WHAT IS INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)?
ICT: ICT stand for Information and Communication Technology. “ICT can be defined as a wide range of technological tools and resources used for transmitting, analyzing, retrieving, storing, processing and gathering information. Furthermore, ICT helps us to communicate, create, disseminate, store, and manage information.” These involves the use of digital devices like digital television, computers, fax machine, mobile phones, satellite communication, GPS, the Internet, broadcasting technologies (radio and television), and telephony and so on.
AS A TRANSFORMATIONAL TOOL: Information communication technology has being able to transform the world from several billions of Villages into one single global village. It is so important in the world today that it makes it necessary for every person to be competent in the use Information communication technology for the task they have to accomplish. Organization of all sizes, even the smallest schools and businesses, rely on computer to help them operate more efficiently and effectively.
ADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
1. Information Availability: ICT has made it possible for information to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through access on the internet. This means access to information is timely, better and cheaper.
2. Communication: Communication has become cheaper, quicker and more efficient. We can now communicate with anyone around the globe by the simply text messaging them or sending them an e-mail for an almost instantaneous part of the world and people can aslo be seen with the help of video conferencing.
3. Cost Effectiveness: Information communication technology helps to computerize the business process. Thus streaming business to make them extremely cost effective, money making machine. This in turn, will increase productivity, which will also increase profit and that means better pay and less strenuous working condition.
4. Bridging the cultural gap: Information communication technology has helped to bridge the cultural gap helping people from different cultures to communicate with one another and allowing for the exchange of views and ideas, thus increasing awareness and reducing prejudice.
5. More business operation time: ICT has made it possible for business to be open 24×7, all over the globe. This means that a business can be open anytime, anywhere, making purchase from different countries easier and more convenient. It also means that you can have goods delivered right to your door step without having to move an inch.
6. Creation of Job Opportunities: The best advantage of information communication technology is the creation of new and interesting job. Computer programmers, system analyzers, hardware and software developed and web designers are just some of the new job opportunity created with the help of it.
7. Versatility: Computer can perform vast activities effectively. Where the human imagination fails, computer comes into the picture, for instance, observing the motion of very fast moving particles. They can also work with different types of data and information like graphics and audio visual character.
8. E-Commerce: With ICT evolution, people do not need to leave home to shop. One can shop online on different range of products (that is, buying and selling online). It speeds up transactions and processes.
9. E-Learning: The use of ICT in schools has made it possible for the processing of student’s data using spreadsheet packages or database system.
10. Global Economy: ICT which brought about global economy has become the vital engine for national growth.
11. Provision of Research material in the Health Sector: In the health sector ICT helps in diagnosing diseases and damages to the body with body scanning machines. Also helps in innovative ways of discovery new things in science, technology etc.
12. Closes gap and distance barrier in communication: Distance becomes irrelevant in business transaction dealings and movement of people.
13. Instant Chatting: ICT helps human being to interact with each other in new ways via social networks like face book, twitter, etc.
DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
1. UNEMPLOYMENT: While information communication technology may have streamlined the business process, it still has created 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.
2. PRIVACY: Though information communication technology may have made communication so easy, quicker and more convenient, it has also given rise to privacy issues, from cell phone signal interceptions to e-mail hacking, people are now worried about their private information becoming public knowledge.
3. LACK OF JOB SECURITY: Industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue since technology keeps advancing each day. This means that one has to be in a constant learning mode, in order for job to be secure.
4. ADDICTION: People tend to get addicted to the internet, especially the youth. When they are supposed to view, read or download something beneficial to them, they will be on the computer playing games, watching movies, etc
5. PORNOGRAPHY: The internet serves as a storehouse for several information resources including good and bad. Youths are exposed to malicious websites on the internet where they watch pornographic movies. This affect them psychologically and emotionally.
6. CYBER-CRIME: Some people disguise themselves as businessmen and women on the internet. They defraud people by obtaining money and other valuables from them using trick
7. PLAGIARISM: The invention of ICT has made plagiarism rampant. Plagiarism is the act of copying other peoples’ work and presenting them as ones’ own.
Other problem caused by ICT includes
1. High cost of purchasing and maintaining ICT infrastructures and the cost of training personnel.
2. There is more frequent of accidents as a result of some ICT means of transportation.
3. Air pollution and environmental pollution
4. Bad network services are still prevalent in developing countries which is a problem in ICT.
5. ICT threatens other areas/fields of human Endeavour.
8. It promotes laziness due to over dependant on machines.
9. Virus threat is another factor affecting ICT.
10. ICT causes unemployment or job losses to some individual.
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY GADGETS
An information communication technology gadget involves the technology and the applications which are used in creating communication, transmission and storage devices. There are many ICT gadgets which are used in communication technology. Some of them are:
1. GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE (GSM): Global system for mobile communication is an ICT gadget and second generation digital technology. GSM is top-class standard gadget relied on by millions of people worldwide. Today’s GSM is a huge success wireless technology and an unprecedented story of global achievement. It is approximated that 80 percent of the world used GSM technology while making wireless calls.
2. FAX MACHINE: The fax machine is a device that can send or receive picture and text over telephone line. The idea of fax machine has been around since 1842, when Alexander Bain invented a machine capable of receiving signals from telegraph wire and translating them into images on paper. However, fax machine did not become popular until mid 1980s. A fax machine consist of an optical scanner for digitizing image on paper, a printer for printing incoming fax message and a telephone for making the connection.
3. TELEPHONE: Telephone is an electronic telecommunication device used for transmitting and receiving sounds. The most basic function of a telephone is to allow communication between two points, whether they are near or far from each other.
4. COMPUTER SYSTEM: The computer system will include the computers along with software and peripherals devices that are necessary to make the computer function. Every computer system requires an operating system.
5. PAGER: A Pager is a small telecommunication device that receives and sends alert signals or short messages. It is the size of a pocket calculator and has built in miniature keyboard and LCD screen that can display several lines of text.
6. TELEX: Telex is a communication system consisting of small typewriters connected to a telephonic network to send and receive signals or message.
GENERAL BENEFITS OF ICT
• Greater efficiency throughout the school.
• Communication channels are increased through email, discussion groups and chat rooms.
• Regular use of ICT across different curriculum subjects can have a beneficial motivational influence on students’ learning.
• It provides faster, cheaper, timely and wider access to information
• It removes distance barriers in the communication, since any part of the world can be connected.
• It speeds up transmission and processing of information.
• It aids learning by providing access to a wide range of information.
• It makes business transaction easy since distance, time and space are not relevant
