Classification of Means of Transmitting Information – JSS1 Computer Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

What are the means of transmitting information?

Means of transmitting information are the ways people have developed to send messages and share knowledge. They include language, writing, the printing press, the telephone, radio, television and the computer. Each invention made it easier to record information, copy it or send it over a distance.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• list the classifications of means of transmitting information;
• name the inventor of the printing press, radio, television, telephone and the early computer;
• state the use of each means of transmitting information;
• explain the link between the computer and ICT.

What are the classifications of means of transmitting information?

The classifications of means of transmitting information are as follows:

• Invention of the printing press
• Invention of the radio
• Invention of the television
• Invention of the telephone
• Invention of the computer
• Invention of writing
• Invention of language

Details of each invention

• Invention of the printing press: The invention of the printing press enabled the production of neater documents and the production of multiple copies of documents for wider distribution. The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg.
• Invention of the radio: The invention of the radio made it possible to send signals through the air and so transmit information to large audiences at the same time. Radio was invented by Guglielmo Marconi (1874 to 1937).
• Invention of the television: Television was invented by Philo Taylor Farnsworth (1906 to 1971). Television is an electronic system that receives and, through a transmitter, sends audio and video signals over a distance.
• Invention of the telephone: Telephones are used for sending and receiving voice messages and data signals over long distances. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.
• Invention of the computer: Computers can store large amounts of information, and this led to a revolution in information storage and processing in many areas of human activity. The first mechanical calculating machine was invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642. The modern computer is credited to Charles Babbage, who is called the father of the computer.
• Invention of writing: Humans began to record knowledge in the form of codes and drawings on stone and clay tablets.
• Invention of language: In every society, humans have developed language as a means of sharing messages, expressing themselves and communicating clearly with each other.

What is the link between the computer and ICT?

ICT refers to a broad field that includes computers, telephones, cellular networks, satellite communication, broadcasting media and other forms of communication.

There are relationships and links between the computer and ICT. Some of these relationships are:

1. Developments in IT and ICT were a result of access to the computer.
2. Computers and other ICT gadgets are interconnected and function as one.
3. People who understand the technology of computers are better users of ICT.
4. Computers are programmable, and so are ICT gadgets.
5. Computers can perform the functions of other ICT gadgets.

Evaluation

1. List the seven classifications of means of transmitting information.
2. Who invented the telephone, and in what year?
3. State one use of the printing press.
4. Why is radio useful for reaching large audiences?
5. Give two links between the computer and ICT.

Assignment

1. Write down the inventors of the radio, the television and the telephone.
2. Explain in your own words what ICT means.