. Google Docs, Word Online, Zoho
Wiki, Evernote, and email clients are popular examples of web apps.
Implementation of web apps is just one of the features of Web 2.0, a kind of second generation
of web computing which is all about collaboration, interactivity, and sharing information
between users around the world. The concept has taken off largely due to the mass adoption of
mobile devices and cloud storage.
Below are popular Web 2.0 platforms and apps:

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• Social media communication like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

• Blogs like Blogger, Wordpress, and Techcrunch.
• Wikis like Wikimedia, Wikipedia, and TermWiki.
• Social media curation like Pinterest, Digg, and Reddit.
• Cloud storage like Google Drive, Dropbox, and SugarSync.
A plus for web apps is that they are largely free, or at least cheaper than their native counterparts.
However, they may turn out to be more expensive in the long run because of app and internet
subscriptions.
Apart from Chrome Web Store, other sources of apps are Wiki App Market, Microsoft Store, and
Clover App Market.

Revision Question
1. Operating system act as an intermediary between application softwares and the hardware,
critically explain the functions of operating system?
2. Custom softwares might also be a general-purpose software but with some specification,
identify what differentiate between them?
3. Differentiate between firmware and hardware
4. Application softwares don’t operates on empty spaces, identify and explain 3 platforms that
they operate?

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CHAPTER THREE

CONCEPT OF DATA, DATA PROCESSING AND INFORMATION

3.0. Introduction
Computer usually receive a raw data and process it to become an information. Below the
explanation of data, data processing and information.
3.1. Data
The word "data" is the plural of datum, which means fact, observation, assumption or
occurrence. More precisely, data are representations of facts pertaining to people, things, ideas
and events. Data are represented by symbols such as letters of the alphabets, numerals or other
special symbols.
3.2. Data Processing
Data processing is the act of handling or manipulating data in some fashion. Regardless of the
activities involved in it, processing tries to assign meaning to data. Thus, the ultimate goal of
processing is to transform data into information.
Data processing is the process through which facts and figures are collected, assigned meaning,
communicated to others and retained for future use. Hence, we can define data processing as a
series of actions or operations that converts data into useful information. We use the term 'data
processing system' to include the resources that are used to accomplish the processing of data.
INPUT PROCESSING OUTPUT
3.3. Information
Information, thus can be defined as “data that has been transformed into a meaningful and useful
form for specific purposes”. In some cases, data may not require any processing before
constituting information. However, generally, data is not useful unless it is subjected to a process
through which it is manipulated and organized, its contents analyzed and evaluated. Only then
data becomes information.
There is no hard and fast rule for determining when data becomes information. A set of letters
and numbers may be meaningful to one person, but may have no meaning to another.
Information is identified and defined by its users.
For example, when you purchase something in a departmental store, a number of data items are
put together, such as your name, address articles you bought, the number of items purchased, the

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price, the tax and the amount you paid. Separately, these are all data items but if you put these
items together, they represent information about a business transaction.
3.4. Data Processing Activities
As discussed above, data processing consists of those activities which are necessary to transform
data into information. Man has in course of time devised certain tools to help him in processing
data. These include manual tools such as pencil and paper, mechanical tools such as filing
cabinets, electromechanical tools such as adding machines and typewriters, and electronic tools
such as calculators and computers. Many people immediately associate data processing with
computers. As stated above, a computer is not the only tool used for data processing, it can be
done without computers also. However, computers have outperformed people for certain tasks.
There are some other tasks for which computer is a poor substitute for human skill and
intelligence.
Regardless to the type of equipment used, various functions and activities which need to be
performed for data processing can be grouped under five basic categories as shown in Fig. 2.1
Collection Conversion Manipulation Managing the Communication
Originating Coding Sorting output And
Measuring Classifying Calculating Storing Reproduction
Recording Verifying Summarizing Retrieving
Comparing Transforming Comparing
Fig. 2.1 Data Processing Activities
(a) Collection
Data originates in the form of events transaction or some observations. This data is then recorded
in some usable form. Data may be initially recorded on paper source documents 2.2 and then
converted into a machine usable form for processing. Alternatively, they may be recorded by a
direct input device in a paperless, machine-readable form. Data collection is also termed as data
capture.
(b) Conversion
Once the data is collected, it is converted from its source documents to a form that is more
suitable for processing. The data is first codified by assigning identification codes. A code
comprises of numbers, letters, special characters, or a combination of these. For example, an
employee may be allotted a code as 52-53-162, his category as A class, etc. It is useful to codify

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data, when data requires classification. To classify means to categorize, i.e., data with similar
characteristics are placed in similar categories or groups. For example, one may like to arrange
accounts data according to account number or date. Hence a balance sheet can easily be
prepared.
After classification of data, it is verified or checked to ensure the accuracy before processing
starts.
After verification, the data is transcribed from one data medium to another. For example, in case
data processing is done using a computer, the data may be transformed from source documents to
machine sensible form using magnetic tape or a disk.
(c) Manipulation
Once data is collected and converted, it is ready for the manipulation function which converts
data into information. Manipulation consists of following activities:
Sorting
It involves the arrangement of data items in a desired sequence. Usually, it is easier to work with
data if it is arranged in a logical sequence. Most often, the data are arranged in alphabetical
sequence. Sometimes sorting itself will transform data into information. For example, a simple
act of sorting the names in alphabetical order gives meaning to a telephone directory. The
directory will be practically worthless without sorting.
Business data processing extensively utilizes sorting technique. Virtually all the records in
business files are maintained in some logical sequence. Numeric sorting is common in computer-
based processing systems because it is usually faster than alphabetical sorting.
Calculating
Arithmetic manipulation of data is called calculating. Items of recorded data can be added to one
another, subtracted, divided or multiplied to create new data. Calculation is an integral part of
data processing. For example, in calculating an employee's pay, the hours worked multiplied by
the hourly wage rate gives the gross pay. Based on total earning, income-tax deductions are
computed and subtracted from gross-pay to arrive at net pay.
Summarizing
To summarize is to condense or reduce masses of data to a more usable and concise form. For
example, you may summarize a lecture attended in a class by writing small notes in one or two
pages. When the data involved is numbers, you summarize by counting or accumulating the

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totals of the data in a classification or by selecting strategic data from the mass of data being
processed. For example, the summarizing activity may provide a general manager with sales-
totals by major product line, the sales manager with sales totals by individual salesman as well as
by the product line and a salesman with sales data by customer as well as by product line.
Comparing
To compare data is to perform an evaluation in relation to some known measure. For example,
business managers compare data to discover how well their companies are doing. They many
compare current sales figures with those for last year to analyze the performance of the company
in the current month.
(d) Managing the Output Results
Once data has been captured and manipulated following activities may be carried out:
Storing
To store is to hold data for continued or later use. Storage is essential for any organized method
of processing and re-using data. The storage mechanisms for data processing systems are file
cabinets in a manual system, and electronic devices such as magnetic disks/magnetic tapes in
case of computer-based system. The storing activity involves storing data and information in
organized manner in order to facilitate the retrieval activity. Of course, data should be stored
only if the value of having them in future exceeds the storage cost.
Retrieving
To retrieve means to recover or find again the stored data or information. Retrieval techniques
use data storage devices. Thus data, whether in file cabinets or in computers can be recalled for
further processing. Retrieval and comparison of old data gives meaning to current information.
(e) Communication
Communication is the process of sharing information. Unless the information is made available
to the users who need it, it is worthless. Thus, communication involves the transfer of data and
information produced by the data processing system to the prospective users of such information
or to another data processing system. As a result, reports and documents are prepared and
delivered to the users. In electronic data processing, results are communicated through display
units or terminals.
(f) Reproduction

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To reproduce is to copy or duplicate data or information. This reproduction activity may be done
by hand or by machine.
Data Processing System
The activity of data processing can be viewed as a "system". According to James O'brien a
system can be defined as "a group of interrelated components that seeks the attainment of a
common goal by accepting inputs and producing outputs in an organized process". For example,
a production system accepts raw material as input and produces finished goods as output.
Similarly, a data processing system can be viewed as a system that uses data as input and
processes this data to produce information as output.
INPUT PROCESSING OUTPUT
There are many kinds of data processing systems. A manual data processing system is one that
utilizes tools like pens, and filing cabinets. A mechanical data processing system uses devices
such as typewriters, calculating machines and book-keeping machines. Finally, electronic data
processing uses computers to automatically process data.

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CHAPTER FOUR
CONCEPT OF INTERNET
4.0. Introduction
This is a large set of computer networks that communicate and share resources with each other.
With the "Internet", anyone can now access information and communicate via e-mail almost as
common as dialing a telephone line. Internet resources, information, and services are delivered
through host computers, acknowledged as servers. The server is the computer system that
contains information such as database information, electronic mail, or media files. As a customer
or client, you access those resources through customer programs (applications/browsers) that use
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to deliver the information to your
screen in a suitable setup for your computer system (Cengage, 2020).
One imperative kind of user program is called a browser, which is used to search through data
provided by a specific type of server. A browser helps you view and navigate through
information on the Internet. Today's most popular browsers include Opera, Google Chrome,
Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft edge that offers a graphical user interface to the World Wide
Web. (Tech spirited 2020).
4.1. Getting connected with the Internet
Getting connected with the internet entails the following basic requirements:
(i) Acquiring a Personal Computer
(ii) A Modem, Telephone line or Wireless
(iii) Signing Account with an Internet service provider
4.2. Internet Service Provider
An Internet service provider (ISP) is the company that gets users connected to the net. The users
pay connection fees as bargained. The fees could be daily, weekly, or monthly basis. It is through
the ISP that enables internet users to access world-wide-web (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018).
4.3. World Wide Web
The short form of the World Wide Web is www. This lets users see documents in rich formatted
texts and pictures. With the World Wide Web, thousands of e-stores and educational institutions
now thrive on the web, providing people with ways to obtain information, purchase goods, and
services electronically (Donato, 2010).
4.4. What is the Web?

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The Web is the location where people meet, chat, get information, share opinions, transact, work,
or have fun. Using the web, you have access to texts, pictures, and videos, it actually consists of
a series of screens, each screen is called a web page. Moving around the web is often referred to
as web browsing and to browse the web you need what is called a web browser (Donato, 2010).
4.5. Content of web Page address:
For example, the address, https://www.premiumcomp.org provides the following information:
a. https://: this means hypertext Transfer protocols
b. www: This site means the world wide web
c. org: this means the ‘premium comp’ is an organization.
4.6. What is a website?
A Website is a collection of separate web pages, which allows you to move around multiple
pages by simply pointing and clicking on words, pictures, and videos. Sometimes pages are
linked to other pages and these links can take you to other websites in a completely different part
of the world. A website also is a collection of publicly available interconnected Web pages that
share a single domain name (Technopedia, 2020). Websites can be created and manage by
individuals, groups, businesses, institutions, or organizations to serve many purposes.
4.7. Search engine:
When looking for specific information on the net, a search engine is preferable to a search
directory. The search engine includes Google, Ask, Hotbot, Altavista, Lycos, Dogpile,
Metasearch, and Microsoft edge search engine, etc.

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4.7.1. How to use a Search Engine Effectively and Efficiently

Type the title of the web site you want to visit here e.g (Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano),
and press the Enter key

4.8. Benefits of the Internet in teaching and learning

Dogruer, Eyyam, and Menevis (2011) identified the following as the benefit of the internet to
teaching and learning: -
i. To use search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. to search for information
ii. To use e-dictionary
iii. To establish interaction with friends on the Internet via MSN, Google mail, Facebook,
etc. to talk about school subjects and homework.
iv. To learn recent (up-to-date) information and the latest developments (innovations) from
the Internet.
v. To find the source of information on the Internet.
vi. To share any kind of data with friends on the Internet.
vii. To learn about general cultural affairs.
viii. To download pictures or photos from the Internet for homework or projects.
ix. To download or watch videos related to lessons.
x. To read notes and other writings related to lessons from different websites.
xi. To translate documents that are written in a foreign language (e.g., English).

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xii. To do in-depth research on the topics that were explained and took my attention in
classes.
xiii. To follow up recent news and events (occasions, incidents) about education from the
Internet.

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CHAPTER FIVE

DEFINITION, NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF ICT IN EDUCATION

5.0. Introduction

Information Technology in Education, effects of the continuing developments in information

technology (IT) on education. The pace of change brought about by new technologies has had a
significant effect on the way people live, work, and play worldwide. New and emerging
technologies challenge the traditional process of teaching and learning, and the way education is
managed. Information technology, while an important area of study in its own right, is having a
major impact across all curriculum areas. Easy worldwide communication provides instant
access to a vast array of data, challenging assimilation and assessment skills. Rapid
communication, plus increased access to IT in the home, at work, and in educational
establishments, could mean that learning becomes a truly lifelong activity—an activity in which
the pace of technological change forces constant evaluation of the learning process itself.

5.1. Definition of ICT

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is the set-up and types of machinery that
allow modern computation. Although there is no single worldwide definition of ICT, the term is
commonly accepted to mean all devices, networking components, applications, and structures
that joint and allow people and organizations (i.e., businesses, nonprofit agencies, governments,
and institutions of learning) to interact in the digital world (Rouse, (2019). It involves both the
internet-enabled sphere as well as the mobile phone connected by wireless networks. It also
includes olden technologies, such as landline telephones, radio, and television broadcast - all of
which are still widely used nowadays alongside contemporary ICT pieces such as artificial
intelligence and robotics.
ICT is leveraged for educational, economic, societal, and interpersonal transactions and
interactions. It has drastically changed how teachers and students interact and communicate in
the process of teaching and learning. Its importance to teaching and learning has been so
monumental, it is credited with providing contemporary discoveries for effective teaching and
learning (Sharma, Gandhar, Sharma, and Seema, 2011). It also underpins broad shifts in

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educational institutions, as teachers and students en-masse are moving from personal face-to-face
interactions to digital space interactions especially during this COVID-19 pandemic.
By considering the importance of ICT in the educational sector and society at large, the United
Nations considers one of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to significantly provide
adequate access to information and communications technology and provide worldwide access to
the internet in the underdeveloped countries by 2020 at a cheaper rate (United Nations 2015).

5.2. Need of ICT in Education

i. Education is a lifelong process therefore anytime anywhere access to it is the need

ii. Information explosion is an ever increasing phenomena therefore there is need to get access
to this information

iii. Education should meet the needs of variety of learners and therefore IT is important in
meeting this need

iv. It is a requirement of the society that the individuals should possess technological literacy

v. We need to increase access and bring down the cost of education to meet the challenges of
illiteracy and poverty-IT is the answer.

5.3. Importance of ICT in education

i. Access to variety of learning resources

In the era of technology. ICT aids plenty of resources to enhance the teaching skills and learning
ability. With the help of ICT now it is easy to provide audio visual education. The learning
resources are being widens and widen. Now with this vivid and vast technique as part of the ICT
curriculum, learners are encouraged to regard computers as tools to be used in all aspects of their
studies. In particular, they need to make use of the new multimedia technologies to communicate
ideas, describe projects, and order information in their work.

ii. Immediacy to information

ICT has provided immediacy to education. Now in the year of computers and web networks the
pace of imparting knowledge is very fast and one can be educated anywhere at any time. New
ICT has often been introduced into well-established patterns of working and living without
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radically altering them. For example, the traditional office, with secretaries working at keyboards
and notes being written on paper and manually exchanged, has remained remarkably stable, even
if personal computers have replaced typewriters.

iii. Any time learning

Now in the year of computers and web networks the pace of imparting knowledge is very fast
and one can be educated. One can study whenever he wills irrespective of whether it is day or
night and irrespective of being in India or in US because of the boom in ICT.

iv. Collaborative learning

Now ICT has made it easy to study as well as teach in groups or in clusters. With online we can
be uniting together to do the desired task. Efficient postal systems, the telephone (fixed and
mobile), and various recording and playback systems based on computer technology all have a
part to play in educational broadcasting in the new millennium. The Internet and its Web sites
are now familiar to many children in developed countries and among educational elites
elsewhere, but it remains of little significance to very many more, who lack the most basic means
for subsistence.

v. Multimedia approach to education

Audio-Visual Education, planning, preparation, and use of devices and materials that involve
sight, sound, or both, for educational purposes. Among the devices used are still and motion
pictures, filmstrips, television, transparencies, audiotapes, records, teaching machines,
computers, and videodiscs. The growth of audio-visual education has reflected developments in
both technology and learning theory.

Studies in the psychology of learning suggest that the use of audio-visuals in education has
several advantages. All learning is based on perception, the process by which the senses gain
information from the environment. The higher processes of memory and concept formation
cannot occur without prior perception. People can attend to only a limited amount of information
at a time; their selection and perception of information is influenced by past experiences.
Researchers have found that, other conditions being equal, more information is taken in if it is
received simultaneously in two modalities (vision and hearing, for example) rather than in a

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single modality. Furthermore, learning is enhanced when material is organized and that
organization is evident to the student.

These findings suggest the value of audio-visuals in the educational process. They can facilitate
perception of the most important features, can be carefully organized, and can require the student
to use more than one modality.

vi. Authentic and up to date information

The information and data which are available on the net is purely correct and up to date. Internet,
a collection of computer networks that operate to common standards and enable the computers
and the programs they run to communicate directly provides true and correct information.

vii. Online library

Internets support thousands of different kinds of operational and experimental services one of
which is online library. We can get plenty of data on this online library. As part of the ICT
curriculum, learners are encouraged to regard computers as tools to be used in all aspects of their
studies. In particular, they need to make use of the new multimedia technologies to communicate
ideas, describe projects, and order information in their work. This requires them to select the
medium best suited to conveying their message, to structure information in a hierarchical
manner, and to link together information to produce a multidimensional document.

viii. Distance learning

Distance Learning, method of learning at a distance rather than in a classroom. Late 20th-century
communications technologies, in their most recent phases multimedia and interactive, open up
new possibilities, both individual and institutional, for an unprecedented expansion of home-
based learning, much of it part-time. The term distance learning was coined within the context of
a continuing communications revolution, largely replacing a hitherto confusing mixed
nomenclature—home study, independent study, external study, and, most common, though
restricted in pedagogic means, correspondence study. The convergence of increased demand for
access to educational facilities and innovative communications technology has been increasingly
exploited in face of criticisms that distance learning is an inadequate substitute for learning

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alongside others in formal institutions. A powerful incentive has been reduced costs per student.
At the same time, students studying at home themselves save on travel time and other costs.

Whatever the reasoning, distance learning widens access for students unable for whatever reason
(course availability, geographical remoteness, family circumstances and individual disability) to
study alongside others. At the same time, it appeals to students who prefer learning at home. In
addition, it appeals to organizers of professional and business education, providing an incentive
to rethink the most effective way of communicating vital information.

ix. Better accesses to children with disabilities

Information technology has brought drastic changes in the life of disabled children. ICT provides
various software and technique to educate these poor peoples. Unless provided early with special
training, people profoundly deaf from birth are incapable of learning to speak. Deafness from
birth causes severe sensory deprivation, which can seriously affect a person's intellectual
capacity or ability to learn. A child who sustains a hearing loss early in life may lack the
language stimulation experienced by children who can hear. The critical period for neurological
plasticity is up to age seven. Failure of acoustic sensory input during this period results in failure
of formation of synaptic connections and, possibly, an irremediable situation for the child. A
delay in learning language may cause a deaf child's academic progress to be slower than that of
hearing children. The academic lag tends to be cumulative, so that a deaf adolescent may be four
or more academic years behind his or her hearing peers. Deaf children who receive early
language stimulation through sign language, however, generally achieve academically alongside
their hearing peers.

The integration of information technology in teaching is a central matter in ensuring quality in

the educational system. There are two equally important reasons for integrating information
technology in teaching. Pupils must become familiar with the use of information technology,
since all jobs in the society of the future will be dependent on it, and information technology
must be used in teaching in order to improve its quality and make it more effective.

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CHAPTER SIX

PARADIGM SHIFT IN EDUCATION DUE TO ICT

6.0. Introduction
Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become commonplace entities in all
aspects of life. Across the past twenty years the use of ICT has fundamentally changed the
practices and procedures of nearly all forms of endeavor within business and governance.
Education is a very socially oriented activity and quality education has traditionally been
associated with strong teachers having high degrees of personal contact with learners. The use of
ICT in education lends itself to more student-centered learning settings. But with the world
moving rapidly into digital media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming
more and more important and this importance will continue to grow and develop in the 21st
century (Chhabra, 2014).
6.1. Paradigm shift from teaching to learning

• Education system becomes more student-centric.

• ICT provided many means of learning in addition to teaching.

• ICT is complimentary to teaching.

6.2. Paradigm shift in Curriculum

• Learning load instead of teaching workload

• More flexible

• Rapidly updating

• Variety in Assignments

• More challenging

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• Scope for self-learning

6.3. Methods of Teaching

• More interesting

• Near to real experiences

• Technology oriented/Assisted

• Skill based rather than purely content based

• Activity based

• Experimentation of methods

6.4. Role of a Teacher

• Facilitator

• Knowledge processor

• Instructor

• Guide

• Mentor

6.5. Classroom Environment

• Virtual classrooms

• Smart classroom

• Flexi setting classroom

• Blended classroom

• Activity oriented

• More Exposure

6.6. Evaluation Procedure

• Traditionally unseen aspect comes in focus

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• online exams

• Immediate feedback

• Graphical presentation

• Paper less tests

6.7. Education Management

• Faster
• Minimum space
• Paperless office
• Systematic record keeping
• Easier Communication with all stake holder i.e. parents, community, govt. etc.
• Quick actions

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CHAPTER SEVEN

CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATING I C T IN NIGERIAN SCHOOLS

1.0 Introduction
The influence of ICT across the globe has certainly affected the field of education positively. As
a developing nation, Nigeria educational system is witnessing an optimistic transformation in
this age of knowledge explosion. But this t knowledge explosion has been challenged with
several drawback that minimize the speed of improvement in teaching and learning. Among
these challenges are:
7.1. The infrastructure related challenges of ICT in education

A country’s educational technology infrastructure sits on top of the national telecommunications

and information infrastructure. Before any ICT based program is launched, policymakers and
planners must carefully consider the following:

i. In the first place, are appropriate rooms or buildings available to house the technology? In
countries where there are many old school buildings, extensive retrofitting to ensure proper
electrical wiring, heating/cooling and ventilation, and safety and security would be needed.

ii. Another basic requirement is the availability of electricity and telephony. In developing
countries large areas are still without a reliable supply of electricity and the nearest telephones
are miles away. Experience in some countries in Africa point to wireless technologies (such as
VSAT or Very Small Aperture Terminal) as possible levers for leapfrogging. Although this is
currently an extremely costly approach, other developing countries with very poor
telecommunications infrastructure should study this option.

iii. Policymakers should also look at the ubiquity of different types of ICT in the country in
general, and in the educational system (at all levels) in particular. For instance, a basic
requirement for computer based or online learning is access to computers in schools,
communities, and households, as well as affordable Internet service.

7.3. The challenges with respect to capacity building

Various competencies must be developed throughout the educational system for ICT integration
to be successful.

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i. Teachers.

Teacher professional development should have five foci:

1) skills with particular applications;

2) integration into existing curricula;

3) curricular changes related to the use of ICT (including changes in instructional design) ;

4) changes in teacher role

5) underpinning educational theories.

Ideally, these should be addressed in preservice teacher training and built on and enhanced in-
service. In some countries, like Singapore, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom, teaching
accreditation requirements include training in ICT use. ICTs are swiftly evolving technologies,
however, and so even the most ICT fluent teachers need to continuously upgrade their skills and
keep abreast of the latest developments and best practices.

Teacher anxiety over being replaced by technology or losing their authority in the classroom as
the learning process becomes more learner centered an acknowledged barrier to ICT adoption
can be alleviated only if teachers have a keen understanding and appreciation of their changing
role.

ii. Education administrators.

Leadership plays a key role in ICT integration in education. Many teachers or students initiated
ICT projects have been undermined by lack of support from above. For ICT integration
programs to be effective and sustainable, administrators themselves must be competent in the use
of the technology, and they must have a broad understanding of the technical, curricular,
administrative, financial, and social dimensions of ICT use in education.

iii. Technical support specialists.

Whether provided by in school staff or external service providers, or both, technical support
specialists are essential to the continued viability of ICT use in a given school. While the
technical support requirements of an institution depend ultimately on what and how technology

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is deployed and used, general competencies that are required would be in the installation,
operation, and maintenance of technical equipment (including software), network administration,
and network security. Without onsite technical support, much time and money may be lost due to
technical breakdowns.

iv. Content developers.

Content development is a critical area that is too often overlooked. There is a need to develop
original educational content (e.g., radio programs, interactive multimedia learning materials on
CDROM or DVD, Web based courses, etc.), adapt existing content, and convert print based
content to digital media. These are tasks for which content development specialists such as
instructional designers, scriptwriters, audio and video production specialists, programmers,
multimedia course authors, and web developers are needed. Like technical support specialists,
content developers are highly skilled professionals and are not, with the exception of
instructional designers, historically employed by primary and secondary schools. Many
universities with distance education programs, and those who otherwise make use of ICTs, have
dedicated technical support and content development units.

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CHAPTER EIGHT

SKILLS AND QUALITIES OF ICT TEACHER

8.0 Introduction

Skill is an ability to perform a particular task. Quality is personality traits which reflects in
behavior. Below are the skills and qualities that each teacher should possess before teaching how
to integrate ICT in teaching and learning.

8.1. Skills of ICT Teacher

These skills are needed for every 21st Century ICT teacher, because ICT is changing the way
students learn and teachers work. Below are five ICT skills for teachers to be able to prepare
today’s students for tomorrow:

i. Basic computer literacy

You don’t need to be a computer geek, but you do need to be use basic programs (at the very
least, Microsoft’s Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint). The good news is that most computer
programs share common features and icons, which means skills learnt in one program are usually
transferable.

ii. The ability to back-up

Computers are the filing cabinets of the 21st century, and most lesson plans, resources and
reports are now created, shared and saved on computers. If you don’t want to lose your work,
you need to know how to back-up your files.

iii. Experience of online project work

Most teachers as students to take part in group work at some point, but how often do teachers do
this type of work themselves? If you want to be able to really help your students, get involved in
some projects that are run online – either in or outside of school. Your experiences will stand
your students in good stead.

iv. The ability to nurture creativity and mark it

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Most white-collar companies want creative employees. With easy programs for word processing,
film and photo editing, music creation and drawing (to name just a few) computers enable people
create like they never have before, so you need to create assignments that encourage to think in
new ways. At the very least, you need to be able to download and review the films, music,
podcasts and 3D drawing they create.

v. Social networking skills

Whether you use Facebook or not isn’t important, but you need to have a basic understanding of
how online networks work and the netiquette involved. Your students will be chatting online,
writing blogs and sending tweets, and you need to be ready if they ask for guidance.

vi. Database Management Skills

As a teacher, you will have to learn just how you can use databases. This includes been able to
create database tables, storing, and retrieving data from those tables. While also knowing just
how you can create the right queries for the information found in your institute’s databases.

vii. Internet Navigation Skills

As you might probably be aware the world wide web is a great repository of all manner of
information, which can definitely make your life as a teacher much easier. Generally speaking,
you will have to find a good way of been able to efficiently navigate the internet for the exact
data or teaching resources you stand in need of. You will also have to be well conversant with
the basics of advanced search, including the utilization of Boolean operators within your search
engine queries.

viii. Email Management Skills

Email is now the most preferred means of written communication for most of us, in both our
professional and personal lives. As an educator, you will have to be highly skilled in sending and
receiving email messages and the various applications you need to utilize. You will also be
required to be conversant with the variety of features and functionalities that these computer
applications boast of. This includes mass mailing, link insertions, and even the utilization of
email attachments in your communications with both your colleagues and students.

ix. Networking Skills

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Teachers who wish to remain relevant in their given fields must also find the necessary time to
fully grasp the basics of computer networking. If applicable, they should also try their level best
to totally understand just how their institution’s computer network functions and exactly how it
can be of benefit to them in their professional duties.

x. Touch Typing

Finally, touch typing is yet another essential computer skill, which all 21st century educators
must take time to master. This particular skill lets you significantly improve typing speed as well
as accuracy. This is brought about by simply relying on your motor reflexes as opposed to sight
while typing. By mastering touch typing, you will find it infinitely easier to draft highly detailed
and accurate texts in a quicker manner than you previously did. You will also learn how to
integrate the right typing ‘best practices’ to prevent injuries and fatigue. This includes using the
ideal typing posture and the right finger placement on your keyboard (Fort, 2017).

8.2. Qualities of ICT Skilled Teacher

Update Knowledge
Lifelong Learning
Awareness about legal and ethical issues
Awareness of threats
Patience
Logical Thinking
Experimental
Adaptive and adjustment
Liberal
Self-control
Commitment

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CHAPTER NINE

PRINCIPLES GUIDING THE USE OF ICT

9.0. Introduction

Computer ethics is a term used to describe the ethical principles and moral dilemmas that you
encounter in today’s computer-based society. It makes us think about the “relationships among
facts, conceptualizations, policies and values with regard to constantly changing computer
technology (James Moor).

9.1. Basic Netiquette

i. Email

• Check your email as much as possible and respond quickly to messages you receive; your input
may be critical to someone else.

• Never send anything that you wouldn’t want someone other than the recipient to read.

• Get good virus protection software and make sure it scans your incoming emails.

• Don’t open an attachment in an email if:

◊ You don’t know the sender,

◊ The subject line doesn’t make sense or is suspicious in any way,

◊ The attachment name is suspicious, or

◊ The attachment or message text doesn’t make sense or you aren’t expecting them.

• Don’t type in all capital letters; it looks like you are screaming.

• Try not to use sarcasm or humor, it doesn’t always come across well.

• When you’re subscribed to a listproc make sure you reply to one person and not the whole list,
unless you want the whole list to read what you have to say.

ii. Some questions to ask yourself when using computers and the Internet:

• If everyone acted the same way you did, would society as a whole benefit?

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• Would an impartial observer judge that your actions are fair to all parties involved?

• Would you be proud to tell your parents/significant other what you are doing?

• If you were in another person’s place would you have to admit that what you are doing is fair?

• If you did this at work would your employers/customers agree that you did the right thing?

• Would you mind reading about your actions on the front page of the Blade?

9.2. The Ten Commandments for Computer Ethics

(Care of the Computer Ethics Institute of the Brookings Institution)

1. Thou shall not use a computer to harm other people.

2. Thou shall not interfere with other people’s computer work.

3. Thou shall not snoop around in other people’s files.

4. Thou shall not use a computer to steal.

5. Thou shall not use a computer to bear false witness.

6. Thou shall not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.

7. Thou shall not use other people’s computer resources without authorization or proper
compensation.

8. Thou shall not appropriate other people’s intellectual output.

9. Thou shall think about the social consequences of the program you write or the system you
design.

10. Thou shall use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect for your fellow
humans.

9.3. Seven essential components of a personal code of computer ethics:

1. Honesty

2. Respect

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3. Confidentiality

4. Professionalism

5. Responsibility

6. Communication

7. Obeying the law

9.4. Copyright

i. Public Domain

Some software is free to use, copy, and/or change, but only do so if there is written notice that
the

Software is in the public domain. Look for this notice in the “read me” files that accompany
programs.

ii. General Public License

GPL software has the same restrictions as public domain software, but cannot be sold for profit.

iii. Shareware

Using shareware programs is free, but it is illegal to copy or modify them without permission
since they are copyrighted. Most shareware programs are really trial versions of the software,
which must be paid for after the trial period has expired.

When you purchase a copy of a software program you are actually buying a software license, or
in the case of an organization that needs many copies, a site license. A software license can only
be copied for backup purposes while site licenses let the organization make a specific number of
copies to be used within that organization only.

Although it seems common, software piracy is a felony and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

iv. MP3’s

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Downloading and/or uploading music is a violation of copyright laws. It is not true that keeping
the file for less than 24 hours is legal and it is a myth that uploading is legal if you have paid for
the original work.

“Fair use” permits the use of a small section of a work if the copyright holder is reimbursed or
has given permission for the use of his or her work. If you use more than 10 percent or 30
seconds of the original work you are participating in copyright infringement.

Downloading music and other media also makes unfair use of the University’s bandwidth and
can deprive others of Internet access.

9.5. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as your own; this includes work represented in
hard copy, on disk, or on the Internet. Do not use “paper mills” or sites that sell academic papers
to students. You can get caught and the penalties are not lenient.

Make sure you summarize, or at least change the order of the words when using someone else’s
work as a reference. Also be sure to cite that work as something you have used to gain the
information you are presenting. Anything that is directly quoted from any source must be put in
quotation marks and cited as well.

Copyright infringements can get you sued. They encompass anything that anyone has expressed
in any way. A person does not need to express their copyright or even actually register it, a
person’s ideas are their own and it is illegal to pretend that they are yours.

9.6. Respectful Use of Equipment and Internet

A general rule when it comes to computer ethics is respect. Here are some guidelines to follow
when dealing with computers in your academic life; most translate into the workplace as well:

i. Respect yourself

• Do not give out your passwords

• Don’t say or do anything that could damage your reputation, even if you think it’s impossible
for someone to find it or know it was you

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• Protect your identity

• Log out of portals

• Don’t leave copies of your printed pages in a common printer

ii. Respect others

• Don’t harass or threaten anyone using a computer

• Don’t abuse your access to resources like storage space

• Remember that your personal site still has BGSU in the URL and reflects on the University

iii. Respect academic integrity

• Cite any information copied from the Internet

• Ask permission to copy or modify software unless it is in the public domain

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CHAPTER TEN

ICT SUPPORTED TEACHING LEARNING STRATEGIES

10.0 Introduction

E-learning as a concept covers a range of applications, learning methods and processes (Rossi,
2009). It is therefore difficult to find a commonly accepted definition for the term E-Learning,
and according to Oblinger and Hawkins (2005) and Dublin (2003), there is even no common
definition for the term. Holmes and Gardner (2006) also made a comment on these
inconsistencies by saying that there may be as many definitions of the term E-learning as there
are academic papers on the subject.

In some definitions E-Learning encompasses more than just the offering of wholly on-line
courses. For instance, Oblinger and Hawkins (2005) noted that E-Learning has transformed from
a fully-online course to using technology to deliver part or all of a course independent of
permanent time and place. Also, the European Commission (2001) describes, E-Learning as the
use of new multimedia technologies and the Internet to increase learning quality by easing access
to facilities and services as well as distant exchanges and collaboration. The following are also
different definitions of E-learning.

E-learning refers to the use of information and communication technologies to enable the access
to online learning/teaching resources. In its broadest sense, Abbad et al (2009), defined E-
Learning to mean any learning that is enabled electronically. They however narrowed this
definition down to mean learning that is empowered by the use of digital technologies. This
definition is further narrowed by some researchers as any learning that is internet-enabled or
web-based (LaRose et al, 1998; Keller and Cernerud, 2002).

According to Maltz et al (2005), the term E-learning’ is applied in different perspectives,

including distributed learning, online-distance learning, as well as hybrid learning. E-learning,
according to OECD (2005) is defined as the use of information and communication technologies
in diverse processes of education to support and enhance learning in institutions of higher

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education, and includes the usage of information and communication technology as a

complement to traditional classrooms, online learning or mixing the two modes.

10.1. Types of E-Learning

There are diverse ways of classifying the types of e-learning. According to Algahtani (2011),
there have been some classifications based on the extent of their engagement in education. Some
classifications are also based on the timing of interaction. Algahtani (2011) divided E-learning
into two basic types, consisting of computer-based and the internet based E-learning.

i. The computer-based learning comprises the use of a full range of hardware and software
generally that are available for the use of Information and Communication Technology and also
each component can be used in either of two ways: computer managed instruction and computer-
assisted-learning. In computer assisted- learning, to him, computers are used instead of the
traditional methods by providing interactive software as a support tool within the class or as a
tool for self-learning outside the class. In the computer-managed instruction, however, computers
are employed for the purpose of storing and retrieving information to aid in the management of
education.

ii. The internet-based learning according to Almosa (2001) is a further improvement of the
computer-based learning, and it makes the content available on the internet, with the readiness of
links to related knowledge sources, for examples e-mail services and references which could be
used by learners at any time and place as well as the availability or absence of teachers or
instructors (Almosa, 2001). Zeitoun (2008) classified this by the extent of such features use in
education, mixed or blended more, assistant mode, and completely online mode. The assistant
mode supplements the traditional method as needed. Mixed or blended mode offers a short-term
degree for a partly traditional method. The completely online mode, which is the most complete
improvement, involves the exclusive use of the network for learning (Zeitoun, 2008).

10.2. The Use of E-Learning in Education

The development of multimedia and information technologies, as well as the use internet as a
new technique of teaching, has made radical changes in the traditional process of teaching
(Wang et al. 2007). Development in information technology, according to Yang and Arjomand
(1999), has generated more choices for today’s education. Agendas of schools and educational

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institutions have recognized e-Learning as having the prospect to transform people, knowledge,
skills and performance (Henry, 2001). Also, according to Love and Fry (2006), colleges,
universities, and other institutions of higher learning race to advance online course capability in a
speedily developing cyber education market. E-learning, has come to be more and more
important in institutions of higher education. The introduction and expansion of a range of E-
Learning tools has been initiating several changes in higher education institutions, particularly
when it comes to their educational delivery and support processes (Dublin, 2003).

10.3. Distinct Models of Using E-Learning in Education

Just as there are different types of E- Learning, there are also different ways of employing the
technique in education. Algahtani, (2011), in his evaluation of E-learning effectiveness and
experience discovered three distinct models of using e-learning in education including the
“adjunct, blended e-Learning and online”. The three ways of using e-Learning technologies as
discovered by Algahtani (2011) are described below.

i. The adjunct e-Learning: is the situation which e-Learning is employed as an assistant in the
traditional classroom providing relative independence to the learners or students (Algahtani,
2011).

ii. The blended e-Learning: Algahtani (2011) and Zeitoun (2008) explained that, in this way of
using e-Learning, the delivery of course materials and explanations is shared between traditional
learning method and E-learnng method in the classroom setting.

iii. The online: is devoid of the traditional learning participation or classroom participation. In
this form of usage, the e-Learning is total so that there is maximum independence of the learners
or students (Algahtani, 2011; Zeitoun, 2008). Zeitoun (2008) has gone further to explain that the
online model is divided into the individual and collaborative learning, where the collaborative

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learning also consists of the synchronous and asynchronous learning (Zeitoun, 2008).

10.4. Merits of E-learning

1. It is flexible when issues of time and place are taken into consideration. Every student has the
luxury of choosing the place and time that suits him/her. According to Smedley (2010), the
adoption of e-learning provides the institutions as well as their students or learners the much
flexibility of time and place of delivery or receipt of according to learning information.

2. E-learning enhances the efficacy of knowledge and qualifications via ease of access to a huge
amount of information.

3. It is able to provide opportunities for relations between learners by the use of discussion
forums. Through this, e-learning helps eliminate barriers that have the potential of hindering
participation including the fear of talking to other learners. E-learning motivates students to

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interact with other, as well as exchange and respect different point of views. E-Learning eases
communication and also improves the relationships that sustain learning. Wagner et al (2008)
note that e-Learning makes available extra prospects for interactivity between students and
teachers during content delivery.

4. E-learning is cost effective in the sense that there is no need for the students or learners to
travel. It is also cost effective in the sense that it offers opportunities for learning for maximum
number of learners with no need for many buildings.

5. E-learning always takes into consideration the individual learner differences. Some learners,
for instance prefer to concentrate on certain parts of the course, while others are prepared to
review the entire course.

6. E-learning helps compensate for scarcities of academic staff, including instructors or teachers
as well as facilitators, lab technicians etc.

7. The use of e-Learning allows self-pacing. For instance, the asynchronous way permits each
student to study at his or her own pace and speed whether slow or quick. It therefore increases
satisfaction and decreases stress (Codone, 2001).

8. E-Learning does make the whole learning process more entertaining. E-learning technology
differs from what most students are used to these days. You learn online, you are able to
communicate with people in chats and forums, you can share your progress on social media, and
so on. Some students like it more this way. Some simply find such change refreshing. Many
teachers know that the more diverse the educational process is, the more interesting students find
it. Even if that’s only an addition to the traditional learning, this still could be a nice change
(Trucano, 2021).

10.5. Demerits of E-learning

1. Some students might feel isolated. E-learning as a method of education makes the learners
undergo contemplation, remoteness, as well as lack of interaction or relation. It therefore requires
a very strong inspiration as well as skills with to the management of time in order to reduce such
effects.

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2. With respect to clarifications, offer of explanations, as well as interpretations, the e-learning

method might be less effective that the traditional method of learning. The learning process is
much easier with the use of the face-to-face encounter with the instructors or teachers.

3. When it comes to improvement in communication skills of learners, e-learning as a method

might have a negative effect. The learners. Though might have an excellent knowledge in
academics, they may not possess the needed skills to deliver their acquired knowledge to others.

4. Since tests for assessments in e-learning are possibly done with the use of proxy, it will be
difficult, if not impossible to control or regulate bad activities like cheating.

5. E-learning may also probably be misled to piracy and plagiarism, predisposed by inadequate
selection skills, as well as the ease of copy and paste.

6. E-learning may also deteriorate institutions’ role socialization role and also the role of
instructors as the directors of the process of education.

7. Also not all fields or discipline can employ the e-learning technique in education. For instance,
the purely scientific fields that include practical cannot be properly studies through e-learning.
Researches have argued that e-learning is more appropriate in social science and humanities than
the fields such as medical science and pharmacy, where there is the need to develop practical
skills.

8. E-learning may also lead to congestion or heavy use of some websites. This may bring about
unanticipated costs both in time and money disadvantages (Collins et al.)

9. The feedback might not be enough. The feedback is one of the biggest drivers of students’
progress. The students are able to improve only when they know their flaws and weak points.
While online instructors do give students feedback, they still might not have enough time to
work with them properly, explaining every detail. This could lead to some students falling
behind, having gaps in their knowledge, and not completing the course successfully enough.

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