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NORTH CENTRAL MINDANAO COLLEGE

Maranding, Lala, Lanao del Norte

Topic

Introduction to Information and Communication Technology

Rationale

The concept of technology has evolved throughout the years. The term “technology”
presently includes advancements in communication and how information is handled. The
term “information and communication technology” or ICT was defined in a study conducted
by Zuppo as related to technologies that facilitate the transfer of information and various
types of electronically mediated communications. The need for devices, such as mobile
phones, laptops, and tablets is identified in all instances. According to Baumeister and Leary
(1995), the “belongingness hypothesis” states that people have a basic psychological need to
feel closely connected to others, and that caring, affectionate bonds from a close
relationship are a major part of human behavior.

Intended Learning Outcomes

ILO 1: Define Information Technology (IT) and Information and Communication Technology
(ICT)
ILO 2: Compare Information Technology (IT) and Information and Communication
Technology (ICT).
ILO 3: To trace the evolution of technology particularly computers.

Activity/Activities

Individual discussion Forum, Lecture

Discussion
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What is ICT and IT?

Information and Communications Technology or ICT is often used in a more

general sense, and is described as using computers and other digital technologies to
assist individuals or institutions in handling or using information. ICT is technology that
supports activities involving information such as gathering, processing, storing and
presenting data. Increasingly, these activities also involved collaboration and
communication.
Information Technology or IT, pertains to the industry that involves computers,
software, networking, and other IT infrastructure to help relay or manage information
important in modern-day living as seen primarily in large companies or corporations.
Simply put, IT is a subset of ICT as the technology used in the field of IT aids in the use of
ICT (Wang, 2016).

Breakdown of ICT

ICT is made of the three words, namely Information, Communications, and

Technology.

Information

- refers to knowledge obtained from reading, investigation, study, or research.

Some of the tools that transmit information are the telephone, television, and
radio.
- Not to be confused with data, information is regarded as processed data.
Computers normally process data that are later understood as information. For
example, while typing on your laptop, you usually punch in random letters on your
keyboard to make up words and sentences.
- The typing on the keyboard is considered as input data while the words and
sentences you see on your computer monitor are considered as output
information.
- Information is needed to make decisions and to foresee the future. For example,
scientists can detect the formation of the tsunami using technology and warn the
public to avoid disasters in affected areas.
- Process Information is called knowledge. Knowledge helps fulfill daily tasks. For
example, knowledge is used to predict tomorrow’s weather and decide if there is
a need to bring an umbrella. Knowledge is also used to analyze the stock market
and check which company is worth investing in.

Communication

- Is an act of transmitting messages.

- It is a process in which information is exchanged between individuals through
verbal and nonverbal means.
- In prehistoric days, humans communicated through signs or symbols as
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evidenced by cave paintings and drawings, rock arts, stone carvings, and the
like.
- Forms of communication have evolved through time as communicating more
and more complex ideas has become necessary.
- With technology, communication is faster, 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.

Technology

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

- As mentioned above, technology has made communication much easier and
faster through telephones, fax machines, mobile devices, and the internet.
- It has also made broadcasting of information, such as news or weather reports,
more effective.
- Radio, televisions, 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 a simple day – to – day activities.

Uses of ICT in our daily lives

Communication

We all know that ICT takes a major role for us by means of communicating, way
back in the past our parents used to make letters and send it via post mail. But now with
the help of ICT it is easier to communicate with our loved ones. We can use cellular
phones that are designed for communicating with other people even if they are miles
away from you. Nowadays people are in touch with the help of ICT. Through chatting, E-
mail, voice mail and social networking people communicate with each other. It is the
cheapest means of communication. ICT allows students to monitor and manage their
own learning, think critically and creatively, solve simulated real-world problems, work
collaboratively, engage in ethical decision-making, and adopt a global perspective
towards issues and ideas. It also provides students from remote areas access to expert
teachers and learning resources, and gives administrators and policy makers the data
and expertise they need to work more efficiently.

Job Opportunities

In the employment sector, ICT enables organizations to operate more efficiently, so

employing staff with ICT skills is vital to the smooth running of any business. Being able to
use ICT systems effectively allows employees more time to concentrate on areas of their
job role that require soft skills. For example, many pharmacies use robot technology to
assist with picking prescribed drugs. This allows highly trained pharmaceutical staff to
focus on jobs requiring human intelligence and interaction, such as dispensing and
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checking medication. Nowadays, employers expect their staff to have basic ICT skills.
This expectation even applies to job roles where ICT skills may not have been an
essential requirement in the past. Nowadays, finding a job is different, you can just use
your smartphone, laptop, desktop or any gadgets that are available in the comfort of
your home.

Education

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can impact student learning

when teachers are digitally literate and understand how to integrate it into the
curriculum. Schools use a diverse set of ICT tools to communicate, create, disseminate,
store, and manage information. In some contexts, ICT has also become integral to the
teaching learning interaction, through such approaches as replacing chalkboards with
interactive digital whiteboards, using students’ own smartphones or other devices for
learning during class time, and the “flipped classroom” model where students watch
lectures at home on the computer and use classroom time for more interactive
exercises.
When teachers are digitally literate and trained to use ICT, these approaches can
lead to higher order thinking skills, provide creative and individualized options for
students to express their understandings, and leave students better prepared to deal
with ongoing technological change in society and the workplace.

Socializing

Social media has changed the world. The rapid and vast adoption of these
technologies is changing how we find partners, how we access information from the
news, and how we organize to demand political change. The internet and social media
provide young people with a range of benefits, and opportunities to empower
themselves in a variety of ways. Young people can maintain social connections and
support networks that otherwise wouldn't be possible and can access more information
than ever before. The communities and social interactions young people form online
can be invaluable for bolstering and developing young people's self-confidence and
social skills. As the ICT has become ubiquitous, faster and increasingly accessible to non-
technical communities, social networking and collaborative services have grown rapidly
enabling people to communicate and share interest in many more ways, sites like
Facebook, Twitter LinkedIn Youtube, Flicker, second life delicious blogs wikis and many
more let people of all ages rapidly share their interest of the movement without others
everywhere. But Facebook seems to be the leading area where people communicate
and share their opinions. What a change! “Nothing is permanent, but change” (As
Heraditus in the 4thcentury BC). The Internet can be seen as the international network of
interconnection of computer networks, the main purpose for the institution of the
internet is quest for information i.e., browsing, electronic mail, new groups, fill transfer
and access and use of another computer. Socialization can be seen as a process by
which a child adapts a behavior to be an effective member of the society, which can
only be achieved through learning or education.
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Evolution of Technology

The evolution of technology has always depended on one thing: the human
rationale. Humans tend to think of ways on how to discharge tasks or workload, or do
daily activities easily. The concept of technology always starts with the basic tool. In
order to build a house, one cannot simply use his or her own two hands to cut wood
and attach the wooden pieces together. A hacksaw, hammer, and set of nails are
needed to accomplish the task. The concept of wheels has also made transportation
much easier, and enabled people to move several objects from one place to another
with ease.
By combining a set of tools, people have come up with machines that can do the
tasks faster and more efficiently. A single-wheel transportation tool has inspired the
creation of a machine capable of transporting, not just objects, but also passengers.
Thus, vehicles have nowadays become more of a necessity rather than a form of luxury.
Another type of machine that is considered a necessity is the computer.

Definition of Computer

- Computer is a programmable machine.

- Computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It has the
ability to store, retrieve, and process data.
- Computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions
(program).
- Computer is any device which aids humans in performing various kinds of
computations or calculations.
- However, as technology evolves, so do machines. Computers today are no
longer the same computers your parents must have first used.
- Most machines, including computers, have evolved through the process of
automation.

Automation

- Defined as the “the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system

operate automatically”.
- Automation includes a broad range of technologies normally connecting
computer systems to other systems, such as sensors, wireless application, 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.
- Production companies often use automated systems as part of their business
process as automation increases productivity and lessens the time to market.
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- However, an automated system is not the same as an intelligent system.

Intelligent System

- Intelligent systems are far more complex and are capable of learning. This is
where the concept of artificial intelligence comes in.
- One of the latest inventions in the automotive industry is the intelligent car which is
capable of driving and parking by itself.

Three principal characteristics of computer:

● It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner.

● It can execute a pre-recorded list of instructions.
● It can quickly store and retrieve large amounts of data

History of Computer

Basic Computing Periods

Earliest Computers originally calculations were computed by humans, whose job title
was computers.

▪ These human computers were typically engaged in the calculation of a

mathematical expression.
▪ The calculations of this period were specialized and expensive, requiring years of
training in mathematics.
▪ The first use of the word "computer" was recorded in 1613, referring to a person
who carried out calculations, or computations, and the word continued to be
used in that sense until the middle of the 20th century.

a. Tally Sticks – was an ancient memory aid device to record and document
numbers, quantities, or even messages.

b. Abacus – a mechanical device used to aid an individual in performing

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mathematical calculations. It was invented in Babylonia in 2400 B.C. The abacus
in the form we are most familiar with was first used in China in around 500 B.C, it
used to perform basic arithmetic operations.

c. Napier’s Bone – Invented by John Napier in 1614. Allowed the operator to

multiply, divide and calculate square and cube roots by moving the rods around
and placing them in specially constructed boards.

d. Slide Rule – Invented by William Oughtred in 1622 based on Napier's ideas about
logarithms. Used primarily for – multiplication – division – roots – logarithms –
Trigonometry. Not normally used for addition or subtraction.

e. Pascaline – Invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642. It was its limitation to addition and
subtraction. It is too expensive.
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f. Stepped Reckoner – Invented by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1672. The machine

that can add, subtract, multiply and divide automatically.

g. Jacquard Loom – The Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph-

Marie Jacquard in 1881. It is an automatic loom controlled by punched cards.

h. Arithmometer – A mechanical calculator invented by Thomas de Colmar in 1820.

The first reliable, useful and commercially successful calculating machine. The
machine could perform the four basic mathematical functions. The first mass-
produced calculating machine.
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i. Difference Engine and Analytical Engine – It is an automatic, mechanical

calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions. Invented by Charles
Babbage in 1822 and 1834. It is the first mechanical computer.

Difference Engine Analytical Engine

j. First Computer Programmer – In 1840, Augusta Ada Byron suggested to Babbage

that he use the binary system. She writes programs for the Analytical Engine.

k. Scheutzian Calculation Engine – Invented by Per Georg Scheutz in 1843. Based

on Charles Babbage's difference engine.

l. Tabulating Machine – Invented by Herman Hollerith in 1890. To assist in

summarizing information and accounting.
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m. Harvard Mark 1 – Also known as IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator

(ASCC). Invented by Howard H. Aiken in 1943. The first electro-mechanical
computer.

n. Z1 – The first programmable computer. Created by Konrad Zuse in Germany from

1936 to 1938. To program the Z1 required that the user insert punch tape into a
punch tape reader and all output was also generated through punch tape.

o. Atanasoff-Berry Computer – It was the first electronic digital computing device.

Invented by Professor John Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry at
Iowa State University between 1939 and 1942.
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p. Osborne 1 – The first portable computer. Released in 1981 by the Osborne
Computer Corporation.

Four Basic Computing Period – Ages

1. Pre-mechanical – is the earliest age of information technology. It can be defined

as the time between 3000B.C. and 1450A.D. We are talking about a long time
ago. When humans first started communicating, they would try to use language
or simple picture drawings known as petroglyphs which were usually carved in
rock. Early alphabets were developed such as the Phoenician alphabet.

As alphabets became more popular and more people were writing information
down, pens and paper began to be developed. It started off as just marks in wet clay,
but later paper was created out of papyrus plants. The most popular kind of paper was
probably made by the Chinese who made paper from rags. Now that people were
writing a lot of information down, they needed ways to keep it all in permanent storage.
This is where the first books and libraries are developed. You’ve probably heard of
Egyptian scrolls which were popular ways of writing down information to save. Some
groups of people were actually binding paper together into a book-like form. Also,
during this period were the first numbering systems. Around 100A.D. was when the first 1-
9 system was created by people from India. However, it wasn’t until 875A.D. (775 years
later) that the number 0 was invented. And yes, now that numbers were created,
people wanted stuff to do with them, so they created calculators. A calculator was the
very first sign of an information processor. The popular model of that time was the
abacus.
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2. Mechanical – The mechanical age is when we first start to see connections

between our current technology and its ancestors. The mechanical age can be
defined as the time between 1450 and 1840. A lot of new technologies are
developed in this era as there is a large explosion of interest in this area.
Technologies like the slide rule (an analog computer used for multiplying and
dividing) were invented. Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline which was a very
popular mechanical computer. Charles Babbage developed the difference
engine which tabulated polynomial equations using the method of finite
differences.

3. Electromechanical – Now we are finally getting close to some technologies that

resemble our modern-day technology. The electromechanical age can be
defined as the time between 1840 and 1940. These are the beginnings of
telecommunication. The telegraph was created in the early 1800s. Morse code
was created by Samuel Morse in 1835. The telephone (one of the most popular
forms of communication ever) was created by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.
The first radio developed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1894. All of these were
extremely crucial emerging technologies that led to big advances in the
information technology field. The first large-scale automatic digital computer in
the United States was the Mark 1 created by Harvard University around 1940. This
computer was 8ft high, 50ft long, 2ft wide, and weighed 5 tons - HUGE. It was
programmed using punch cards. How does your PC match up to this hunk of
metal? It was from huge machines like this that people began to look at
downsizing all the parts to first make them usable by businesses and eventually in
your own home.
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4. Electronic – The electronic age is what we currently live in. It can be defined as
the time between 1940 and right now. The ENIAC was the first high-speed, digital
computer capable of being reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing
problems. This computer was designed to be used by the U.S. Army for artillery
firing tables. This machine was even bigger than the Mark 1 taking up 680 square
feet and weighing 30 tons - HUGE. It mainly used vacuum tubes to do its
calculations. There are 4 main sections of digital computing. The first was the era
of vacuum tubes and punch cards like the ENIAC and Mark 1. Rotating
magnetic drums were used for internal storage. The second generation replaced
vacuum tubes with transistors, punch cards were replaced with magnetic tape,
and rotating magnetic drums were replaced by magnetic cores for internal
storage. Also, during this time high-level programming languages were created
such as FORTRAN and COBOL. The third generation replaced transistors with
integrated circuits, magnetic tape was used throughout all computers, and
magnetic cores turned into metal oxide semiconductors. An actual operating
system showed up around this time along with the advanced programming
language BASIC. The fourth and latest generation brought in CPUs (central
processing units) which contained memory, logic, and control circuits all on a
single chip. The personal computer was developed (Apple II). The graphical user
interface (GUI) was developed.
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With the evolution of technology, computers have taken a major role in the last
three decades. This is due to the fact that people have become increasingly
dependent on computers to do their daily tasks in school, at work, or in their routines.
What started off as simply for research purposes, computers are now designed to be
more compact, more mobile, and more integrated in people’s daily activities.
Computers have evolved based on the type of components used in design. At
present, scientists and researchers have identified five generations based on design,
suitability, and reliability. These generations of computers are briefly defined below
(Pepito, 2002).

First Generation Computer (1946 - 1959)

- The first electronic computer was developed in 1946. Designed by J. Presper

Eckert and John W. Mauchly from the University of Pennsylvania and financed by
the United States Army.
- The Electronic Numeric Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) is considered to be the
first-generation computer. ENIAC was a modular computer, composed of several
panels capable of performing different functions.
- However, it could store only a limited or small amount of information and only do
arithmetic operations such as addition and subtraction of up to 10 digits.
- The computer was roughly 167 square meters in size, and weighed 27 tons.

Second Generation Computer (1959 - 1965)

- In this second generation, the transistor was used as the interior sections of the
computer.
- Transistors were much smaller, faster, and more dependable than the vacuum
tubes of the first-generation computer.
- They generated less heat and consumed less electricity but were still very costly.
- A transistor computer, now often called a second-generation computer, is
a computer which uses discrete transistors instead of vacuum tubes.
- The first generation of electronic computers used vacuum tubes, which
generated large amounts of heat, were bulky and unreliable.
- A second generation of computers, through the late 1950s and 1960s
featured circuit boards filled with individual transistors and magnetic core
memory.

Third Generation Computer (1965 - 1971)

- In 1965, 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 capacitors that even the full circuit
board of a transistor can be replaced entirely with one chip.
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- This chip made the computers smaller, unfailing, and effective.
- In this third generation, remote processing, time-sharing, and multiprogramming
operating systems were used.

Fourth Generation Computer (1971 - 1980)

- From 1971 to 1980, very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits were used to build
computers.
- These circuits have about 5,000 transistors and other circuit elements with their
connected circuits on a single chip known as the microprocessor.
- These fourth- generation computers such as personal 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.

Fifth Generation Computer (1980 - onwards)

- In this fifth generation, the VLSI technology has evolved into what is called ultra
large- scale integration (ULSI) technology, with the manufacture of
microprocessor chips having 10 million electronic 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.
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Exercise

Resources

1. Living in the IT era (2019) by Ronina R. Caoili-Tayuan and Mia V. Eleazar (C & E
Publishing, Inc.)
2. Using Information Technology (2012) by Brian K. Williams and Stacey C. Sawyer
(McGraw-Hill)
3. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/people-politics-law/politics-policy-people/sociology/information-
technology-new-era/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab\
4. https://ftms.edu.my/v2/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/csca0201_ch01.pdf
5. https://www.sutori.com/story/history-of-ict-information-and-communications-technology-
N7J51bQqSU7vLWcVfdn5M9qa
6. https://www.livescience.com/20718-computer-history.html
7. https://www.explainthatstuff.com/historyofcomputers.html

Prepared By

Sufea M. Posa
CECS Faculty