ICT work { Grade 12 }

Digital divide:

Questions:

1. Define digital divide?
2. Identify the main effects of digital divide on the society?
3. Explain a real case study on bridging the digital divide gap?

Answers:

1. A digital divide is an economic inequality between groups, broadly construed, in terms of access to, use of, or knowledge ofinformation and communication technologies (ICT).  mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm                          
2. First of all: A person who is not really familiar with the modern gadgets will be forsaken and not wanted since he is considered an uneducated person. Second: If a country's economic condition is not well then there is a difficulty in providing the access to the internet, meaning that schools will no longer be able to teach ICT.  mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
3. People who are in less developed countries move to other countries in order to gain the knowledge they need and to not be considered one of those "who don't know". Even organizations send their employees to foreign countries to be educated and to help the organization.

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Case study: The effect of ICT on teachers:

Using the ICT is not only used in order to get into the internet or to play some games. ICT is now playing a major role in teaching, were most teachers use this technology to teach their students some concepts and basics.

No matter how well a teacher is teaching, they will indeed take the help of ICT.
Teachers can use: 

1. Smart boards.
2. Projectors.
3. Laptops and even iPads!

Teachers now have more access to any type of information anytime and anywhere, they can also multitask since they can use both smart boards and white/ chalk boards. 

Although there are many advantages, there are also drawbacks, such as:

Teachers may not be well knowledgeable on how to use ICT therefore they should be teached and teaching them from the start takes time.

Some ICT involved products may be costly.

Teachers may also find it easier to use the old ways.

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Online services ( Security of data ):

• Identify the main data security aspects in these categories:

1- Confidentiality of data:
Confidentiality is maintained through encryption of the data after it is processed.

2- Shop security:
For online payment and code services, public key systems are used to ensure the protection of data.

3- Online banking:
The user's data is protected by using three different methods, which are:
-Transaction Numbers (T.A.N), which are one-time passwords.
-Part of passwords: where users are required to fill in part of their passwords.
-Chip and PIN devices: they ensure that the data entered is correct.

4- Online shopping:
any customer using online shopping services should make sure that the data entered is secured using (S.S.L) or (T.S.L) protocols that are used in client-shop services.

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Online services ( Health ):

1. Identify the main health issues with online services.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which there is excessive pressure on the median nerve. This is the nerve in the wrist that allows feeling and movement to parts of the hand. 
It's symptoms are:

• Clumsiness of the hand when gripping objects.
• Numbness or tingling in the thumb and next two or three fingers of one or both hands.
• Numbness or tingling of the palm of the hand.
• Pain extending to the elbow.
• Pain in the wrist or hand in one or both hands.
• Problems with fine finger movements (coordination) in one or both hands.
• Wasting away of the muscle under the thumb (in advanced or long-term cases).
• Weak grip or difficulty carrying bags (a common complaint).
• Weakness in one or both hands.

It can be treated by:

• Wearing a splint at night for several weeks. If this does not help, you may need to wear the splint during the day as well.
• Avoid sleeping on your wrists.
• Placing warm and cold compresses on the affected area.

Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a temporary condition resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer display for protracted, uninterrupted periods of time.   
It's symptoms are:

• Headaches.
• Blurred vision.
• Neck pain.
• Redness in eyes.
• Eye strain.

It can be treated by:

• Make sure the lighting in the room is comfortable on the eyes, and prevents you from staring into glare on the computer screen
• Position the computer screen so that your head is in a naturally comfortable position while working
• Take breaks. A few minutes away from the computer can go a long way when it comes to your eyes. Think of it similarly to the way you take stretch breaks for your arms and back.
• Make sure your seat is comfortable. A comfortable chair with support for your neck and back will help you avoid neck and shoulder strain commonly associated with computer vision syndrome. 

2. Identify the main safety issues with online services.

People face great risks when online shopping, the chair should be set in a way that it won't harm the back of the user nor will it change the distance between the screen and the person's eyes. The plugs and wires should not be thrown all around the room since the user can step on them and trip also the large access of electricity can cause fires, so beware! Breaks, breaks are 100% necessary not only does your eyes need rest but also your brain!

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Data security and legal issues:

• What is the Data Protection Act?

According to Wikipedia, the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which defines UK law on the processing of data on identifiable living people. It is the main piece of legislation that governs the protection of personal data in the UK.

•  Who is the information commissioner?

In the UK, the ICO is a regulatory office or part of parliament that deals with the DPA. Its mission is uphold common rights and spread information and awareness.

• Who is the data controller?

A data controller is a person who specifies the amount of information that they would like to share and their purpose according to their wish.

• Who is the data subject?

An individual who is a subject of personal data is called a data subject.

• Who are the data users?

Data users are the people who hold personal data (for processing).

•  What is personal data?

Personal data is data consisting of information about a living individual who can be identified.

• List all eight points of the DPA.

The Data Protection Principles are requirements that data users must meet to comply with the Data Protection Act. These eight principles state that any personal data stored by a data user shall :

-be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully

-be held only for the lawful purposes described in the register entry

-be used only for those purposes and only be disclosed to those people in the register entry

-be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which they are held

-be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date

-be held no longer than is necessary for the registered purpose

-be surrounded by proper security.

-additionally an individual shall be entitled to access, have corrected, or have erased, data held about him by a data user.

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Online services:

Online services are any services that the world wide web provide to costumers anywhere any place
Online services allows us, costumers, to be provided with what we need at a click of a button.

• Advantages:

Easier to get services and products where you can get what you want from home.

Less cost sometimes. 

Reducing time wasted.

• Disadvantages:

Product may not be as shown in picture in real life.

Quality may be bad.

Shipping may be late.

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E-Commerce and Online Shopping:

• What is online shopping?

It's a process in which a costumer buys goods and services through the internet and the web.

• Advantages and Disadvantages!

ADVANTAGES:-Buyer can compare prices.

-Unlimited choice of goods and services.

-No time is wasted since you don't need to go to the mall.

DISADVANTAGES:-The quality may not be as good as it looks.

-May be expensive due to shipping.

• How does online shopping work?

-Open the website you want to buys stuff from, Example: http://markavip.com/om.
-Add items to your cart.
-Enter your information, take caution from hacks.
-Enter your credit card details. 
-Wait for your order! 

• What are the risks?

Online shopping can be really misleading, many people turned out losing their money after several attempts of online shopping, therefore you should take care! Buy things from trusted websites that someone else used and got their goods!

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Magazine:

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Evaluation:

It is the checking that the new system meets all expectations.

Once the new system has been implemented and is in full use, the system should be evaluated (this means that we take a long, critical look at it).

The purpose of an evaluation is to assess the system to see if it does what it was supposed to do, that it is working well, and that everyone is happy with it.

How is a System Evaluated?

The systems analyst will use a number of techniques to evaluate the system : 

• Check against the requirements Specification : 

The systems analyst will use the checklist of targets to check the new system. Going through therequirements one-by-one the analyst will check if they have been met.

• Check the users responses :

The systems analyst can get this feedback in the same way they collected information about the original system :

1. Questionnaires.
2. Interviews.
3. Observation.

• Identifying limitations of the system : 

The outcome of the evaluation will be to identify any limitations or problems with the new system.

• Making improvements to the system : 

The system analyst will then need to begin the task of system analysis from the beginning, but this time analyzing the new system, and then designing, testing and implementing improvements.

Here's my presentation on evaluation:

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Documentation:

Documentation is the process of writing down documents regarding the system you've been working for.

• User documentation:

The user documentation is intended to help the users of the system.The users are usually non-technical people, who don't need to know how the system works. They just need to know how to use it.

•  Technical documentation: 

The technical documentation is intended to help the maintainers of the system (the people who need to keep the system running smoothly, fix problems, etc.)The maintainers are usually technical people, who need to know exactlyhow the system works.There are two types of documentation that should be produced when creating a new system:

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Development and testing:

Testing the system is checking if the newly created system works as expected, does it work as it is supposed to be? It not, that's when the development part comes. If the system wasn't efficient enough it should be developed into an updated version, a version that'll be more efficient. 

A typical test would contain:

• Details of what is being tested.
• The test data to use.
• What is expected to happen when the test is performed.

When is the System Tested?

Testing is normally done in two stages..

• The first phase of testing is done by the designers and engineers who created the system, usually before the system is delivered to the customer. 
• The second phase of testing is done after the system has been delivered and installed with the customer.

If by any chance failures are found, the systems analyst goes back and does some further research, analysis and design to fix these areas.

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System design:

After analyzing a program comes the stage where you design your program, this is called the designing stage and it is the second stage.

• When designing a program, you should take these things into your considerations: 

1. The system should not be over elaborated.
2. The system should be attractive.
3. The system should include a manual for easier use.

The analyst receives information as input by collecting it in many ways, but the input should be esy to use, attractive, and reduce the chance of errors. The system will be presented as an output system, which also requires that the analyst makes it attractive by presenting it through graphs, sound clips, screen displays, or reports.

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Spreadsheet modeling:

• What is Spreadsheets modeling?

It is a computer program which allows you to edit, save or maintain data. This program helps you make your data in an attractive and appealing way.

• List three uses of Spreadsheets? 

1. It helps you produce charts and graphs according to the data you entered.

2. It can also help you calculate your gains, losses, profit etc. 

3. And if you're not bothered for math, it helps you calculate things in a brief and easy way! 

• What does a Csv. File stand for? 

It stands for: Comma separated value.

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Patriotism ( Value Week ):

'Patriotism has served, at different times, as widely different ends as a razor, which ought to be used in keeping your face clean and yet may be used to cut your own throat or that of an innocent person.'
Since it's patriotism week, today I'm going to talk about my beloved country Sultanate of Oman.
Sultanate of Oman is one of the gulf countries which is located in the middle east. Oman is ruled by his majesty Sultan 'Qaboos' since the 1970's where he was 30 at the time. Oman once won the gulf cup in 2008! Oman is a very beautiful country with a hot weather! 

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Implementation:

Implementation: 
Is the process of using or introducing a product to the general public.

Ways of implementation: 
There are four ways.

-By parallel running:
Running the new system while running the old system as well.
In case any problems occurs the workers can switch to the old system but it is also a long method to fully implement.

-By direct changeover:
The existing system is replaced by a new one. The old system is completely vanished.
It has a really low cost but there is no back up in case of errors.

-By phased implementation:
Introducing the system part by part.
The workers have time to get used to the system since it is introduced part by part but it is a really slow method of implementing.

-By pilot running:
Introducing the system to one part of the organization where the other remains the same.
In case of error not all branches are effected but it is a slow method of implementation.

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Calculating ISBN number:

ISBN numbers are the set of numbers under a bar code that identify each book in the vast galaxy of books.

We can check if they are correct by multiplying each digit by 1/3 alternating between each number except the last number. 

For example, the ISBN-13 check digit of 978-0-306-40615-? is calculated as follows:

s = 9×1 + 7×3 + 8×1 + 0×3 + 3×1 + 0×3 + 6×1 + 4×3 + 0×1 + 6×3 + 1×1 + 5×3

  =   9 +  21 +   8 +   0 +   3 +   0 +   6 +  12 +   0 +  18 +   1 +  15

  = 93

93 / 10 = 9 remainder 3

10 –  3 = 7

Therefore, we now know that the last digit is 7.

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System analysis: 

System analysis involves examining the existing system in detail. The system analyst must find out why the system has to be changed, by:

1.  Collecting information on how the existing system works.

2.  Establish the input, output and processing.

3.  Recording information.

4.  And finally, identifying the problem.

The first stage in system analysis, the system analyst has to collect information about how the is the current system so he will use these four methods:

1.  Examining of documents.

2.  Interviews.

3.  Observation.

4.  Questionnaires.

After the system analyst has finished collecting the information he needs to identify the input, output and processing and quit often this stage is done whilst producing a data flow diagram.

The system analyst needs now to record all the results in order to establish all the relevant features of the existing system.

Data flow diagram is a graphical method of recording the inputs, outputs and processing that have been identified.

It consists of four components:

1.  Terminator.

2.  Processes.

3.  Flow arrows.

4.  Stores.

Data flow chart is a generally a method of designing a systems solution and so is not found very frequently in the analysis stage.

Now the system analyst can identify the problems in the old system. Since he used the system data flow chart, it helped him to identify the problems.

After the data flow diagram  have been produced they are examined together with the other results of analysis such as interview transcripts and questionnaire analysis to identify the problems with the current system.

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System flowcharts:

In our ICT class the teacher asked us to organize a system flow chart based on a list that she gave us. 

Part ( 1 ).

Part ( 2 ).

I did this flowchart using Microsoft powerpoint!