Chapter 1 - Defining Information Technology - Fluency with Information Technology (7th Edition) Flashcards

1
Q
Learning Objectives
(hint: there are 4)
A
  • Recall the important moments and major inventions in computing from the last 100 hundred some odd years.
  • Recognize, recall, and use the right words and terms to facilitate in learning ideas and to communicate better.
  • Recall and define common computer terms.
  • Recall and define “idea” words.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Glossary Term:

abstract

A

to remove an idea, concept, or process from a specific situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Glossary Term:

abstraction

A

the central idea or concept removed from a situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Glossary Term:

agent

A

the person or thing (usually a computer) following an algorithm’s instructions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Glossary Term:

algorithm

A

a precise and systematic method for producing a specific result

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Glossary Term:

boot or booting

A

to start a computer and load its operating system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Glossary Term:

cache

A

to keep information, typically acquired at some effort, in the expectation of its reuse in the near future

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Glossary Term:

generalization

A

statement of a rule deduced by generalizing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Glossary Term:

generalize

A

to formulate an idea, concept, or process so that it abstracts multiple situations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Glossary Term:

input

A

data put into a communication system for transmission or into a computer system for processing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Glossary Term:

mneumonic

A

an aid for remembering something

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Glossary Term:

operationally attuned

A

thinking about how a device, tool, or application works to simplify its use

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Glossary Term:

output

A

the information produced by a program or process from a specific input

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Glossary Term:

processor

A

the component of a computer that computes, i.e., performs the instructions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Glossary Term:

programming

A

the act of encoding an algorithm that is to be executed by a computer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Glossary Term:

program

A

an algorithm encoded for a specific situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Glossary Term:

rebooting or reboot

A

to restart a computer by clearing its memory and reloading its operating system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Glossary Term:

software

A

a collective term for programs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

8 Big Ideas of Computation

A
  1. Digitizing information
  2. Stored-program computers
  3. Transistors
  4. Integrated circuits
  5. Personal computers
  6. The Internet
  7. The World Wide Web (WWW) and HTTP
  8. Layered software
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Details on 8 Big Ideas of Computation:

```
Digitizing Information
hint: there are 5
~~~

A

1 Data being represented by numbers.

2 Creating machines that could read digital information was a breakthrough.

3 Census data becoming digitized in 1890.

   4 The 1880 Census was all processed by hand and took 8 years.

   5  The process was digitized with the creation of punch cards for the 1890 Census, but it is important to note the cards were processed by a card reader and not a computer.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Details on 8 Big Ideas of Computation:

Stored-program computers
hint: there are 4

A

1 Central processing units (CPUs) allowed information to be stored in the memory or software.
2 This allowed programs to be changed quickly, become more complex, and autonomous.
3 These computers were very large and complex and took up entire rooms.
4 They were also very heavy and used thousands of vacuum tubes which consumed a lot of power and they often burned out quickly.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Details on 8 Big Ideas of Computation:

Transistors
hint: there are 5

A

1 Provided an alternative to vacuum tubes.
2 They used less power and produced less heat.

3 They were extremely reliable.

4 They were smaller in size and weight.

5 The only problem was that they required a lot of assembly.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Details on 8 Big Ideas of Computation:

```
Integrated Circuits
hint: there are 8
~~~

A

1 Solved the problem in the inefficiency of building computers out of so many complex parts.
2 Integration
3 Parts are connected as they are being formed instead of forming then connecting them later.

4 Photolithography
5 Wires and all parts are “printed” onto the chips.

6 Layers are printed and connected allowing many more connections to exist in a small space.

7 Printing
8 Being able to simply print the parts of a chip allows them to be as complex as they need to be without additional cost.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Details on 8 Big Ideas of Computation:

```
Personal Computers
hint: there are 3
~~~

A

1 First personal computing machine was Xerox’s Alto in 1973.
2 President of DEC (a small computer manufacturer), Ken Olsen, stated in 1977 that “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.”
3 Now we all have numerous computers of various types in our lives.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Details on 8 Big Ideas of Computation:

```
The Internet
hint: there are 3
~~~

A

1 Made up of a network of networks.
2 ARPANET, the forerunner of the internet, sent the first message in 1969.

3 Was used for emailing and file transferring.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Details on 8 Big Ideas of Computation:

HTTP and the World Wide Web
hint: there are 3

A

1 Brought the Internet to the public.
2 HTTP allowed files to be transferred to any computer.
3 Mosaic was the first widely used browser.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Details on 8 Big Ideas of Computation:

Layered Software Development
hint: there are 3

A

1 Programs had little structure before 1980 which made them difficult to write and keep up with.
2 Layered software development allowed programs to apply code to lower levels as well as provide advanced capabilities for higher levels.
3 These make use of a software stack structure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Define the term “Software Stack” and state two facts about it

A

Definition:
Software Stack is how software is structured and organized in modern computer systems

Facts:
1 Programs are layered in a series to carry out user applications

2 Every layer carries out operations that are built upon for the layer above it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Name a way that people interact with a software stack every day

A

Watching a YouTube Video or other streaming video service

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Delineate the ways your smartphone makes use of software stacking when playing a YouTube video
(hint: there are 4)

A

1 Browser application is used to get to YouTube
2 Browser app makes use of the window manager and many other frameworks
3 The window manager in turn uses the media manager and other libraries
4 Further along the stack the media manager uses the display as a driver as well as other kernel operations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

True or False?

It is important to learn and use the correct computing terms.

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What are two practical reasons for learning and using the correct computing terms?

A

1 It assists in talking with Tech Support for help

2 It provides a new subject to learn

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Name two challenges you might face if you do not know the correct computing terms.

A

1 Using search in a particular piece of software’s Help feature will not be very helpful because the algorithm will produce results based on the wrong term

2 It will be difficult, if not impossible, to elicit help from Tech Support if you do not know the correct terms during you inquiry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Important Hardward and Software Terms:

Define the term “Processor” and state two facts about it

A

Definition:
The processor is the computer and is usually concealed inside a box

Facts:
1 Connects various devices as inputs or outputs

2 Variations in computers depend on what is connected to the processor and what software is being run

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Important Hardward and Software Terms:

Define the term “Software” and state two facts about it

A

Definition:
Software is the name for all programs

Facts:
1 The instructions that form applications are located in the software

2 The applications are carried out by the processor which follows the program

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Important Hardware and Software Terms:

Define the term “Algorithm” and state THREE facts about it

A

Definition:
Specified results are created through precise and systematic methods called algorithms

Facts:
1 Algorithms are expressed by programs

2 Long division is an example of an algorithm

3 Algorithms exist everywhere and make up the undercurrent of many conveniences of modern life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Abstract and Abstraction

What do these terms mean in British mystery language?

A

to remove or even to steal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Abstract and Abstraction

What do these terms mean in computer language?

A

to remove in relation to an idea or process, and it is removed from some form or type of information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Abstract and Abstraction

What do these terms mean in parables or fables?

A

to take out the crucial point of the story and learn a lesson from it

40
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Abstract and Abstraction

Name two utilities that abstracting from parables or fables has

A

1 It helps identify what is most important: there are numerous details to a story that are less important than the crucial point

2 It helps clarify the important meanings beyond the story that are inherent within the abstraction itself

41
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Abstract and Abstraction

What utility does abstarcting in computing have?

A

it can highlight the important and relevant details so that the abstraction itself can be applied in other cases

42
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Generalize and Generalization

What is generalizing/generalization?

A

The expression of an idea, concept, or process that can be applied to many other situations

43
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Generalize and Generalization

When can an idea be generalized?

A

When it is true most of the time

44
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Generalize and Generalization

What kind of statement is one that sums up a generalized idea?

A

A generalization

45
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Operationally Attuned

How is a device or system operationally attuned?

A

When its use is simplified by applying knowledge about how it works

46
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Operationally Attuned

Give a simple example of operational attunement

A

Learning how to loosen a lid by turning it left and tightening it by turning it right

47
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Operationally Attuned

Where does explicit knowledge about how something works come from?

A

Experience

48
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Operationally Attuned

What does explicit knowledge about how a computer works produce?

A

It makes the computer easier to use

49
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Mneumonic

What purpose does a mneumonic serve?

A

To aid in memory

50
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Mneumonic

How does one employ a mneumonic?

A

By using a word or phrase to help remember a bigger idea or several pieces of information

51
Q

Important Idea Terms:

Mneumonic

Give an example of a mneumonic?

A

HOMES

Great Lakes…

H - Huron
O - Ontario
M - Michigan
E - Erie
S - Superior
52
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

In 1880 the census took how long to complete by hand?

A

Eight years

53
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

Who is credited with the first “production” application of digital information?

A

U. S. Census Bureau employee and statistician Herman Hollerith

54
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1890?

A

Hollerith digitizes census data

55
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1936?

A

The computer science field is commonly thought to have started in this year with the publication of Alan Turing’s paper on the (theoretical) limits to computation: “On Computable Numbers with an Application to the Entscheidungs Problem.”

56
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1943?

A

U. S., U. K., and Germans build 1st Computers

57
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1956?

A

Nobel Prize awarded for the semiconductor transistor to Bell Lab scientists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley

58
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1958?

A

Kilby invented the integrated circuit

59
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1969?

A

ARPANET sends first packet

60
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1973?

A

The Ethernet was developed

61
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1975?

A

Microsoft is founded by Paul Allen and Bill Gates

62
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1981?

A

The IBM Personal Computer is released

63
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1984?

A

The Macintosh is launched by Apple Computer Company

64
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1992?

A

The first SMS message was sent

65
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1993?

A

The World Wide Web was created

66
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1996?

A

The Nokia 9000 launched

67
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 1997?

A

IBM chess playing computer Deep Blue beat world class chessmaster Garry Kasparov

google.com was registered

68
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2001?

A

Apple released the first iPod

69
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2004?

A

The Firefox browser was launched

70
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2005?

A

facebook.com was registered

71
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2006?

A

The Wii was released by Nintendo

Twitter launched

72
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2007?

A

The first iPhone was launched by Apple

73
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2008?

A

The first commercial Android phone was released

74
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2011?

A

IBM AI Watson won JEOPARDY!

75
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2012?

A

Facebook reached one billion users

76
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

What happened in 2013?

A

The first carbon nanotube computer is created

77
Q

100 or So Year History:
Important Moments and Major Inventions

How many years passed between the first automated use of digital information and the announcement of the PC?

A

More than 90

78
Q

What is the dictionary definition of “digital information”?

A

Data represented using numbers

79
Q

What was the big information breakthrough made when U. S. census data was digitized?

A

Automation: getting a machine to read the data.

80
Q

After the first automation of it’s data, how long did the U. S. census take to complete?

A

1 year

81
Q

What is the first electronic computer?

A

ENIAC

82
Q

Explain the different between the Internet and the WWW

A

The internet is a network of networks, where the networks could only connect and communicate through a common protocol called TCP/IP

The WWW was a project launched by an employee at CERN allownig any institution (and eventually any person) who wished to participate in sharing documents and files on a virtual ‘home page’ using a common protocol called HTTP

83
Q

What does “le mot juste” mean?

A

A French saying meaning “the right phrase or word”

84
Q

What is the technical name for a computer?

A

A processor

85
Q

What are the common components of a modern day processor?

A
  • CPU
  • Small amount of memory (sometimes called a cache)
  • I/O device(s)
  • Software
86
Q

What does ARM stand for?

Examplain what it is

A

Definition: Advanced RISC Machine

The ARM is a processor specialized to a be part of other systems. It is a computer that is imbedded into a product (such as an smartphone or a microwave) in order to manage tasks that serve the purpose of the product.
It allows designers to focus on the software of the product rather than it’s hardware.

87
Q

What does RISC stand for?

A

Reduced Instruction-Set Computer

88
Q

What does TLA stand for?

Give an example of a TLA.

A

Three Letter Acronym

TLA
also FAQ, WIP, TBD

89
Q

Properties of an Algorithim

What are the 5 properties a process must have to qualify as an algorithm?

A
I - Input specified
O - Output specified
D - Definite
E - Effective
F - Finite
90
Q

Properties of an Algorithim

Explain what Input specified means

A

The data that the computation is provided or given

91
Q

Properties of an Algorithim

Explain what Output specified means

A

The data that the computation will produce

92
Q

Properties of an Algorithim

Explain what Definite means

A

The whole process is clearly spelled out

93
Q

Properties of an Algorithim

Explain what Effective means

A

The process is within the abilities of the agent following the instructions

94
Q

Properties of an Algorithim

Explain what Finite means

A

The agent will eventually finish the computation and arrive the correct answer, or report that the correct answer is not possible.

95
Q

What does BIOS stand for?

What does it do?

A

Basic Input/Output System

It contains the instructions needed for a computer to start up

96
Q

Where is the BIOS stored?

A

On a microchip called the Boot ROM (Read-Only Memory)

97
Q

What three early technologies increased peoples’ desire to own a PC?

A

Games
Word processing
Email