LIVING IN THE IT ERA
MODULE 1
PROF. CANDICE B. YEE, MM
INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
• The quickening pace of evolution in technology is very evident in this
era. It seems that it is progressing faster than ever. From year to year,
the evolution of technology is one of staggering promise and
opportunity--as well as uncertainty. Basically, technology has been
around before, and as long as there are people, information
technology will be there also because there were always ways of
communicating through technology available at that point in time.
The future may be unknown, but digital advancement continues to
reshape our world in ways that encourage people to form new habits,
find new ways to work together, and become better human beings.
And, in most cases, these changes translate into a range of
opportunities and disruptions across every industry. Humans have
always been quick to adapt technologies for better and faster
communication.
Objectives
• After successful completion of this module, the
student can be able to;
• Demonstrate a sense of readiness for the
upcoming semester;
• Identify their learning outcomes and
expectations for the course;
• Recognize their capacity to create new
understandings from reflecting on the course;
• Know the role and importance of ICT.
Lesson 1: Information and Communication
Technology
• History of ICT
ICT, or information and communications technology
(or technologies), is the infrastructure and components
that enable modern computing. Although there is no
single, universal definition of ICT, the term is generally
accepted to mean all devices, networking components,
applications and systems that combined allow people
and organizations (i.e., businesses, nonprofit agencies,
governments and criminal enterprises) to interact in
the digital world.
Uses of ICT In Our Daily Lives
a. Communication
We all know that ICT take a major role for us by means of
communicating, way back in the past our parents use to make
letter and send it via post mail. But now with the help of ICT it
is easier to communicate with our love ones. We can use
cellular phones that design for communicating with other
people even they are miles away far 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
• adopt a global perspective towards issues and ideas.
• It also provides students from remote areas access
to expert teachers and learning resources
• gives administrators and policy makers the data
and expertise they need to work more efficiently.
b. 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
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 smart phone, laptop, desktop or any
gadgets that is available in the comfort of your
home.
c. Education
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can
impact student learning when teachers are digitally literate and
understand how to integrate it into curriculum.
Schools use a diverse set of ICT tools to communicate, create,
disseminate, store, and manage information.(6) 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.
d. 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
• You tube
• Flicker
• second life
• delicious blogs
• wiki’s
It let people of all ages rapidly share their interest of the movement without others everywhere.
But Facebook seems to be the leading areas of where people communicate and share their
opinions.
What a change! “Nothing is permanent, but change” (As Heraditus in the 4thcentury BC).
Internet can be seen as the international networks of interconnection of computer networks, the
main purpose for the institution of internet are quest for information i.e. browsing, electronic
mail, knew groups fill transfer and access and use of other 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.
Second Life is an online virtual world or a video game
Impact of ICT in The Society
Positive impacts of Information and
Communication Technology
• Access to information: Increase in access to information and services that
has accompanied the growth of the Internet. Some of the positive aspects
of this increased access are better, and often cheaper, communications,
such as VoIP phone and Instant Messaging.
• Improved access to education, e.g. distance learning and online tutorials.
New ways of learning, e.g. interactive multi-media and virtual reality.
• New tools, new opportunities: ICT gives access to new tools that did not
previously exist: digital cameras, photo-editing software and high quality
printers, screen magnification or screen reading software enables partially
sighted or blind people to work with ordinary text rather than Braille.
• Communication: Cost savings by using e.g. VoIP instead of normal
telephone, email / messaging instead of post, video conferencing instead
of traveling to meetings, e-commerce web sites instead of sales catalogues.
Access to larger, even worldwide, markets.
• Information management: Data mining of customer information to
produce lists for targeted advertising. Improved stock control, resulting in
• Security: ICT solves or reduces some security problems, e.g.
Encryption methods can keep data safe from unauthorized people,
both while it is being stored or while it is being sent electronically.
• ICT allows people to participate in a wider, even worldwide,
society.
• Distance learning: students can access teaching materials from all
over the world.
• ICT facilitates the ability to perform ‘impossible’ experiments’ by
using simulations.
• Creation of new more interesting jobs. Examples would be systems
analysts, programmers and software engineers, as well as help desk
operators and trainers.
Negative impacts of Information and
Communication Technology
• Job loss: Manual operations being replaced by automation. e.g. robots replacing people
on an assembly line. Job export. e.g. Data processing work being sent to other countries
where operating costs are lower. Multiple workers being replaced by a smaller number
who are able to do the same amount of work. e.g. A worker on a supermarket checkout
can serve more customers per hour if a bar-code scanner linked to a computerized till is
used to detect goods instead of the worker having to enter the item and price manually
• Reduced personal interaction: Most people need some form of social interaction in
their daily lives and if they do not get the chance to meet and talk with other people
they may feel isolated and unhappy.
• Reduced physical activity: This can lead to health problems such as obesity, heart
disease, and diabetes.
• Cost: A lot of ICT hardware and software is expensive, both to purchase and to
maintain. An ICT system usually requires specialist staff to run it and there is also the
challenge of keeping up with ever-changing technology.
• Competition: this is usually thought of as being a good thing, but for some
organizations being exposed to greater competition can be a problem. If the
organization is competing for customers, donations, or other means of funding
nationally or even internationally, they may lose out to other organizations that can
offer the same service for less money
THANK YOU
