Advances in

Communication
Technology

Copyright 2001
Bureau of Nonformal Education
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
CULTURE AND SPORTS

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without the prior written permission from the publisher.

Published in the Philippines by:

Bureau of Nonformal Education

Department of Education, Culture and Sports
3/F Mabini Bldg., DECS Complex
Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, Philippines
Tel. No.: (02) 635 – 5189 Fax No.: (02) 635 - 5191
 What Is This Module About?

Technology is the general term for the processes by which human beings fashion
tools and machines to increase their control and understanding of the material
environment. In other words, we use technology to make our life easier. We innovate
or create advances with the current technology to make things better. This is what
technology is about.
The impact of technology is magnified in the field of communication where
major changes have occurred in recent years. In this module you will know more
about advances in communications.
You will learn the major communication tools used today as well as trends in the
development of the technology. In addition, you will learn about the problems faced
in using these tools of communication.
This module is divided into two lessons. These are:
Lesson 1 – Communication Technology Today
Lesson 2 – Present and Future Challenges to Communication Technology

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

♦ define what communication technology is;
♦ identify the characteristics of modern communication technological tools;
♦ explain the trends of development in communication technology; and
♦ explain some problems encountered in using modern communication
technology.

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 Let’s See What You Already Know

Let’s find out how much you know about the topics that will be discussed in this
module. For each of the following statements, write T if the statement is true and F if
the statement is false. If the statement is false, explain why.
1. Examples of forms of modern communication using technology are the
television, writing a letter and radio.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

2. Communication technology makes it possible for you to send and receive

messages anytime you want.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

3. Television allows people to see places they haven’t gone to.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

4. Radio reaches a wider audience than television.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

5. A document can be sent through e-mail or fax.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

6. The Worldwide Web (WWW) is larger than the Internet.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

7. The Worldwide Web is a network of linked documents.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

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 8. A fax machine can receive documents but cannot send them.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

9. Communication technology always causes greater business productivity.

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

10. The introduction of communication technology brought about new forms

of crime.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those
in the Answer Key on page 21 to find out.
If all your answers are correct, very good! This shows that you already know
much about the topics in this module. You may still study the module to review what
you already know. Who knows, you might learn a few more new things as well.
If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This means that this module is for you. It
will help you understand some important concepts that you can apply in your daily
life. If you study this module carefully, you will learn the answers to all the items in
the test and a lot more! Are you ready?
You may go now to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

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 LESSON 1

Communication Technology Today

Major technological advances have occurred in the field of communication over the
past years. Today, when we talk of human communication, we think of communication
through technological innovations like the Internet, cable television, the telephone, etc.
In this lesson you will learn more about communication technology, its features and
tools.
After this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ define what communication technology is;
♦ identify the characteristics of modern communication technological
products; and
♦ identify the different tools of communication.

Let’s Try This

What is communication technology? Write your answer below.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Some of you may know communication technology well. Others may only have a
vague idea of it. Well, don’t worry, you will find out the answer soon. Read on.

Let’s Learn

What is communication technology?

Communication technology is the technology transmitting information through the

use of electronic devices and systems.
Based on this definition, think of examples of devices or tools of communication.
Write your answers below.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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 Examples of tools or systems of communication are the telephone, radio,
broadcast television and cable TV.

Because most of these devices or systems enable us to communicate over large

distances, communication technology has become associated with
telecommunications. Telecommunications refers to the electronic collection and
transfer of information from one location to another. The data being collected may
consist of voice, sound, text, video, graphics or all of these. The instruments that send
these data include the telegraph, telephone, cable, radio and television. The distance
may be as small as within a room or as large as from here to outer space.

Let’s Study and Analyze

Study the picture on the right.

What are the two women doing? How
do they make use of communication
technology?
The two women are talking to each
other over the phone. From the clothes
they’re wearing, you can see that they are
far away from each other. Through the
telephone, a product and tool of
communication technology, the women are
able to get in touch with each other despite
the great distance between them.

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 Let’s Learn

Characteristics of Products of Modern Communication Technology

Communication technology has made great advances in recent years. Modern

communication technology has characteristics that set it apart from past technology.
1. The key technology underlying all modern communication technology is
electronics. In ancient times, before paper was invented, people wrote on
clay tablets. For a long time, too, documents were reproduced by copying
them by hand. Much of this copying was done in monasteries. Books back
then were literally restricted in libraries so that no one could take them. The
first major breakthrough in communications was the invention of the
printing press by Johann Gutenberg in 1450. This allowed the production of
many copies of books.
Electronics and communications
have gone a long way since then.
The telegraph was introduced, and
later the telephone, then radio and
television. By the 1980s,
electronics and communication
had brought about huge changes in
the way people exchanged
information with each other.

2. All new communication systems are interactive to a certain degree, that is

communication is two-way. They involve having the user enter his/her orders
or responses to the communication device. For example, popular debate
programs ask televiewers to call a given number to give their views on the
topic of debate. They ask the viewers if they agree or disagree with a certain
statement. At the end of the program, the answers are tabulated. The answers
are announced, “According to our viewers . . ..” Even if you are not present
in the studio where the actual debate is being held, your opinion is still
counted.

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 3. Communication technological devices now have the ability to send and/or
receive messages at a time convenient for the users. For example, an
answering machine allows you to record a message when the person you are
calling is not around. That person can in turn get your message at his/her
convenience.

Let’s Try This

What tools of communication do you know of?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

How many were you able to write? Read on to find out more about the tools of
communication technology today.

Let’s Learn

Tools of Communication

As I have mentioned previously, the tools of communication technology include

the telephone, radio, television, fax machine and the Internet.

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Television
The television is an electronic system of transmitting images and sounds by
means of electronic signals sent through wires and optical fibers. These signals are
usually broadcast from a source, for example, a television station to reception devices
such as the television set in your home. At times, the source transmits the images and
sounds to relay stations such as cable TV
companies. The cable TV companies then
transmit the images and sounds to your
television set.
Though most people will never meet the
leader of a country, travel to the moon or
participate in a war, they can experience these
things through the images on their television.

Radio
Radio uses sound effects to stimulate the listener’s own images of people and
places. The radio was invented in 1906, and for a time it remained primarily as a
communication medium. It was devoted to sending and receiving messages especially
during the world wars. As it developed it was utilized for two types of
service—entertainment and communication. After the war, radio broadcasting started.
Radio reaches a wider audience than
television. In provinces where there is no
electricity, battery-operated radios are the
main sources of news and entertainment.
Nowadays, a radio comes as a component of a
sound system, which consists of speakers, a
CD player, a cassette tape player, a recorder
and various switches and buttons that can
manipulate sound.

Telephone
The telephone is an instrument that sends
and receives voice messages and data.
Telephones convert speech and data to
electrical energy which is sent through great
distances.
A cellular telephone is designed to give
the user maximum freedom of movement while
using the phone.

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Fax machine
Fax stands for facsimile transmission or
reproduction. The fax machine therefore is a
system or apparatus for reproducing graphic
material over a distance. A document is
scanned by a fax machine and its reproduction
is produced in the receiving fax machine.

Internet
The Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks. A computer
network is two or more computers connected to each other. Look at the picture on
the right. It shows a computer network. The
lines indicate that the computer are linked to
each other. The Internet connects millions of
computers to each other.
The networks in the Internet can share
information with each other. This is normally
done through the Worldwide Web (WWW). In
the WWW, multimedia files are created,
displayed and linked together. Multimedia
files are texts, photographs, graphics, video and
audio materials. These files can be accessed
through the Internet.
Aside from the WWW, the Internet has another feature, the electronic mail or e-
mail. E-mail is the transmission of written messages over the Internet. Unlike letters
sent through post, e-mail messages are instantly sent and received. An e-mail
message can also be sent to many people at the same time.

9
 Let’s Try This

Answer the following questions.

1. If you were given the talent and chance to invent a communication tool, what
would it be?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

2. Why would you invent such a device?

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Now, interview three other people and ask them the same question. Write the
answers that you got in the table below.

Name Ans

1.

2.

3.

Show your answers and the results of your interviews to your Instructional
Manager or Facilitator.
Some of the answers that you got may already be here. The answers that you got
tell you that people continuously want to make communication easier, faster and more
convenient. Who knows, some of the answers that you got may be part of the
communication technology of the future.

10
 Let’s See What You Have Learned

Let’s find out how much you have learned from the lesson. Fill in the blanks with
the correct answers. Choose from among the words in the box.

telecommunications
interactive
reactivity
Internet
WWW
television
radio
fax machine
network

1. __________________ refers to the electronic collection and transfer of

information from one location to another.

2. All modern communication systems are __________________, that is,

communication is two-way.

3. The __________________ is a worldwide system of computer networks.

4. Two or more computers make up a __________________.

5. The __________________ reaches a wider audience than the television.

6. A __________________ can send and receive reproductions of documents.

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 21. Did you get
everything right? If you did, that’s very good. If you did not, don’t worry. Just review
the parts of the lesson you did not understand very well before you move on to Lesson
2.

11
Let’s Remember

♦ Communication technology is the technology of transmitting information

through the use of electronic devices and systems.
♦ Electronics brought about many developments in communication
technology. Modern communication systems are interactive to a certain
degree. They also enable users to send and receive information anytime they
want to.
♦ Some of the major tools of communication today include the television,
radio, telephone, fax machine and the Internet.
♦ Television is an electronic system of transmitting images through electronic
signals transmitted through wires and optical fibers.
♦ Radio transmits sound. It reaches a wider audience than television.
♦ The telephone is an instrument for sending and receiving voice messages
and data.
♦ The fax machine is a system or apparatus for reproducing graphic materials
over a distance.
♦ The Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks. The key features
of the Internet are the Worldwide Web and e-mail.

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 LESSON 2

Present and Future Challenges

to Communication Technology
Every day, more and more modern tools of communication are developed.
Indeed, modern communication technology pushes human progress to greater heights.
However, technology does not come without a price. Technology can be a
disadvantage and an inconvenience if not used properly. We have to make good use of
technology. In this lesson, we will discuss how you can maximize your use of
technology.
After this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ explain the trends of development in communication technology; and
♦ explain some problems encountered in using modern communication
technology.

Let’s Try This

Find a friend, neighbor or relative who has access to any one of the following:
♦ Two-way radio
♦ Cellular phone
♦ Fax machine
♦ Internet
Ask your friend/neighbor/relative to help you try using his/her communication
device.
Which communication device were you able to try? How useful was it to you?
Let’s find out how modern communication technology helps you live a better life.

Let’s Learn

Developments in Communication Technology

Two major developments took place in the field of communication technology in

recent years. These are the development and use of networks and the invention of new
sending and receiving devices.
Let’s discuss each.

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Networks
A network is a system of interconnected
components such as telephones, computers and
other related devices. Networks such as the
Internet allow exchange of electronic
information. Networks can be large or small. The
Internet is composed of millions of computers.
People in the same building can have their own
network of computers. This will allow sharing of
information among all computers connected.

New Sending and Receiving Devices

Part of the excitement about telecommunications in the last decade or so has
been the development of new devices for sending and receiving information. Two
examples are the cellular phone and the fax machine.
Cellular phones allow people to make phone calls wherever they are. People in
far-flung areas with no landlines can use cellular phones instead.
A fax machine scans an image and sends a
copy of it to a receiving fax machine. The
receiving fax machine recreates the image on
paper. Fax machines are now common in offices
and new uses have been found for them. For
example in some countries, newspapers send
copies or compressed versions of the news and
send them to fax machines to cruise ships in mid-
ocean.

Let’s Study and Analyze

Read the stories below.

1. Andy is a college student. When he was in high school, he knew nothing
about the Internet. But college life introduced Andy to the Internet. His
school provides low-cost access to the Internet. Soon Andy became so
engrossed with using the Internet that he began to neglect his studies. Each
day he would spend hours surfing the Internet, e-mailing friends and chatting.
Because he was always surfing the Internet, Andy failed to do his homework
and study for his exams. Andy failed in many of his classes.
Why did Andy fail in his classes?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

14
 2. Many employees of Kamahalan Company spend an average of one hour a day
playing games on their computers, surfing the Internet or chatting on the
phone.
How does communication technology affect productivity in Kamahalan
Company?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

3. Glen made a term paper for his science class. He saved the file in his
computer. One night a thief broke into his house and took away his
computer. Glen was devastated.
What was the effect of the theft on Glen?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 22.

Let’s Learn

Challenges Facing Communication Technology

The presence and use of modern communication tools can cause inconveniences
and problems for us and society as a whole.
Personal Problems. Improper use of communication technology can cause
isolation. Communication technology is supposed to link people with each other.
However, it can also isolate you from others if you spend too much time using it. For
example, instead of spending time talking and interacting with your family, you might
be talking to your friends over the phone for hours on end. There have been cases of
people spending days, even months,
inside their homes, preferring to surf the
Net than to go outdoors. This is
especially true in countries where you
can buy almost anything, from furniture
to books to clothes and even food,
through the Internet.

15
 Workplace Problems. Some employees may look busy, staring with crinkled
eyebrows into their computer screens. But it could be that they’re just playing
computer games or surfing the Internet. These activities of course lead to wasted
time, resulting in low productivity.
Another reason for wasted time is
all the fussing that employees do
with their computers. For example,
if an employee doesn’t know how
to operate a program in his/her
computer, he/she will ask a
coworker for help. This lowers the
productivity of both employees.

Crimes. Modern communication tools are used by some scheming people in

committing crimes. Pirated CDs and cassettes are made with the use of computers
and recording tools. Some computer experts work as hackers, people who access
private computer files through the Internet and use information from these files to
make money.

Loss of Employment. Communication tools have replaced human beings in

many tasks. For example, instead of going to the bank and approaching a bank teller to
update your bank account, you can now use the ATM machine. Or you can use the
Internet to do this. Many stores
operate without a single salesperson
because their goods are sold through
the Internet. Messengers are hardly
needed because interoffice
communication can now be made
through e-mail or fax.

16
 Environmental Problems. Communication devices use up a lot of electricity.
Computers, for example, use so much power. It likewise generates a lot of heat that
additional power is consumed by air-conditioning systems to keep people
comfortable.

People are always rushing to buy the latest versions of computers and other
communication devices. The old ones are discarded and pose a potential disposal
problem.

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Write T if the statement is true and F if the statement is false. If the statement is
false, explain why you say so.
1. The Internet is an example of a network.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

2. The subscribers of Smart and Globe are considered part of a network.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

3. Voice is transmitted through a telephone in the same manner that a

document is transmitted through a fax machine.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

4. Communication technology always makes people closer to each other.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

17
 5. Workers are always more productive with the presence of modern
communication tools.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those found in the Answer Key on page 22.
Did you get a perfect score? If you did, that’s very good. If you did not, that’s
okay. Just review the parts of the lesson you did not understand very well before you
move on to the next part of the module.

Let’s Remember

♦ The two major developments that happened in communication technology

are the development and use of networks and the invention of new sending
and receiving devices.
♦ A network connects telephones, computers and other communication
devices to each other.
♦ Communication technology can bring about certain problems if not used
properly. It can cause isolation of people, decrease productivity in the
workplace, aid in crimes, lead to loss of employment and cause
environmental problems.

Well, this is the end of the module! Congratulations for finishing it. Did you like
it? Did you learn anything useful from it? The following is a summary of its main
points to help you remember them better.

Let’s Sum Up

♦ Communication technology is the technology of transmitting information

through the use of electronic devices and systems.
♦ Electronics brought about many developments in communication
technology. Modern communication systems are interactive to a certain
degree.
♦ Some of the major tools of communication today include the television,
radio, telephone, fax machine and the Internet.

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 ♦ The two important developments in communication technology are the
development and use of networks and the invention of new sending and
receiving devices.
♦ A network connects telephones, computers and other communication tools
to each other.
♦ Communication technology can bring about certain problems if not used
properly. It can cause isolation of people, lower productivity in the
workplace, aid in crimes, lead to loss of employment and cause
environmental problems.

What Have You Learned?

Let’s find out how much you learned from this module. Encircle the letters of the
correct answers.
1. This is the collection and transfer of information (voice, sound, text, video,
etc.) over long distances.
a. television c. telephone
b. telecommunications d. telegraph

2. A/An __________ communication system makes two-way communication

possible.
a. interactive c. fax
b. electromagnetic d. none of the above

3. The __________ sends and receives voice data. Wireless versions of this
technological device were created to give the user freedom of movement.
a. radio c. facsimile
b. telephone d. Internet

4. The Internet __________.

a. is a worldwide system of different computer networks
b. has e-mail
c. carries the WWW
d. all of the above

5. __________ is the key technology underlying all modern communication

technology
a. Internet c. Interactivity
b. Electronics d. Worldwide Web

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 6. A network _________ communication devices.
a. separates c. speeds up
b. connects d. slows down
7. Which of the following is an example of a new sending/receiving device?
a. computer c. fax machine
b. cellular phone d. all of the above
8. Communication technology can ____________ in a company.
a. make work faster c. make workers less productive
b. make work easier d. all of the above
9. Which of the following can be considered as a communication technology-
aided crime?
a. stealing ATM cards
b. stealing other people’s documents from their computers
c. selling pirated CDs
d. all of the above
10. Which of the following statements about communication technology and the
environment is true?
a. Communication technology can help in the efforts to save the
environment.
b. Using communication technology uses up so much energy.
c. Communication technology can hinder efforts to save the environment.
d. All of the above.

Compare your answers with those in the Answer key on pages 22 and 23.
If you got:
9–10 Very good! You learned a lot about communication technology from this
module.
7–8 Good! Make sure though that you go back to the items you missed.
5–6 Fair. Review the part of the module which you didn’t quite understand.
0–4 Read the module again. I’m sure you’ll understand it better this time.

20
 Answer Key

A. Let’s See What You Already Know (pages 2–3)

1. F Writing a letter is not a form of electronic communication.
Communication technology require the use of electronic
devices.
2. T
3. T By transmitting pictures and sounds, television allows you to see
people you have never met and places you have never been to.
4. T
5. T
6. F The Worldwide Web (WWW) is only a feature of the Internet.
7. T
8. F A fax machine can send and receive documents.
9. F The use of communication technology can also cause less
productivity for business companies. For example, the use of
computers in making documents that are not related to work robs
a company of its workers’ time and productivity.
10. T

B. Lesson 1
Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 11)
1. Telecommunications
2. interactive
3. Internet
4. network
5. radio
6. fax machine

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C. Lesson 2
Let’s Study and Analyze (pages 14–15)
1. Andy became an Internet addict. He devoted most of his time to
surfing and chatting on the Internet rather than to his studies.
2. Workers spend their time on things which are not related to work
thus decreasing their productivity.
3. Glen might fail in his subject because of the theft. He has to start
from scratch and write his term paper again.

Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 17–18)

1. T
2. T
3. T
4. F Communication technology can also isolate people. People can
be addicted to the technology that they fail to interact with other
people around them.
5. F The use of communication technology can also cause less
productivity for companies because workers might use this
technology in doing things that are not related to work.

D. What Have You Learned? (pages 19–20)

1. (b) This is what telecommunications is all about.
2. (a) An interactive communication system makes two-way
communication possible.
3. (b) The telephone and its technological innovations are used in
sending and receiving voice data.
4. (d) All the items are features of the Internet.
5. (b) Electronics has made possible many developments in
communication technology.
6. (b) Networks connect any number of communication devices. A
computer network, for instance, can be made up of two or more
computers.
7. (d) All of these are new sending and receiving devices.
8. (d) Communication technology can have both positive and negative
effects on a company.

22
 9. (d) All activities mentioned are crimes aided by communication
technology.
10. (d) Communication technology can have both positive and negative
effects on the environment. Communication technology can
help disseminate information on how to save the environment.
However, the use of communication technology can also use up
so much energy.

Glossary

Apparatus An equipment, piece of machinery, tool or device used for a

particular purpose.
Broadcasting The making and transmission of television and radio programs
Convert To change the nature or form of something, or to be changed in nature
or form.
Graphic Representing something in the form of pictures or images.
Optical fibers The technology of transferring information, for example, in
communications or computer technology, through a number of thin flexible
glass or plastic tubes (optical fibers).
Scan To direct a light-sensitive device over a surface, for example, a document,
in order to convert an image into digital or electronic form. This can then be
stored, retrieved or transmitted.

References

Heath, Steve. Multimedia and Communications Technology. U.S.A.:

Butterworth-Heinemann, 1996.
Hutchinson, Sarah and Stacey Sawyer. Computers, Communications and
Information. U.S.A.: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000.
Hutchinson, Sarah, Sawyer, Stacey Sawyer and Brian Williams. Using
Information Technology: A Practical Introduction to Computers and
Communications. U.S.A.: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1996.
Rogers, Everett. Communication Technology: The New Media in Society.
U.S.A.: The Free Press, 1986.

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