Flashcards · 0417 · Topic 6

ICT applications flashcards

41 cards on Topic 6, subtopics 6.1 to 6.11. Pick a subtopic or study them all.

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6.1 Communication

Newsletter or poster as communication media: advantage and disadvantage: Advantage: no device or internet is needed to view it. Disadvantage: it cannot be updated once distributed, has no interactivity, and has printing and distribution costs.
Website as a communication medium: advantages and disadvantages: It can be updated at any time, hold more content and link to further detail. But it only reaches people with a device and internet access, and they must choose to visit it.
Media streaming vs ePublication: Streaming plays audio or video as the data arrives, without storing the full file, so it needs an ongoing connection. An ePublication is downloaded as a complete file and can then be read offline.
How does VoIP differ from a standard phone call?: VoIP carries voice as data over the internet, not over a dedicated voice channel. It can be much cheaper, especially internationally, but call quality depends on the internet connection.

6.2 Modelling applications

What is a computer model?: A computer representation of a real system, using data and rules, that predicts what would happen when the inputs change, so "what if" questions can be tested.
Give four uses of computer modelling on the 0417 syllabus: Any four of: personal finance, bridge and building design, flood water management, traffic management, weather forecasting.
Give three advantages of using a computer model: It is cheaper and safer than building or testing the real thing; many "what if" scenarios can be tried quickly; time can be speeded up to see long-term results; it can test situations too dangerous to try for real.
Give two disadvantages of a computer model: It is only as good as the data and rules used, so it may not reflect reality; complex models can be costly to build and need powerful computers and skilled staff.

6.3 Computer controlled systems

Give three uses of computer-controlled systems: Any three of: robots in manufacturing (welding, paint spraying, assembly), production line control, autonomous vehicles, automatic warehouses.
Advantages of robots on a production line: They work non-stop without breaks, give consistent quality, are accurate, and can work in conditions that are dangerous to people.
Disadvantages of computer-controlled manufacturing: High set-up and maintenance cost, job losses for unskilled workers, robots cannot easily cope with unexpected situations, and a fault can stop the whole line.

6.4 School management systems

What can a school management system be used for?: Registering attendance, recording and analysing learner performance, organising examinations and creating timetables.
Name three ways a school can register attendance automatically: Any three of: magnetic stripe cards, RFID (smart) cards, biometrics such as fingerprints or face recognition.
Why use biometrics rather than swipe cards for registration?: A biometric cannot be lost, forgotten or lent to another learner, so it is more reliable and secure. It costs more and raises privacy concerns about storing personal data.

6.5 Booking systems

Give four uses of online booking systems: Any four of: travel (flights, trains, holidays), concerts, cinemas, theatres, sporting events.
Advantages of online booking for the customer: Book at any time from anywhere; see availability and choose seats; compare prices; receive an e-ticket by email or phone; no queues.
Disadvantages of online booking: Needs a device and internet access; risk of fraud or hacking of payment details; no face-to-face help; some sites charge booking fees.
How does an online booking system prevent double booking?: When a seat is selected it is held, and once payment is confirmed the database is updated at once so the seat shows as unavailable to every other user.

6.6 Banking applications

What is electronic funds transfer (EFT)?: Moving money electronically from one bank account to another, e.g. for paying wages, with no cash or paper changing hands.
Give four things a customer can do at an ATM: Withdraw cash, check the account balance, deposit cash or cheques, print a mini statement, change the PIN, pay bills or top up a phone.
Internet banking: advantages and disadvantages: Advantages: bank at any time, no travel, easy to check accounts and pay bills. Disadvantages: risk of hacking and phishing, needs internet access, no face-to-face service, less social contact.
Describe the steps in withdrawing cash at an ATM: The card is inserted and read; the PIN is entered and checked; the amount is chosen; the bank checks the balance; if there is enough money, the account is debited, the card is returned and the cash is issued.

6.7 Computers in medicine

What information systems are used in medicine?: Patient records (details, history, tests, treatments) and pharmacy records (prescriptions, drug stock, checks for drug interactions and allergies).
Give four uses of 3D printing in medicine: Any four of: prosthetics, surgical and diagnostic aids (models of organs to plan operations), tissue engineering, artificial blood vessels, customised medicines.
Why are 3D-printed prosthetics an advantage?: They can be made to fit the individual exactly, quickly and at lower cost than traditional methods, and replaced easily as a child grows.

6.8 Expert systems

What is an expert system?: A computer system that copies the knowledge and reasoning of a human expert to give advice or a diagnosis in one subject area.
Name the five parts of an expert system: User interface, inference engine, knowledge base, rules base and explanation system.
Give five uses of expert systems: Any five of: medical diagnosis, car engine fault diagnosis, mineral prospecting, financial planning, chess games, route scheduling for deliveries, plant and animal identification.
What does the explanation system do?: It tells the user how the expert system reached its conclusion, often with the probability that the conclusion is correct.

6.9 Computers in the retail industry

What is a point-of-sale (POS) terminal?: A checkout till that reads bar codes, looks up each item's price and description in the stock database, adds up the bill, takes payment and prints a receipt.
How does automatic stock control work?: Each sale reduces the stock level in the database. When stock falls to the reorder level, the system automatically orders more from the supplier.
How does contactless card payment work?: The card or phone is held near the reader, which uses RFID or NFC to read the card details. No PIN is needed for small amounts, so it is fast, but a lost card could be misused up to the limit.
Internet shopping: advantages and disadvantages for the customer: Advantages: shop at any time, wider choice, easy price comparison, home delivery. Disadvantages: risk of fraud, cannot see or try goods, delivery costs and waits, needs internet access.

6.10 Recognition systems

Name five recognition systems on the 0417 syllabus: OMR, OCR, bar code and QR code readers, RFID, and biometric recognition. ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) is a use of OCR.
How does automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) work?: A camera captures an image of the vehicle; software finds the number plate and uses OCR to read the characters; the number is checked against a database, e.g. to open a car park barrier.
Give two uses of QR codes: Any two of: linking to a website or app, adverts, boarding passes and e-tickets, making payments, product information in shops.
Biometric recognition: advantages and disadvantages: Advantages: cannot be forgotten, lost or shared; hard to forge. Disadvantages: expensive equipment, can fail (e.g. a cut finger or poor lighting), and privacy concerns about storing personal data.

6.11 Satellite systems

How does GPS work out a position?: Satellites send signals with the exact time they were sent. The receiver uses the time each signal takes to arrive to find its distance from at least three satellites, and from these calculates its position.
Satellite navigation: advantages and disadvantages: Advantages: no paper maps, live route and traffic updates, estimated arrival time, fewer people getting lost. Disadvantages: maps may be out of date, signal loss in tunnels or cities, over-reliance by drivers.
What is a geographic information system (GIS)?: A system that captures, stores and displays data linked to locations, building up layers of information on a map, e.g. for planning or emergency services.
What are media communication satellites used for?: Satellite television, satellite phones and internet links, and relaying news broadcasts across the world.