UNIT-4 ICT SKILLS

INTRODUCTION TO ICT
Information can be recorded or stored in many ways. It can be hand-
written on paper, typed using a typewriter or a computer and so on.
When information is stored and recorded on electronic devices, it takes
on a ‘digital’form. ICT devices are tablet, smartphones and laptops’ as
shown in Figure 3.1. As a student you should be able to identifyand
understand the functions of the main components of a typical
information and/or communication system as well as the functions.

ICT at Workplace
ICT has become part of our workplace in all sectors of economy, right
from carrying out money transactions through the online banking system
to development of textbooks or research papers in educational institutions.
At workplace, we use different computer software and applications to
complete tasks like making documents,
calculations, tables, graphs, etc. We can also use applications to do every
day work, like buying things, booking train or bus tickets, Internet
banking and making online payments. Modern ICT employs a variety of
media forms, which includes text, graphics, animation, audio and video,
etc.
It also involves creating, curating, managing images and documents;
gathering and processing data andpresenting them; working with audio
and video tools to create media rich communications, etc. Therefore,
employees are expected to possess a sound knowledge of all these to work
independently on various software
and computers.
ICT at Home
These days most of the people uses television for entertainment and
phones for calling up other people. New devices, such as smartphones with
an Internet connection are now being used to stay connected with family
and friends on a regular basis through social media networks,such as
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We use computers and mobile phones
for talking to each other, sending and receiving information, watching
videos and news, listening to music and playing games. You can visit the
following sites and know about the ICT activities which are being carried
out in various sectors

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Smartphones
Mobile phones are ICT tools for talking to people but smartphones are
more advanced. With a simple mobilephone you can only make phone
calls and receive calls. With a smartphone (Figure 3.3), you can make
callsand do things that you normally do using a computer, such as
browsing the web, sending e-mails, making video calls, playing games,
listening to music, watchingmovies and much more.
Smartphones are also called mobile phones as you can use them
anywhere — at home, in office or on the road (Figure 3.4). They do not
need a telephone line. They use wireless (mobile) networks to make calls
and to connect to the Internet. Some of the popular operating systems
for smartphones are Android OS, Apple iOS and Windows Mobile.
For some activities, such as reading a book for a longtime, the screen
of a mobile may be too small. Forsuch activities, we can use a tablet
A tablet is a mini computer with input, output and processing functions
that are all combined into one ‘touchscreen’, where you can do various
tasks just by touching its screen. It is bigger than a smartphone and you
can perform all the functions that one can performon a computer ora
smartphone.
ICT TOOLS: SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS — II
To operate your smartphone, you need to know aboutbasic controls
and functions and their uses.
Mobile Device Layout
Some of the basic controls you see on mobile device areas follows:
• Power button: This is used to start
and shut down a mobile device.
• Screen: A screen on which we
perform
functions by touching with our
fingers.
• Back button: You use the Back
Button to go back to the previous
screen in an application.
• Microphone: This is present at the bottom of the mobile and we speak
into the microphone when we talk to someone.
Menu button: This is used to show the options available in a particular
app. This may not be present in all mobile devices.
• Home button: This brings you back to the Home Screen from wherever
you are in your mobile, whether you are on another page

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• or using an App.
• Earpiece: This helps you to listen to voice calls.
• Volume button: This helps you to increase or reduce the sound of your
mobile

Basic Features of a Mobile Device

Bluetooth: This is a short-range wireless technology whichhelps

you connect with other devices that are within 30 feet of where
you are. Once connected, you can send messages and
songs.
Chargeable Battery: This is a portable power pack which can
be recharged. Itallows you to use the device anywhere.
Wi-Fi: This is a wireless network technology that helps you
connect to the local area network. This is used to connect to the
Internet and work with e-mails, social media and anything to
do which requires internet.
Touch Screen: The output display of a mobile device is a
touch screen. This helps you to run apps and type anything into
the mobile by simply touching different areas of the screen
with your finger.
Camera: Smartphones and Tablet have a front and back
camera to capturepictures and videos.
Clock: Every mobile device has a clock which can be set
according to the time in your country.
Cellular network connectivity: This provides the network
through which youcan make calls.
Global Positioning System: It is a navigation (direction
finding) system thathelps you to navigate, find direction and
maps to specific locations.
PARTS OF A COMPUTER AND PERIPHERALS
Parts of a computer
A computer system is a programmable machine designed to store
and retrieve information and perform arithmetic and logical
operations to produce meaningful results in desired format. It
consists of three main units: Input Unit, Central Processing Unit
(CPU) and Output Unit. Different computers have different ways in
which the input, processing and output units are connected. In
desktop computers, as shown in Figure, all three units are separate
devices. It has:
(i) a keyboard, which is the input unit,

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 (ii) a box with the Central Processing Unit,
which is the processing unit and
(iii) a monitor, which is the output unit.
Input unit helps the user to enter raw data
and instructions into the computer system,
central processing
unit performs the required operations
Common Peripheral Devices

Keyboard: It is Mouse: We use Microphone Projector: It is

used to provide it to go to : It is used used to project
input to the different parts to record images or video
computer on what of the screen voice on the from computer
to do, which could on the monitor. computer, on a screen.
be in the form of and
typed letters, communicat
numbers, and e.
symbols.

Monitor: It Speakers: It Scanner: It Printer: It helps

displays allthe plays back all is a device to print out the
visual output that the sound- that scans/ visual output on
CPU produces based output. captures a the paper, as
after processing paper image, displayed on the
the input. document monitor.
and converts
it
to digital file
on
computer.

Other peripheral devices and their functions

In large retail stores, a peripheral device commonly found is the barcode
reader or barcode scanner. It is used for recording the items purchased in
order to create the receipt/bill. In offices and homes, we

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use a peripheral device known as scanner, and it is used to convert the
information on a paper document into a digital information document.
Central Processing Unit
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) of the computer as shown in
Figure 3.13, is like our brain. How does our brain work? Our eyes see
(input) a mathematical problem and sends the details to the brain.The
brain thinks (processes) and gets the result while the hand writes it on
paper (output). In a similar way, the CPU also processes information
received from the keyboard and gives the output to the monitor or the
printer. Just as our brain can understand arithmetic and logical
information, the CPU can also solve mathematical and logical
problems.
There are 3 main parts of the CPU.
• Control unit: It acts like a receiver and a manager of a
company. It receives inputs from user and controls different
parts to do the operations required.
• Processing unit: It acts as an accountant of a company and
performs all the mathematical and logical calculations.
• Memory unit: It acts as the storage room of a company, where
data is stored temporarily (RAM) as well as for a long time
(ROM).
Understanding RAM and ROM
Let us take the example of a kitchen to understand the meaning of RAM
and ROM. If you are a cook, what would you keep on the kitchen counter?
And what would you store away in the k i t c h e n s h e l v e s ? Well, all the
things you need immediately and regularly willbe on the counter. And things
that you do not access often will be in the shelves. Random Access
Memory (RAM) is like the kitchen counter to a computer that is
switched on, and Read Only Memory (ROM) is like the storage shelf.
Flash memory is usually an external device which is a mix of both RAM
and ROM. Some key differences between various storage devices are
given in Table
RA RO Flash Memory
M M

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• When you are • Permanently • Can permanently
doing tasks on stores storeinformation
your computer, information
you use RAM
• Temporarily • Informationis • Information is not lost
stores storedwhen when computer is
information computer is off switched off
• Information is • Information • Information can be
lost when cannot be changedon easily. It is
computer is changed easily m a i n l y u s e d in
switched off • It is mainly used removable storage
• Information whenstarting the devices (like USB), and
can be changed computer. its usage is based on
easily. user’s needs.

Motherboard
Motherboard, also referred to as a system board, is the main circuit
board inside a computer. It connects input, processing and output
devices. Some other important parts of a computer system are storage
devices, ports and connections.
Storage devices
In order to transfer files from one computer to anotherone, you need
smaller storage devices which you can carry easily from one place to
another. These storage devices are used to store digital information.
The commonly used storage devices are USB flash drive, hard disk,
CD, DVD, etc., as shown in Figure.

Compact Disc USB Flash Drive DVD External Hard Disk

Storage Devices

They mainly differ in their storage capacity (how much data they can
store).
You may have heard of a computer with data storage capacity of
500 MB or 2GB. What does that mean? Data is stored in the form of
bits and bytes. Bit (Binary Digit, represented by 0 or 1) is the smallest
storage unit. Eight bits combined together form a byte, which in turn
represents a character (numerals/letters/symbols).
• 8 bits make a byte and 1024 bytes make a kilobyte (KB).
• 1024 KB make 1 megabyte (MB)

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• 1024 megabyte make 1 gigabyte (GB)
• 1024 gigabyte make 1 terabyte (TB)
Very simply, more the number of bytes, larger and morenumber of
files can be stored.
Ports and connections
How do you think we connect our keyboard or mouse to the CPU? We do it
with the help of wires. Where do you think the wires go in the CPU? The
slots or channels into which we connect the
mouse/keyboard/external hard disk wires are called ports. Thus, ports help us
connect input, output and storage devices in a computer system. There are several
types of ports that you can use to connect a computerto an external devices
and networks. These are:
• Universal serial bus or the USB port which connects peripheral devices, such
as a mouse or a keyboard or a printer to a computer using the cable.
• Display port which connects the monitor, or any display unit, to the computer
using the cable. These can be of different types, like Video Graphics Array
(VGA) and High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), depending on the
requirement.
• Audio ports help to connect microphone, speakers, and headphonesto a
computer system. Often, the speaker and headphone port is called the line out
port,
i.e., it is meant for sound output.
• Ethernet port is used for connecting the system to high speed Internet cable.
• Power port is used for connecting the computer system to the powersupply.

USB Port Audio Ports

RGB Display port(Left) and HDMI port (Right)

Ethernet Port Power port