MAIN FIELDS OF COMPUTING
Computing is an umbrella term whose main fields are computer science, ICT, IT and digital literacy.
Sometimes these terms can overlap or may be used in the wrong way.
Computer science
The term computer science, or CS, was used for the first time in 1961 by the mathematician George Forsythe.
However, the most complete definition was provided by the Linux Information Project (LINFO) in 2004. It is the study of the storage, transformation and transfer of information. It includes both the theoretical study of algorithms (design, efficiency and application) and the practical aspects of implementing them for computer hardware and software. In short, computer science studies how computers work and how to write algorithms, solve problems and create computer programs.
Information and communications technology
Information and communications technology, or ICT, refers to the evolving digital technology and the aspects of gathering, storing, retrieving, processing, analysing and transmitting information and data at the right speed and with accuracy and security. So, it deals with data representation and management by computers. The acronym has been used worldwide since 1997, although in 2014, in the UK, it was replaced by the word computing1.
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1 The new British School Curriculum from September 2014 identifies three core areas of computing: computer science, information technology (IT), and digital literacy.
Information technology
Information technology, or IT, is sometimes used as a synonym of ICT, but while ICT refers to digital communication (e.g. the Internet, Wi-Fi, smartphones and communication systems), IT deals with the development of hardware and software.
Digital literacy
Digital literacy refers to multiple literacy competences1 and skills recognised as fundamental for lifelong learning. In other words, being digitally literate means being good netizens, i.e responsible citizens of the cyber world.
For this reason, new graduate programmes have been designed in order to develop new competences to be able to access, analyse, create, reflect and act using digital tools, texts and technology.
So, digital literacy2 refers to the way in which people understand digital information and interact with it safely and appropriately.
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1 Do you know the difference between competence and competency? Surf the Internet or look the words up in a dictionary.
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2 The gap between the people who have access or benefit from digital technology and those who do not is called digital divide.