FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev.

0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in (GE111 – Living in the IT ERA) Module No. 1

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 1

Chapter 1 – Introduction to the Information and Communication

Technology
MODULE OVERVIEW

In this chapter, we are going to explore the concept of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), its
evolution and its nature. We will also understand the practical application of ICT in everyday life. the impacts
of ICT in different areas of specialization and the current trends and emerging technologies.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this, students are expected to:

 Understand the evolution of technology over the years
 Explain how technology can be used in different aspects of the society
 Discuss the impact of Technology in different areas of specialization
 Identify the current trends in technology

LEARNING CONTENTS (Evolutions of Information and Communication Technology)

 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a term used to describe technologies in manipulating
and communicating information, especially in relation to modern telecommunication systems as they have
evolved to intensive use of computing technology coupled with the enormous increase in communications
between computers relying on the telecommunications infrastructure to do so. The two areas have
increasingly merged as telecommunications has moved from analog to digital and then to packet
technologies, and as the Internet has emerged to become one of the dominant data communications
systems in use today.
 The very first forms of ICT and all the forms leading up to our current forms of ICT make our current
technologies what they are today. The evolution of the first ICT to our current form of ICT goes through 4
stages, Premechanical, Mechanical, Electromechanical and Electronic. These 4 stages helped ICT evolve
and adapt to the latest forms of ICT.

1. Premechanical
The premechanical age of technology is the earliest known form of ICT. It can be defined as the time between
3000B.C. and 1450A.D. Which is a very long time ago. But this is when humans first started communicating
and try to do this in several ways including trying to use language or simple symbols and picture known as
petroglyths which were usually carved into rock. These Petrolglyths made up stories, messages and warnings
Early alphabets were developed such as the Phoenician alphabet. As Alphabets became more popular and
more commonly used for writing information down, pens and paper began to develop. It just started off as
marks on wet clay, but then later paper was created out of Papyrus Plant. The most popular kind of paper was
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 storage permanently. This is where the first books and libraries were developed.
You've probably heard or seen Egyptian scrolls which was one popular way of writing down information
permanently. Some people were binding information together in 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.

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. There was a huge
explosion of interest in this era, resulting in more technologies being developed. Technologies like the slide
rule (Which was an analog computer used for multiplying and dividing) were invented. Blaise Pascal invented

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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. There were lots of
different machines created during this era and while we have not yet gotten to a machine that can do more
than one type of calculation in one, like our modern-day calculators, we are still learning about how all our all-
in-one machines started. Also, if you look at the size of the machines invented in this time compared to the
power behind them it seems (to us) ridiculous to understand why anybody would want to use them, but to the
people living in that time ALL these inventions were HUGE.

3. Electromechanical
Now we are finally getting close to some technologies that resemble our current 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.

4. Electronic (Our current Technology)

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 core 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.

Timeline of technology

1. 3500 BC, the

7. 1925,
Sumerians
television was
developed
made known to
cuneiform
public
writing

2. 1500 BC, the

8. 1941, the
Phoenicians
computer was
developed the
created
alphabet

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3. 105 BC, Tsai 9. 1958, the

Lun photocopier
of China inve machine was
nted paper introduced

4. 1454, the first

printing 10. 1963, the
began with communication
the creation satellite was
of a printing introduced
machine.

5. 1793, the
telegraph line
was invented
11. 1969, the
first internet
known as
ARPANET was
6. 1876, the first introduced
telephone
was
introduced

LEARNING CONTENTS (Practical Application of ICT in Everyday Life )

a) EDUCATION
Today, most schools and higher educational institutions have computers in the classroom for teacher and
students. In education, teachers, students, researchers, and school administrators benefits from the usage of
ICT.

b) BANKING
The computer is the nerve center of the banking system around the world. It functions to control the entire
banking system that also includes ‘Electronic Banking Services’. Electronic banking provides 24-hour
services. The services include:
a. Automated Teller Machine (ATM)

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b. Cheque Deposit
c. Electronic Fund Transfer
d. Direct Deposit
e. Pay by phone system
f. Personal computer banking/internet banking

In the banking sector, customers, businessman and

bank administrator benefits from the usage of ICT.

c) INDUSTRY
Computers are used to facilitate production planning
and control systems, to support chain management
and to help in product design in the industrial sector.
In the industrial sector, workers, researchers and
administrator benefits from the usage of ICT.

d) E-COMMERCE
E-commerce helps in boosting the economy. It
makes buying and selling activities easier, more
efficient and faster. For this application, computers,
Internet, and shared software are needed.
In the e-commerce sector, customers r, suppliers
and employees benefit from the usage of ICT.

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BEFORE ICT (non- WITH ICT (computerized)

computerized)
Traditional – Chalk and talk
EDUCATION
Using only book and
paper/magazine
banking was done manually by
taking deposits directly
BANKING SYSTEM transactions can only be made
during working hours
takes time to approve any loan
applications
Production was slow because
INDUSTRY everything was done manually
and totally depended on human
labour.
Commerce is an activity of
exchanging, buying and selling
of commodities on a large-scale
involving transportation from
place to place.
Trading was made using the
barter system and it was then
COMMERCE later developed into currency.
Advertisement was in the form
of word of mouth, billboards,
and printed flyers.
Trading globally was extremely
slow, late and expensive.
Traders had to find ways to
market local products in the
global market.
education is the science of
teaching and learning of specific
skills
it also imparts knowledge, good
judgment, and wisdom
all transactions are done by
computers
transaction can be done at any
time and place
online services, phone banking
system, credit cards are available
Computers and
telecommunications industry
became very popular and
profitable since production can be
increased through an all-day
operation.
E-commerce plays an important
role in the economic scene. It
includes distribution, buying,
selling, and servicing products
that are done electronically.

LEARNING CONTENTS (Impact of ICT in different areas of specialization)

FASTER COMMUNICATION SPEED

In the past, it took a long time for any news or messages to be send. Now with the Internet, news or
messages are sent via e-mail to friends, business partners or to anyone efficiently. With the capability of
bandwidth, broadband and connection speed on the Internet, any information can travel fast and at an instant.
It saves time and is inexpensive.

LOWER COMMUNICATION COST

Using the Internet is cost-effective than the other modes of communication such as telephone, mailing or
courier service. It allows people to have access to large amounts of data at a very low cost. With the Internet
we do not have to pay for any basic services provided by the Internet. Furthermore, the cost of connection to
the Internet is relatively cheap.

RELIABLE MODE OF COMMUNICATION

Computers are reliable. With the internet, information could be accessed and retrieved from anywhere and at
any time. This makes it a reliable mode of communication. However, the input to the computer is contributed

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by humans. If the data passed to the computer is faulty, the result will be faulty as well. This is related to the
term GIGO. GIGO is a short form for Garbage In Garbage Out. It refers to the quality of output produced
according to the input. Normally bad input produces bad output.

EFFECTIVE SHARING OF INFORMATION

With the advancement of ICT, information can be shared by people all around the world. People can
share and exchange opinions, news, and information through discussion groups, mailing list and
forums on the Internet. This enables knowledge sharing which will contribute to the development of
knowledge-based society.

PAPERLESS ENVIRONMENT
ICT technology has created the term paperless environment. This term means information can be
stored and retrieved through the digital medium instead of paper. Online communication via emails,
online chat and instant messaging also helps in creating the paperless environment.

BORDERLESS COMMUNICATION
Internet offers fast information retrieval, interactivity, accessibility, and versatility. It has become a
borderless source for services and information. Through the Internet, information and
communication can be borderless.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS
There are some negative effects of ICT. It has created social problems in the society. Nowadays,
people tend to choose online communication rather than having real time conversations. People
tend to become more individualistic and introvert.

HEALTH PROBLEMS
A computer may harm users if they use it for long hours frequently. Computer users are also
exposed to bad posture, eyestrain, physical and mental stress. To solve the health problems, an
ergonomic environment can be introduced. For example, an ergonomic chair can reduce back strain
and a screen filter is used to minimize eye strain.

LEARNING CONTENTS (Current Trends and Emerging Technologies)

Technology today is evolving at such a rapid pace, enabling faster change and progress, causing an
acceleration of the rate of change, until eventually, it will become exponential

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence is a method of making a computer, a computer-controlled robot, or a software
think intelligently like the human mind. AI is accomplished by studying the patterns of the human brain
and by analyzing the cognitive process. The outcome of these studies develops intelligent software and
systems.
Some of the tasks performed by AI-enabled devices include:
 Speech recognition
 Object detection
 Solve problems and learn from the given data
 Plan an approach for future tests to be done

Machine Learning is a core sub-area of Artificial Intelligence (AI). ML applications learn from
experience (or to be accurate, data) like humans do without direct programming. When exposed to new data,
these applications learn, grow, change, and develop by themselves. In other words, machine learning involves
computers finding insightful information without being told where to look. Instead, they do this by leveraging
algorithms that learn from data in an iterative process.

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.
2. `Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Robotic Process Automation is the use of software with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
capabilities to handle high-volume, repeatable tasks that previously required humans to perform. Some of
these tasks include:
 Addressing queries
 Making calculations
 Maintaining records
 Making transactions

3. Edge Computing
Edge computing is designed to help solve some of those problems to bypass the latency caused by cloud
computing and getting data to a datacenter for processing. It can exist “on the edge,” if you will, closer to
where computing needs to happen. For this reason, edge computing can be used to process time-sensitive
data in remote locations with limited or no connectivity to a centralized location. In those situations, edge
computing can act like mini datacenters.
Edge computing will increase as use of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices increases.

4. Quantum Computing
Quantum computing, which is a form of computing that takes advantage of quantum phenomena like
superposition and quantum entanglement. This amazing technology trend is also involved in preventing the
spread of the coronavirus, and to develop potential vaccines, thanks to its ability to easily query, monitor,
analyze and act on data, regardless of the source. Another field where quantum computing is finding
applications in banking and finance, to manage credit risk, for high-frequency trading and fraud detection.
Quantum computers are now a multitude times faster than regular computers and huge brands like
Splunk, Honeywell, Microsoft, AWS, Google, and many others are now involved in making innovations in the
field of Quantum Computing.

5. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), and Extended Reality (ER). VR immerses the user in an
environment while AR enhances their environment. Although this technology trend has primarily been
used for gaming thus far, it has also been used for training, as with Virtual Ship, a simulation software
used to train U.S. Navy, Army and Coast Guard ship captains.

6. Blockchain
Blockchain is a list of records called blocks that store data publicly and in chronological order. The
information is encrypted using cryptography to ensure that the privacy of the user is not compromised and
data cannot be altered.
Information on a Blockchain network is not controlled by a centralized authority, unlike modern
financial institutions. The participants of the network maintain the data, and they hold the democratic
authority to approve any transaction which can happen on a Blockchain network. Therefore, a typical
Blockchain network is a public Blockchain.

7. Internet of Things (IoT)

According to the Internet, it’s “the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in
everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.” At a consumer level, these devices can be
placed in our cars, phones, appliances, medical equipment, wristbands, livestock and more. At an
industrial level, these devices can be in machinery, shipping equipment, vehicles, robots, warehouses and
more. But where the devices are located matters less than what they do. And what they do is “talk” to
each other, sharing data and getting feedback based on that data and all the other data that is being
generated, analyzed, and acted on.

8. 5G
5G services are expected to revolutionize our lives. by enabling services that rely on advanced
technologies like AR and VR, alongside cloud-based gaming services like Google Stadia, NVidia GeForce

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Now and much more. It is expected to be used in factories, HD cameras that help improve safety and
traffic management, smart grid control and smart retail too.

9. Cyber Security
Cyber security is an area that covers how to defend devices and services from electronic attacks by
nefarious actors such as hackers. While there can be offensive components to cyber security, most of
today's professionals focus on determining the best way to defend everything from computers and
smartphones to networks and databases from attackers.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Exercises:
a. Answer the following
1. What is ICT?
2. List down the technology invented in different computer generations
3. How ICT affect your life?

b. Watch the videos (click the link) below and write your thoughts about the subject matter.
1. ICT in everyday life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDNkhRuQNKs
2. Artificial Intelligence. https://youtu.be/ad79nYk2keg
3. Robotic Process Automation. https://youtu.be/H5VKUajGDdI
4. Block Chain Technology. https://youtu.be/E2JRnFgrztM
5. Cyber Security. https://youtu.be/z5nc9MDbvkw

SUMMARY

ICT stands for information, communication, and technology.

The evolution of ICT goes through stages, namely: (1) Premechanical, (2) Mechanical, (3)
Electromechanical, and (4) Electronic.
The different application of ICT in our everyday life embraces Education, Banking, Industry and
Ecommerce.
The effect of ICT in different areas of specialization are faster communication speed, lower communication
cost, reliable mode of communication, effective sharing of information, paperless environment, borderless
communication, and negative effect that created social problems and health problems.
The current trends and emerging technologies include Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning,
Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Edge Computing, Quantum Computing, Virtual Reality and Augmented
Reality, Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, and Cyber Security.

REFERENCES

E-SOURCES:
https://prezi.com/xn5vc5twbijq/the-evolution-of-ict/

http://cikgushelly.blogspot.com/2012/01/ict-in-everyday-life-form-4.html

https://ailynvlla.home.blog/2019/03/04/how-ict-affect-our-daily-life/

https://www.simplilearn.com/top-technology-trends-and-jobs-article

https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/artificial-intelligence-tutorial/what-is-artificial-intelligence

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