GEE-3 LIVING IN THE IT ERA

WEEK 1

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY: AN OVERVIEW

The term technology presently includes advancements in communication and

how information is handled, thus enabling governments, organizations, industries,

and ordinary individuals to improve on their decision-making, business processes,

and everyday living.

The term information and communications technology or ICT was defined in a study

conducted by Zuppo (2012) as “related to technologies that facilitate the transfer of

information and various types of electronically mediated communication”.

Baumeister and Leary (1995) “ belongingness hypothesis” states that people have a

basic psychological need to feel closely connected to others, and that caring,

affectionate bonds from close relationships are a major part of human behavior.

This need can be fulfilled through the different modes of communication:

-face to face -letters

-online -phone calls

-voice messages -text messages

THE ICT HIERARCHY BY COLRAIN ZUPPO

IT versus ICT
ICT is often used in a more general sense, and is described as using computers and

other digital technologies to assist individual or institutions in handling or using

information. ICT is technology that supports activities involving information such as

gathering, processing, storing, and presenting data.

IT or information technology, 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 up of three words, namely information, communications, and

technology.

 INFORMATION

-refers to the knowledge obtained from reading, investigation, study, or

research.

-regarded as processed data

 COMMUNICATION

-is an act of transmitting messages. It is a process in which information is

exchanged between individuals through verbal and non-verbal means.

 TECHNOLOGY

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

-has made communication much easier and faster through telephones, fax

machines, mobile devices, and the internet.

QUESTIONS:

1. When do we use the term ICT and how does it differ from IT?