Unit ICT 1

Uses of ICT

Computer Assisted Learning (CAL)

Tutorials

Special needs pupils;

Spelling programs which have an interactive component testing student with games, quizzes and tests. A scoring system allows students to assess their progress. Often after 3 tries the answer or clues will be given to them.

Picture and sound are used to enhance the experience.

GCSE revision programs

ICT in Education

Computer based training

DISTANCE LEARNING Students not always be in the same place as the teacher.Distance learning course where the tutor is in North Wales. Students are provide with course booklets and practical work and videoconferencing is used to discuss problems that arise Assignments are marked electronically.

Online courses e.g. Open UniversityThese can be intranet based in universities or Internet based.Some university modules are completely computer based with knowledge sections and task sections. The software records how much of the course you have covered and if you do not complete the full module you will fail the module.

E – learning sites are now available. Subscribers can even do A levels online approved by exam board such as OCR. Schools in England are given E-learning credits which they can use to purchase online courses.

Chat rooms to discuss courses and problems with tutors.

Advantages of using ICT FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

• Greater interactivity holds a pupils attention.• Quicker feedback in online tests• Offers a variety of different ways to learn and a variety of information sources.• Including interactive whiteboards videoconferencing• Allows user to learn at own pace and can learn at times suitable for themselves.• Allows user to ‘go over’ earlier work again in case they did not understand i.e repeat sections they

found difficult earlier.• Computer based training significantly reduces costs for the employers and can be safer if it is a danger

Advantages of using ICT FOR ADMINISTRATION• Improved speed of access to data - faster searches/ e.g looking for all the pupils in a particular form

and faster sorts e.g. listing pupils by alphabetical order of Surname.• A variety of output formats available e.g. printed reports, mail merged documents. Etc. • Faster and simpler to transfer data e.g. exam entries• Saves time when reproducing standard letters e.g. letters to parents informing them about parents

evenings, school sports day programs. Such documents will only have minor changes each year.

• Increased security• Saves on storage/office space

Problems with using ICT in Education

ICT is expensive and requires a great deal of capital investment which is constantly updated and has to be maintained. Maintenance contracts can run into thousands of pounds which takes money away from traditional teaching materials such as books.

Unfair distribution of ICT resources and hence learning opportunities.Richer schools will have greater resources.

Cuts down on social interaction skills Some educationalists argue that younger pupils do not have as great an opportunity for group learning. Text messaging has been blamed for a reduction in spelling skills because of the use of abbreviations.Lack of personal support.Distance learning does not provide the personal support needed by most students as and when they need it, particularly crucial when a student lacks confidence or cannot interpret the written instructOver reliance e.g. if there is a power cut you cannot use it.

Feature Definition Advantage

Hatching or rendering Different finishes or materials can be displayed

Can do many ‘what if ‘ type investigations to explore the best finishes

Zoom Enhance parts of a drawing to make it bigger

To produce work of more detail or add detailed design

Rotate Rotate in 3D across X Y and Z axis

See design from all angles on the outside

Walkthrough Visit rooms etc in 2D Allows spatial awareness of what the design looks like in relation to other features

Costing Produce estimate of cost of building materials

Automatic estimates are given and designer can investigate different options or work within a budget.

Stress and strain Working out the weights materials can take

Avoids disasters later on when building as the designer should build well within the safety requirements

Wire drawings See design without any finishes or solid form

Helps with perspective and working out stresses and strain areas

CAD Computer Aided Design

C.A.M. Computer Aided Manufacturing

• Design with CAD

• Produce with CAM e.g. lathes in DT

ICT in Hospitals

Advantages

• Faster searches

• Reminder letters for appointments

• Keep files up to date

Database of patient records

Computer control in hospitals

Sensors

• Temperature

• Heart rate/pulse

• Blood pressure

• Breath gasses

• Brain wave patterns

• ECG

Advantages• 24 hour monitoring• Alarms or immediate response if problem arises• Trend analysis for research work

Disadvantages

• Over reliance

• Expensive to buy

• Specialist staff to maintain equipment.

Computer control in hospitals

Scanners

• MRI Magnetic resonance image

• Takes slices of images through the body

• CAT Computerised axial tomographyAdvantages

•Allow doctors to see inside the body without surgery

•Less chance of post operation infections

•More accurate diagnosis

Disadvantages

•Very expensive

•Over reliance may loose traditional diagnostic skills

Life supportLife support

Intensive care units need

• Power supply backup

• Computer backup

New developments

• Bar coding of blood and tracking systems

• Electronic patient record keeping

• Distributed medical databases

• Use of internet, email and video for medical diagnosis

• Online access to medical journals

Expert Systems

• An expert system is a computer system which emulates the decision-making ability of a human expert.

• A knowledge-based system which attempts to replace a human 'expert' in a particular field.

• It diagnoses problems and gives advice on that the cause of those problems are. They can also give advice on solutions.

Medical diagnosis The computer does not take the place of the doctor but can be used to help the doctor make decisions.An expert system would have information about diseases and their symptoms, the drugs used in treatments etc.

A patient is asked by a doctor about symptoms and the replies are input to the expert system. The computer searches its database, uses its rules and makes suggestions about the disease and its treatments. Sometimes probabilities are assigned to diagnoses.

Advantages.• The computer can store far more information than a human. It can draw on a wide variety of sources such

as stored knowledge from books case studies to help in diagnosis and advice.• The computer does not 'forget' or make mistakes. • Data can be kept up-to-date. • The expert system is always available 24 hours a day and will never 'retire'. • The system can be used at a distance over a network. So rural areas or even poorer third world countries

have access to experts.• Provides accurate predictions with probabilities of all possible problems with more accurate advice.• Some people prefer the privacy of talking to a computer.

Limitations /Disadvantages of expert systems • Over reliance upon computers• Some ‘ experts’ could loose their jobs or not be given training if computers are available to do the job. • Lacks the 'human touch'! – lack of personal contact• Dependent upon the correct information being given. If data or rules wrong the wrong advice could be

given.• Expert systems have no "common sense". They have no understanding of what they are for, nor of what the

limits of their applicability are, nor of how their recommendations fit into a larger context. If MYCIN were told that a patient who has received a gunshot wound is bleeding to death, the program would attempt to diagnose a bacterial cause for the patient's symptoms.

• Expert systems can make absurd errors, such as prescribing an obviously incorrect dosage of a drug for a patient whose weight and age are accidentally swapped by the clerk.

Computers for home entertainment

• Interactive television

• Computer games

• Digital photography

• Music downloading and sound file creation

A gaming PC

Using a PC• You can buy a game on disc.• There are many gaming sites some of which some are free but

others you have to pay a subscription. • The speed of the processor is very important.Many PC users buy • Fast processors• graphics cards• sound cards and speakers• Joysticks gaming keypads steering wheels etc

Using Interactive digital TV• Sky has gaming channels

Problems

• Anti social behavior (not mixing with others).

• Lack of fitness through sitting down for long hours at a

• Cost Sky gaming cost 75p per minute of telephone charges.

Interactive TV

• Pay to view movies / sports channels

• Shopping

• Betting

• Dating

• Cinema and holiday booking

• Email

Online Booking SystemsBook cinema or theatre tickets, holidays etc.• Theatre and, concert tickets, holidays, flights etc, can be

booked using both interactive television and the Internet. The home user can now access remote online databases for their computer enquiry and booking system.

• People can search for holidays etc. to suit their requirements and make provisional or firm bookings

Advantages to the online booker• Services are available 24 hours a day• Bookings can be made at home• Alternatives can be proposed if first choice not available• Access to data on a wide range of holidays including

special offers.• Bookings are instantaneous so little possibility of

overbooking because once a seat or holiday is provisionally booked this will appear on the database

Tele-shopping / E-Commerce This means selling goods and services over the Internet or

through your interactive TV.On the Internet• Businesses set up websites on the Internet because...• ..they can advertise. It enables people to find out what

they do and what they sell. • ..people can email them with enquiries; orders; requests; • ..they can reach an international audience. Through the Interactive TV• There are special shopping channelsAdvantages • Can buy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year • No need to handle cash since all transactions are made

using cards • Less staff needed

Mobile phonesTo many people mobile phones are not only a form of communication but of entertainment•Advantages of mobile phone •Use anywhere there is a signal•Text messages•Voice mail•Alarm clock/time•Reminders/ to do list•Change ring tone•Record greeting message•Display photos/ pictures on screen•Radio

•Disadvantages of using mobile phones•No service•No battery/ run out of credits•Fined if used when driving•Run up large phone bills•Get mugged•• Some can receive the Internet

EFTPOS• Banks can move money between one bank

account and another electronically over computer networks. This is called Electronic Funds Transfer or EFT for short.

Online or Home banking • Customers can access their bank account

details from home across the Internet

Online banking

Advantages of home online banking

• Can buy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year • Customers don’t have to leave home to pay bills

etc so savings on postal or travel costs• No need to handle cash since all transactions are

made using cards –less chance of getting mugged• the transactions are automatic, saving staff costs • the customer can print off an on screen receipt • the delivery process can often be tracked online • goods are often discounted because of lower retail

costs

Problems• Hacking of credit card / debit card details - people who

might misuse the data.• Have to pay telephone charges whilst online.

Security• Unauthorised access prevent by PASSWORDS or PIN

No• An authorisation and authorisation code are generated if

there is enough money in the shopper's account to pay for the goods. A record is created to settle up between the shopper and retailer's banks 2 or 3 days later. Alternatively, the authorisation may be rejected because of insufficient funds in the account leading to problems of not paying bills on time.

• Open to computer fraud e.g. ghost sites

Card crimes and prevention• Stealing cards at ATMs/ Stealing debit and credit cards• Do not write down PIN numbers• Do not let anyone see you typing in your Pin number • Photos on cards• Lower the amount that can be spent using cards before

seeking authorisation• Details of stolen cards put on POS terminals• Chip and PINCredit card fraud on the Internet and their misuse• Use agreed words on some sites• Use a secure service/ESCROWCard copying• Programmable smart cards to make data difficult to copy• Use of holograms to make cards difficult to copy.• Put extra 3 digit security code on back of cards

Digital photography

• Digital cameras• Flash memory• Dedicated photo printersAdvantages• Instant processing• Special effects• Print only what you want /electronic albumDisadvantages• Cost of photo paper and ink

Music and soundDownload music from the Internet. There are many sites where you

can listen to music both old and the latest releases as a try before you buy.

Problems• Copyright laws forbid the illegal copying of music including

downloading from illegal sites.Create own music using instruments such as electronic keyboards

with Midi interfaces• Digital sound technology allows you to create edit and hear your own

music. PC must be fitted with a quality sound card • Inputs can come from microphones, electronic keyboards, drums

etc. with midi interfaces

• MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is an industry standard format applied to instruments. It is a very compact format e.g. 1 minute of midi synthesized music takes up 30kb of disk space. Compared with 600kb of low quality recorded sound.

Music Software.There are three types of music software

A sequencer This is a multi track recording studio builds up complex files by layering them with simpler ones. ‘Magix Music Maker’ has over a 1000 sample music files and sounds which can be used by the non musician.

NotatorsThis is music composition software.Musicians write music scores in the traditional way on the computer and the computer plays it. Again it can be edited, change the tempo add lyrics extract individual instrument parts etc.

Sound Wave EditorsA third type of software allows you to edit sound waves. I.e. it allows the digitized sound wave pattern to be edited. It is often used to strip away ‘noise’. But it can also be used to change the words people have recorded. Software such as this has led to recorder evidence being discredited in some law cases.

In a supermarketInput devices POS HAND HELDBar code scanners SEC shelf edge computersCard scanners, Scales KeyboardsOutput devicesPrinters LCDSpeakersStorage devicesBranch and HQ file stores

ICT and Shopping

Lans and Wans

• The supermarket uses several computers which are located in a room known as the system office and form the supermarkets own LAN (Local Area Network). These computers are used to control the stock and are connected to the checkouts. These are the 'branch computers'. The computers are multi-functional, and each can access the data, which gives the management a number of access points.

• These branch computers are linked to a WAN (Wide Area Network) when linked to the Headquarters main computer system which in turn is linked to the distribution centre computers

Input devices

SEC (Shelf Edge Computers). These are used for price changes, creating stock pictures (information on stock totals) and for forecasting deliveries.

Located at each checkout is an ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE ( EPOS ) till. This EPOS till comprises a ,keyboard, barcode scannerset of scales, credit / debit card reader printer, digital display,

Barcodes

a) The first 2 digits represent the country from which the company producing the product comes. 50 - U.K. b) The next five digits represent the company which produced the product. 00208 - Lyons Tetley Ltd. c) The following five digits represent the product. 02100 - 80 Tea bags. d) The last number is a check digit. This is used to make sure the bar code has been read correctly. So 5000208021000 is the EAN for a box of 80 Tetley tea bags.

European Article Number or EAN. This is a thirteen digit number which can be used to uniquely identify a product. Each product to be sold must have an identifying code number which is different from that of every other product. Different sizes of the same product even need different code numbers.

Card readers

• Not every customer pays by cash or cheque though. Many now opt to pay by a debit card such as Switch or Delta. In these cases the customer’s card is swiped through the card reader which reads the information ( such as the account number and date of expiry ) held on the magnetic strip on the back of the card. The latest in store development has been the arrival of smart card readers at the EPOS. A debit card with a smart chip is placed in the reader and the customer then enters their PIN to authorise the money being taken out of their account. This is much more secure than signing a docket as it cannot be forged.

Finding the price

The branch computer then searches its stock file for the product matching the EAN number. When this record is located the price and description of the product is extracted and sent back to the EPOS till at the checkout which then shows this item and price on the digital display, prints them on a receipt and adds the price to the total. At the same time, the branch computer records that one of this item has been sold

The scales at the EPOS till are also linked up to the branch computer. As well as giving the description and price. The weight of the product is also deducted from the stock file.

Output devices

Printer• As well as printing an itemised receipt, the

printer attached to the EPOS till can also print the name of the supermarket, the date and the amount owing on cheques and debit / credit card vouchers. This lessens the chance of mistakes as well as minimising the amount of time a customer has to spend at the checkout

LCD Display• Customer can see prices and total amount

owed.

Special offers and loyalty cards

• Special offers such as Multibuy - "Buy two and get one free" or LinkSave - "Buy one product and save 50% on another" could not be offered before the introduction of Information Technology. As bar codes are scanned, the branch computer looks for items which are on special offer and discounts the prices where necessary.

Storage

• There are, in fact, six branch computers linked to the EPOS terminals at the checkouts. They all record information about items sold and provide backup for each other. If only one computer was used and it broke down, the supermarket could not function. These branch computers are linked via the satellite links to a large main computer housed at the supermarket's head office elsewhere in the country. All branches of this supermarket are also linked in this way to the main computer and this is an example o an extranet.

Stock Control

• The branch computer sends the details of every individual sale to the main computer at the H Q updates its record of the number in stock of every item in the store.

• SEC allows managers to get a real time stock picture and allows a manager to escalate stock deliveries from nothing to 72 hours to 48 hours

• Using a forecast of sales along with other factors ( such as the weather and the time of the year etc. ) the system automatically orders the correct amount of stock required by the store for the next available delivery 48 or 72 hours ahead.

• The main computer also transmits these orders to computers in the distribution centres across the satellite link.

• Distribution centres then deliver the required stock to the stores immediately.

• Price changes and prices of new products, special offers etc. are sent back to branch computer in the supermarket.

• New shelf labels are printed and the night staff of the supermarket place these on the shelves

Shopping patterns

• on the main computer at the Head Office to build up a 'profile' or description of the way in which its customers shop

• From this sort of information, the amount of shelf space to be given to a product can be calculated.

JUST IN TIME v STANDARD METHOD OF STOCK CONTROLThe ‘just-in-time’ system takes advantage of a stock information system. As products pass through the electronic points of sales (EPOS), the relevant data is sent to a database containing information about stock levels. When stock falls below a set level more is ordered. Thus only a bare minimum of necessary stock is ordered and there is no need to maintain a large, fully stocked warehouse. In some cases the system is fully automated, working out how what stock is needed and electronically processing and communicating the order.

Advantages• Money is saved because less warehouse space needs to be

purchased and maintained.• Economies can be made in regard to labour costs, i.e. fewer staff

are needed.• The business is more aware of and more responsive to changes in

supply and demand

Disadvantages

• If there is disruption to the transport system, shops and businesses will quickly run out of stock.

• Shops can still be caught out by sudden changes in buying patterns. In such cases they often find themselves without the stock the customers are asking for.

• An ICT system can be costly to set up and maintain, and expertise - which may also be costly – will be needed to run it.

E Commerce

• As a means of communicating information about the products and services they offer;

• As a ‘virtual shop’, allowing customers to purchase goods and services online;

• As a free service which makes money by advertisers to use the site;

• As a subscription service, e.g. allowing subscribers access to valuable information such as might be contained in research papers;

• As an interactive site that encourages customers to give them feedback on their products.

Steps in interactive shopping• The customer views the company’s products via a

website and selects the object(s) for purchase.• The customer enters his order, together with credit

card details, via an on-screen form.• An encryption system or secure link is used to protect

the transaction and to ensure credit card details are not accessible.

• The order is received and sent to a database.• The information in the database is communicated to a

distribution centre where orders are made up.• The order is delivered to the customer.

Advantages to the customer

• Customers do not have to travel long distances to the shops and struggle through crowds to make their purchases.

• It can be beneficial to those customers who are disabled or who, for some other reason find it difficult to travel to shops.

• New, smaller, more specialised businesses present themselves on the web, thus widening the range of goods and services available.

• Money doesn’t have to be spent on normal business overheads like renting shops and paying employees.

• Customers can be offered a much wider choice of goods because they can be ordered from suppliers as required rather than having to be kept available on the shelves all the time.

• Money is not tied up in unsold stock or wasted on products that aren’t popular.• Data about customers and their buying habits can be collected directly and used to

offer a much more personalised service tailored to suit the needs of an individual customer.

Advantages to the business

• Overheads can be cut. A web-based business does not necessarily need a high street shop and staff to run it. Small specialised concerns have therefore been able to establish themselves on the web with very little capital outlay.

• Many new businesses have been created via the Internet; some have been successful some not. The overall effect, however, has been to invigorate the business environment by introducing healthy competition.

Some difficulties

• Despite assurances by business that their sites are secure, many people are anxious about giving out their credit card details online. There have been sufficient examples of Internet-based credit cards fraud to justify this fear.

• Anybody can set up an online business and some websites are not run in an honest and reliable manner. Customers have ordered and paid for goods that have never arrived.

• Shopping is not just a functional act. It is also a social activity. People go shopping to be with their friends and enjoy the atmosphere of towns and cities.

Control in a supermarket• Computers are also used to control the freezers and chillers

throughout the store.. • A temperature sensor in each freezer or chiller constantly

MONITORS the temperature, sending data back to this computer which sends signals back, when needed, switching the individual freezer / chiller motors on or off, thus maintaining the correct temperatures. A display on each freezer / chiller shows the temperature to customers.

• This is called a 'closed loop control system'. • As can be seen from the diagram, the freezer can be either on or off

( the PROCESS ) which leads to the freezer being a certain temperature ( the RESULT ). The temperature of the freezer is then either too high, too low or alright and this FEEDBACK is used to change the process if necessary (turns the freezer from off to on, or on to off.)

• Every three or four hours, each freezer has to be defrosted and the computer controls this process as well.

Summary of advantages To the customer • faster and more efficient checkout services. • itemised till receipts. • products more tailored to their needs. • fresher goods due to low stock levels held by

supermarkets. • special offers. • benefits to the supermarket passed on in the way of

lower prices or increased • customer services and loyalty cards• various methods of payment. • chilled or frozen food kept at the correct temperature.

To the supermarket and its management

• efficient stock control, less chance of goods being out of stock.

• more efficient checkouts, less chance of errors by staff. * ability to use sales forecasts and 'profiles', leading to more efficient use of shelf space.

• little warehouse space required in each supermarket due to distribution system.

• ability to monitor the performance of checkout staff. • shelf pricing more cost effective than labels on products. • ability to use electronic funds transfer improves cash

flow. • effective management of chilled and frozen goods.

Disadvantages of using computer based shopping systems.

Automatic stock control• If there is disruption to the transport system,

shops and businesses will quickly run out of stock.

• Shops can still be caught out by sudden changes in buying patterns. In such cases they often find themselves without the stock the customers are asking for.

• An ICT system can be costly to set up and maintain, and expertise - which may also be costly – will be needed to run it

Disadvantages of E commerce

• Anybody can set up an online business and some websites are not run in an honest and reliable manner. Customers have ordered and paid for goods that have never arrived.

• Shopping is not just a functional act. It is also a social activity. People go shopping to be with their friends and enjoy the atmosphere of towns and cities.

• Online transactions require users to enter a debit or credit card number before a purchase can be completed. There is a danger of these numbers being intercepted by hackers during transmission and used to make unauthorised purchases. The use of agreed words, secure payment sites, encryption and smart cards can help to protect against this.

• Criminals can set up fake web sites offering goods or services often using the name of a genuine company. This can lead to people spending money on goods and services that they will never receive as well as damaging the reputation of a genuine business.

• It is much easier for a business to gather information about its rivals by simply accessing their web sites — this can make it much harder to remain competitive.

General disadvantages

• Over reliance assuming temperature sensors are correctly calibrated.

• Embarrassment if POS won’t read card

• Power cuts means shops will have to close