What Is This Module About?
Much of the world today has become an information society. Information society refers to a group of people such as a city or country, in which information is rapidly created, processed, and shared. This means that information can now be encoded or changed into a form that machines can “understand”. And it can be processed or analyzed or computed and transmitted (sent) to others in lesser time. This culture of an information society is made possible by a wonderful machine called a computer.
Do you know what a computer is? Have you seen or used one before? Do you know what computers can do? Do you know how they help people to do things they could not do? If you have thought of these questions before, then this module is for you!
In this module, you will learn what a computer is and what it can do. You will learn what computer systems are and the role that they play in today’s society. Not too long ago, only computer professionals used computers. Today, computers are for everyone. That includes you! In only about 15 years, computers have become an important tool in almost any career or occupation. To become an effective participant in the emerging information society, you need to know what a computer can do. And you need to know how to use it. In other words, you should be computer literate. This module aims to help you become one.
It is composed of two lessons.
Lesson 1 — Computers: Machines That Make Work More Efficient
Lesson 2 — The Role of Computers in Today’s Society
What Will You Learn From This Module?
After studying this module, you should be able to:
♦ define computer and computer system;
♦ name the basic parts of a computer;
♦ describe how computers work;
♦ enumerate the properties or characteristics of a computer.
♦ give examples of computer programs; and
♦ enumerate some uses of the computer in today’s society.
LESSON 1
Computers: Machines that Make Work More Efficient
Many years ago, people wrote letters, prepared documents and made computations without computers. The computer is a product of modern technology. It is a machine that can increase the speed and efficiency of human activities. Since its introduction in the 1950’s, it has become smaller and smaller. Advances in technology have led to its miniaturization or decrease in size. Computers that used to be very big have been transformed into personal computers or PCs that a lot of people now use. The Philippines has already joined the computer revolution. Almost all government agencies, offices, colleges and schools use computers to make the work faster and more efficient. And even some homes now have computers. How about you? Have you joined the computer revolution?
Knowing how to use computers is now expected of all college graduates. In fact, the use of computers is now being taught in many schools. A computer literate person (with knowledge of computers) has greater chances of being employed.
Unfortunately, some people still have cyberphobia (fear of computers). They still look at computers as frightening and too complicated to operate. Unlike other phobias, however, cyberphobia is easy to cure. And that is through education. Studying this lesson is a good start.
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ define computer and computer system;
♦ name the basic parts of a computer; and
♦ describe how computers work.
(Image from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_computer)
Let’s Read
What is a computer? How does it work? Read on and find out.
Uncovering the Mystery of Computers
Technically speaking, a computer is any counting device. To compute means to count and solve number problems. Have you seen or used a calculator before? A calculator is a small machine used to solve faster and easier number problems such as 5,468 X 456 + 1,987. If you try to solve the above math problem manually (by hand and without the assistance of computing devices), it may take a long time. Get a calculator and solve the given problem. Were you able to get the answer, 2,495,395, faster and easier? If you did, just imagine what a computer can do. It is a more powerful computing device than a calculator.
A computer is an electronic device that can interpret and execute (do) programmed commands. What do you think of this definition? It’s a rather complicated one, isn’t it? Let us make this definition easier to understand by breaking it into smaller parts.
The parts of a computer system can be classified into four groups: input, processor, storage and output.
How do the parts in each group function? On the next pages, you will get to know more about the importance of each part.
Input
Input refers to the parts through which information is received by the computer. When you input data or information, it is encoded (translated) into something that a computer can “understand”. Read more about the parts that are used to input data or information to the computer.
a. Keyboard — The keyboard is used to encode (input) information that the computer can “understand”. A computer user must know how to type data or information using the keyboard. We use a typewriter to write data or information on paper. In a computer, the data goes inside the computer to be processed instead of paper.
b. Mouse — This is a tool that we use to click, select, and move items on the screen. It commands the computer what to do. It lessens the use of a keyboard.
c. Drives — Drives are found in the Central Processing Unit or CPU. These are used to insert a CD ROM or a floppy disk. Computer diskettes or CDs are storage forms of data. You insert a floppy disk into the appropriate drive. Then, the computer reads the data or information on that disk and performs the commands you want for that data.
A CD ROM (Compact Disk- Read Only Memory) or floppy disk is a device that stores information like a book. Whenever you put one inside a computer, it is like giving a book to a friend to read.
Processor and
Storage
Processing something means that you do something about the data or information that you receive. The processor of a computer is the brain of the computer. It computes and organizes data. It “thinks” for the computer since this is where commands are carried out. When you lend your book to a friend to read, he/she will use a processor (her brain) to read and understand that book.
After reading, he/she has to remember what he/she has read. He/she stores the processed data or information in her memory to use later on. The storage parts of a computer serve as the computer’s memory.
Why is storage important? What will happen if you cannot remember what you have learned? It would be difficult for you to answer questions or do a lot of things, wouldn’t it?
A computer, like the human brain, can process and store data in its memory.
Study the processor and storage parts of a computer below. They are discussed together because they are found inside the Central Processing Unit or CPU of the computer.
a. CPU — This stands for Central Processing Unit. The CPU is where the processing and storage happens. It is the part where the processor, hard disk and modem are located.
Why is the CPU important? The CPU is important because it is where the processor and main storage area, of the computer’s hard disk are located. Would the computer work without a CPU? Without a CPU, computers wouldn’t work.
b. Processor — This is the brain or intelligence of the computer. It performs programmed commands on data or information. A processor’s speed determines how fast information is computed or processed. It cannot be seen from the outside.
Do you know how fast processors can process data or information?
Computer processors can process data from milliseconds (one thousandth of a second) to microseconds (one millionth of a second). Some very powerful computers can process information from nanoseconds (one billionth of a second) to picoseconds (one trillionth of a second). This means that a computer performs other programmed commands at very, very fast rates. It can process information that would normally require a thousand people working at the same time (like in a government office). And it can do it in fractions of a second!
Read on and study the other parts found inside the CPU.
c. Hard Disk — This is a storage device for data found inside the CPU. It cannot be seen from the outside. Hard disks now contain enough space or memory to accommodate a very big amount of data.
CD ROMS and floppy disks also store data. Unlike the hard disk, these two forms are portable ( can be moved). This means that data can be stored in them and kept. When the data is needed, they can be put inside drives for the computer to read.
Why are CD ROMS and floppy disks important?
They are important because you can never tell what will happen to important data. Keeping an extra copy of important files is a good practice.
d. Modem — This is a device inside the CPU that allows the computer to the network (communicate with other computers) or surf the internet (a world wide network of computers). Modems allow e-mails (electronic mail) to be sent from one computer to another using telephone lines.
Output
How does one know that the computer has processed the data or information correctly? Checking the output of the computer does this. The output parts are the parts where processed information is given back by a computer to its user.
Study what these parts are. Read on.
a. Computer Monitor/Screen — This is where a temporary or soft copy of the data is shown to the computer user. The user can store this data in the hard disk or floppy disk and make hard copies (on paper) later on.
What does the computer monitor/screen look like? The computer monitor/screen looks like a TV screen that shows constantly changing information.
b. Speaker — The speaker allows the computers to play music and make a sound.
c. Printer — A device used to make hard copies or printouts. A hard copy is a copy of a document on paper.
There are of course other parts of a personal computer but these are the most important ones. Go back to the illustration above to review the parts of a computer. At the back of the computer, the unit is a series of wires and cables that connect one part of the computer system to another. These cables must be properly connected to make the computer work well.
Do you remember the four groupings of the parts of a computer? They composed of what is known as a computer system. The input, processor, storage, and output parts work together to make computer systems work more efficiently.
The actual computer is the processor found inside the CPU. It is the brain or intelligence of the computer system. However, it has been a common practice to call computer systems simply as computers.
Can you think of other ways a computer could help you?
Imagine that you are a teacher. Every grading period, the grades of your students must be computed. There are several quizzes, recitation scores and other class activities to consider. If there are 50 students in your class, your work will be difficult. There is a lot of information you need to process. If you have a computer and a program that can compute grades, you just need to input the scores of each student. The computer will do the rest of the job. You just have to wait for a few seconds to get a printout of their computed grades. The computer can make charts or graphs based on grades. It can be programmed to compute for class averages and other information that you would need.
A computer can make a teacher of 50 students do his/her work faster and more accurately. Just imagine how useful a computer can be to a principal of a large school? How about a company that handles millions of pesos in accounts? Can you imagine the amount of human labor a computer can help save?
How can a computer be useful to you in college?
Do you think that human beings will soon be “useless” because of computers?
Although computers make work faster and easier, human beings are still needed. Remember that a computer still needs the correct input to produce the correct output. Do you know what GIGO means? It stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. This means that people who use computers must know how to encode or input correct data. If a computer feed wrong information, the result will be wrong.
People are the ones who “command” the computers to do the job they were designed or programmed to do. Without these commands, the computer’s still wouldn’t run. Input would still be needed. Computers just help humans work faster and with lesser difficulty. But since the computer is commonly used nowadays, it is important that you know how to use one. A computer literate or computer competent person has an advantage when looking for jobs.
Let’s Remember
♦ A computer is an electronic device that can interpret and execute (do) programmed commands.
♦ The parts of a computer system are divided into four groups: input, processor, storage and output.
♦ The parts of a computer are the keyboard, mouse, drives, CPU, processor, hard disk, modem, screen or monitor, speaker and printer.
♦ CD ROMs and floppy disks are portable or movable storage systems for data.
♦ Computers still need people to make them work well. “Garbage in- garbage out”.
-o0o-END of LESSON 1-o0o
Please wait for Lesson 2 of this module.
