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ICT applications
Communication applications
Describe a range of communication applications (e.g.
newsletters, websites, multimedia presentations, music
scores, cartoons, flyers and posters)
Describe the use of mobile phones for communication (e.g.
text messaging, phone calls, accessing the internet)
Describe the use of internet telephony, including Voice Over
Internet Protocol (VOIP)
Describe applications for publicity and corporate image
publications (e.g. business cards, letterheads, flyers and
brochures)
There are several communication applications
that make use of ICT technology
Flyers, posters, brochures and newsletters
Flyers and posters are very easily created using some of the commonly
available softwares like Word Processing and Desktop publishing. Flyers
and posters often contain photos which may have been taken or
downloaded from the internet. The following outlines the steps that are
generally followed to make a document on a computer:
open one of the softwares as mentioned above
create frames, boxes and/or text boxes
upload the images from the camera/CD/DVD or downloaded photos fromm the
internet
save the photos to a file
edit the photos and import from a file or type any required text
Brochures are generally used to advertise a company or its products.
While these can be prepared on a normal computer and printed on a
laser printer, it is advisable to go to a specialist company who use
specialised computer and print the outputs on glossy paper resulting in
a better final product.
Brochures and flyers are generally sent out to households in a given area
so that the target audience gets to know about the compay and/or
products. Another option generally used is to insert them inside
magazines and newspapers. However, the disadvantage of both these
methods is that these documents might be thrown away unless they
actually catch the eye to the readers and offer something interesting or
tangible.
Single sheet of documents are called as flyers or leaflets and booklets or
multiple sheets of documents are called are brochures.
Posters are usually much larger and displayed on buildings,
noticeboards or advertising hoardings.
Newsletters are produced by companies or clubs using
the methods mentioned above. They generally contain
local information which is read by company employees
or club members. The content is specific to the
organisation and may contain:
advertising by other companies
fundraising events or their successes by employees or club
members
news events, like certain achievements by that organisation
marriages, deaths and births of employees or their family
members, club members
Websites
With the advent of the internet, companies tend to advertise in
the virtual world rather than on paper through the development
of their own website or advertise on another company’s website.
Using the first option would mean hiring web designers and
developers or go to a company specialised in doing this kind of
work. Add to it there are costs involved for purchasing the
hardware and software to develop the website, storage of the
website, prevent the sight from being hacked by employing IT
security experts. However, the biggest advantage of a website is
that the company gets world wide audience and there is no need
to keep spending on paper, delivery of the leaflets and flyers, etc.
There are pros and cons to both these options and it is company
which has to take a call what suits best for them
Advantages Disadvantages
Sound/video/animation can be added It becomes necessary for the customers to
can’t be defaced or discarded away have a computer and internet connection.
can be seen by a global audience There is a risk of the websites being
links to other websites/hyperlinks can be hacked and modified or viruses and
made trojans introduced.
buttons to navigate or move around the There is a possibility for customers to go to
website which provides more information undesirable websites (due to accident or as
hit counters which provide how many a result of hacking) which can lead to
people have visited the website with details distrust among customers
of cities, countries from where the hits have As it is a global system, it is very difficult to
come target the right audience by advertising on
use of hotspots the website
It is very easy to update a website and The website needs to be maintained once
immediately it is visible to the global it is set up, which can prove to be
audience expensive
Multimedia Presentations
Any presentation that uses animation, video,
sound or music are generally more interesting than
a standard presentation done on slides or paper.
The presentations are produced using one of the
many commercial software applications available
in the market and then using a multimedia
projector the whole audience is able to see the
presentation.
Advantages Disadvantages
The use of transition effects allows a Whenever the presentation is given it is
presentation to display facts in a logical necessary to have internet access.
manner. One needs special equipment which can
It is possible to make them interactive or prove to be expensive for many
hyperlinks built into the presentation, companies.
which means that the presentation Equipment failure can prove to be
could access the company’s website or disastrous when giving multimedia
even key files stored on the cloud. presentations.
The presentation can be interactive. Often the presentation can turn out to
Use of sound and animation or video be bad if it contains too many
effects are more likely to grab the animation effects and/or too much text
attention of the audience. Moreover, or images.
this makes the presentation more easy to When using a multimedia presentation,
understand there is a danger that the focus is on the
As links to websites and other external medium i.e. on the multimedia
systems like is possible, the presentation itself rather than the facts
presentations can be tailored to suit a or message which you want to convey.
particular audience.
Paper based presentations
It is always possible to produce presentations in a hardcopy format rather than the system just
described.
Advantages Disadvantages
the recipients can read the there are no special effects
presentation at any time as per like sound, video, animation,
their convenience etc
the recipients always have a
there are printing costs for
permanent copy which they can
refer at their will
paper, ink, etc
disabled people don’t have to go the presentation needs to be
to the venue to see the distributed through some
presentations method
moreover, it is possible to print it
out in Braille for the benefit of
blind people
Music scores
The generation of music and the production of the music scores can now be done by computer systems
with the appropriate software. Some of the features of this technology includes but not limited to:
Telephone numbers
E-mail address
Pin code.etc.
Modern address lists are stored on computers or mobile phones and have a
couple of advantages like:
Seamless editing
Groups can be created
Easy searching
Back-ups can be initiated
Tuck Shop Records
Tuck shops sell things like sweets, drinks, chocolates, crisps and other snacks to school children.
Like any other shop, a tuck shop needs to keep a track of records such as income, expenditure,
stock-level, etc.
Before the introduction of computers, tuck shop records were kept on paper, and were called
Account’s ledger.
Such kind of paper based records had several drawbacks such as:
They were challenging to update
Difficult to back up
They can be easily damaged
Now a days, spread sheets are used to store shop account records.
The advantages of using spreadsheets to do so are:
Easy editing
Easy to back up
Calculation can be carried out by formulas
Address
Telephone Number
E-mail address
Security
temperature
wind speed
rainfall
humidity
barometric pressure (air pressure)
wind direction
The data is gathered 24 / 7 (i.e. 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week). This data is then used by weather forecasters to help
predict the weather for the next few days or even take a more
long term view by looking at past and current weather
patterns.
Measuring a patient’s vital signs in a hospital
Using a computer to measure the key vital signs of a patient in a hospital, can be
seen in the following steps:
sensors read key vital signs such as heart rate, temperature, blood pressure,
respiration, pulse rate, etc
the data from the sensors are converted into digital format using an Analogue
to Digital Converter (ADC)
the data is stored in the computer’s memory
the computer compares the data from the sensors with the values stored in its
memory (these are usually fed in advance either by the nurse or doctor for a
given patient)
the results are displayed on a screen in the form of graphs and/or numerical
readouts
an alarm is activated if any of the data is outside acceptable input values
the system continues to measure the patient’s vital signs until the computer is
switched off
Measuring Pollution in a river
The below steps show how a computer can be used to measure pollution in a river:
the sensors are placed in atleast two different positions to do a pollution
comparison at various points
the data from the sensors are converted into digital form using an ADC and sent
to a computer
the computer stores the data received
the acidity levels and oxygen levels are compared with the historical data stored
in computer databases and they are also compared with preset levels stored in
the databases.
the oxygen and acidity levels from the different positions in the river are also
compared to see if they are similar. This sometimes help to find the source of
pollution.
The data stored in the computer can now be transferred
either by copying this to a CD/DVD/USB media and taken
away for further processing and analysis or the computer can
connected to a LAN/WAN network or internet and transmit
the data back automatically to the monitoring station.
Other types of sensors such as light sensors (to check
whether there are solids or chemicals in the water blocking
out light) or temperature sensors (to check the temperature
of water at different points which might disturb the marine
life in the river), can also be used.
Advantages of using a computer for
measurement applications
The computer’s response time is very fast (which is very important in the hospital
monitoring system).
The computer does not forget to take readings.
Scientists, Doctors, nurses, etc., can carry on with other tasks whilst the measurements are
being taken automatically and precisely.
The readings are generally more accurate than when taken manually.
There is a huge cost saving the in the long run, as lesser staff are needed since the
measurements are now being done by computer (which in turn reduced wage bill).
It could also be safer to use sensors since whatever is being measured may have potential
hazards (e.g., Chemicals in the river which might result in skin rashes, etc or a nurse being
infected with an infectious disease while continuously looking after a patient).
Computers can be programmed to produce graphs automatically for faster analysis of results.
Computers can measure data 24 hours X 7 days without tiring out.
Due to this the readings can be taken more frequently using sensors and computers.
Disadvantages of using a computer for
measurement applications
If the computer malfunctions or if there are frequent power
cuts, then a computer cannot be used. Due to this, there
should be proper backup procedures in place to over this
eventuality.
The computer cannot respond to unusual circumstances.
A student doing an experiment using a computer for
measurement and analysis, may not learn as much using a
computer system.
The initial cost to setup the measuring software and
computer is usually very high.
Microprocessors in control applications
Describe the role of a microprocessor or computer in
control applications, including the role of the pre-set
value
Describe the use of computer control in applications
(e.g. turtle graphics, automatic washing machines,
automatic cookers, computer controlled central
heating systems, burglar alarms, computer controlled
glasshouse)
Use of Microprocessors in Control Applications
In control applications, sensors and a microprocessor or a computer are used.
Sensors send data to the microprocessor or computer which then compares
the incoming data to stored values or data entered earlier. An Analogue to
Digital Converter (ADC) may be needed before the microprocessor or
computer can process the data.
Command Meaning
FORWAD x Move x cm forward
PENDOWN Lift the pen up
LEFT d Turn left through d degrees
RIGHT d Turn right through d degrees
PENUP Repeat next set of instructions n times
REPEAT n Finish the repeat loop
ENDREPEAT Lower the pen
BACKWARD x Move x cm backward
Modelling applications
Describe the use of computer modelling in spreadsheets
(e.g. for personal finance)
Describe Modelling Applications
A computer model is the creation of a model of a real system in
order to study the behaviour of the whole system. The model is
computer generated and is based on mathematical
representations.
The idea behind developing the model is to try to find out what
mechanisms control how a system behaves. This makes it
possible to predict the behaviour of the system in the future and
also see if it is possible to influence this future behaviour.
Computer models are used because they can help find a solution
more quickly and can be considerably safer while at the same time
saving money and time.
Traffic Light Simulation
A set of traffic lights are to be modelled at a Y-junction:
In this computer model, it is necessary to consider:
How and what data needs to be collected?
The success (or failure) of a computer model depends on how
realistic the model is. Hence, data needs to be collected for a
considerable period of time by watching traffic at the Y-junction.
This is best done by using induction loop sensors which count
the number of vehicles at each junction. Collecting data
manually is possible but is prone to errors and is also difficult to
do over an 18-hour period per day (for example).
The type of data that would need to be collected or considered for collection
would be as follows:
The advantages of telphone banking are similar to internet banking but with this system
there is not need to have a computer and it’s possible to talk to an actual human being.
Many people find this a more attractive proposition.
However, compared to internet banking, it can be much slower (there may be a long
queue before you can talk to somebody) and the options can be a little more complex to
navigate. But it can also quicker if your computer isn’t switched on at the time and you
only want a balance enquiry.
Describe Chip and PIN
Many credit and debit cards are equipped with a chip
as well as magnetic stripe – this contains key
information such as the PIN.
This system provides enhanced security since it is
better than relying only on a signature. When paying
for items using a chip and PIN card, a form
of electronic funds transfer (EFT) takes place. Let’s say
a customer goes to a store to buy groceries using a chip
and PIN card:
The PIN is entered using the keypad.
The card is checked to see if it is valid (check on expiry date, whether a
stolen card is being used, etc).
The PIN is read from the chip on the card and is compared to the one
just keyed in.
If they match, the transaction can proceed. If this is the third attempt
at entering PIN, then the transaction is terminated.
The store’s bank contacts the customer’s bank.
A check is made on whether they have enough funds.
If the card is not valid or there aren’t enough funds available, then the
transaction is terminated.
If everything is found OK, then the transaction is authorised.
An authorisation code is sent to the store.
The price of the goods is then deducted from the customer’s account.
The same amount of money is then added to the store’s bank account.
A receipt is produced as proof of purchase.
Describe how Clearing of Cheques works
Here you will see how banks clear cheques using a centralised clearing
centre.
Let’s say Sam has an account with Great Bank and he issues a cheque
for $100 to a company called ABC Ltd., who have account with Keith
Bank. How is the ABC bank account credited with $100?
Well, first of all, the cheque is sent by ABC Bank to a centralised
clearing centre. The cheque is processed by the clearing centre by first
passing through a reader/sorter machine. The machine automatically
reads:
the amount on the cheque
the code line containg the account number, sort code and cheque number.
All the cheques are then sorted using their sort codes (which is a unique six digit numbers that are
used to identify each bank or building society), ready for sending to an exchange centre.
The data from the cheque which was read earlier is then converted into an encrypted file known
as IBDE (Inter-Bank Data Exchange) file. Every IBDE is ‘signed’ with a digital signature so that the
receiving bank is assured of the genuineness of the data and that it has not been tampered with.
Later Keith Bank delivers the cheque to an exchange centre. The exchange centre then passes the
cheque back to the paying bank (Great Bank in this case) which then sends it to its own clearing
centre.
At the paying bank’s clearing centre, the digital signature is first checked and then the cheque is
passed through their own reader/sorter machine to make sure the data matches with that on the IBDE
file. It also sorts the cheques into branch order (using the sort code).
Later on, Great Bank checks where there is sufficient balance in Sam’s account to cover the cheque
amount, and also that it has been signed, dated and written correctly and is genuine. Based on this
information, Great Bank decides whether to pay Sam’s cheque to ABC Ltd., or return it unpaid to the
Keith Bank.
If Sam’s bank decides not to pay the cheque to ABC Ltd., his bank will send the unpaid cheque back to
the Keith Bank by special courier.
The decision to return a cheque unpaid must be made on the morning of the day after exchange so that
the cheque can be returned straightaway to Keith Bank if necessary. A cheque may be returned unpaid
for various reasons, commonly being:
the customer has not got enough money in their account to pay the cheque
it has not been signed, dated or written correctly
it is fraudulent for some reason.
This whole process, which is known as ‘clearing a cheque’ takes three working days, so if you pay in a
cheque on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, it will actually take five days to clear.
Describe Electronic Funds Transfer
Electronic funds transfer (EFT) is a system which allows money
transfer instructions to be sent directly to a bank’s computer
system. There is no physical transfer of money; the whole system
relies on electronic transfer of money between accounts. When
an EFT instruction is received, the computer system
automatically transfers the specified amount from account to
another.
One of the most common use of EFT is the payment of salaries to
the staff of a large company. On the day when the payment is
made, the company instructs the bank to transfer money from
their account into the bank’s accounts of their employees.
Other examples of EFT include: When
a credit/debit card is used to pay for a
purchase in a store, the payment is
made using a system
called Electronic Fund Transfer at
Computers in medicine
Describe the contents of information systems in
medicine (including patient records, pharmacy
records, monitoring and expert systems for diagnosis)
Describe how 3D printers can be used in producing
medical aids (e.g. surgical and diagnostic aids,
development of prosthetics and medical products,
tissue engineering, artificial blood vessels and the
design of medical tools and equipment)
Describe the use of computers in maintaining Patient
and Pharmacy Records?
Hospitals and doctors need to keep accurate records of all their
patients. This is essential to ensure correct diagnosis and treatment.
An up-to-date medical history is part of the diagnosis process.
Databases are kept by hospitals and doctors so that the data can be
shared between medical practitioners and pharmacies (e.g. to
ensure no drugs are prescribed which interact with each other in an
unsafe manner).
Databases also allow for a quick and easy search of patient records.
This is especially important during an emergency. E.g, When
accessing the patient’s medical history could mean the difference
between life and death. It also means that medication can be
prescribed without issuing paper prescriptions – an email could be
sent to the pharmacy.
The sort of data which would be required on a patient
database would be as follows:
a unique identification number
name and address
gender (male or female)
blood group
medical history (e.g. recent medicines taken, treatment given)
date of birth
any known allergies
details of doctors the patient might have consulted
important additional information such as CT scans, X-rays, blood
reports, etc
any current diagnosis.
How to Monitor Patients using a Computer?
By connecting a patient to a computer system, it is
possible to carry out 24-hour monitoring of the patient.
Some of the things the computer can monitor include:
respiration (breathing rate)
brain activity
heart rate
oxygen levels in the blood
blood/body temperature
blood sugar levels
blood pressure.
The results are shown on a monitor in the form of a digital read-
out and/or graphical read-out.
Digital read-outs give the nurse or doctor an immediate value
while graphical representations are used to show trends over a
period of time. Both methods supply different information and
hence serve different purposes. There is also sound outputs as
well in the form of beeps to indicate that the machine is
working. It also indicates, for example, the heart rate and gives
a warning if the patient’s condition suddenly deteriorates. All
these outputs give the doctors and nurses useful information.
The system relies on sensors attached to patients and to a
computer system that interprets the sensor data and converts it
into a format useful to the nurses and doctors. Using sensors
and computers has many advantages over taking manual
readings:
they are capable of responding much faster to any change in the
patient’s condition
they reduce the risk of a nurse being subjected to contagious
diseases
it is more accurate; using a computer system almost removes any
chance of error
they can automatically produce graphs/analyse results
computers can monitor several patients at the same time
readings can be taken more frequently using computer systems
there is the potential to save money since fewer nurses need to be
paid
they never forget to take readings – a nurse could be too busy for
example
they can operate 24/7 and don’t require any breaks or get tired.
Explain how Expert Systems can be used to diagnose patients?
Borrower’s file (this file contains a number of records made up of the following fields):
Barcodes are not the only way of tracking tracking books from a
library. Some systems use magnetic stripes on the borrower’s cards
rather than barcodes. The procedure is the same except the card is
now passed through a magnetic card reader rather than being
scanned. The borrower’s data and book data are still connected as
described above. Some libraries use RFID chips in their books.
Expert systems
Identify a range of applications which use expert
systems (e.g. mineral prospecting, car engine fault
diagnosis, medical diagnosis, chess games)
Identify the components of an expert system (e.g.
interactive user interface, inference engine, rules base,
knowledge base)
Describe how an expert system is used to suggest
diagnoses
Computers in the retail industry
Describe the use of point of sale (POS) terminals, how
the stock file is updated automatically, and how new
stock can be ordered automatically
Describe the use of electronic funds transfer at point of
sale (EFTPOS) terminals (e.g. the checking of the
validity of cards, the use of chip and PIN, the
communication between the supermarket computer
and the bank computer)
describe internet shopping
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of internet
shopping
Recognition systems
Describe how recognition systems work (e.g. Magnetic
Ink Character Recognition (MICR), Optical Mark
Recognition (OMR) and Optical Character Recognition
(OCR), Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID))
Describe how number plate recognition systems work
Describe the processing of cheques
Describe the processing of OMR media (e.g. school
registers, multiple choice examination papers)
Describe how RFID and RF technology is used in a range
of applications (e.g. tracking stock, passports,
automobiles, contactless payment)
Monitoring and tracking systems
Describe how a workforce or member of the public can
be monitored or logged
Describe how the use of cookies can be used to
monitor a person’s internet activity
Describe the use of key-logging
Describe how worker/employee call monitors can be
used
Describe the use of automatic number plate
recognition
Satellite systems
Describe the use of different satellite systems (e.g.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS), satellite navigation,
Geographic Information System (GIS), media
communication systems)