BASIC IT SKILLS

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

• Information technology (IT) is a technology which uses computers to gather,

process, store, protect and transfer information. Today, it is common to use
the term Information and communications technology (ICT) because it is
unimaginable to work on a computer which is not connected to the network.
COMPUTERS

• Basic principle of computers:

data enters the computer through one or more input devices. The computer then processes
the data and transmits the resulting data to output devices. Output devices can be human
interfaces such as a screen or another electronic device such as a storage device or
computer network.
• The computer consists of:
• Hardware – physical computer parts, palpable and visible
• Software – set of commands that are "understandable" to the computer; instructions to its palpable
parts, giving orders what to do
HARDWARE: COMPONENTS

• Motherboard – MBO: computer "backbone" responsible for communication between components

and transmission of information
• Central processing unit - CPU
• Functions: command execution, data transmission, computer function control
• Speed (in mega hertz (mhz), giga hertz (ghz))
• Amount of memory (cache in bytes)
• Random access memory - RAM
• A memory container for programs that are currently running and data that is being processed
• Speed (in mhz, ghz)
• Capacity (in bytes)
• Data rate class (DDR SDRAM, SDR SDRAM)
HARDWARE : COMPONENTS

• Permanent memory:
• Hard disk drive - HDD - device (memory) used for permanent data storage
• Data is stored on magnetic platters; electromagnetic heads are used for reading and recording data
with the exception of the newest disk types called solid state drive (SSD)
• Disk platters rotation speed (in RPM)
• Capacity (in GB/TB)
• Connection interface (IDE, SATA)
• Floppy disk drive - FDD
• Optical disks - CD, DVD
HARDWARE : COMPONENTS

• Graphics processing units (GPU)

• Function: processing and displaying image on the monitor
it consists of a graphics processor and its own working RAM memory
• Type of graphics processing units (ATI Radeon, NVidia GeForce, or other)
• RAM size
• Connection interface/slot type
• Ports:
• Parallel port
• Serial port
• Universal serial bus (USB)
HARDWARE : INPUT AND OUTPUT DEVICES

• Keyboard • Trackball
• Scanner • Joystick
• Touchpad • Microphone
• Touchscreen • Stylus
• Mouse • Camera (web, digital)
HARDWARE : INPUT AND OUTPUT DEVICES

• Monitor
• Projector
• Touchscreen
• Printer
• Plotter
• Speakers
• Earphones
HARDWARE : DEVICES AND MEDIA FOR
STORING AND TRANSFERRING DATA
• Hard disk
• USB flash drive
• Diskette and ZIP diskette
• CD and DVD discs
• Memory cards
• Internal hard disk
• External hard disk
SOFTWARE

• A computer program which is an intangible part of the computer, written to

perform a single or multiple tasks on computer using the built-in hardware.
SOFTWARE: TYPES

• Operating Systems (OS) - the basic program on your computer that is

automatically loaded when computer is started up:
• Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Knoppix...)
• Microsoft Windows
• Mac OS
• Android
SOFTWARE: TYPES

• Application software – some types of software that can be used on an

installed operating system:
• Office programs - OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice, Microsoft Office
• Antivirus program – Avira, Sophos, Kaspersky etc.
• Web browser: Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari
COMPUTER: TYPES

• Mainframe computer
• Large, powerful and expensive computers
• Often used within large systems and organizations, o can be used by more then one user simultaneously.
• Personal computer – pc
• First PC was made by IBM in 1981
• It was originally made for executing a single task by a single user at the time.
• Today: a single person can execute many tasks simultaneously (multitasking).
• Laptop computer (notebook)
• Relatively small computers, easily carried around
• Consists of LCD display and a small keyboard,
• Do not fall behind pcs by their functions
COMPUTER: TYPES

• Apple Macintosh (Mac)

• personal computer made by Apple company
• Personal Digital Assistant - PDA (Palm)
• small computers that can fit into a pocket or user's palm
• meant for performing basic personal/business functions such as managing personal or business tasks and assignments,
maintaining the address book, accessing and browsing the Internet, sending/receiving e-mails, etc.
• PDAs have now been replaced by modern smart phones that combine the features of a PDA with a mobile phone and camera.
• • Network connected computer
• every computer (PC, notebook, PDA) connected to the network is considered a network computer; can be connected either
through network cable or through a phone line (at least to one more computer) or wifi
COMPUTER: NETWORKS

• A computer network is a group of computers linked to each other that enables the computer
to communicate with another computer and share their resources, data, and applications.
• A computer network can be categorized by their size. A computer network is mainly of four
types:
• LAN(Local Area Network)
• PAN(Personal Area Network)
• MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)
• WAN(Wide Area Network)
COMPUTER: NETWORKS

LAN(Local Area Network)

• Local Area Network is a group of computers connected to each other in a small area such as building,
office.
• LAN is used for connecting two or more personal computers through a communication medium such as
twisted pair, coaxial cable, etc.
• It is less costly as it is built with inexpensive hardware such as hubs, network adapters, and ethernet
cables.
• The data is transferred at an extremely faster rate in Local Area Network.
• Local Area Network provides higher security.
COMPUTER: NETWORKS

PAN(Personal Area Network)

• Personal Area Network is a network arranged within an individual person, typically within a range of
10 meters. 
• Personal Area Network is used for connecting the computer devices of personal use is known as
Personal Area Network.
• Personal computer devices are laptop, mobile phones, media player and play stations.
• Wireless Personal Area Network is developed by simply using wireless technologies such as WiFi,
Bluetooth. It is a low range network.
• Wired Personal Area Network is created usually by using the USB.
COMPUTER: NETWORKS

MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)

• A metropolitan area network is a network that covers a larger geographic area by
interconnecting a different LAN to form a larger network.
• Government agencies use MAN to connect to the citizens and private industries.
• In MAN, various LANs are connected to each other through a telephone exchange line.
• The most widely used protocols in MAN are RS-232, Frame Relay, ATM, ISDN, OC-3,
ADSL, etc.
• It has a higher range than Local Area Network(LAN).
COMPUTER: NETWORKS

WAN(Wide Area Network)

• A Wide Area Network is a network that extends over a large geographical area such as
states or countries therefore is quite bigger network than the LAN.
• It is not limited to a single location, but it spans over a large geographical area through a
telephone line, fibre optic cable or satellite links.
• The internet is one of the biggest WAN in the world.
• A Wide Area Network is widely used in the field of Business, government, and education.
INTERNET

• The internet is the largest computer network in the world, connecting

billions of computers.
• The internet is the physical network of computers all over the world.
• The World Wide Web is a virtual network of web sites connected by
hyperlinks (or "links"). Web sites are stored on servers on the internet, so
the World Wide Web is a part of the internet.
INTERNET

• The backbone of the World Wide Web is made of HTML files, which are
specially-formatted documents that can contain links, as well as images and other
media. All web browsers can read HTML files. In addition to HTML, it's also
very common for websites to use technologies like CSS (Cascading Style
Sheets) and JavaScript to do more advanced things.
• To get to a web page, you can type the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in a
browser. The URL, also known as the web address, tells the browser exactly
where to find the page.
INTERNET

• The most common way to find information online is with a search engine.
• If you're using a mobile device, there are some situations where it's not convenient to type
a search into a search engine. Instead, you can simply talk to your device's intelligent
personal assistant like Google Assistant on your android phones or Siri on iPhones. With
these assistants, you can ask a question like "What's the weather today?” or "Are there
any Chinese restaurants nearby?”. The assistant will then try to give you an answer.
You can also use it to do other things on your device such as setting up reminders. For
example, you could say, "Remind me to go to the dentist on Thursday."
INTERNET

• The internet isn't just about finding information. It's also about connecting with friends, family, and people
you've never met before. Today, there are many different ways to communicate online, including social
networking, chat, VoIP, and blogging.

• Facebook is used by about one billion people. If you have family or friends that live far away, you can use
Facebook to keep up with their lives. You can also share things you've found online that interest you.

• Twitter lets you share brief messages (or "tweets") with the entire world, or with just your circle of friends.
By following people with similar interests, you can discover new things that you wouldn't have found
otherwise.

• LinkedIn is a site that you can use for business networking. It allows you to connect with other people in
your field and find out about new job opportunities.
INTERNET

• Chat and instant messaging programs allow you to have conversations with
your friends or just write them a quick note. Examples are Whatsapp and
Microsoft Messenger. Some sites, such as Gmail and Facebook, allow you
to chat within your browser.
INTERNET

• Advices on how to protect oneself while using virtual communities:

• Protect privacy of your profile,
• Limit publishing and use of your personal data,
• Be aware that published information can be publicly accessible,
• Be cautious while communicating with strangers.
INTERNET: MEDIA

• TV, radio, and the internet used to be completely separate things, but that's no longer true with
today's technology. You can now watch TV shows on your computer, and you can connect to the
internet on many TVs and DVD/Blu-ray players. In addition, you can listen to online radio from
all over the world, thus granting you greater access to a more diverse range of media.
• Streaming media means the media downloads while its playing so you don’t have to download
it first.
• You can now access online TV shows, movies, and music on your TV. Many newer TVs are
able to connect to an existing internet connection. If yours doesn't have this feature built-in, you
can buy a separate digital media receiver, which is a small device that connects to your TV.
INTERNET

Internet data transfer:

• download - data storing from internet onto personal computer
• upload - data storing from personal computer to internet server
• data rate units:
• bit per second (bps), kilobit per second (kbps), and megabit per second (mbps).
COMPUTER IN THE WORKPLACE

• Tasks more suited to a computer than a human:

• Repetitive tasks
• Easy automated tasks
• Mathematical operations
• Tasks that require high precision and speed.

• Tasks more suited to a human than a computer:

• Logical reasoning and shape interpretation
• Consulting and social interaction,
• New product presentation,
• Developing business plan and strategies.
ICT IN EVERYDAY LIFE

• E-mail
• E-commerce
• Online banking
• E-government
• Online shopping
• E-learning
TELECOMMUTING (WORK FROM HOME)

• Increasing the employment of vulnerable groups: parents with small children,

people with mobility problems and people living in the remote areas
• Commuting time reduced or not necessary at all; cost and time of transportation
to the workplace decreased or non-existent
• Greater possibility to concentrate on the job
• Flexible working hours
• Reduced maintenance costs for the workspace
INFORMATION SECURITY

• Information security is defined as preservation of information confidentiality,

integrity and availability
• Information security measures are the rules of data protection on physical,
technical and organizational level
INFORMATION SECURITY

Increased level of the data security can be reached through the use of the following procedures:

• Username and passwords

• Properly shut down computer

• The use of continuous power supply (UPS - un-interruptible power supply) - in a case of power failure, without UPS
your desktop computer will shut down and all data that are not saved on hard disk will be lost. Documents should be
often saved in order to narrow down the possibility for losing data but only UPS will enable saving your work as well
as shutting down the computer properly without losing anything.

• Professional maintenance of computer is recommended

• Creating backups of all important data on portable memory devices, network disk etc. (I.E. Copy them from your
computer to another location)
INFORMATION SECURITY

Malware – A computer code/program that can infect computer, spread on other computer
independently or with a help from a user thus stealing or damaging data, and enabling
crackers to take over control of your computer.
• Most commonly spread via attachments in e-mail,
• Symptoms of infection: slow performance, computer not responding to commands or
Crashes and restarts; in extreme situations malware damages files responsible for proper
functioning of the operating system which can totally disable computer.
• Removing malware: use one of the antimalware programs
INFORMATION SECURITY

Malware protection:
• Never use pirated software which is usually infected with malicious software
• Install antimalware software which detects computer malware
• Open e-mails and web pages from recognized senders and authors
(the safest way is not to connect to the internet or any other computer
network)
POPULAR TERMS

• Copyright - the right of an author of text, images, music, film, etc. to protect their intellectual property.

• Product identification number (PID) is a number that comes with legally purchased software as an
authenticity validation.

• Software License Agreement- EULA (end-user license agreement).

• Freeware - software free for personal use; for example: Adobe Reader.

• Open source - software whose source code is publicly available for inspection, use, modification and
redistribution; for example, OpenOffice.org - office suite software, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird

• Shareware - programs that are free for temporary use at home.

THANK YOU