What is ICT? The digital workplace toolkit
ICT (information and communication technology) is any digital tool for creating, storing, finding or sharing information: computers, phones, software, networks and the internet.
- Word processor: letters, memos, reports, résumés.
- Spreadsheet: budgets, sales, marks, charts.
- Presentation and design software: slides, flyers, posters, logos.
- Communication tools: e-mail, team chat, video calls, shared calendars, social media for business.
- Cloud storage: files saved online, shared by link, edited together, backed up.
Choose the right application for the task: text-heavy work in a word processor, calculations in a spreadsheet, visual layout in design software.
Electronic research: search smart and check sources
Electronic sources: websites, online databases, e-books, online newspapers and journals, government statistics, videos and podcasts.
Search techniques:
- Pick 2 to 4 key words, not a whole sentence.
- "Quotes" for an exact phrase.
- AND (both words), OR (either), NOT or minus sign (leave out).
- site:.gov or site:.edu to limit the type of site; filetype:pdf for reports.
- Use date and region filters.
Check every source (CRAAP test): Currency (how recent?), Relevance (does it answer my question?), Authority (who wrote it, are they an expert?), Accuracy (is it backed by evidence, do other sources agree?), Purpose (to inform, sell or persuade? any bias?).
Cite what you use, in a standard style such as APA or MLA: author, date, title, site name, URL and the date you accessed it. Copying without credit is plagiarism.
Word processing for business documents
A properly structured business document has a clear title, headings, short paragraphs, page numbers and consistent fonts.
- Styles (Heading 1, Heading 2) keep formatting the same and build an automatic table of contents.
- Tables, columns, headers and footers, page breaks and section breaks.
- Templates for letters, memos, invoices and résumés.
- Mail merge: one letter plus a list of names gives a personal letter for each person.
- Track changes and comments for teamwork.
- Support tools: spell and grammar check, thesaurus, find and replace, word count, built-in help.
Spreadsheets: formulas, functions and charts
A spreadsheet is a grid of cells, each named by column letter and row number (B2). A formula starts with = and updates by itself when the data changes.
- Arithmetic: =B2*C2, =D2-E2.
- Functions: =SUM(D2:D10), =AVERAGE(), =MAX(), =MIN(), =COUNT(), =IF(D2>1000,"Bonus","No").
- An absolute reference like $F$1 stays fixed when you copy a formula (for example a tax rate).
Manipulate data: sort, filter, find duplicates, conditional formatting (colour cells over a target), freeze header rows. Turn data into charts: column charts compare, line charts show change over time, pie charts show parts of a whole.
Design software and moving data between apps
Design software (desktop publishing and graphics) places text and images freely on a page: flyers, brochures, business cards, logos, social media posts. Good design uses alignment, contrast, white space and only two or three fonts and colours. Advanced features: layers, master pages, colour palettes, image cropping, grids.
Import and export move data between programs:
- CSV: plain-text table any app can read.
- PDF: fixed layout for printing and sharing.
- PNG / JPG: images for the web (PNG for logos, JPG for photos).
- DOCX, XLSX, PPTX: editable office files.
You can also copy-paste a chart as a linked object, so it updates when the spreadsheet changes.
Business communication and e-mail etiquette
Business messages should be clear, concise, correct and courteous. Plan (purpose, reader), draft, edit, proofread.
E-mail etiquette: a clear subject line; a greeting; short paragraphs; one topic per e-mail; a sign-off with your name and role; check spelling, recipients and attachments before sending; use CC for people who need to know and BCC to hide a big list's addresses. Avoid ALL CAPITALS (it reads as shouting), slang, emojis in formal mail and reply-all when only one person needs the answer.
In video calls: mute when not speaking, be on time, look at the camera. For oral and visual presentations: few words per slide, big clear visuals, practise your timing. When collaborating, use shared documents, comments and version history, and respect privacy and others' work.
Your digital portfolio and employability skills
A digital portfolio is an online folder of your best work that proves your skills: a résumé, a formatted report, a spreadsheet with formulas and a chart, a designed flyer, a presentation and a short reflection on what you learned.
Employers also look for employability skills: communication, teamwork, problem solving, reliability, time management and digital safety (strong passwords, two-step login, spotting phishing).
Try it: make a shared cloud folder named "Portfolio", add one example of each kind of work and write two lines about each. Use step 6 of the 3D to check you have all six.
Key formulas and definitions
- Formula: starts with =, e.g. =B2*C2
- =SUM(D2:D10), =AVERAGE(), =MAX(), =MIN(), =COUNT()
- =IF(condition, value if true, value if false)
- Absolute reference: $F$1 stays fixed when copied
- CRAAP: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose
- Search: "exact phrase", AND, OR, NOT/−, site:, filetype:
Worked examples
1. B2 = 6 bags, C2 = ₹250 each. What does =B2*C2 give? What if B2 becomes 9?
6 × 250 = ₹1,500. When B2 changes to 9, the formula updates by itself: 9 × 250 = ₹2,250.
2. Cells D2 to D5 hold 1,500, 2,250, 1,000 and 750. Find =SUM(D2:D5) and =AVERAGE(D2:D5).
SUM = 1,500 + 2,250 + 1,000 + 750 = 5,500. AVERAGE = 5,500 ÷ 4 = 1,375.
3. D2 = 1,375. What does =IF(D2>1000,"Bonus","No") show?
1,375 is greater than 1,000, so the condition is true and the cell shows Bonus.
4. You need recent data on electric-car sales from a reliable source. Write a good search.
"electric car sales" AND 2025 site:.gov (or site:.org). Then check the date, author and purpose of each result before using it, and cite it.
Common mistakes
- Typing a total by hand instead of a formula. It will not update when the data changes.
- Trusting the first search result. Check currency, authority, accuracy and purpose first.
- Using copied text or images without a citation. That is plagiarism.
- Writing work e-mails like chat messages: no subject, all capitals, slang, or reply-all to everyone.