ICT in everyday life

Question 1

ICT in everyday life - Communication applications (newspapers, flyers, posters)

Answer 1

• Newsletters, flyers and posters (DTP)
  + Advantages: can be printed and carried around
  + Disad: no animation, expensive printing, cost & time to create

Question 2

Communication applications (websites)

Answer 2

• Websites (mixtures of content: text, images, animations, video, audio, hyperlinks)
  + Advantages: wide audience, no printing costs
  + Disad: need net connection, viruses/hacking, requires specialist training

Question 3

Communication applications (multimedia presentations)

Answer 3

• Multimedia:
  + Advantages: effects (animation, text and sound), no printing costs
  + Disadvantages: computer and specialist training needed

Question 4

Communication applications (digital music)

Answer 4

• Digital music:
  + Advantages: can record music direct into computer (ADC), can plug instruments into computer to play (MIDI)
  + Disad: specialist training and computer are required

Question 5

Communication applications (interactive com.)

Answer 5

• Web 2.0
• Blogs
• Wikis
• Social networking

Question 6

What does a computer do?

Answer 6

• Handle data by doing 3 things: input, process, output

Question 7

Why use computers to handle data?

Answer 7

• Back up data
• Organise data
• Security of data (usernames and passwords)
• Edit/update/delete data
• Search/sort data
• Automatic calculations

Question 8

Address Lists, Club/society, Survey results, Tuck shop, School Reports, School Library

Answer 8

• Address Lists: name, address, email, telephone no.
• Club/society: name, date of joining, expiry date, fees paid (y/n)
• Surveys: ppl’s opinions, employee’s opinions, what ppl want to do
• Tuck shop: item, price item, daily sales, daily profit
• Reports: name, pupil id, tutor group, behaviour grade
• Library: borrower id, date of loan, date book due back, which books out

Question 9

Measuring applications

Answer 9

What is it?
- Analogue -> ADC -> Digital
- Sensors detect and measure physical quantities
- Data logging is measuring the physical item at pre-defined items
- Sensors are connect to computer
- Sensor data converted to digital
Why use it?
- Can log data all day
- Reliable (no human errors)
- Can analyse data and output
- Read data frequently
- Can operate in extreme environment
Examples:
- Scientific (human genome project)
- Environment (weather forecasting)

Question 10

Controlled applications ( computer controlled greenhouse)

Answer 10

Check light sensor
If it is dark, turn on the lights
If it is not dark, turn off the lights
Check temperature sensor
If it is too cold, turn on heater and use motor to close window
If it is too warm, turn off heater and use motor to open window
Check the moisture sensor
If soil is too dry, turn on the water pump
If soil is too wet, turn off the water pump

Question 11

Modelling applications

Answer 11

• Flight, driving and queue management
  + Building real-life systems can be expensive, and take a long time
  + To train people to use a system without putting them at risk
  + Extremes can be tested
• Use of spreadsheets for personal finance and tuck shop finances
  + To predict what might happen to a system in the future
  + To investigate a system in great detail