Information Technology Study Guide

2017 – This is an OUTLINE of topics to be studied – use your notes and textbook to fill in details

FUNDAMENTALS OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Major functions of a general computer system are: input, processing, output, storage.

The major hardware components of a computer system are:

1. Central Processing Unit (CPU): control unit and ALU;
2. Main memory/immediate access storage: Bistable devices, PROM, EPROM, RAM, ROM
3. Secondary storage: Magnetic tape, floppy disk, hard disk (fixed head, moving head, external), optical
disks (CD, DVD), flash drive, flash memory cards.
4. Functions of these Input/output devices: Optical mark reader (OMR), character readers (OCR, MICR),
mouse, joystick, bar code reader, document scanner, light-pen, touch terminals, voice response unit,
pads and tablets, point of sale (POS), keyboard, digital camera, biometric systems, sensors, remote
control, sound capture, pointing devices, webcam.
Know and explain these terms:
 Read/write head,
 sectors,
 tracks,
 buffers,
 cylinders,
 access time,
 sequential access,
 direct access;
 SCSI,
 IDE,
 SATA.

Output devices
 Visual display units: (monitors) resolution, types, and sizes.
 Printers: impact and non-impact, types: (character, line, page, laser, inkjet, dot matrix). Characteristics:
(speed, quality, storage capacity); plotters;
 Audio output devices (for example speakers, head-phones, earphones);
 Microfilm.
 Terms such as hard copy, soft copy, human readable and machine–readable.

Data Storage and Manipulation:

1. Binary, octal and hexadecimal number systems;
2. Binary addition and subtraction.
3. Integers (positive and negative):
a. sign and magnitude,
b. BCD,
c. two’s complement;
4. Representation of characters using the ASCII code.

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Interpret the hardware specifications of a computer system by identifying:
 CPU type, speed, word size;
 Memory: capacity, type, speed.
 Hard drive: capacity, speed;
 Interfaces: fire wire, expansion slots, ports.
 Monitors: size, resolution type
 Operating System

System programs and application programs

Distinguish between systems programs and application programs;
Types of Systems software:
1. Operating systems
a. Functions: File management, memory management, security, device management, input/output
management, user interface, process management.
b. Examples: Windows 8, Mac OS X, Linux, Android
c. Execution modes: multitasking, multiprocessing and multiprogramming;
d. Processing modes: Batch processing, real-time, on-line, time-sharing
e. User interfaces:
i. Software interface: Command driven, graphical user interface (GUI, WIMP), menu
driven (pull-down and pop-up menus).
ii. Hardware interface: touch screens, non-visual interface, sensors, and Braille keyboards.
2. Translators
a. Interpreters
b. Compilers
3. Utilities:
a. Antivirus software
b. Backup
c. Disk clean-up
d. defragmenters

Types of Application software:

1. General purpose
a. Integrated software (Microsoft Works)
b. Software Suite (Microsoft Office)
2. Special purpose
a. Custom written
b. Customised software

INTERNET AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Networks
1. Types of networks: local area network, wide area network, metropolitan area network,
2. Types of transmission media:
a. cable/wired media: coaxial, fibre-optic, twisted pair,
b. wireless media: satellite, microwave, infra-red,
3. Wireless network technology: (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), hotspot, modem,
4. Bandwidth (broadband, narrowband, voiceband),

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 5. Communication modes: simplex, duplex, half duplex, point-to-point, and broadcast.
6. Distinguish among Internet, intranet and extranet;
7. Explain these concepts associated with the Internet;
a. Electronic mail (e-mail),
b. Newsgroups,
c. Internet Relay Chat (IRC),
d. Telnet,
e. File Transfer Protocol (FTP),
f. upload,
g. download,
h. World Wide Web (WWW),
i. web browser,
j. HTTP,
k. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML/XHTML),
l. Web page,
m. Website,
n. Blogging,
o. Webserver,
p. URL,
q. E-commerce,
r. E-learning,
s. Teleconferencing
t. Telecommuting
u. Pod-casting,
v. Bulletin board,
w. VoIP.

Data Security and Integrity

1. Identify internal and external; deliberate and accidental threats to data security and integrity
2. Measures to protect data:
a. Software Restrictions: passwords, encryption, virus protection, firewall;
b. Physical access restrictions: biometric systems, guards, locks; fire/water proof cabinets;
c. Procedural measures: archiving; backup and recovery procedures; propriety data and software.
3. Identify computer related crimes and misuse of data
a. Unauthorised access
b. Electronic Eavesdropping
c. Industrial Espionage
d. Surveillance
e. Internet fraud
f. Credit card fraud
g. Identity theft
h. Violation of privacy
i. Propaganda
j. Storage of inaccurate information
k. Copyright infringement and software piracy

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Current and emerging trends in technology

 Describe appropriate hardware and software to meet the particular needs of a given application/job or
situation; areas including business, industry, science and technology, education, law enforcement,
recreation, music, gaming.

 describe current and emerging technological trends;

o Expert systems,
o Robots,
o CADD,
o CAE,
o CAM,
o Telemarketing,
o Teleconferencing.
o Telecommuting

 Impact of Information Technology on job skills and careers;

o Computer skills used by office employees, teachers, engineers, medical personnel, musicians,
mass media personnel, law enforcement personnel, movie industry;
o loss of jobs;
o retraining;
o Telecommuting.

 Describe the roles of various personnel in computer-related professions: programmers, systems analysts
and designers, IT managers, systems programmers, database administrators, network administrators, IT
managers, file librarians, computer technicians, computer engineers, software engineers, software
testers, webmaster, web-developer, software trainer, multi-media artists.

INFORMATION PROCESSING

 Distinguish between data and information;

 Explain the characteristics and functions of Information Processing;
 Forms of Information Processing:
o Information processing systems take many forms depending on the environment in which they
are used:
Form of processing Example
Automation Bills produced by utilities
Process control Anti-lock brakes, light sensors
Commercial Banking, Stock market
Industrial Factories
Scientific Weather forecast
Information retrieval and CXC results, Facebook,
management fingerprint database
 Information retrieval: When data stored on a computer system is searched and the relevant information
is found.
 Information management: Ensuring that all data is input accurately, stored correctly, retrieved easily and
output in a way that provides useful information.
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 1. Identify the sources of data:
a. Source document,
b. turnaround document,
c. machine and human readable document.

Errors in data
At some point data must be entered manually into the computer system by data entry personnel. Humans are
prone to making mistakes – verification and validation are used to minimise or eliminate data capture errors.
Verification is performed by a human wheras validation can be performed by the information processing
system.

1. Verification – To ensure that that the data is entered with no errors and that it matches the data on the
source document.
a. Typographical errors (mistyping) and
b. Transposition errors (switching the position of adjacent digits)

2. Methods of verification:
a. Double-entry – data is entered twice usually by a different person; if data is different it is not
processed. e.g. entering password twice before it is processed.
b. Proofreading or visual verification

3. Validation – Ensure that data is accurate, complete and genuine i.e. that it conforms to a set of validation
rules.
4. Methods of validation:
a. Range check – ensures that numbers fall within a specified range e.g. in a date, the month cannot
be entered as a number above 12
b. Reasonableness check – ensures that the data is reasonable e.g. in a payroll system this check
will ensure that too many zeroes are not added by mistake.
c. Data type check – checks that the right type of data has been added e.g. the letter O is entered
instead of the digit 0.
d. Consistency check – compares data you have entered with other data already entered e.g. if you
entered a date of birth and then age this check makes sure both values are consistent.

1. File organization:
a. Sequential file ordering;
b. Serial
c. Indexed sequential
d. random,
2. File Access
a. Direct(random) access,
b. Sequential access.

3. Select appropriate file organization for particular application. For example, a payroll file would be
organized sequentially with sequential access.

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PROBLEM-SOLVING AND PROGRAM DESIGN

 The steps in problem-solving;

o Definition of the problem;
o Propose and evaluate solutions;
o Determination of the most efficient solution;
o Develop and represent algorithm;
o Test and validate the solution.

The components of a problem are: input; process; storage; output.

Distinguish between variables and constants;
Data types: Integers, real numbers, characters, strings (literals).

Algorithms:
1. Definition of algorithms;
2. Characteristics:
a. Finite number of steps,
b. Precise,
c. Unambiguous,
d. Flow of control from one process to another,
e. Comes to an end.
3. Construction and use of trace tables to determine result of an algorithm. Trace table consists of variable
names (identifiers) as column headings and values in the cells, one row for each pass.
4. Ways of representing algorithms:
a. Pseudocode Use of: Read, Input, Store Write, Output, Display, If-then; If-then-else;
For loop; While loop; Assignment symbol 
b. Sections in an algorithm written in pseudocode:
i. Title
ii. Description of problem
iii. Declare variables
iv. Initialize variable
v. Processing

c. Flowcharts;
i. Use of flowchart symbols: input/output, process, decision, directional arrows.

Truth Tables
 Use of relational operators: <, >, =, <=, > =, < >.
 Boolean (Logical) operators: AND, OR, NOT.
 Arithmetic operators: +‚ –‚ *, /, mod, div
 Use 1/0 T/F Yes/No

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PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

 Distinguish between low-level and high-level programming languages;

 Identify and distinguish the five generations of computer languages:
 Low-level language
o First Generation: Machine Language
o Second Generation: Assembly Language
 High- level language
o Third Generation: Pascal
o Fourth Generation: SQL
o Fifth Generation: Use English instructions without specifying the steps

 Steps to create a program:

o Create source code,
o Compile,
 Testing,
 debugging,
 syntax errors,
 logic errors,
 run-time errors,
 dry run,
 test data
o Create object code,
o Executing,
o Maintain program.

Pascal Code
 Declare variables and constants
o Use of meaningful variable names (identifiers) and constants;
o Elementary data types; Integers, real numbers, characters, string.
o Assign initial values.
 Use arrays to manipulate data in a list;
o Declare 1-dimensional arrays;
o Initialize arrays
o Reading from and writing to arrays;
o Traversing arrays;
o Linear search.
 Control Structures
o Conditional branching: if-then, if-then-else
o Loops: while, repeat, for.
 Use of keywords: write, writeln, read, readln
 Use of proper punctuation and syntax
 Use of documentation

PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Questions in paper 1 and 2 will also be set on Word-processing, Spreadsheets, Database management.
Questions in paper 1 will be set on Presentation Software and webpage design.
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