Information and Communication Technology

ICT
Dr. Seham Aljaafreh
2023 - 2024

Chapter 1

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 Learning Objectives
1. Explain the parts of an information system: people,
procedures, software, hardware, data, and the Internet.
2. Distinguish between system software and application
software.
3. Differentiate between the three kinds of system software
programs.
4. Define and compare general-purpose, specialized, and mobile
applications.

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Learning Objectives cont.
5. Identify the four types of computers and the five types of
personal computers.
6. Describe the different types of computer hardware, including
the system unit, input, output, storage, and communication
devices.
7. Define data and describe document, worksheet, database,
and presentation files.
8. Explain computer connectivity, the wireless revolution, the
Internet, cloud computing, and IoT.

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 Introduction
• Purpose
• Help users become highly efficient and effective
computer users
• How to use:
1. Apps and application software
2. Computer hardware
• Mobile devices
• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Laptops
3. The Internet
• Impact of technology on privacy and the
environment
• Role of personal and organizational ethics

Chapter 1 is an overview of all of the content within all of the chapters.

The goal of this book is to help you become an efficient and effective computer user.

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 Parts of an Information System
• People • Hardware
• Procedures • Data
• Software • The Internet

•An information system (Key Term) is a combination of people, procedures (key

term), software (key term), hardware (key term), data (key term), and the Internet
(key term).
•Some students may think of a system as pertaining to just the hardware
•Remind them that a personal computer is part of an information system as well as
people
•Almost all of today’s computer systems add an additional part, communication/the
Internet.
•To be a competent end user (Key Term), one must understand the essentials of IT
•Note that IT stands for information technology (Key Term)

•All of these parts will be discussed in the following slides – beginning with the most
essential part: people

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 People
• Most important part of any system
• Ways this text helps you become a more efficient
and effective computer users
• Making IT Work for You
• Tips
• Privacy
• Environments
• Ethics
• Careers in IT

•People (Key Term) or End Users are the most important part of an information
system but easy to overlook
•Our lives are touched everyday by computers- many time the contact is direct and
obvious, such as creating documents using a word processing program or when
connecting to the Internet. Other times, it isn’t as obvious and is much more indirect
as shown in a couple of the pictures
•Have students give examples of how they use computer applications throughout the
day
•Some examples are:
•Free Antivirus Programs
•Online Office Suites
•Gaming
•Cloud Storage
•The Mobile Office

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 Software
• Software/Programs
• Tell the computer how to process data into the form you
want
• There are two major kinds of software:
• System Software
• Software used by computers
• Application Software
• Software you use

•Software (Key Term) is another name for programs (Key Term) – in most cases
these terms are interchangeable
•Programs are instructions that tell the computer how to process data (Key Term)
into the form you want
•Two major kinds of software: System and Application
•Emphasize differences between application and systems software
•System software (Key Term) – computer uses
•Application software (key term) – software you use

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 System Software
• Enables application software to interact with the computer
hardware
• Background software helps manage resources
• Collection of system programs
• Operating Systems
• Utilities
• Device Drivers

•System
•A collection of programs – Operating System, Utilities and Device Drivers

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 System Software cont.
• Operating System
• Coordinates computer resources
• Provides the user interface
• Runs applications
• Embedded operating system
• Used by Smartphones and tablets
• Real-time operating systems (RTOS)
• Standalone operating system
• Used by desktops
• Networking operating systems
• Used to run networks

Operating System (key term)

• Coordinates computer resources
• Provides an interface between users and the computer
• Runs applications

•Two best known Operating systems are:

•Windows 10
•Apple’s Mac OS

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 System Software Continued
• Utilities
• Perform specific tasks related to
managing computer resources
• Antivirus Program
• Protects from viruses
• Can damage your software or hardware
• Comprise the security and privacy of
personal data

•Utilities (key term)

•Performs tasks related to managing computer resources
•Most essential utility program is antivirus program to protect your
system from viruses (Key term) or malicious programs that can
damage your software or hardware as well as compromise the security
and privacy or your personal data
•See how you can install a free antivirus program on your computer –
Making IT Work for You: Free Antivirus Program on page 9

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 Application Software
• End-user software
• Types of application software
1. General-Purpose applications
• Widely used programs
• Browsers
• Word Processor
2. Specialized applications
• More narrowly focused
• Web Authoring
3. Apps
• Designed for mobile devices
• Social media apps

•“End-user” (Key Term) software – these are the types of programs you have to know
to be considered computer competent
•Three types of application software
•General-Purpose applications (key term) - general purpose or “off-the-shelf”
programs, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint
•Specialized application (key term)– narrow focus on specific disciplines and
occupations, such as graphics and Web authoring
•Mobile Apps (key term)– or apps (key term)– designed for mobile devices
(key term) or tablets for social networking, games, music, and video

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 Hardware – Types of Computers
• Supercomputers
• Most powerful computers
• Mainframe computers
• Process large amounts of data
• Midrange computers
• Servers
• Personal computers
• PCs
• Five types of PCs Supercomputer

•There are four types of computers

•Supercomputers (key term) – the most powerful; special high-capacity
computers used in very large corporations
•Mainframe computers (key term) – are capable of great processing speed
and data storage; occupy specially wired, air-conditioned rooms; insurance
companies use to process information about millions of policyholders
•Midrange computers (key term) - known as servers (key term), are
computers with processing capabilities less powerful than a mainframe
computer yet more powerful than a personal computer. Today they are used
to support or serve end users for specific needs such a retrieving data from a
database or supplying access to application software.
•Personal computers or pcs (key term) – least powerful but most widely used
and fastest-growing type of computers. There are five (5) types of pcs.

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 Personal Computer Types
• Desktop • Smartphones
• Laptop (Notebook) • Wearables
• Tablet

•Desktop (key term) – small enough to fit on top of a desk yet too big to carry around
•Laptop (key term) – or notebook computers (key term) are portable, lightweight
and bit into most briefcases
•Tablet (key term) – iPad for example, are smaller, lighter and less powerful than
laptops and use a virtual keyboard.
•Smartphones (key term) is the most common handheld
•Wearables – such as the Apple Watch

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 Personal Computer Hardware
• Four basic categories of equipment
• System Unit
• Input/Output
• Secondary Storage
• Communications

•System Unit (key term) is the container that houses most of the electronic
components that make up a computer system.
•Input/Output – Input devices (key term) translate data and programs from a form
humans understand to a form computers can process; Output devices (key term)
translate the processed information from the computer into a form that humans can
understand
•Secondary Storage (key term) – Unlike memory (key term), secondary storage holds
data and programs even after the electrical power has been turned off—examples of
secondary storage include USB drives, hard drives and optical drives
•Communication – one computer communicating with another computer or other
computer systems using communication devices (key term) such as a modem (key
term)

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 System Unit
• System Unit
• Houses most of the electronic
components
• Two important components
• Microprocessor
• Memory
• Holds data currently
being processed
• Holds the processed information before
it is output
• Temporary storage, contents are lost when
power is off

Two important components of the System Unit are the Microprocessor (key term)
which controls and manipulates data to produce information and Memory (key term)
which is a holding area for data, instructions, and information.

• RAM or random-access memory (key term) is one type of memory that holds the
program and data that is currently being processed. This is temporary storage
because the contents are lost when the power is turned off

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 Input/Output Devices
• Input
• Translate data into computer language
• Keyboard and Mouse
• Output
• Translate computer data into usable information
• Display and Printer

Input devices translate data and programs that humans can understand into a form
that the computer can process.
• The most common input devices are the keyboard (key term) and mouse
(key term)
Output devices translate the processed information from the computer into a form
that humans can understand.
• The most common output device is a display (key term) or monitor (key
term)

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 Secondary Storage
• Holds data and programs even if power is
off
• Hard disk
• Solid-state storage
• No moving parts
• More reliable
• Requires less power
• Optical disc
• Laser technology
• CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray

•Unlike memory, secondary storage holds data and programs even if power is off
•Hard disks (key term) are typically used to store programs and data files. They use
rigid metallic platters and read/write heads for writing and reading data
•Solid-state storage(key term) does not have any moving parts, is more reliable, and
requires less power to operate.
•Similar to RAM but not volatile

•Optical disks (key term) use laser technology and have the greatest capacity.
•Examples of optical disks include:
•compact discs (CDs) (Key Term)
•digital versatile or video discs (DVDs) (Key Term)
•Blu-ray (Key Term) discs

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 Communications
• Communication devices
• Provide the ability for personal computers to
communicate
• Modems
• Modify audio, video and other types of data for Internet
usage

Communication devices all a personal computers to communication with another as

near as the next office or as far away as the other side of the world.

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 Data
• Raw, unprocessed facts
• Processed data becomes information
• Digital data is stored electronically in files
• Four common types of files
• Document
• Worksheet
• Database
• Presentation

•Data is raw, unprocessed facts, that can be stored electronically in files.

•Processed data becomes information (key term).
•Four common types of files include:
•Document files (key term) –
•Worksheet files (key term)
•Database files (key term) –
•Presentation files (key term) –

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 Files
• Document
• Worksheet
• Database
• Presentation

• Document - created by word processors to save documents such as memos, term

papers, and letters.
• Worksheet files - created by electronic spreadsheets to analyze things like budgets
and to predicts sales.
• Database files - typically created by database management programs. Contain
highly structured and organized files.
• Presentation Files – created by presentation graphics programs to save
presentation materials.

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 Connectivity and the Mobile Internet
• Connectivity
• Sharing of information
• Network
• Communications system connecting two or more
devices
• Central to the concept of connectivity
• Largest network is the Internet
• Web provides a multimedia interface for Internet
resources

•Connectivity (key term) is the capability of your personal computer to share

information with other computers
•Wireless /mobile communication and cloud computing over the past 5 years has
been the 2 most dramatic changes in connectivity.
•A network (key term) is central to the concept of connectivity
•A network is a communication system connecting two or more computers.
•Ask students questions about the Internet. Here are some facts:
•No one owns the Internet
•There is no Internet, Inc.
•The Internet is the largest network
•The Word Wide Web (key term) (WWW) provides multimedia
interface to resources on the Internet
•Cloud computing can be used to create and store your work, such as
documents, spreadsheets, databases, and presentations
•The Wireless Revolution (key term) and cloud computing promise the potential to
dramatically affect the entire computer industry and how you interact with computer.

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 Forces of Technology
• Three things driving the forces of technology
1. Cloud computing
• Computers on the Internet
• Access to more resources
2. Wireless technology
• Changing the way we communicate
• Tablets, smartphones, wearable devices
3. The Internet of Things (IoT)
• Continuing development of the Internet
• Allowing all types of devices to communicate

There are 3 things driving the forces of technology:

1. Cloud computing (key term) – using computing resources from the cloud to
complete tasks instead of relying solely on your PC.
2. Wireless technology (key term) – changes the way we communicate.
3. The Internet of Things (IoT) (key term) – is the continuing development of the
Internet

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 Careers in IT
• Webmaster • Technical Writer
• Develops and maintains • Prepares instruction manuals,
websites and web resources technical reports, and other
scientific or technical
• Software Engineer documents
• Analyzes users’ needs and
creates application software • Network Administrator
• Creates and maintains
• Computer Support Specialist computer networks
• Provides technical support to
customers and other users

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 A Look to the Future
• Using and Understanding Information Technology
• The Internet and the Web
• Powerful Software
• Powerful Hardware
• Security, Privacy and Ethics
• Organizations
• Changing Times

•Internet Web - browse the Web, communicate with others, locate Information, etc.
•Powerful Software - create professional looking documents, analyze massive
amounts of data, create dynamic multimedia pages, and more.
•Powerful Hardware – more powerful & robust, new technologies such as wireless
networks & their impact to connect, equipment can be dynamic vs. essential features
of devices remain unchanged
•Security, Privacy & Ethics – need to be careful of the negative potential effect.
•Organizations – rely on quality and flexibility to stay competitive
•Changing Times – fast paced era and rapid change

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 Open-Ended Questions (Page 1 of 2)
1. Explain the parts of an information system. What part do people
play in this system?

2. What is system software? What kinds of programs are included in

system software?

3. Define and compare general-purpose applications, specialized

applications, and apps. Describe some different types of general-
purpose applications. Describe some types of specialized
applications.

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 Open-Ended Questions (Page 2 of 2)
4. Describe the different types of computers. What is the most
common type? What are the types of personal computers?

5. What is connectivity? What is a computer network? What are the

Internet and the Web? What is cloud computing, the wireless
revolution, and IoT?

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