QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY

www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

A SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE

A. Y. 2025-2026

-MIDTERM-

Prepared by:

LESLIE G. DISCIPULO, MAED

Course Facilitator

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley.
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

Lesson 4 The Good Life

Competencies 1. Examine what is meant by a good life;
2. identify how humans attempt to attain what is deemed to be a good life; and
3. Recognize possibilities available to human being to attain a good life.

Discussion In Ancient Greece, long before the word "science" has been coined, the need to
understand the world and reality was bound with the need to understand the self and
the good life. For Plato, the task of understanding the things in the world runs parallel
with the job of truly getting into what will make the soul flourish. In an attempt to
understand reality and the external world, man must seek to understand himself, too.
It was Aristotle who gave a definitive distinction between the theoretical and practical
sciences. Among the theoretical disciplines, Aristotle included logic, biology, physics,
and metaphysics, among others. Among the practical ones, Aristotle counted ethics
and politics. Whereas "truth" is the aim of the theoretical sciences, the "good" is the
end goal of the practical ones. Every attempt to know is connected in some way in an
attempt to find the "good" or as said in the previous lesson, the attainment of human
flourishing. Rightly so, one must find the truth about what the good is before one can
even try to locate that which is good.

In the previous lesson, we have seen how a misplaced or an erroneous idea of human
flourishing can turn tables for all of us, make the sciences work against us rather than
for us, and draw a chasm between the search for truth and for the good. In this lesson,
we endeavour to go back a little and answer these questions: What does it really
mean to live a good life? Granting this understanding, we are assumed to be in a
better position to reconcile our deepest existential needs as human beings and
science as tool to maneuver around the world.

In the previous lesson, we have seen how a misplaced or an erroneous idea of human
flourishing can turn tables for all of us, make the sciences work against us rather than
for us, and draw a chasm between the search for truth and for the good. In this lesson,
we endeavor to go back a little and answer these questions: What does it really mean
to live a good life? What qualifies as a good existence? Granting this understanding,
we are assumed to be in a better position to reconcile our deepest existential needs
as human beings and science as tool to maneuver around the world.

Aristotle and How We All Aspire for a Good Life

It is interesting to note that the first philosopher who approached the problem of reality
from a "scientific" lens as we know now, is also the first thinker who dabbled into the
complex problematization of the end goal of life: happiness. This man is none other
than Aristotle.

Compared to his teacher and predecessor, Plato, Aristotle embarked on a different

approach in figuring out reality. In contrast to Plato who thought that things in this
world are not real and are only copies of the real in the world of forms, Aristotle puts
everything back to the ground in claiming that this world is all there is to it and that this
world is the only reality we can all access. For Plato, change is so perplexing that it
can only make sense if there are two realities: the world of forms and the world of
matter. Consider the human person. When you try to see yourself in front of the mirror,
you normally say and think that you are looking at yourself-that is, you are the person
who slept last night and you are the same person looking at yourself now, despite the
occasional changes like a new pimple that grows on your nose. The same is true for a
seed that you threw out of the garden last month. When you peek into the same patch
of land where the seed ingrained itself into, you may be surprised to see a little plant
showing itself to you and to the sun. Plato recognized change as a process and as a
phenomenon that happens in the world, that in fact, it is constant. However, Plato also
claims that despite the reality of change, things remain and they retain their ultimate
"whatness"; that you remain to be you despite the pimple that now sits atop your nose.
Plato was convinced that reality is full of these seemingly contrasting manifestations of
change and permanence. For Plato, this can only be explained by postulating two

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 1
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

aspects of reality, two worlds if you wish: the world of forms and the world of matter. In
the world of matter, things are changing and impermanent. In the world of forms, the
entities are only copies of the ideal and the models, and the forms are the only real
entities. Things are red in this world because they participate in what it means to be
red in the world of forms.

Aristotle, for his part, disagreed with his teacher's position and forwarded the idea that
there is no reality over and above what the senses can perceive. As such, it is only by
observation of the external world that one can truly understand what reality is all
about. Change is a process that is inherent in things. We, along with all other entities
in the world, start as potentialities and move toward actualities. The movement, of
course, entails change. Consider a seed that eventually germinates and grows into a
plant. The seed that turned to become the plant underwent change- from the potential
plant that is the seed to its full actuality, the plant.

Aristotle extends this analysis from the external world into the province of the human
person and declares that even human beings are potentialities who aspire for their
actuality. Every human being moves according to some end. Every action that
emanates from a human person is a function of the purpose (telos) that the person
has. When a boy asks for a burger from a Filipino burger joint, the action that he takes
is motivated primarily by the purpose that he has, inferably to get full or to taste the
burger that he only sees on TV. When a girl tries to finish her degree in the university,
despite the initial failures she may have had, she definitely is being propelled by a
higher purpose than to just graduate. She wants something more, maybe to have a
license and land a promising job in the future. Every human person, according to
Aristotle, aspires for an end. This end, we have learned from the previous chapters, is
happiness or human flourishing.

No individual-young or old, fat or skinny, male or female-resists happiness. We all

want to be happy. Aristotle claims that happiness is the be all and end all of everything
that we do. We may not realize it but the end goal of everything that we do is
happiness. If you ask one person why he is doing what he is doing, he may not readily
say that it is happiness that motivates him. Hard-press to explain why he is motivated
by what motivates him will reveal that happiness is the grand, motivating force in
everything that he does. When Aristotle claims that we want to be happy, he does not
necessarily mean the everyday happiness that we obtain when we win a competition
or we eat our favorite dish in a restaurant. What Aristotle actually means is human
flourishing. A kind of contentment in knowing that one is getting the best out of life. A
kind of feeling that one has maxed out his potentials in the world, that he has attained
the crux of his humanity.

Happiness as the Goal of a Good Life

In the eighteenth century, John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest Happiness Principle
by saying that an action is right as far as it maximizes the attainment of happiness for
the greatest number of people. At a time when people were skeptical about claims on
the metaphysical, people could not make sense of the human flourishing that Aristotle
talked about in the days of old. Mill said that individual happiness of each individual
should be prioritized and collectively dictates the kind of action that should be
endorsed. Consider the pronouncements against mining. When an action benefits the
greatest number of people, said action is deemed ethical. Does mining benefit rather
than hurt the majority? Does it offer more benefits rather than disadvantages? Does
mining result in more people getting happy rather than sad? If the answers to the said
questions are in the affirmative, then the said action, mining, is deemed ethical.

The ethical is, of course, meant to lead us to the good and happy life. Through the
ages, as has been expounded in the previous chapters, man has constantly struggled
with the external world in order to reach human flourishing. History has given birth to
different schools of thought, all of which aim for the good and happy life.

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 2
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

Materialism

The first materialists were the atomists

in Ancient Greece. Democritus and
Leucippus led a school whose primary
belief is that the world is made up of
and is controlled by the tiny indivisible
units in the world called atomos or
seeds. For Democritus and his
disciples, the world, including human
beings, is made up of matter. There is
no need to posit immaterial entities as
sources of purpose. Atomos simply
comes together randomly to form the
things in the world. As such, only
material entities matter. In terms of
human flourishing, matter is what makes us attain happiness. We see this at work with
most people who are clinging on to material wealth as the primary source of the
meaning of their existence.

Hedonism

The hedonists, for their part, see the end

goal of life in acquiring pleasure. Pleasure
has always been the priority of hedonists.
For them, life is about obtaining and
indulging in pleasure because life is
limited. The mantra of this school of
thought is the famous, "Eat, drink, and be
merry for tomorrow we die." Led by
Epicurus, this school of thought also does
not buy any notion of afterlife just like the
materialists.

Stoicism

Another school of thought led by Epicurus, the stoics espoused the idea that to
generate happiness, one must learn to distance oneself and be apathetic. The original
term, apatheia, precisely means to be indifferent. For the stoics, happiness can only
be attained by a careful practice of apathy. We should, in this worldview, adopt the
fact that some things are not within our control. The sooner we realize this, the happier
we can become.

Theism

Most people find the meaning of their lives

using God as a fulcrum of their existence.
The Philippines, as a predominantly
Catholic country, is witness to how people
base their life goals on beliefs that hinged
on some
form of supernatural reality called heaven.
The ultimate basis of happiness for theists
is the communion with God. The world
where we are in is only just a temporary
reality where we have to maneuver around
while waiting for the ultimate return to the

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 3
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

hands of God.

Humanism

Humanism as another school of thought espouses the freedom of man to carve his
own destiny and to legislate his own laws, free from the shackles of a God that
monitors and controls, For humanists, man is literally the captain of his own ship.
Inspired by the enlightenment in seventeenth century, humanists see themselves not
merely as stewards of the creation but as individuals who are in control of themselves
and the world outside them. This is the spirit of most scientists who thought that the
world is a place and space for freely unearthing the world in seeking for ways on how
to improve the lives of its inhabitants.

As a result of the motivation of the humanist current, scientists eventually turned to

technology in order to ease the difficulty of life as illustrated in the previous lessons.
Scientists of today meanwhile are ready to confront more sophisticated attempts at
altering the world for the benefit of humanity. Some people now are willing to tamper
with time and space in the name of technology. Social media, as an example, has
been so far a very effective way of employing technology in purging time and space.
Not very long ago, communication between two people from two continents in the
planet will involve months of waiting for a mail to arrive. Seeing each other real time
while talking was virtually impossible. Now, communication between two people
wherever they are, is not just possible but easy. The Internet and smart phones made
real-time communication possible not just between two people, but even with multiple
people simultaneously.

Technology allowed us to tinker with our sexuality. Biologically male individuals can
now undergo medical operation if they so wish for sexual reassignment. Breast
implants are now available and can be done with relative convenience if anyone
wishes to have one. Hormones may also be injected in order to alter the sexual
chemicals in the body.

Whether or not we agree with these technological advancements, these are all
undertaken in the hopes of attaining the good life. The balance, however, between the
good life, ethics, and technology has to be attained.

Enrichment Learning Task 1: Personal Reflection – My Good Life

Activities Objective: To examine what is meant by a good life and identify how humans attempt
to attain it.
Instructions:
1. Write a 1–2 page reflection paper answering the following:
o What does a "good life" mean to you personally?
o Which philosophical view (Materialism, Hedonism, Stoicism, Theism,
Humanism) is closest to your current way of living? Why?
o What challenges do you face in pursuing your idea of a good life?
2. Conclude with a short paragraph on how you plan to align your daily actions
with your idea of a good life.

Expected Output: A reflection paper (1–2 pages).

Learning Task 2: The Good Life Vision Board

Objective: To recognize possibilities available to human beings to attain a good life.
Instructions:
1. Create a vision board (digital or on paper) that represents your own path
toward attaining the good life.
2. Include the following elements:
o Images/words that symbolize what makes life meaningful for you
(family, career, spirituality, health, service, etc.).
o At least three concrete steps you will take to achieve your version of
the good life.
o A short written explanation (one paragraph) of why you chose these

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 4
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

images and steps.

3. Submit your vision board along with your written explanation.

Expected Output: A vision board + one-paragraph explanation.

Comprehension Fill in the blanks.

Check
1. According to Aristotle, _______ is the objective or aim of theoretical sciences like
logic, biology, physics and metaphysics.
2. Plato postulated the two aspects of reality namely the world of forms and the world
of _______.
3. The _______ principle developed by John Stuart Mill states that action is right as far
as it maximizes the attainment of happiness for the greatest number of people.
4. According to the school of materialism, in terms of human flourishing, _______ is
what makes people attain happiness.
5. The school of _______ espoused the idea that to generate happiness, one must
learn to distance oneself and be apathetic.

References Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (n.d.). John Stuart Mil. Accessed February 3,
2017. http://www.iep.utm.edu/mill-eth.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (n.d.). Renaissance Humanism.
Accessed February 2, 2017. http://www.iep.utm.edu/humanisl
Macat Thinking News. (2016). Aristotle's Secret to Happiness: What will Make Us
Happy Now? Accessed February 3, 2017. https://www macat.com/blog/aristotles-
secret-happiness/.
Psychology Today. (2013). Aristotle on Happiness. Accessed February 3,
2017. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/ 201301/aristotle-
happiness.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2001). Aristotle's Ethics. Accessed February 3,
2017. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ aristotle-ethics
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2005). Ancient Atomism. Accessed February 3,
2017. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atomism-ancient.
The Basics of Philosophy. (2008). 7heism. Accessed February 3, 2017.
http://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_theism.html.

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 5
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

Lesson 5 When Technology and Humanity Cross

Competencies 1. Know the different technological advancements in society;
2. Discuss the development of science and technology in the Philippines; and
3. Discuss the effects of the interplay between technology and humanity through the
dilemma(s) they face.

Discussion The ever-growing society has made people see technology as some form of
necessity. Tracing back its origins, the word "technology” came from the Greek words
technë and logos which mean art and word, respectively. Taking the two words
together, technology means a discourse on arts (Buchanan, 2010). It first appeared in
the seventeenth century where the concept was only used to talk about the arts,
specifically applied arts. However, as technology progressed, the concept also started
to have a wider range of meaning where art is no longer the only topic included.
Concepts like machine and tools were also attached to the word "technology” which is
the more popular sense of the concept nowadays.

The roles played by technology these days are very crucial not only to a few but also
to everyone. In one way or another, each person in the society is directly or indirectly
affected by technology whether he wills it or not. In fact, most people survive their
everyday lives with great reliance to the different technological advancements already
available to the masses. While there may be some who would claim that their lives are
not greatly affected by technology, the fact cannot be denied that technology is
already an inevitable part of the society.

It is with great effort that people were able to achieve such great inventions. It makes
life so much easier and more convenient than before. It can clearly be seen from the
simplest task at home to the most complicated ones inside the office or laboratory.
Technology these days enjoys such fame and glory because of the many different
benefits it brings to mankind. Some would even say that it does not only bring
convenience but also pleasure and happiness to people. This is because of the
different leisure activities that technology can offer to people. For example, it allows
people to listen to good music wherever they are. Another is, it allows them to
communicate with their loved ones anywhere in the world; but most of all, it allows
them to surf and play games anytime, anywhere.

The act of pinpointing a single activity that does not in any way require the use of
technology has become very hard because almost all activities that humans perform
already require the assistance of some kind of technological advancement. But this is
not all, for there are people who would even argue that technology has become a
necessity and no longer a want. At present, people work very hard in order to save
money to buy these "necessities" while in the past, people only used their money for
the things that would help them survive like food, housing, and clothing. In effect,
anything outside these categories was considered a luxury. However, that is no longer
the case at present.

In general, technology keeps on progressing due to not only the changing times and
environment but also to the ever-progressing mind of mankind. It would not be
possible for all these technological advancements to exist if it were not for the
brilliance, creativeness, and power of the mind. However, it is also important to note
that anything too much is bad. The same problem is faced by technology. Although it
has been very helpful to people, it is still not immune to criticisms and backlash.
Various ethical dilemmas have been identified throughout time involving the use of
different technological devices and its effects to humanity. Usually, different problems
arise when either the technological device available is misused or if in the first place, it
was invented to produce bad results. People who are aware of the possible dangers of
the use or misuse of technology are not keeping still. They lay these dilemmas for the
public to see and realize what they are in for.

In this lesson, several technological devices will be properly introduced, the roles they
play in society and their effects, particularly to the lives of the people will be identified,
and the problems they face will also be examined thoroughly.

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 6
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

Television Sets, Mobile Phones, Computers, and Humanity

A number of technological devices can be easily found inside the home, the most
accessible place to anyone. Having said that, it can also be easily inferred that these
technological devices are some of the most popular and most commonly used types of
devices across all age groups. Almost all households, if not all, own these types of
devices. To be more specific, these "celebrities" in the field of technology are
television sets, mobile phones, and computers. People all over the world use these
technologies every day to accomplish different purposes.

First, according to Kantar Media, one of the most trusted television audience
measurement providers, in the Philippines, 92 percent of urban homes and 70 percent
of rural homes own at least one television set. It is for this reason why television
remains to be the ultimate medium for advertisement placements (The Manila Times,
2014). This survey simply shows that almost all Filipinos use this particular type of
device. In fact, Filipinos are believed to have this big fascination for television. Most of
the time, they watch television during their free time or any time of the day when they
have nothing important to do. In addition to this, Kantar Media also reported that in the
Philippines, the current count of households with television set already reached
15.135 million (Noda, 2012). This number signifies something, that is, television plays
a great role in the lives of the people or in this case, the Filipinos.

Television was a product of different experiments by people. Paul Gotlieb Nipkow, a

German student, in the late 1800’s was successful in his attempt to send images
through wires with the aid of a rotating metal disk. This invention was then called the
"electric telescope” that had 18 lines of resolution, After some time, in 1907, two
inventors, Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton who was an English scientist and Boris
Rosing who was a Russian scientist, created a new system of television by using the
cathode ray tube in addition to the mechanical scanner system.
This success story gave rise to two types of television systems, namely, mechanical
and electronic television (Jezek, n.d.). These experiments inspired other scientists to
improve the previous inventions, which led to the modern television people now have.
However, it is important t0 remember that several scientists and several experiments
were performed first before finally achieving the modern television at present.

Second, Filipinos love to use their mobile phones anywhere, anytime. They use it for
different purposes other than for communication. More than half of the Filipino
population own at least one mobile phone regardless of type. In 2010, global research
agency Synovate conducted a survey and declared 67 percent product ownership in
the country. In fact, it was also claimed that mobile phones are considered a must-
have among young Filipinos (ABS-CBN News, 2010). To prove that Filipinos really
love to use their mobile phones, the Ipsos Media Atlas Philippines Nationwide Urban
2011-2012 survey results showed that one in every three Filipinos cannot live without
a mobile phone. In other words, 30 percent of the Philippine urban population
nationwide said that mobile phones are necessities in life (Roa, 2012). Philippine
streets are full of people using their mobile phones. Not only this, there are some
Filipinos who even own more than one mobile phone.

Mobile phones have a very interesting background story. On April 3, 1973, Martin
Cooper, a senior engineer at Motorola, made the world's first mobile phone call. He
called their Ival telecommunications company and properly informed them that he was
making the call from a mobile phone. The mobile phone used by Cooper weighed 1.1
kilograms and measured 228.6 x 127 x 44.4 mm. This kind of device was capable of a
30-minute talk time. However, it took 10 hours to charge. In 1983, Motorola made their
first commercial mobile phone available to the public. It was known as the Motorola
DynaTAC 8000X (Goodwin, 2016).

Lastly, computers and laptops have also become part of many of the Filipino
households. There are some Filipino families who own more than one computer or
laptop while some own at least one computer or laptop. However, the number of
computers or laptops sold per year may not be as high as the number of mobile
phones and television sets. This is because of the relatively higher cost of computers

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 7
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

and laptops. While it is true that almost all Filipino families own at least one television
set and a mobile phone, it is not possible for all Filipino families to own at least one
computer or laptop. In fact, most of the profits gained by computer and laptop
manufacturers come from offices, businesses, or schools where such devices have
become part of their necessities.

In 2010, 3.6 trillion was the estimated total value output of all manufacturing
establishments. Semi-conductor devices and other electronic components took more
than half of the total value output of all manufacturing establishments. To be more
specific, 5.4 percent of the total value output came from computers and peripheral
equipment and accessories (PSA, 2013). In line with the growing number of computer
and laptop sales, there has also been a growing number of Internet users in the
Philippines. Although there have been problems regarding the Internet providers, this
never hindered Filipinos from continuously using the Internet.

Just like television sets and mobile phones, computers and laptops also have a long
background history of trial and error. It was Charles Babbage, a nineteenth-century
English Mathematics professor, who designed the Analytical Engine which was used
as the basic framework of the computers even until the present time. In general,
computers can be classified into three generations. Each generation of the computer
was used for a certain period of time and each gave people a new and improved
version of the previous one (Steitz, n.d.).

Laptops have been available to the public for even less time than personal computers.
Before, the first design of computer was so big that it could occupy whole floors of
buildings. It was not long before people started dreaming that they could bring their
devices to any place they wished. They hoped that someday it would be possible for
these devices to be portable. It was believed that the transition from a personal
computer to a laptop was only a matter of design, an improvement and a little
deviation from the standard design of a personal computer. The first true portable
computer was released in April 1981. It was called the Osborne 1 (Orfan0,
2011). From that moment on, the evolution of laptops continued until the present time
where various designs and models are already available.

A typical household owns at least four of the following devices: a mobile phone (89%),
smartphone (53%), tablet (14%), desktop (39%), laptop or netbooks (37%), and smart
TV (4%) (Philstar, 2013). These data prove the deep-seated fascination of Filipinos to
different technological devices.

Here are some facts about Filipinos and their use of gadgets and the Internet
(Rappler, n.d.):
• Mobile phone subscription is at 119 million.
• Filipinos spend approximately 3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 hours on desktop
daily.
• Currently, the Philippines has one of the highest digital populations in the
world.
• There are now 47 million active Facebook accounts in the Philippines.
• The Philippines is the fastest-growing application market in Southeast Asia.

Roles Played by These Technological Advancements

Television sets, mobile phones, and computers or laptops all have different functions
and roles played in the lives of the people, although some may be a little similar.
These roles have become so essential that people, more specifically Filipinos,
developed a strong inclination toward technology and its products.

For instance, television is mainly used as a platform for advertisements and

information dissemination. In fact, television remains to be the most used avenue by
different advertising companies not only in the Philippines but also all over the world.
Various advertising companies trust that television is still one of the most used
technological devices up until today.
However, it is important to note that these are just some of the roles played by

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 8
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

television. Aside from the ones mentioned above, it also serves as a recreational
activity and good stress reliever to most families, specifically to Filipino families.
Television also is a good platform for different propagandas and advocacies. Lastly, it
can also be a good way to bond with one's family members.
Mobile phones, on the other hand, also have their own roles in the lives of the people.
They are primarily used for communication. Mobile phones offer services like texting
and calling. In the past, these were the only functions of the mobile phone but as
technology progressed, there have been many additional features included on mobile
phones. For example, in the present, people use their mobile phones to surf the
Internet and to take pictures more than to text or to call people. This is the reason why
more and more people all over the world prefer to buy smartphones over the old
models where such features are not available. Other applications include music
player, calendar, radio, television, and photo editor, among others. These are just
some of the additional features of mobiles phones in the present. These make this
particular technological device very appealing to the masses. It is like an all-in-one
device. In addition, it is very portable and convenient because it can fit into any space,
may it be inside the pocket or bag.

Personal computers and laptops also have useful set of functions and roles. Although
most of the functions found in these technological devices are now also available in
mobile phones, they still offer their own unique features that make them attractive. For
example, personal computers and laptops can be used to surf the Internet and
communicate. Just like the mobile phones, these devices also have features like
calendar, calculator, music player, movie player, camera, and many more. However,
for a lot of people, they prefer to do their job using ether a personal computer or a
laptop than a mobile phone. One reason is that a personal computer or a laptop has
wide keyboard than using a mobile phone, especially when the mobile phone has a
small screen. Contrary to mobile phones, personal computers and laptops have wide
screens and separate keyboard, although some mobile phones can now be connected
to a keyboard. Another reason is that the availability of a mouse or a touchpad made
these two technological devices easier to maneuver than mobile phones. Lastly, for
the youth and those who love to play different computer games, personal computers
or laptops are really the better choice because these allow them to play with comfort
and convenience. However, it cannot be denied that some would even prefer laptops
over personal computers for the simple reason that personal computers are not
portable and there are times when they need to bring such devices to different places.

Ethical Dilemma Faced by These Technological Advancements

While it is true that these technological devices are useful and beneficial, the fact
remains that there are several dilemmas faced by these "necessities." First, most
parents would argue that these devices make their children lazy and unhealthy. This is
because of the fact that people who are fixated on these technological advancements
start and end their day by using such devices. They have a great tendency to sit and
chill all day long without doing anything productive in their homes, thus making them
unhealthy because they do not just skip meals sometimes but also lack exercise or
any bodily movements. Here, it can be inferred that these types of people are already
overly dependent on these technological devices. For example, those who love to
watch television shows stay in front of the television for more than six hours a day
while those who love to surf the Internet or play computer games stay on their laptops,
computers, or mobile phones for more than half a day. These people have the
tendency to be unaware of the time because they are so engrossed with the use of
technological device. In fact, if they get disturbed, there is a great chance that they will
get mad or annoyed. Moreover, these are the same people who are more likely to
experience alienation because they no longer take time to get out of their houses and
mingle with other people.

Another dilemma faced by these technological devices is the moral dilemma. People,
especially the children who are not capable yet of rationally deciding for themselves
what is right or wrong, are freely expose to different things on television, mobiles
phones, laptops, or computers. Because of the availability and easy access to the
Internet, they can just easily search the web and go to different websites without

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 9
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

restrictions. This allows them to see, read, or hear things which are not suitable for
their very young age. This makes them very vulnerable to character change and can
greatly affect the way they view the world and the things around them.

On the first dilemma, it is really concerning to know that there are people who develop
different kinds of sickness because of too much use of technological devices. Not only
this, it also causes them to become reclusive, alienating themselves from other
people. Although some would argue that technology brings people together, it can
also be argued that this is not always the case in the real world because it may bring
them virtually closer but not physically or personally. In fact, there are people who are
friends, for example, only on social media but not in real life. This just shows that there
are things that technology claims to do but in reality, does not. It is for these reasons
why there are people who call for the establishment of ethics of technology. This
subcategory of ethics will in one way or another guide people on how technology
ought to be used in order to prevent abuse and other unfortunate results.

Digging deeper, it can be said that these reasons make such devices somewhat
unethical because they bring undesirable consequences to people. However, it can
also be argued that it is not the fault of the technological devices but the agents using
them or the ones making them.
The classic deontological and teleological approaches to ethics are already too old to
be applied in such cases. This is because technology has become very complicated
and dynamic over time. Having said this, it is true that there are problems that can no
longer be addressed by using these theories only. This is why the ethics of
responsibility is an appropriate theory that can be used in these dilemmas.

The word "responsibility" in the sense of being accountable for and accountable to is
very appropriate to the ethics of technology because it makes each and every person
in the scientific-technological development a proxy with reference to one another. In
other words, each person must indicate the priorities, values, norms, and principles
that constitute the grounds for one's actions and define one's contribution to the
scientific technological event. The ethics of responsibility focuses on the positive
rather than the negative. Instead of asking "What ought not to be allowed?” ask “What
ought to be allowed? To put it in another way, people who are part of the scientific
development ought to let the public know the good in their respective technological
contribution/s. In this way, the people will have an idea how the devices ought to be
used in order to maximize their positive results.
However, it is also important for the people in the scientific world to inform the masses
of the dangers of their contribution/s to the world of technology. In this way, the people
will be sufficiently aware of what to do and what not to do. In addition to this, the
agents using the devices should also be accountable to and accountable for their use
of their gadgets.

Going back to the first dilemma, it can be said that the agents using the devices are
the ones to be blamed for the undesirable consequences, namely, laziness and
unhealthiness. However, it is the assumption that the people in the scientific-
technological world have properly informed the public of the positive tenor of their
action in technology and the possible dangers of the misuse of their technological
contribution. Thus, the undesirable consequences are brought about by the misuse of
the agent. Now, talking about alienation, it can be concluded that the people in the
scientific-technological world are blameworthy because they tell the people something
that seems positive but when examined closely, brings more bad than good.

On the second dilemma, the people in the scientific world nor the children are
blameworthy because first, the children are not yet capable of rationally deciding for
themselves what is good and what is bad. Second, even if creators of these
technologies went out of their way to inform children of the pros and cons of these
technological contributions, it would still be useless because the children have no
capacity to understand them yet. So in this dilemma, the ones to be blamed are the
adults who allowed the children to have access to such devices in the first place
without any supervision. It is the recklessness and overconfidence of the adults that
cause the character change in children.

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 10
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

Robotics and Humanity

Another great product of the innovative

minds of the people is the robot. Robots
are now widely used. For example, there
are the so-called service robots. These
particular robots do specific tasks but focus
mainly in assisting their masters in their
everyday tasks. The International
Federation of Robotics (IFR) and United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE) made it their task to formulate a
working definition for service robots.

A preliminary extract of the relevant

definition is (IFR, 2012):
• A robot is an actuated mechanism programmable in two or more axes with a
degree of autonomy, moving within its environment, to perform intended tasks.
Autonomy in this context means the ability to perform intended tasks based on
current state and sensing without human intervention.
• A service robot is a robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment
excluding industrial automation application. Note: A robot may be classified
according to its intended application as an industrial robot or a service robot.
• A personal service robot or a service robot for personal use is a service robot
used for a noncommercial task, usually by laypersons. Examples are domestic
servant robot, automated wheelchair, personal mobility assist robot, and pet
exercising robot.
• A professional service robot or a service robot for professional use is a service
robot used for a commercial task, usually operated by a properly trained
operator. Examples are cleaning robot for public places, delivery robot in
offices or hospitals, fire-fighting robot, rehabilitation robot, and surgery robot in
hospitals. In this context, an operator is a person designated to start, monitor,
and stop the intended operation of a robot or a robot system.

Germany was one of the first countries to develop service robots. As part of the
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research's "Service Robotics Innovation
Lead Initiative," it sponsored a collaborative project called DESIRE (Deutsche
Servicerobotik Initiative-Germany Service Robotics Initiative) which was launched on
October 1, 2005. DESIRE has
the following individual objectives (DESIRE, 2009):

• To achieve a technological edge toward attaining key functions and

components that are suited for everyday use
• To create a reference architecture for mobile manipulation
• To promote the convergence of technologies through integration into a
common technology platform
• To conduct pre-competition research and development activities for new
products and technology transfer in start-up enterprises in the field of service
robotics

Some of the expected work to be performed by DESIRE are the following: (1) "Clear
up the kitchen table" all objects on top of the kitchen table will be moved to where they
belong: 2) "Fill the dishwasher" -the dirty dishes will be sorted correctly into the
dishwasher; and (3) "Clear up this room all objects that are not in their proper places
will be moved to where they belong (Mock, n.d.).

The earliest conception of robots can be traced around 3000 B.C. from the Egyptians.
Their water clocks used human figurines to strike the hour bells. This mechanical
device was built to carry out a specific physical task regularly. From that time on,
different machines were already built that displayed the same mechanism and
characteristics as the robots in the present. For example, there was a wooden pigeon

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 11
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

that could fly, a talking doll, steam-powered robots, and hydraulically-operated statues
that could speak and gesture. However, the earliest robots as people know them were
created in the early 1950s by George Devol. "Unimate" was his first invention from the
words "Universal Automation. Unimate, several robots were also invented which were
better versions of his the previous ones (Stanford, n.d.). Ever since, people never
stopped their quest in the field of robotics.

Roles Played by Robotics

Robots play different roles not only in the lives of the people but also in the society as
a whole. They are primarily used to ease the workload of mankind. They were
invented to make life more efficient and less stressful. On one hand, they perform
complicated activities which human beings are incapable of doing. On the other hand,
they perform the simplest tasks at home so that their masters can perform the
complex ones without stressing themselves over the simple tasks. There are also
robots which are made for pleasure. To be more specific, these types of robots
perform activities to entertain people. They can usually be found in amusement parks
or exhibits. In addition, there are also some robots which were made to serve as toys.
They also perform different activities but they are usually child-friendly. Other
examples of robots are those which can be seen in movies. One of the reasons why
robots are very famous is because of movies. A number of local and national movies
were inspired by robots. This goes to show that people have developed a distinct
fascination over robots.

Just like people living in the society, robots also have their own set of rules and
characteristics that define what a good robot is. These laws were formulated by Isaac
Asimov back in the 1940s, when he was thinking of the ethical consequences of
robots. These are the following (Stanford, n.d.)

Law One:

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to
come to harm.

Law Two:

A robot must obey the orders given by human beings except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law.

Law Three:

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict
with the First or Second Law.

Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Robotics

Just like any other technological advancements, robotics also faces different problems
and dilemmas. Although the idea is to help people and make their lives a lot easier
than before, it is still not immune to different ethical dilemmas and possible
undesirable outcomes. One of the dilemmas faced by robots is safety. Who should be
held accountable if someone's safety is compromised by a robot? Who should be
blamed, the robot, the agent using the robot, or the maker/inventor of the robot? It is
important to know who should be blamed and who should be held responsible if such
thing happens.

Another ethical dilemma faced by robots is the emotional component. This may seem
a little absurd as of the moment, but looking at how fast technology progresses
nowadays, it is not completely impossible for robots to develop emotions (Evans,
2007).

So here, the questions become, "What if robots become sentient? Should they be
granted robot rights? Should they have their own set of rights to be upheld, respected,

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 12
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

and protected by humans?" It is interesting to know how people would react if the time
comes when robots can already feel pain and pleasure. Would they act differently or
not at all?

In the field of robotics, there are the so-called partial autonomy and full autonomy.
Partial autonomy includes active human-robot interaction while full autonomy excludes
active human-robot interaction. In other words, a robot with full autonomy can perform
actions or activities even without a master telling it what should be done or what
should be performed next (IFR, 2012).

Using Asimov's laws for robots, it can be concluded that robots are ethical but only if
they strictly follow the laws specified. They are ethical mostly because the laws
formulated by Asimov ensure the safety of not only the users of the technology but
also the people around him. Remember that these service robots are already
available to the public; thus, they can already be found inside the homes. Having said
that, the safety of not only the owner of the technology but also all the inside the
house should be the priority more than anything else. In other words, the service
robots only follow what their masters tell them to do with great consideration to the
laws formulated by Asimov. However, the agent using the technology misuses the
robot to achieve personal agendas, then without a doubt, the agent should be held
accountable for any consequences it may bring. It is important to note that this is
under the assumption that the robot strictly followed the laws specified without any
form of deviation.

If the problems arise when the robot deviates from the laws specified, then the maker
or the inventor of the machine should be blameworthy. It just means that the robot was
not programmed very well because it violated the laws. Other problems may arise
when the machine develops the ability to think for itself. In this case, the one that
should be blame can both be the maker or inventor and the robot itself. This is
because, in the first place, the maker gave the robot the capacity to think for itself so
he should be very much aware of its possible consequences. To put it in another way,
the maker programmed the robot in such a way that it can already think for itself even
without an active participation from a human being. In addition, since the robot thinks
for itself, whatever decision it makes and whatever consequence it may bring, the
robot itself should be held responsible.

For the second dilemma, it is just right for the robots to be given their own set of rights
should they develop the ability to feel different kinds of emotion. It can be argued that
the same thing happened with animals. Before, animals did not have their own set of
rights because people believed that they were not capable of having emotions.
However after years of testing and experimenting, it was concluded that animals are
indeed capable of emotions. It is for this reason that people decided to give them
rights that are due to them. The same should be done to robots without any
reservations. Should that time come, they ought to be treated differently and they
ought to have new laws to follow in order to accommodate the new characteristic they
have developed.
Enrichment Learning Task 1: My Technology Timeline
Activities Objective: To identify technological advancements and trace their development.
Instructions:
1. Choose one technology discussed in the lesson (television, mobile phone,
computer/laptop, or robot).
2. Create a personal timeline chart (digital or on paper) that shows:
o Its origin/inventor
o Major developments or improvements
o Its present-day form and uses in society
3. Write a short reflection (5–7 sentences) on how this technology has affected
your own life.

Learning Task 2: Technology and Humanity Reflection Essay

Objective: To analyze the interplay between technology and humanity through
dilemmas.
Instructions:

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 13
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

1. Pick one technological dilemma discussed (e.g., technology making people

unhealthy, children’s exposure to harmful content, robots developing
emotions).
2. Write a 1–2 page essay that answers the following:
o What is the dilemma about?
o How does it affect people in society?
o What is your stand—do the benefits outweigh the risks, or vice versa?
Why?
3. Support your stand with at least one real-life example.

Learning Task 3. Group Activity: Short Film on Technological Dilemmas

Instructions:
1. Students will be divided into 5 groups.
2. Each group will create a 5–10 minute short film (narrative, documentary-
style, or hybrid) that portrays a technological dilemma and its impact on
society.
3. The film must:
o Show the role of the technology in people’s lives.
o Present both positive and negative effects.
o End with the group’s stand/advocacy on the issue.
4. After the film screening, each group will lead a 5-minute discussion/Q&A
with the class.

Assigned Group Topics

Group 1: Robots and Emotions – Blessing or Curse?
• Explore the rise of humanoid robots capable of emotions.
• Dilemma: Will they enhance human connection or replace genuine
relationships?
Group 2: Information Overload – Is Google Making Us Shallow Thinkers?
• Explore how search engines affect critical thinking and learning.
• Dilemma: Convenience vs. intellectual laziness.
Group 3: Tech Addiction in the Filipino Context
• Showcase how gadgets, gaming, and social media shape daily Filipino life.
• Dilemma: Connection vs. disconnection from reality.
Group 4: AI in Education – Tool or Threat?
• Explore the use of AI (like ChatGPT) in classrooms.
• Dilemma: Innovation vs. academic dishonesty/loss of critical thinking.
Group 5: Surveillance Technology and Privacy (newly suggested)
• Explore CCTV, facial recognition, and data tracking.
• Dilemma: Safety and security vs. invasion of privacy.

Comprehension Fill in the blanks.

Check
1. The word technology came from the Greek words techne and logos which means
_______ and _______, respectively.
2. In the late 1800s, Paul Gottlieb Nipkow made a successful attempt of sending
images through wires with the aid of a rotating metal disk. This invention was then
called the _______.
3. Various advertising companies trust that _______ is still one of the most used
technological devices up until today.
4. A robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding industrial
automation application is called _______.
5. A robot used for a non-commercial task, usually by laypersons is called _______.

ABS-CBN News. (2010).Young Pinoys Inseparable From Cellphones: Survey.”

Accessed February 3, 2017. http://news. abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/08/12/10/young-
pinoys-inseparable-
Buchanan, R. A. (2010). "History of Technology." Accessed Februaly S,
2017. https://www.britannica.com/technology/history-0l technology.
Evans, D. (2007). "The Ethical Dilemmas of Robotics Accessed February 6,
2017. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6432307.st

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 14
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

Lesson 6 The Information Age

Competencies 1. Define Information Age;
2. Discuss the history of Information Age; and
3. Explain the factors that need to be considered in checking website sources.

Discussion Highly modernized, automated, data-driven, and technologically advanced-these best

describe our society nowadays, as evidenced by how information could be transferred
or shared quickly. The different areas of society have been influenced tremendously
such as communication, economics, industry, health, and the environment. Despite
our gains due to the growing development of information technology, the rapid
upgrade of information also has disadvantages. This lesson will discuss the history
and impact of technological advancements to society.

Life is accompanied by endless transmission of information that takes place within and
outside the human body. According to Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary,
information is “knowledge communicated or obtained concerning a specific fact or
circumstance." Hence, information is a very important tool for survival.

The Information Age is defined as a period starting in the last quarter of the 20th
century when information became effortlessly accessible through publications and
through the management of information by computers and computer networks"
(Vocabulary.com, n.d.). The means of conveying symbolic information (e.g., writing,
math, other codes) among humans has evolved with increasing speed. The
Information Age is also called the Digital Age and the New Media Age because it was
associated with the development of computers.

According to James R. Messenger who proposed the Theory of Information Age in

1982, "the Information Age is a true new age based upon the interconnection of
computers via telecommunications, with these information systems operating on both
a real-time and as-needed basis. Furthermore, the primary factors driving this new
age forward are convenience and user-friendliness which, in turn, will create u
dependence."

History

The table below traces the history and emergence of the Information
Age (United States American History, n.d.).

Table 1. Timeline of the Information Age

Year Event
3000 BC Sumerian writing system used pictographs to represent
Words
2900 BC Beginnings of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing
1300 BC Tortoise shell and oracle bone writing were used
500 BC Papyrus roll was used
220 BC Chinese small seal writing was developed
100 AD Book (parchment codex)
105 AD Woodblock printing and paper was invented by the Chinese
1455 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press using
movable metal type
1755 Samuel Johnson's dictionary standardized English spelling
1802 • The Library of Congress was established
• Invention of the carbon arc lamp
1824 Research on persistence of vision published
1830s • First viable design for a digital computer
• Augusta Lady Byron writes the world's first computer
program
1837 Invention of the telegraph in Great Britain and the United
States
1861 Motion pictures were projected onto a screen
1876 Dewey Decimal system was introduced

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 15
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

1877 Eadweard Muybridge demonstrated high-speed

Photography
1899 First magnetic recordings were released
1902 Motion picture special effects were used
1906 Lee DeForest invented the electronic amplifying tube
(triode)
1923 Television camera tube was invented by Zvorkyn
1926 First practical sound movie
1939 Regularly scheduled television broadcasting began in the
US
1940s Beginnings of information science as a discipline
1945 Vannevar Bush foresaw the invention of hypertext
1946 ENIAC computer was developed
1948 Birth of field-of-information theory proposed by Claude E.
Shannon
1957 Planar transistor was developed by Jean Hoerni
1958 First integrated circuit
1960s Library of Congress developed LC MARC (machine-
readable code)
1969 UNIX operating system was developed, which could handle
multitasking
1971 Intel introduced the first microprocessor chip
1972 Optical laserdisc was developed by Philips and MCA
1974 MCA and Philips agreed on a standard videodisc encoding
format
1975 Altair Microcomputer Kit was released: first personal
computer for the public
1977 RadioShack introduced the first complete personal
computer
1984 Apple Macintosh computer was introduced
Mid 1980s Artificial intelligence was separated from information science
1987 Hypercard was developed by Bill Atkinson recipe box
Metaphor
1991 Four hundred fifty complete works of literature on one CD-ROM
was released
January 1997 RSA (encryption and network security software) Internet security
code cracked for a 48-bit number

Figure
1.
Evolution of Man and Information

As man evolved, information and its dissemination has also evolved in many ways.
Eventually, we no longer kept them to ourselves; instead, we share them and manage
them in different means. Information got ahead of us. It started to grow at a rate we
were unprepared to handle. Because of the abundance of information, it was difficult
to collect and manage them starting in the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1980s, real
angst set in. Richard Wurman called it “Information Anxiety." In the 1990s, information
became the currency in the business world. Information was the preferred medium of

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 16
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

exchange and the information managers served as information officers. In the present
generation, there is no doubt that information has turned out to be a commodity, an
overdeveloped product, mass-produced, and unspecialized. Soon, we become
overloaded with it.

Different authors have diverse, contrasting ideas on the evolution of the Information
Age. In spite of this, we can still say that information is a very important tool that helps
improve our way of life. One thing is for sure, the Information Age will continue to
move forward and far greater than our minds could imagine.

In his article "Truths of the Information Age" (n.d.), Robert Harris detailed some facts
on the Information Age.

1. Information must compete. There is a need for information to stand out and be
recognized in the increasing clutter.
2. Newer is equated with truer. We forgot the truth that any fact or value can
endure.
3. Selection is a viewpoint. Choose multiple sources for your information if you
want to receive a more balanced view of reality.
4. The media sells what the culture buys. In other words, information is driven by
cultural priorities.
5. The early word gets the perm. The first media channel to expose an issue
often defines the context, terms, and attitudes surrounding it.
6. You are what you eat and so is your brain. Do not draw conclusions unless all
ideas and information are presented to you.
7. Anything in great demand will be counterfeited. The demand for incredible
knowledge, scandals, and secrets is ever-present hence, many events are
fabricated by tabloids, publicists, or other agents of information fraud.
8. Ideas are seen as controversial. It is almost certainly impossible to make any
assertion that will not find some supporters and some detractors.
9. Undead information walks ever on. Rumors, lies, disinformation, and gossips
never truly die down. They persist and continue to circulate.
10. Media presence creates the story. People behave much differently from the
way they would if being filmed when the media are present, especially film
news or television media.
11. The medium selects the message. Television is mainly pictorial, partially aural,
and slightly textual, so visual stories are emphasized: fires, chases, and
disasters.
12. The whole truth is a pursuit. The information that reaches us is usually
selected, verbally charged, filtered, slanted, and sometimes, fabricated. What
is neglected is often even more important than what is included.

Computer

Computers are among the most important contributions of advances in the Information
Age to society. A computer is an electronic device that stores and processes data
(information). It runs on a program that contains the exact, step-by-step directions to
solve a problem (UShistory. org, 2017).

Types of Computer

Computers are associated with numerous terms and

descriptions. Most people suggest the dimensions,
intended use, or the computer's power. While the
term "computer can apply to virtually any device that
has a microprocessor in it, most people think of a
computer as a device that receives input from the
user through a mouse (hand-guided directions tool)
or keyboard, processes it in some fashion, and
presents the result on a screen.

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 17
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

1. Personal Computer (PC)

It is a single-user instrument. PCs were first known as microcomputers since they

were a complete computer but built on a smaller scale than the enormous systems
operated by most businesses.

2. Desktop Computer

It is described as a PC that is not designed for

portability. The assumption with a desktop is
that it will be set up in a permanent spot. A
workstation is simply a desktop computer that
has a more powerful processor, additional memory, and enhanced capabilities for
performing special group of tasks, such as 3D graphics or game development. Most
desktops offer more storage, power, and versatility than their portable versions
(UShistory.org, 2017).

3. Laptops

These are portable computers that integrate the

essentials of a desktop computer in a battery-
powered package, which are somewhat larger
than a typical hardcover book. They are
commonly called notebooks.

4. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)

These are tightly

integrated computers that usually have no keyboards but rely
on a touch screen for user input. PDAs are typically smaller
than a paperback, lightweight, and battery- powered
(UShistory.org, 2017).

5. Server

It refers to a computer that has been improved to provide

network services to other computers. Servers usually boast
powerful processors, tons of memory, and large hard drives
(UShistory.org, 2017).

6. Mainframes

These are huge computer systems that

can fill an entire room. They are used
especially by large firms to describe the
large, expensive machines that process
millions of transactions every day. The
term "mainframe has been replaced by
enterprise server. Although some
supercomputers are single computer
systems, most comprise multiple, high-
performance, parallel computers
working as a single system

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 18
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

(UShistory.org, 2017).

7. Wearable Computers

They involve materials that are

usually integrated into cellphones,
watches, and other small objects or
places. They perform common
computer applications such as
databases, email, multimedia, and
schedulers (UShistory.org, 201/).

The World Wide Web (Internet)

Several historians trace the origin of the Internet to Claude E. Shannon, an American
Mathematician who was considered as the "Father of Information Theory." He worked
at Bell Laboratories and at age 32, he published a paper proposing that information
can be quantitatively encoded as a sequence of ones and zeroes.

The Internet is a worldwide system of interconnected networks that facilitate data

transmission among innumerable computers. It was developed during the 1970s by
the Department of Defense. In case of an attack, military advisers suggested the
advantage of being able to operate on one computer from another terminal. In the
early days, the Internet was used mainly by scientists to communicate with other
scientists. The Internet remained under government control until 1984 (Rouse, 2014).

One early problem faced by Internet users was speed. Phone lines could only transmit
information at a limited rate. The development of fiber-optic cables allowed for billions
of bits of information to be received every minute. Companies like Intel developed
faster microprocessors so personal computers could process the incoming signals at a
more rapid rate (UShistory.org, 2017).

Sergey Brin and Larry Page, directors of a Stanford research project, built a search
engine that listed results to reflect page popularity when they determined that the most
popular result would frequently be the most usable. After talking With family, friends,
and other investors into contributing $1 million, the researchers launched their
company in 1998. Google is now the world's most popular search engine, accepting
more than 200 million queries daily.

Back then, new forms or communication were also introduced, workers, business
partners, or friends. Messages could be sent and received at the convenience of the
individual. A letter that took several days to arrive could be read in minutes. Internet
service providers like America Online and CompuServe set up electronic chat rooms.
These were open areas of cyberspace where interested parties could join in a
conversation with perfect strangers. "Surfing the net" became a pastime in and of itself
(UShistory.org, 2017).

Consequently, companies whose businesses are built on digitized information have

become valuable and powerful in a relatively short period of time; the current
Information Age has spawned its own breed of wealthy influential brokers, from
Microsoft's Bill Gates to Apple's Steve Jobs to Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.

Critics charged that the Internet created a technological divide that increased the gap
between the members of the higher class and lower class of society. Those who could
not afford a computer or a monthly access fee were denied from these possibilities.
Many decried the impersonal nature of electronic communication compared to a

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 19
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

telephone call or a handwritten letter.

On one hand, the unregulated and loose nature of the Internet allowed pornography to
be broadcast to millions of homes. Protecting children from these influences or even
from meeting violent predators would prove to be difficult. Nowadays, crimes in
various forms are rampant because of the use of social media. Cyber bullying is an
issue that poses alarm worldwide. Consequently, we need to be aware of the possible
harm and damage due to abuse of these advances in the Information Age.

Applications of Computers in Science and Research

One of the significant applications of computers for science and research is evident in
the field of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is the application of information technology to
store, organize, and analyze vast amount of biological data which is available in the
form of sequences and structures of proteins-the building blocks of organisms and
nucleic acids-the information carrier (Madan, n.d.).

Early interest in bioinformatics was established because of a need to create

databases of biological sequences. The human brain cannot store all the genetic
sequences of organisms and this huge amount of data can only be stored, analyzed,
and be used efficiently with the use of computers.

While the initial databases of protein sequences were maintained at individual

laboratories, the development of a consolidated formal database, known as SWISS-
PROT protein sequence database, was initiated in 1986. It now has about 70,000
protein sequences from more than 5000 model organisms, a small fraction of all
known organisms. The enormous variety of divergent data resources is now available
for study and research by both academic institutions and industries. These are made
available as public domain information in the larger interest of research community
through the Internet (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) and CD-ROMs (on request no
www.resb.org). These databases are constantly updated with additional entries
(Madan, n.d.).

Computers and software tools are widely used for generating these databases and to
identify the function of proteins, model the structure or proteins, determine the coding
(useful) regions of nucleic acid sequences find suitable drug compounds from a large
pool, and optimize the drug development process by predicting possible targets. Some
of the software tools which are handy in the analysis include: BLAST (used for
comparing sequences); Annotator (an interactive genome analysis tool); and Gene
Finder (tool to identify coding regions and splice sites) (Madan, n.d.).

The sequence information generated by the human genome research, initiated in

1988, and has now been stored as a primary information source for future applications
in medicine. The available data is so huge that if compiled in books, the data would
run into 200 volumes of 1,000 pages each and reading alone (ignoring understanding
factor) would require 26 years working around the clock. For a population of about five
billion human beings with two individuals differing in three million bases, the genomic
sequence difference database would have about 15,000,000 billion entries. The
present challenge to handle such huge volume of data is to improve database design,
develop software for database access, and manipulation and device data-entry
procedures to compensate for the varied computer procedures and systems used in
different laboratories. The much-celebrated complete human genome sequence which
was formally announced on the 26th or June 2000 involved more than 500 x 1018
(500 million trillion) calculations during the process of assembling the sequences
alone. This can be considered as the biggest exercise in
The history of computational biology (Madan, n.d.).

Moreover, from the pharmaceutical industry's point of view, bioinformatics is the key to
rational drug discovery. It reduces the number of trials in the screening of drug
compounds and in identifying potential drug targets for a particular disease using high-
power computing workstations and software like Insight. This profound application of
bioinformatics in genome sequence has led to a new area in pharmacology-

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 20
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

Pharmacogenomics, where potential targets for drug development are hypothesized

from the genome sequences. Molecular modeling, which requires a lot of calculations,
has become faster due to the advances in computer processors and its architecture
(Madan, n.d.). In plant biotechnology, bioinformatics is found to be useful in the areas
of identifying diseases resistance genes and designing plants with high nutrition value
(Madan, n.d.).

How to Check the Reliability of Web Sources

The Internet contains a vast collection of highly valuable information but it may also
contain unreliable, biased information that mislead people. The following guidelines
can help us check the reliability of web sources that we gather. It is noteworthy to
consider and apply the following guidelines to avoid misinformation. (Lee College
Library, n.d.)

1. Who is the author of the article/site?

• How to find out?

Look for an "About" or "More About the Author" link at the top, bottom, or sidebar of
the webpage. Some pages will have a corporate author rather than a single person as
an author. If no information about the author(s) of the page is provided, be suspicious.

✓ Does the author provide his or her credentials?

✓ What type of expertise does he or she have on the subject he or she is writing
about? Does he or she indicate what his or her education is?
✓ What type of experience does he or she have? Should you trust his or her
knowledge of the subject?

Try searching on the Internet for information about the author.

✓ What kinds of websites are associated with the author's name? Is he or she
affiliated with any educational institution?
✓ Do commercial sites come up? Do the websites associated with the author
give you any clues to particular biases the author might have?

2. Who published the site?

• How to find out?

✓ Look at the domain name of the website that will tell you who is hosting the
site. For instance, the Lee College Library website is:
http://www.lee.edu/library. The domain name is "lee.edu." This tells you that
the library website is hosted by Lee College.
✓ Search the domain name at http://www.whois.sc/. The site provides
information about the owners of registered domain names. What is the
organization's main purpose? Check the organization's main website, if it has
one. Is it educational? Commercial? Is it a reputable organization?
✓ Do not ignore the suffix on the domain name (the three-letter part that comes
after the"). The suffix is usually (but not always) descriptive of what type of
entity hosts the website. Keep in mind that it is possible for sites to obtain
suffixes that are misleading. Here are some examples:
.edu = educational
.com = commercial
.mil = military
.gov = government
.org = nonprofit

3. What is the main purpose of the site? Why did the author write it and why did the
publisher post it?
• To sell a product?
• As a personal hobby?
• As public service?
• To further scholarship on a topic?

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 21
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

• To provide general information on a topic?

• To persuade you of a particular point of view?

4. Who is the intended audience?

• Scholars or the general public?
• Which age group is it written for?
• Is it aimed at people from a particular geographic area?
• Is it aimed at members of a particular profession or with specific training?

5. What is the quality of information provided on the website?

• Timeliness: When was the website first published? Is it regularly updated?
Check for dates at the bottom of each page on the site.
• Does the author cite sources? Just as in print sources, web sources that cite
their sources are considered more reliable
• What type of other sites does the website link to? Are they reputable sites?
• What types of sites link to the website you are evaluating? Is the website being
cited by others?

Examples of Useful and Reliable Web Sources

1. AFA e-Newsletter (Alzheimer’s Foundation of America newsletter)
2. American Memory the Library of Congress historical digital collection.
3. Bartleby.com Great Books Online - a collection of free e-books including
fictions, nonfictions, references, and verses.
4. Chronicling America - search and view pages from American newspapers from
1880-1922.
5. Cyber Bullying a free collection of e-books from ebrary plus additional reports
and documents to help better understand, prevent and take action against this
growing concern.
6. Drug information websites:
• National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus
• Drugs.com
• PDRhealth
7. Global Gateway: World Culture & Resources (from the Library of Congress)
8. Google Books
9. Googlescholar.com
10. History sites with primary documents:
• AMDOCS: Documents for the study of American history
• Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy (Yale Law School)
• Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Colonial Latin America
• Teacher Oz's Kingdom of History

11. Illinois Digital Archives- the Illinois State Library working with libraries, museums,
and historical societies in Illinois provides this collection of materials related to Illinois
history
12. Internet Archive -a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in
digital form.
13. Internet Archive for CARLI digitized resources
14. Internet Public Library
15. ip12 a merger of Librarians Internet Index and Internet Public Library. Special
interest may include the "Literary Criticisms'" page which can be found after clicking
on the "Special Collections" link.
16. Librarians' Internet Index
17. Making of America - a digital library of primary sources in American social history.
18. Maps - from the University of Texas at Austin collection. Includes historical and
thematic maps.
19. NationMaster a massive central data source and a handy way to graphically
compare nations. It is a vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World
Factbook, UN, and OECD
20. Nursing sites:
• AHRQ (www.ahrq.gov)
• National Guidelines Clearinghouse

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 22
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

(www.guideline.gov)
• PubMed (www.nlm.nih.gov)
21. Project Gutenberg the first and largest single collection of free electronic books
with currently over 20,000 e-books available.
22. Shmoop - literature, US history, and poetry information written primarily by PhD
and masters students from top universities like Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale.
23. StateMaster- a unique statistical database which allows you to research and
compare a multitude of different data on US states using various primary sources such
as the US Census Bureau, the FBI, and the National Center for Educational Statistics.
It uses visualization technology like pie charts, maps, graphs, and scatter plots to
provide data.
24. Virtual Reference selected web resources compiled by the Library of Congress.

One can also visit the university library and seek help from librarians as they are
knowledgeable and the library has a rich collection of online library resources that are
very useful for academic and research purposes.

Enrichment Learning Task 1: Timeline of the Information Age

Activities Objective: To define the Information Age and discuss its history.
Instructions:
1. Using the provided timeline in the lesson, create your own illustrated timeline
(digital or on paper) that highlights at least 10 major milestones in the
development of the Information Age.
2. For each milestone, write a 1–2 sentence explanation of its importance in
shaping how information is shared and used today.
3. Add a short concluding paragraph answering: How do you think the
Information Age has influenced your daily life as a student?
Expected Output: Illustrated timeline with explanations + short reflection.

Learning Task 2: Website Evaluation Exercise

Objective: To explain the factors that need to be considered in checking website
sources.
Instructions:
1. Choose two websites that provide information on the same topic (e.g., health,
history, technology).
2. Evaluate each website using the five criteria from the lesson:
o Author
o Publisher/domain
o Purpose of the site
o Intended audience
o Quality of information
3. Write your evaluation in a comparison table (Website A vs. Website B).
4. End with a one-paragraph reflection: Which site is more reliable? What made
you trust it more?
Expected Output: Comparison table + reflection paragraph.

Comprehension Write the letter of the BEST answer.

Check
1. Which of the following BEST describes the truth about the ‘Information Age’
according to Robert Harris?
A. Information must compete. There is a need for information to stand out and be
recognized in the increasing clutter.
B. The media sells what the culture buys.
C. Media presence creates the story.
D. All of the above.
2. It is a single-user instrument which was initially known as microcomputers.
A. Personal Computer (PC)
B. Desktop Computer
C. Laptop
D. Server
3. These are portable computers that integrate the essentials of a desktop computer in
a battery-powered package.

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 23
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
www.qsu.edu.ph
CABARROGUIS CAMPUS qsu.cabarroguis@gmail.com
Cabarroguis, 3400 Quirino 0917-126-9160

A. Personal Computer (PC)

B. Desktop Computer
C. Laptop
D. Server
4. Which of the following helps in checking the reliability of web sources?
A. Gather information or details about the author like his/her credentials and
expertise.
B. Look at the domain name of the website that will tell you who is hosting the
site.
C. Search the domain name at http://www.whois.sc/.
D. All of the above
5. Which of the following does not belong to the group?
A. Google books
B. Googlescholar.com
C. Wikipedia
D. Bartleby.com Great Books Online

References Harris, R. (n.d.). "Truths of the Information Age." Accessed February26, 2017.
http://www.virtualsalt.com/infotrue.htm.
Illinois Valley Community College. (n.d.). "List of useful and reliable web sources."
Accessed August 2, 2017. https://www.ivcc.edu/ library.aspx?id=4038
Lee College Library. (n.d.). "How Can I Tell if a Website is Reliable?" Accessed
August 2, 2017. https://www.edb.utexas.edu/petrosino
Legacy_Cycle/mf_jm/Challenge%201/website% 20reliable.pdf.
Madan. M. (n.d.). "Bioinformatics-an aid for biological research. Accessed August 2,
2017. http://www.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/genomes madanm/articles/bioinfo.htm.
Messenger, J. R. (1982)."Ihe lheory of the Information Age." Accessed Cohrary. 26,
2017. http://www.informationage.org/briefhistory html.

MISSION
Develop competent and morally upright professionals and
generate appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the
needs of Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Valley. 24