Information and Communications Technology

Chapter
1
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

OBJECTIVES
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:

i. Explain the concept of ICT and its related terminologies.

ii. Describe the information processing cycle.
iii. Outline the uses of ICT for educational/social/economic purposes.
iv. Analyse the impact of ICT on educational, social and economic development
v. Identify career opportunities in ICT.

INTRODUCTION

Everyday in our waking lives we are invariably greeted by ICT. You were probably shaken
off your bed by a mobile phone. What you used next is pretty much unknown to me, but I am
sure you crossed the road on your way to school and probably saw a traffic light which kept
you safe from ―knocking over‖ a vehicle, a bicycle perhaps. You get to school, and if you are
a fresh student, the secretary puts information/data
ACTIVITY
about you on his/her computer. You might have
used other gargets which fit into the category. Let students brainstorm and
come out with the meaning of
But one thing you have to know is as different as ICT and its related terminologies
they are, they have one thing in common; they are
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 Information and Communications Technology

ICT gargets.
I am sure your first question is what makes these ICT gargets? Let‘s talk about that.

THE CONCEPT OF ICT

ICT stands for "Information and Communications Technology".

The term ICT refers to the combination of telephone networks with computer networks
through a single cabling or link system. ICT should be read as "Information Technology and
Communication Technology" literally to make clear its meaning.
The main concept of ICT is to link various devices and activities to the computer. Now the
next question is how does ICT do that? Let us consider that.

ICT TERMINOLOGIES

ICTs
We have already talks about ICT being information and communications technology. ICTs
on the other hand stands for information communications technologies. ICTs refers to the
various devices and machines that come together to make clear the meaning of ICT. As we
have discovered already ICT links the individual gadgetries together. Therefore, we can say
that ICT links the various ICTs together.

Data
Data is anything in the form of numbers, text, images and sound that is suitable for
processing and storage by a computer.
Before a computer can perform any function it must be fed with the required data. For
example, if you want a computer to perform a calculation, you first have to feed it with the
specific numbers say, 4 + 2, and that is the data which the computer processes.
Examples of data:
The record of students in a school.
The stock of goods in a supermarket.
The amount of goods sold by a store.
The number hours that an employee is supposed to work.

Most data are meaningless unless fully processed. It is therefore important for the computer
to understand the data it is fed with before it can process it. A processed data is known as
information. A computer can only process a specific data when it has the appropriate program
to run it with.

A collection of data organized for storage in a computer memory and designed for easy
access by authorized users is known as database. Data is often confused with programs and
information.
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 Information and Communications Technology

Program
A Computer Program is a set of instructions that directs a computer to perform some function
or combination of functions.
In the above data (4 + 2), before the computer can give you an answer it has to get specific
instructions.
For the instructions to be carried out, a computer must execute a program, that is, the
computer reads the program, and then follows the steps encoded in the program in a precise
order until completion. A program can be executed in many different times, with each
execution producing a potentially different result depending on the options and data that the
user gives the computer.

Information
Information is the answer given by the computer after a successful processing of data.
For example, in our above data, 4 + 2, the expected answer will be 6. Therefore, 6 is the
information. For a user to get the expected information, they must enter a data which the
computer understands. The information received can then be stored or distributed or yet still,
be run on another program. In that case, the information becomes data again. For example
the information we got above which is 6, can become data if it is used again in another
program to be 6 + 4.

E-learning
Also known as electronic learning, E-learning refers to the acquisition of knowledge and
skill using electronic technologies such as computer, the internet, intranet and extranet.
E-learning is basically the computer and network enabled transfer
of skills and knowledge. E-learning comprises the use electronic
applications and processes to learn. E-learning applications and
processes include Web-based learning, computer-based learning,
virtual classrooms and digital collaboration. Content is delivered
through the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape,
satellite TV, and CD-ROM. It can be self paced or instructor led
and includes media in the form of text, image, animation,
streaming video and audio.
Acronyms like CBT (Computer-Based Training), IBT (Internet-
Based Training) or WBT (Web-Based Training) have been used
as synonyms to e-learning. Today one can still find these terms
being used, along with variations of e-learning such as elearning,
Elearning and eLearning.

EXERCISE
Fig. 1.0 Primary School children on their
Students to explain some of the basic ICT computers
concepts and terminologies and show their
differences e.g. ICT and ICTs Data and Information

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 Information and Communications Technology

INFORMATION PROCESSING CYCLE

Before a computer presents information from data, it must go through a set of systematic
steps known as the information processing cycle.
By definition, information processing cycle could said to be the sequence of events that the
computer goes through in processing information.
The information processing cycle includes:
input, processing, output, storage and distribution.

The following diagram illustrates the information processing cycle.

INPUT

PROCESSING

OUTPUT

STORAGE

DISTRIBUTION

1. Input (Receiving data)

Input is the act of collecting and putting raw data from the outside world into the computer
so that it can be put into an information system. Inputting data include:
 Putting the names of student onto a computer in order to know the number of student in
the school.
 Collecting jokes for a joke book and typing jokes into a word processor.

Devices used to input data into a computer are known as input devices. Without input
devices, a computer would only be a display device and not allow users to interact with it,
much like a television set.
web cam
Typical input devices include:
keyboards
mice
mouse
scanners,
bar code readers
joysticks
web cam
MIDI keyboard
gamepad digital camera
gamepad
digital camera
microphone
scanner Fig. 1.1: input devices
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2. Processing (of data)

Data processing is done by the central processing unit of a computer.
A central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor or sometimes simply processor, is the
referred to as the brain of the computer. It is the key component in a digital computer
capable of executing a program. It interprets computer program instructions and processes
data.
The speed of the CPU is determined by clock speed. The higher the clock speed, faster the
computer. The speed of the CPU is measured in megahertz (MHz). 100 MHz = 100 million
cycles/second of information processing.

There are two typical components of a CPU. They are the:

 The arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which performs arithmetic and logical operations. In
other words, the ALU takes care of all the computations or calculations in the computer.
 The control unit (CU), which extracts instructions from memory and decodes and executes
them, calling on the ALU when necessary.

Fig. 1.2: Processors

3. Output
In information processing, output is the process of transmitting the processing information.
Essentially, output is the presentation of any data exiting a computer system. This could be
in the form of printed paper, audio or video. In the medical industry this might include CT
scans or x-rays. Typically in computing, data is entered through various forms (input) into a
computer, the data is often manipulated, and then information is presented to a human
(output).
Devices which output information are known as output devices.
Example of output devices are:

Monitors
Printers
Speakers
LCD Projectors

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printer speaker
LCD monitor

Fig. 1.3: Some output devices

4. Storage
Storage or mass storage refers to various techniques and devices for storing large amounts
of data. The earliest storage devices were punched paper cards, which were used as early
as 1804 to control silk-weaving looms. Modern mass storage devices include all types of
disk drives and tape drives. Mass storage is distinct from memory, which refers to
temporary storage areas within the computer. Unlike RAM memory, mass storage devices
retain data even when the computer is turned off.

The smallest unit of storage is a file that contains such data as a letter, budget, images or
any one of the thousands of items that you may have saved for future reference.
Additionally, files can be executable program files, or system files reserved for the
operating system. Mass storage is measured in kilobytes (1,024 bytes), megabytes (1,024
kilobytes), gigabytes (1,024 megabytes) and terabytes (1,024 gigabytes).

Examples of some mass storage devices are:

 Floppy Disks
 Hard disks
 Optical storage: Examples: CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD or DVD-R
 Magnetic Tapes:
Floppy disk
 Flash Memory (USB drive or pen drives)
 Zip drives

Zip drive
DVD

Hard disk USB drive

Fig. 1.4: Some storage devices 6

 Information and Communications Technology

5. Distribution
The final stage in the information processing cycle is distribution. When the information
is stored on a mass storage device, it can easily and conveniently be carried to anywhere.
For example, a USB drive can be carried around in a trouser pocket without bulging out.
Other media such as CDs and DVDs can be kept inside a book. In another instance, if the
information is a poster printed on paper, its distribution will be done by pasting it on a
wall.
The information processing cycle may contain some more steps or some steps will have to
be omitted. For example, if the information is a poster, the storage could be left out if after
printing the user does not need it again. In this case we will have four steps instead of five.
But it is very essential for all vital information to be store for future reference.

EXERCISE

Students to list the devices used in the

stages of information processing cycle and
describe the process

USES OF ICT TOOL

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become, within a very short time, one
of the basic building blocks of modern society. Many countries now regard understanding
ICT and mastering the basic skills and concepts of ICT as part of the core of education,
alongside reading, writing and numeracy. ICT has been a real blessing to mankind in almost
every area of our endeavor. The help provided by ICT in the field of education, economics
and banking, social activities, etc is insurmountable. ICT is universally used. There is a high
degree of inter-organizational ICT use.

Uses of ICT in education

 ICT helps students and teachers carry out their research effectively: with the advent of the
internet, all necessary information is just a click
away. The user just types in the search engine the
keyword of what they want, and a vast array of
information is displayed.
 Various ICT related gargets help teachers make
clear their meanings of basic concepts.
 Electronic laboratories or E-labs help teachers and
instructors perform laboratory experiments even in
the absence of the appropriate equipments and

Fig. 1.5: ICT is an essential aid in education 7

 Information and Communications Technology

materials. Teachers do this by rerunning a pre-recorded experiment.

 With a wide variety of presentation software on the market, students can easily present
their ideas.
 E-learning helps students learn at their own pace even without a teacher or instructor.
 ICTs are used in classrooms to help students with physical disabilities grab some basic
concepts talked about.

Uses of ICT in society

 ICTs such as mobile phones are used widely to communicate – send and receive
messages (voice and text).
 Network-based traffic lights are used to monitor our roads and control the movements
of traffic. This helps prevent road related accidents.
 ICT enables people to stay informed even when they are far away fro the source of the
news. This is made possible by the internet and digital television.
 Meteorologists depend on ICT to be able to predict the weather make-up, thereby
keeping the public safe from weather related casualties.
 Some common home appliances such as microwave ovens and refrigerators are fitted
with some ICT gargets to make them work efficiently.

Uses of ICT for Economic Development

 ICT enables inter-departmental communication and information transfer within

company or one company with another. This promotes productivity and efficiency.
 It enable people to access their banking information easily without the need to visit
the bank this is made possible by Electronic Banking (E-banking) and the ATM.
 Policy makers use ICT related technologies to come out with economic forecasts -
this ensures that all monetary issues are well planned and prepared for.
 Investors can easily keep track of their money and investment wherever they are in
the world because of ICT. This has eased down the pressure on investors in trying to
come out with proper investments; potential investors can easily learn the act of
investment.
 ICT monitors the growth of the market. This helps to know how much a country,
company or individual is making at a specific point in time.

GROUP DISCUSSION

In groups, students to discuss and

come out with the educational, social
and economic purposes of ICT

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 Information and Communications Technology

IMPACT OF ICT
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an important tool for
promoting a variety of public goals and policies. In the past years much attention has been
given to the expected social benefits from using ICT in different fields such as
transportation, education, public participation in planning etc. and to its potential to ease
down on various current or emerging urban problems. The growing importance of ICT in
daily life, business activities and governance prompts the need to consider ICT more
explicitly in urban policies. Alongside the expectation that the private sector will play a
major role in the ICT field, the expected benefits from ICT encourage also urban authorities
to formulate proper public ICT policies. Against this background, various intriguing
research questions arise. What are the urban policy-makers' expectations about ICT? And
how do they assess the future implications of ICT for their city? An analysis of these
questions will provide us with a better understanding of the extent to which urban authorities
are willing to invest in and adopt a dedicated ICT policy.
ICT by all implications is here to stay is its impact on all sector are overwhelming. The
following are some of the impact that ICT has had on some selected sectors.

On education

The first mass produced computers were introduced to schools in the 1980s. Since then,
ICT has taken root in the educational field.

 Online distance education helps students to attend classes and submit assignments at the
comfort of their own home.

 The internet is store house for all source of information. All that the student or teacher
needs to do is to type in their questions or keyword, and every information on that subject
will be displayed.

 Virtual classrooms helps students log on from home, school, etc into a special computer-
based classroom where information is presented to them just as in a real classroom.

 Computer-aided teaching and learning helps students select subjects they want and also
learn at their own pace.

 School authorities can easily assess the information of teachers and students from their
data base.

 Students can also asses their WASSCE and BECE results online even before they become
available at their school.

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On society

Some of the impact ICT has had on society are:

 Availability of internet cafes which make assess to information

online very convenient.

 Fast and effective communication through email, mobile/telephone,

fax etc.

 Mp3 players, iPods, games etc helps people relax and pass their leisure whiles listening to
music or playing games to ease tension.

 More traffic means more road congestion and traffic accidents. This is not very much the
case as traffic lights regulate traffic movement and reduce congestion.

 What could be more comfortable than being in your sitting room or even bath room and
yet able to buy or order things. E-shopping as it is called has made this possible.

 CCTVs and even web cams serve as security cameras. People can monitor their homes and
parents, their children when they are away.

 Digital television make available hundreds of TV stations for the users; viewing comfort.

On economic development

Industries, banks and hospitals are some of the key beneficiaries of the powers of ICT.

In the supermarket:
 e-shopping and e-commerce do not only help customers buy what they want from anywhere,
but also helps supermarkets and manufacturers reach a lot of customers all over the world,
24/7.
 Bar codes on products help supermarkets price their goods just by changing the prices on
their database without the need to change the labels on the products. They can also easily take
stock level of their good easily without counting and re-counting the product available.

In banks:
 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) enable bank customers to withdraw
money from their checking or savings accounts by inserting an ATM card
and a private electronic code into an ATM. The ATMs enable bank
customers to access their money 24 hours a day and seven days a week
wherever ATMs are located, including in foreign countries.
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Fig. 1.6: An ATM
 Information and Communications Technology

 Banks also offer debit cards that directly withdraw funds from a customer‘s account for the
amount of a purchase, much like writing a check.

 Banks also use electronic transfers to deposit payroll checks directly into a customer‘s
account and to automatically pay a customer‘s bills when they are due. Many banks also use
the Internet to enable customers to pay bills, move money between accounts, and perform
other banking functions.

In the manufacturing industry:

 Computer –aided design/computer aided manufacture
(CAD/CAM), helps engineers and designers develop and test new
product easily before producing them. Cars, planes, ships and other
machines are first designed and manufactured on computers before
they go into production.

 Robot technology is relied on for the jobs which cannot be done by

humans.
Fig. 1.7: An engineer on a computer model

In the offices:
 Video conferencing or teleconferencing enables people to hold meetings and do their
presentations to others who are miles apart.
 Offices now resort to storing data on one central computer which is accessed by all
departments through local and wide area networks.
 Telephone bill has reduced because information can easily be sent by email even much faster.
Confidential documents, videos and audios can be sent from one office, city, town or country
to another in a flash.via email.

In the medical field:

 Doctors and other medical officers can use the computed axial
tomography (CAT) scan to study the internal part of a patient.
 The use of robotic arms enables surgeons to perform surgeries
even when they are distance away from the patient. The patients
appear on the surgeon‘s computer, whether in the same or distant
hospital. The surgeon uses a specially adapted mouse control the Fig. 1.8: ICT, a tool in medicine
actions of the robotic arms.
 Computer diagnosis, where diseases are diagnosed by matching the symptoms illnesses;
computer monitoring where people recovering from some diseases are followed; computer
prediction, the use of computer to know the effect of drugs before they come out are all
possible through ICT.

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GROUP DISCUSSION

In groups, students to discuss and

come out with the educational, social
and economic purposes of ICT

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Careers in ICT are ever expanding due to increasing demand of ICT personnel. Career
opportunities in ICT include;

 Internet Café administrator: A person who manages an internet café, makes sure that
everything is working properly.

 Programmer/ software engineer: A person who writes and debugs computer programs.
Depending on the size of the project and the work environment, a programmer might work
alone or as part of a team, be involved in part or all of the process from design through
completion, or write all or a portion of the program.

 Database administrator: A person who monitors a database, prevents it from being hacked
into and keeps it up to date.

 Network administrator: A person responsible for configuring the network so that it runs
efficiently. For example, the network administrator might need to connect computers that
communicate frequently to reduce interference with other computers.

 System Administrator: The person or team of people responsible for configuring the
computer and its software to use the network. For example, the system administrator may
install network software and configure a server's file system so client computers can access
shared files.

 Hardware engineer/designer: A person who makes computer parts such as system unit and
its components, monitors, keyboards, mice etc.

Assignment:
Students to select ICT career of their choice and
find out the requirements and job description and
report in class.

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TEST YOURSELF

Theory questions

1. a. What is the full meaning of ICT?

b. Write a short note on ICT.

2. Explain the information processing cycle and state two devices used in each step.

3. Discuss the impact of ICT on the following areas:

a. Education
b. Medicine
c. Society
d. Banking
e. Supermarkets

4. Outline four careers related to ICT.

5. Write a short note on the following

a. ICTs
b. Data
c. Information
d. E-learning
e. Program

6. With the aid of a diagram, describe how input, processing, output, storage and
distribution are connected in the information processing cycle.

7. Outline the uses of ICT in the following areas:

a. Education
b. Social
c. Economic development

8. Discuss the differences between data and information

9. a. What is the role of the Central Processing Unit in the information processing cycle?
b. the central processing cycle is said to be he brain of the computer. Discuss that
assertion.

10. Discuss how ICT can be used to save life.

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Multiple choice questions

1. Which of the following is the full c. Processor

meaning of ICT? d. Storage device
a. Information and Commissions
Technology 7. The information processing cycle
b. Information and Communication always begins with….
Technicality a. Storage
c. Informal and Communication b. Input
Technology c. Output
d. Information and Communications d. Distribution
Technology
8. A computer‘s response to data could
2. Which of the following is an input said to be a/an ..
device? a. Raw material
a. Monitor b. Input
b. Keyboard c. Information
c. Central Processing Unit d. Program
d. Hard disk drive
9. A set of instructions that tells the
3. The two components of the CPU are computer what to do is …
the Control Unit and … a. Data
a. System Unit b. Information
b. Arithmetic Local Unit c. Instruction
c. Logical Unit d. Program
d. Arithmetic Logic Unit
10. Pick the odd one out.
4. Which of the following is an input a. Input
device? b. Instruction
a. Barcode reader c. Distribution
b. LCD projector d. Storage
c. USB Drive
d. Zip drive 11. Pick the odd one out.
a. Monitor
5. Devices which transmit processing data b. Keyboard
to the computer user are termed as.. c. Trackball
a. Output devices d. Gamepad
b. Input devices
c. Processors 12. Pick the odd one out.
d. Storage devices a. Mouse
b. Speaker
6. If a person uses a printer he/she is c. Printer
using a/an…. d. LCD projector
a. Output device
b. Input device
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True or false questions

13. ICT and ICTs are the same. 18. Data is synonymous to information

14. Devices used for putting data onto the

19. A monitor is an input device.
computer are known as input devices.

15. The part of the CPU which is 20. A floppy disk can store information.
responsible for all calculations is
known as the ALU.
21. A stored information can be
distributed.
16. A joystick is an input device.

22. A collection of data organized for

17. A processed data is known as a storage in a computer memory is
program. known as database.

Fill in the gaps with the words below.

Input output CPU monitor

ALU storage web cam data
CAD/CAM information

23. The ……………. does the processing of data.

24. ……………. helps engineers and designers develop and test new product.

25. A ………………. displays processed data.

26. The component of the CPU which is responsible for computations is the ……………

27. A processed data is known as ………………….

28. …………….. devices enable a computer user issue a command to the computer.

29. Information ……………… is done by storage devices.

30. An example of input device is a …………………..

31. The third stage of information processing cycle is ……………..

32. A computer user always inputs ……………….

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Answers

Multiple choice questions

1. D 7. B

2. A 8. C

3. D 9. D

4. A 10. B

5. A 11. A

6. A 12. A

True or false questions

13. False 18. False

14. True 19. False

15. True 20. True

16. True 21. True

17. True 22. True

Fill In

23. CPU 28. Input

24. CAD/CAM 29. storage

25. monitor 30. web cam

26. ALU 31. output

27. information 32. data

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