TM112 Introduction to Computing and Information Technology PDF

TM112: Introduction to Computing and Information Technology Meeting #1 Block 1 (Part 1) Living in a digital world OU Materials, PPT prepared by Dr. Ahmad Mikati December 31, 2 TM112-AOU 1 024  Overvi...

TM112: Introduction to Computing and Information Technology Meeting #1 Block 1 (Part 1) Living in a digital world OU Materials, PPT prepared by Dr. Ahmad Mikati December 31, 2 TM112-AOU 1 024  Overview In this block, you’ll experience and investigate a wide range of aspects of the digital world. Many of the things we enjoy – such as music, images, email and social networking – are based on digital technologies. You will see how advances in these technologies have led to them playing an increasingly significant role in our lives. Block 1 also introduces some of the key skills for study, including communication, numeracy, practical and professional skills, and digital and information literacy (DIL) skills, to help you 2 December 31, 20 TM112-AOU become 24 an effective learner.  Digital World Definition Part 1, Living in a digital world, explores what is meant by the ‘digital world’ in terms of the technologies involved, and introduces some of the legal, social and ethical considerations. Part 2, Binary data representation and computation, will provide you with a basic understanding of how computers represent and process data. The idea of using binary numbers to code digital representations is also introduced. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 3 24  Digital World Definition Part 3, Digital media, looks at how images and sound are represented as binary numbers in computers and you will use a sound editing program, called Audacity, to record and manipulate sound. Part 4, A world built of data, takes the idea of data representation further, exploring the relationship between data, computers and humans Part 6, Crossing boundaries, looks at human computer interfaces (HCI) as the shared boundaries between the user and the computer, and introduces you to concepts such as ‘usability’ and ‘accessibility December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 4 24  Part 1 Living in a digital world Contents 1.1 Computers and communications: from rarity to ubiquity 1.2 Some aspects of our digital world 1.3 Participating in a digital world 1.4 Online safety December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 5 24  Learning Outcomes After studying this lecture, you should be aware of, and understand: The concept of a ‘digital’ world. The role of information and communication technologies in a digital world. The legal, ethical and safety issues involved in the digital world. How to work collaboratively online applying netiquette principles. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 6 24 Computers and communications: From Rarity to Ubiquity The theme of this section is the development of digital technologies, from the physically large and highly expensive equipment of the 1950s to the omnipresent networks and computer-based devices upon which our digital lives are founded today. In this section you will: Compare the development of the computer to the development of the telephone Describe some of the digital technologies that form an integral part of many of our lives Introduce the term information society. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 7 24  The telephone Telephones were expensive to use. Few people had a home telephone and most of them made use of public telephone boxes. The high cost of using a telephone ensured they are not used frequently, and only for short calls. The advance in technology nowadays allowed users to make long-distance calls directly, without an operator, and to be charged only for the actual duration of the call. The telephone became easier and much cheaper to use; as a result, more people began to use it and for longer calls. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 8 24  Computer Inthe past, computers were huge, expensive, delicate and consumed a lot of electricity, wasting much of it as heat. Nowadays, a computer is just another item stocked in supermarkets. As computers have become cheaper and smaller, they have been incorporated into a range of devices that bear no resemblance to what was once thought of as a computer. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 9 24  Computer Powerful computers now sit at the heart of objects such as Smartphone's and games consoles, cars and vacuum cleaners. The cost of computer power continues to decrease, making it possible to incorporate computer technologies into almost any object, no matter how small, cheap or disposable. These smart devices are ‘talking’ to one another across the world via the internet, using the world wide web. Computers become more powerful and ever-present. They become ‘ubiquitous’: they are everywhere around us December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 10 24  Computer In the Smartphone, two previous separate technologies, computers and the mobile telephone systems, have become combined in one device. This convergence (merging) of computing and telephone technologies has resulted in new goods and services for people to buy and use. For example, many people who were not previously interested in computers are happy to take photographs on their mobile phones and share them. In this situation, the computer in the phone handles the processing of the photograph and enables it to be sent by email or uploaded to social media. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 11 24  The Internet and the web The internet is a global network of networks: an internetwork (hence its name). It is the infrastructure that connects computers together. The web (short for world wide web), on the other hand, is a service that links files across computers, allowing us to access and share information. Thus, the web is a software system that has been built upon the hardware of the internet. It is technically incorrect to refer to ‘searching’ or ‘browsing’ the internet. When you carry out an online search, you are in fact searching the web! December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 12 24  Networks and the internet As a result of advances in Information and communication technology (ICT), our notions of time and location are changing – distance is no longer a barrier to commercial or social contact for those of us connected to suitable networks. Consider a computer that is connected to the internet. This computer is part of a complex networked system consisting of wires and optical fibers, microwaves and lasers, switches and satellites, that encompasses almost every part of the world. This modern communications network enables us to use a cell phone anywhere, watch television in the middle of the Atlantic, do our banking on the train, or play games with a person on the other side December of the31,world 24 20 TM112-AOU 13  Information, knowledge and learning The end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century are often compared to other historical periods of great change, such as the Industrial Revolution, because of the huge technological changes that are happening in many areas of our lives. These developments are taking place in conjunction with correspondingly large social and economic changes, often characterised by the terms information society and network society. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 14 24  Information, knowledge and learning Another term you might have encountered is that of the knowledge society, which refers to the way that new information systems can transform human societies. Included in the knowledge society is the idea of the ‘learning society’. The pace of change is so rapid nowadays that learning can no longer be confined to our school years and early adulthood. Everyone must continue to learn throughout their adult lives in order to benefit from the economic opportunities that rapid development makes possible. Activity Can you think of an example where changes in technology have resulted in changes to your work, social or family life? Have those changes improved December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 15 your life? Have they created any problems? 24  Some aspects of our digital world Business Financial services: Every time you use a debit or credit card in a shop, the shop till communicates with a card terminal that transmits your identification details from your card to your bank for verification. Your balance is then adjusted according to your purchase. A similar chain of events is initiated if you shop online. Many banks also provide online banking services, reducing the need for customers to visit a branch. Automated teller machines (ATMs) allow you to check your bank balance and withdraw cash wherever you are in the world. In each of the above situations the machines involved are connected via a network to a central computer which has records of your account in an electronic filing system December 31, 20 16 known 24 as a database TM112-AOU  Some aspects of our digital world Financial services have undergone huge changes in recent years as a result of developments in the digital technologies driving them. The examples just described show how convenient and accessible such services have become. This new online ways of communicating have affected us: It created new types of crime, including identity theft and digital financial fraud. Banks have closed many branches, leading to job losses. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 17 24  Some aspects of our digital world Commerce: Advances in digital technologies have led to changes in many areas of commerce. One of the most obvious changes is the emergence of retailers such as Amazon, which has an online shop but no physical one that customers can visit. The internet not only benefits the largest companies, but also allows even the smallest retailers to advertise their services to a global audience. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 18 24  Some aspects of our digital world Advantages and disadvantages of online shopping: Advantages for Buyer: More choices Can often track goods Disadvantages for Buyer: Can’t try goods (e.g. shoes, clothes). Advantages for Seller : No need for a physical shop Disadvantages for Seller: Reliant on delivery services December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 19 24  Some aspects of our digital world Online retailers may try to address the disadvantages listed above by providing: free collection of returned items. links to online reviews of products to help advise prospective buyers. telephone helplines. support forums to help customers before and after buying. advice on how to shop safely online. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 20 24  Communities, information and Communitiesentertainment The internet has had an enormous impact on the way we communicate. Many people have internet access at home or at work. As a result, we have the opportunity to communicate with others using email, instant messaging and online discussion groups (forums). Existing communities have created new ways of communicating, and new online communities have developed. Social networking plays an increasingly significant role in the lives of many people. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 21 24  Communities, information and entertainment Information The internet has had a huge impact on the availability of information of all kinds. Material on the web reflects widely differing viewpoints, from official news bulletins to unofficial rumours, and comes from widely differing sources, from commercial megastores to community groups. Since no individual government, company or person has control over it, the internet has paved the way to unfettered publishing of information of all kinds, raising questions about the authority and regulation of this information. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 22 24  Communities, information and entertainment Information The widely used online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, for example, contains millions of articles, many of high-quality scholarship – but there are also articles that are of suspect quality and may even be deliberately misleading. Its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness in that anyone with an internet connection can edit its pages. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 23 24  Communities, information and entertainment Entertainment The world of entertainment is constantly evolving as new ways of creating and distributing the media we watch and listen to are developed. Digital broadcasting has changed the way we experience television and radio, with increasingly interactive and participative programmes. Digital cameras, printers and scanners, together with desktop publishing and photo-editing software, enable greater numbers of people to experiment with image production. Online image- and video-sharing sites allow anyone with access to a mobile phone or digital camera to share photos and videos with the rest of the online world. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 24 24  Security and risk With the vast amount of personal information being held about us in various places, it is becoming increasingly important for us to be able to prove our identities. This practice is not just for travel, but for other activities such as purchasing expensive or restricted items, paying bills and opening bank accounts. In several countries, identity card or passport schemes are being upgraded with new biometric technologies such as iris or face recognition, which claim to identify individuals uniquely. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 25 24  Participating in a digital world As well as the personal information that we know about, there may also exist information about us of which we are unaware. Since the terrorist attacks on the USA in 2001, much of the Western world has become far more security- conscious. Governments and companies alike have developed and deployed technological countermeasures. These range from smart video surveillance systems that can identify an individual in a crowd and track his or her movements, through to the biometric technologies mentioned above, to the searching of databases for suspicious activity. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 26 24  Participating in a digital world A Golden Rule relevant to good manners – ‘etiquette’ – when talking face to face states that “we should treat others as we would want them to treat us”. This rule is also relevant to online communication. To help us apply it, it has been developed into guidelines for online behaviour called ‘net etiquette’ or, more commonly, Netiquette. Netiquette is intended to make us all think about how we behave online and to make us aware of the effect our words could have on others reading them. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 27 24 Participating in a digital world Netiquette: respecting others online Thank, acknowledge and support people: People can’t see you nod, smile or frown as you read their messages. If they get no response, they may feel ignored and be discouraged from contributing further. Why not send a short reply? Acknowledge before differing: Before you disagree with someone, try to summarize the other person’s point in your own words. Then they know you are trying to understand them and will be more likely to take your view seriously. Make clear your perspective: Try to speak personally. That means avoiding statements like ‘This is the way it is …’ or ‘It is a fact that …’. These sound dogmatic and leave no room for anyone else’s perspective. Why not start by saying ‘I think …’ or ‘I feel …’? DON’T December 31, 20 24 TM112-AOU WRITE IN CAPITAL LETTERS – IT WILL COME OVER 28 AS SHOUTING!  Participating in a digital world Netiquette: respecting others online Other Cues Emotions can be easily misunderstood when you can’t see faces or body language. People may not realise you are joking, and irony and satire are easily missed – all good reasons to think before you send a message. To compensate for these restrictions, early internet users came up with the idea of the smiley face – :) or :-), which then grew into a whole family of emoticons. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 29 24  Moderation of forums Moderators are forum participants responsible for keeping order. They may have capabilities within the forum greater than those of other participants; for example, they can sometimes add new participants and suspend people who are abusive (rude). They also work to keep the discussions friendly and relevant to the forum. A forum with a moderator is said to be moderated. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 30 24  Participating in a digital world Useful points to note when you are using a forum are: 1. Keep to the subject, and pick the right forum for your contribution. 2. Before you write a message, check any rules about what is and is not considered acceptable in the forum. 3. Take a little time to use the forum’s search facilities to see if your question or topic has already been discussed or covered in a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs). 5. Don’t 4. Try to feel keepyou have your to postshort messages immediately. Take and to the your point. time to see what is being discussed and get a feel for the group you’re 6. Write a concise subject line (title) for your message. joining. 7. Keep to one subject (topic of discussion) per message. If you want to cover another subject, do it in another message. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 31 24  Ethical and legal considerations In using a computer for communications, you have many rights of free expression (within limits), but you also have certain responsibilities to respect others. At this stage of your studies you need to be aware of privacy, confidentiality in relation to online communications. These are the main points you should be aware of: 1. An email is generally considered to be equivalent to a private letter, and should not be quoted or forwarded to anyone else without the permission of the original sender 2. Considerations of plagiarism apply to online discussions. If you are quoting something written by others, put it in quotation marks and acknowledge. Plagiarism: cheating by using another person’s work as if it were your own. 3. Some forums are not wholly public in which case, messages should not be copied outside the forum. The forum’s terms of use December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 32 may24specify this.  Online safety The internet provides many ways for people to get in touch with each other, but this ease of contact can have downsides for the unwary (incautious). It can expose internet users to the dangers of malicious software, to unsolicited and annoyance emails, and to a variety of hoaxes. This section, will describe some of these problems and suggest how you can protect yourself from them in order to keep your personal data safe. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 33 24  Protecting your Computer There are four main ways to protect your computer: 1. Ensure that your computer has the latestpatch from the producer of your operating system (OS). Microsoft, Apple and other producers frequently issue patches for their products. 2. Make sure other software is kept up to date – Adobe Reader, Flash, Java and web browsers (such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, etc.). As new malware is discovered, so new versions of software are released that guard against it. 3. Installanti-virus software and keep it up to date. Anti- virus software catches a very high percentage of malware, but only if the version on your computer is regularly updated. 4. Use a piece of software called a firewall as it will to stop unauthorised access to your computer without impeding your own authorised online access. There may be a 34 December 31, 20 TM112-AOU firewall 24 built into your computer’s operating system; others may be present in the hardware that connects your  Protecting your computer As well as the technical protections described above, you should protect yourself by using anti-virus software to scan any files you receive before you open them. This should include: Files you download from the web. Files given to you on removable media such as a CD or memory stick. Files attached to emails. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 35 24  Spam Spam is the general term for unsolicited emails or text messages sent to large numbers of people. They could be hoax messages designed to mislead, or they could be used to advertise a product. In terms of advertising, spam is similar to the marketing leaflets and letters that drop through your letterbox at home. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 36 24  Spam Spam email can be sent only if the spammer (the person initiating the spam) has a collection of email addresses to send to. A ‘random email generator’ is a computer program that creates addresses by combining common surnames and online email account names, e.g. Gmail and Yahoo. Spammers may harvest vast numbers of email addresses, but not immediately know whether a particular email address is actually in use; it could be that the original owner of the address no longer uses it. Other ways to ‘harvest’ (gather) email addresses include: Accessing company databases. Searching websites. Searching online discussion groups. Including links in images within emails, which when clicked by the recipient inform the spammer that the message has been opened Infecting unprotected computers with malicious software to look for addresses. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 37 24  Spam Below are some guidelines for minimizing the spam you receive: Don’t reply to spam emails. Don’t use the unsubscribe option in response to unrequested emails. Don’t reveal your email address unless you want to receive mail from a particular source. Don’t post your email address on a website. Create a new email address when registering on websites or joining discussion groups. Set your email software to filter out unwanted messages. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 38 24  Hoaxes-Phishing A hoax message aims to mislead, often relying on the naivety (inexperience) of its recipients. Hoax messages can spread rapidly via email and forums, often passed by work colleagues, family, friends and even reputable online retailers. A hoax can generate spam when it directs the recipient to pass on the message, cause files to be deleted unnecessarily and potentially harmfully (by directing the user to delete them), and generally cause panic. A particular kind of hoax message aims to persuade users to disclose private information such as their credit card details and PIN. This is called phishing. The recipient of the message may be directed to a hoax website where they are requested to part with their details. December 31, 20 TM112-AOU 39 24