Information Technology for Education
- Concept
An information technology system concerns the processing, storage and/or transfer of information. Information can take many different forms such as words, numbers, pictures, sounds or videos.
An IT system can consist of computers, the telecommunications network and other programmable electronic devices. It is often seen as a very daunting subject because it involves many different specialist areas. However, the basic principle of IT is to simply help us to improve the way we deal with information in all areas of our lives. Computers enable us to process information and perform specific tasks much more quickly that we can often do ourselves. IT systems are usually very flexible and can be made to perform a wide variety of different tasks. IT networks allow us to distribute and share information very quickly.
- Meaning
Information Technology
Information technology, as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." Encompassing the computer and information systems industries, information technology is the capability to electronically input, process, store, output, transmit, and receive data and information, including text, graphics, sound, and video, as well as the ability to control machines of all kinds electronically.
History of Information Technology
The term "information technology" evolved in the 1970s. Its basic concept, however, can be traced to the World War II alliance of the military and industry in the development of electronics, computers, and information theory.
What are Computers?
•Computers are electronic devices that are capable of processing data/information given in the form of numbers, words, pictures, and even sounds.
•They can be programmed (given instructions) to carry out various kinds of information processing jobs.
What are Computers …
•Various kinds of jobs that are done using computers:
–Scientific computations
–Keeping track of information -- Banking, Railways or Airlines Reservations
–Preparation of documents and multimedia presentations
–Simulation of real or imaginary world scenes – Virtual Reality, Computer Games
–Storing and sharing information – World Wide Web
Different Kinds of Computers
•Depending on the size and capacity, computers are classified into three types:
–Mainframe computers
–Minicomputers
–Microcomputers or Personal computers.
Mainframe Computers
•Large and powerful computers that are used by many people (users) at the same time; typically installed in large organizations.
•Located in a central place and accessed by users via computer terminals or other computers placed at different locations and connected to the mainframe computer.
•Supercomputers: Extremely powerful mainframe computers used in scientific and engineering applications.
Minicomputers
•Minicomputers are medium sized computers -- Between Mainframe computers and Microcomputers
•Are also used by many users at the same time
•Used in small organizations.
What is a SERVER?
•Until recently, the big computers were called as mainframes and the smaller ones as minicomputers.
•As computer networks have begun to dominate, the mainframe has just become one of many computers. However, because of its large size, it is often the one where other computers on the network look for data and also the one that runs powerful software and serves other computers.
•Hence the term Server.
Microcomputers or Personal Computers
•Small computers that fit on your desk; meant to be used by one user (at a time)
•Workstation: A microcomputer with enhanced graphics and communication capabilities
•Laptop: A microcomputer that is small enough to fit in a briefcase.
•Network computer: A small microcomputer with no built-in disk storage, but makes use of larger computers of the company’s network or the Internet through a browser
Microcomputers …
•With the advent of smaller and faster computer chips and low-cost-high-capacity storage devices, present day personal computers are becoming more and more powerful, with capabilities comparable to the mainframe computers of olden days.
Components of a Computer
•The components of a computer are classified into the two main categories – hardware and software
•Hardware: The mechanical and electronic parts that perform the various tasks of the computer
•Software: The programs that tell the hardware what tasks are to be done and how.
Hardware components
•The hardware of a typical computer system, irrespective of its size, consists of the following components:
–Central Processing Unit -- CPU
–Memory and Storage devices
–Input devices
–Display and output devices.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
•The CPU performs arithmetic and logical calculations and controls the operations of other parts of the computer.
•The CPU cabinet, houses the processing components
•The CPU may be a single silicon chip or a series of chips. A chip contains thousands of electronic switching circuits.
•Each circuit can be set ON or OFF and it represents a bit whose value can be 1 or 0.Computer stores and processes data/information in terms of these bits.
Computer speed
•A basic arithmetic operation like addition of two numbers is a single computer instruction. An instruction is executed in one or more clock cycles.
•Computer speeds are measured in megahertz or millions of clock cycles per second.
•Typical speeds of present day microprocessors are few hundred megahertz.
•A super computer can do trillions of arithmetic and logical operations per second.
Data representation and size
•Typical representation of various data:
–A character is represented by one byte
–An integer is represented by 4 bytes.
–A floating point is represented by 4 or 8 bytes.
–The size of data to represent a color picture (image) covering one fourth of your computer screen may be a few MB.
•1 byte = 8 bits
•1 KB (kilobytes) = 210 that is about one thousand bytes
•1 MB (megabytes) = 210 KB
•1 GB (gigabytes) = 210 MB.
Memory and Storage Devices
•Computer Memory, also known as internal storage device, consists of silicon chips that are directly linked to the CPU.
•The memory and storage devices are located in the CPU cabinet
•There are two kinds of memory
–Read-Only Memory or ROM: Contains basic instructions of the computer stored permanently.
–Random-Access Memory or RAM: In RAM the computer copies and keeps temporarily user’s programs and data, in part or full, at the time of execution.
•The size of RAM is important for speedy execution of large programs. For a personal computer, typical size of RAM is 64 or 128 MB.
Memory and Storage Devices …
•In order to store user programs and data permanently or as long as user wants, computers use (external) storage devices.
•The common storage devices used in personal computers are:
–Hard disks: These are disks, fixed inside the cabinet, used for storing (read and write) very large amounts of information. Typical sizes are about 20 or 40 GB.
Storage Devices …..
–Floppy disks: Used by means of floppy disk drive(s) attached to the computer. Floppy disks in normal use today store about 800 KB or 1.4 MB of data – read and write.
–CD-ROMs: Used by means of CD-ROM drive(s). Standard capacity is about 600 MB of data – read only.
•While a hard disc is fixed to the computer, floppy disks and CD-ROMs are removable and can be used to transfer data.
Input Devices
•Input devices are used by the user to enter data, commands and programs to the computer. Most common devices are:
–Keyboard: Used to enter text data.
–Mouse: Used to point and click at any location on the computer’s video display screen. Normally a mouse will have two or three buttons.
–Trackball: Replaces the mouse on laptops.
Input devices …
•Other input devices
–Joystick: Similar functionality as mouse
–Light pen: Used to point or sketch directly on the screen.
–Scanners: To scan (input) images
–Digital cameras: To capture pictures directly.
–Voice recognition systems: These accept spoken words as input.
Display and Output Devices
•Monitor or Display: It is the main output device of a computer. It displays text as well as pictures in black and white or color.
–The monitor screen consists of an array of tiny dots called pixels (picture elements). Typical sizes of this array of pixels are 640 by 480 or 800 by 600 or 1024 by 768. This is also referred as the resolution.
–Each pixel can be independently illuminated by a color. The number of colors displayable on a monitor can be 16 or 256 or 216 (high color) or 224 (true color).
–Resolution and number of colors can be set by user.
Output Devices …
•Printer: Another output device to which the computer can directly send the data to obtain hard copy printouts of the results.
–Laser printer: Commonly used printer. In general it will be black and white. There are also color laser printers.
–Other types of printers: Ink-jet printer, Dot-matrix printer.
Modem
•A device used to link two computers via (analogue) telephone lines.
•It converts digital signals into analogue signals and vice-versa.
Computer Software
•Computer software can be classified into following categories:
–Operating system
–User programs
–Application programs
Operating System
•Operating system (OS) is the basic software responsible for interacting with the hardware.
•It is the foundation on which user programs and application programs are built.
•It helps the user to enter programs or data, store them in files and execute programs.
•Two popular operating systems in use today are
–Unix – for mainframes and minicomputers.
–Microsoft Windows – for personal computers.
Programs
•A program is a sequence of commands written in a computer programming language that specifies a task the computer will perform.
•Some of the computer programming languages are:
–FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, C, C++, Java
•User Programs: Written by users or programmers for themselves or for their organization.
Application Programs
•Computers are increasingly being used in almost every activity - business, industry, commerce, health, education, entertainment, sports, etc.
•Application programs is the catch-all name for all programs that are used for carrying out specific tasks - office document creation, pay roll processing, …
•We shall discuss a few of the highly popular application programs
Word processing
•A word processor is an application program that supports the basic tasks of entering, editing, formatting and archiving a text document.
•Microsoft Word includes a number of powerful features, such as word wrap, find and replace, tables, columns, spell check, grammar and style analysis and mail merge.
Desktop Publishing
•Provides functions that until ten years back were only possible to be carried out at a good printing house.
•A basic function is page layout, the ability to place text, diagrams and images on a page in any way, easily and accurately.
•Other functions include a variety of fonts, styles, content and index generation, etc.
Spreadsheets
•A spreadsheet application program is used to enter numeric data in tabular format, along with row/column labels and formulae that can be combined to solve a variety of business numeric problems.
•Spreadsheet applications also include facilities for drawing charts, graphs, etc. from tabulated data.
Databases
•Database application programs are used when very large amounts of data are to be stored in a structured manner, maintaining various relationships among the data - for example, information of all employees in a company.
•A very powerful feature is the ability to rapidly answer a variety of queries from the user about the data in the database.
Network
•Network applications are programs that enable us to communicate with and use facilities of remote computers.
•These applications have proliferated with the spread of the Internet and the introduction of the WWW.
•Commonly used programs are - E-Mail, Newsgroups, Chat, Games, File transfer,...
Multimedia
•It all began with games, now it is dynamic web pages, interactive courseware and catalogues with sound and video - multimedia application programs enable us to create exciting content.
•These programs include facilities to create, edit and render on the screen, text, pictures, sound, animation, video and 3D graphics
Further Reading
•R. Carter, The Information Technology Handbook, Heinemann Professional Publishing Ltd, London, 1987.
•P. Scharf and J. C. McNichols, Understanding the Computer Age, Hayden Book Company, New Jersey, 1994.
•MicrosoftÒ EncartaÒ Encyclopedia 2000 CD- ROM, India Edition, 2000.
- Scope
IT-Professional and Vocational Education in Information Technology Focus is on the area of professional and vocational education rather than on specific computing curricula in primary, secondary or tertiary educational institutions.
Distance Learning To consider what is necessary to prepare the whole society for living in the information age, using a distance learning system
Lifelong Learning All aspects of the interactive role of informatics and resulting technologies in lifelong learning.
Research on Education Applications of Information Technologies To provide a forum to identify issues and priorities for research and to map research policies arising from the differing cultures in IFIP Member countries.
Information and Communication Technologies in Elementary Education The role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in elementary education (age range from pre-school to 13 years).
Informatics and ICT in Secondary Education The role of both informatics and resulting Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in secondary education (age range from 11 to 18 years).
Informatics and ICT at the level of Higher Education The role of both informatics and resulting Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in higher education.
Information Technology in Educational Management Focus is on use of Information technology within the educational management of educational institutions, educational authorities and educational system networks, to enhance educational effectiveness and development.
- Objectives of I.T.
1) To communicate effectively, using software and hardware technologies: Students must have a range of skills to express themselves not only through paper and pencil, but also audio, video, animation, design software as well as a host of new environments (e-mail, websites, message boards, blogs, streaming media etc).
2) To analyze and interpret data through web-based and electronic formats: Students must have the ability to crunch, compare, and choose among the giant of data now available web-based and other electronic formats.
3) To understand computational modeling and simulations. Students must possess an understanding of the power, limitations and underlying assumptions of various data representation systems, such as computational models and simulations, which are increasingly driving a wide range of disciplines.
4) To manage and prioritize tasks using application of technologies. Students must be able to manage the multi tasking selection and prioritizing across technology applications that allow them to move fluidly among teams, assignments and communities of practice.
5) To engage students in problem solving, by using application software, websites and networking systems. Students must have an understanding of how to apply what they know and can do to new situations.
6) To ensure security and safety. Students must know and use strategies to acknowledge identify and negotiate 21st century risks.
- Essentials factors of information technology•The tasks that are being handled through Information Technology are as follws:
1) Computers Process raw data into useful information
Information processing is a small step in the larger cycle: input, processing, output, storage and retrieval, and distribution and communication.
The instructions in the program direct the computer to input, process and output as follows:
Input/Output:
The computer can selectively retrieve data into its main memory (RAM) from any peripheral device (terminal, disk, tape, etc.) connected to it. After processing the data internally, the computer can send a copy of the results from its memory out to any peripheral device. The more memory it has, the more programs and data it can work with at the same time.
Storage:
By outputting data onto a magnetic disk or tape, the computer is able to store data permanently and retrieve it when required. A system's size is based on how much disk storage it has. The more disk, the more data are immediately available.
Processing (The 3 C's):
The computer performs all processing by "calculating," "comparing" and "copying" the data stored in its memory (RAM).
Calculate
The computer can perform any mathematical operation on data by adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing one set with another.
Compare
The computer can analyze and evaluate data by matching it with sets of known data that are included in the program or called in from storage.
Copy
The computer can move data around to create any kind of report or listing in any order.
Calculate, Compare and Copy
By calculating, comparing and copying, the computer accomplishes all forms of data processing. For example, records are sorted into a new order by comparing two records at a time and copying the record with the lower value in front of the one with the higher value.
The computer finds one customer out of thousands by comparing the requested account number to each record in the file. The query statement: SUM SALARY FOR TITLE = "NURSE" causes the computer to compare the title field in each record for NURSE and then add (calculate) the salary field for each match.
In word processing, inserting and deleting text is accomplished by copying characters from one place to another Recycle processed information and reuse it for other purposes.
- Advantages and disadvantages of I.T:
Some of the advantages of information technology include:
Globalization - IT has not only brought the world closer together, but it has allowed the world's economy to become a single interdependent system. This means that we can not only share information quickly and efficiently, but we can also bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries. The world has developed into a global village due to the help of information technology allowing countries like Chile and Japan who are not only separated by distance but also by language to shares ideas and information with each other.
Communication - With the help of information technology, communication has also become cheaper, quicker, and more efficient. We can now communicate with anyone around the globe by simply text messaging them or sending them an email for an almost instantaneous response. The internet has also opened up face to face direct communication from different parts of the world thanks to the helps of video conferencing.
Cost effectiveness - Information technology has helped to computerize the business process thus streamlining businesses to make them extremely cost effective money making machines. This in turn increases productivity which ultimately gives rise to profits that means better pay and less strenuous working conditions.
Bridging the cultural gap - Information technology has helped to bridge the cultural gap by helping people from different cultures to communicate with one another, and allow for the exchange of views and ideas, thus increasing awareness and reducing prejudice.
More time - IT has made it possible for businesses to be open 24 x7 all over the globe. This means that a business can be open anytime anywhere, making purchases from different countries easier and more convenient. It also means that you can have your goods delivered right to your doorstep with having to move a single muscle.
Creation of new jobs - Probably the best advantage of information technology is the creation of new and interesting jobs. Computer programmers, Systems analyzers, Hardware and Software developers and Web designers are just some of the many new employment opportunities created with the help of IT.
Some disadvantages of information technology include:
Unemployment - While information technology may have streamlined the business process it has also crated job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing. This means that a lot of lower and middle level jobs have been done away with causing more people to become unemployed.
Privacy - Though information technology may have made communication quicker, easier and more convenient, it has also bought along privacy issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge.
Lack of job security - Industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue as since technology keeps on changing with each day. This means that one has to be in a constant learning mode, if he or she wishes for their job to be secure.
Dominant culture - While information technology may have made the world a global village, it has also contributed to one culture dominating another weaker one. For example it is now argued that US influences how most young teenagers all over the world now act, dress and behave. Languages too have become overshadowed, with English becoming the primary mode of communication for business and everything else.
