Information Technology: Data Handling and Current Issues

• Change in the technological environment of information generation, transfer, and use is occurring at a rapid pace.
• It is becoming difficult to keep pace with the rate of change in technology.
• This session provides a follow-up discussion on the functions and use of technology to create, read, transmit, solve, and retrieve data and information.

Session Objectives

• Identify current information technology used to create, read, store, retrieve, and transmit data and information.
• Discuss the most critical current problems of information technology.

The Technological Environment

• The technological environment in information and communication changes so rapidly that it is difficult to keep up and label the changes as current.
• Cellular phone technology is an example of current technology.
• Examples of cell phones include Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, Nokia, One Plus, Google Pixel, and TECNO.

Data Creation and Conversion: Real-Time Monitoring Systems

• Real-time monitoring involves technologies that generate data on the spot.
• Real-time monitoring enables the continuous tracking and analysis of data with minimal delay.
• Quick detection of anomalies, performance issues, and critical events is possible with real-time monitoring.
• Medical applications of real-time monitoring systems include pulse oximetry, thermometers, and on-line electronic cardiography.
• Motion detection, polygraphs, and home alarm systems exemplify military, police, and security applications of real-time monitoring.
• Environmental systems employing real-time monitoring include Soil Moisture Sensors, Air Quality Monitors, GPS tracking systems, and Traffic Management Systems.
• Public toilets also utilize motion detectors to trigger automated flushing.
• The Internet of Things (IoT) facilitates IoT-based environmental sensors.

Artificial Intelligence

• There are numerous applications for data creation, conversion, and reading: machine translations.
• Expert systems interpret, predict, and recommend actions based on monitored data.
• AI is used in medical diagnostics to eliminate potential diseases and also for cybersecurity.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continued

• Virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa
• Recommendation systems used in e-commerce platforms.
• Fraud detection in financial institutions.
• Autonomous vehicles, also known as self-driving cars.
• Natural Learning Programmes (NLP) for chatbots and customer service.
• Image and facial recognition in security systems.
• Medical diagnosis and healthcare systems.

Social Media

• Social media helps to continuously track and analyze data.
• The X (Twitter) algorithm tailors content in feeds based on engagement, showing trending posts more prominently.
• On Facebook, organizations monitor post performance, measure user interactions, and understand audience demographics.
• Instagram Stories and live videos provide instantaneous content sharing and viewer feedback.

Information Creation and Manipulation Systems

• The modern technology environment offers a wide range of systems designed to create, manipulate, and analyze data and information.
• Examples of these systems include Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Smart Devices (Digitization), Social Media, and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).

Information Transmission

• The internet has fundamentally altered the way information is shared and accessed.
• The internet acts as a global medium that enables the quick and unlimited interchange of knowledge and information, linking individuals and organizations worldwide in ways that were previously imagined.
• The ability to send enormous volumes of data nearly immediately has caused significant changes in commerce, communication, education, and entertainment, encouraging new types of engagement and collaboration.
• Examples include Email services, Social Media, Cloud computing services, and Collaboration tools (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.).

Storage and Retrieval: Electronic Databases

• Cloud computing services (Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, etc.)
• Electronic databases (Oracle, MySQL)
• Digital Libraries (Google Books, Internet Archive)
• Data Warehouses
• Online databases (JSTOR, OPACS, EBSCOhost)

Interactive Systems

• Interactive systems provide real-time interaction between the user and the system, giving instant feedback to the user's input.
• Historically, systems used to record and provide access to information were static.
• Today, there are interactive systems that allow for creation, storage, and retrieval at the same time.
• Examples include E-Learning Platforms (Sakai), VR, Computer games, Blogs, WIKIs, and Wikipedia.

Difficultly in Preserving Digital Documents

• Data loss
• File format challenges
• Fragility of storage media
• Accessibility
• Security and privacy concerns (Hacking, Malware attacks, etc.)
• Lack of standards
• Copyright issues

Lecture Summary

• This session examined the use of technology to create, read, transmit, solve, and retrieve data and information.

Activities

• Identify current information technology used to create, read, store, retrieve, and transmit data and information.
• Discuss the most critical current problems of information technology.