SECTION 4:

APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION AND

COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

GENERAL OBJECTIVES
On completion of this Section, students should develop an awareness of: 1. 2. 3. the use of the computer and the implications of that use; trends in Internet and Communications Technology; careers in the field of Information Technology.

A:

INTERNET AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to: 1. use terms associated with communications and networks; data Definitions of data communication and network; types of networks: (local area network, wide area network, metropolitan area network), types of transmission media: cable/wired media (coaxial, fibre-optic, twisted pair), wireless media (satellite, microwave, infra-red), wireless network technology: (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), hotspot, modem, bandwidth (broadband, narrowband, voiceband), communication modes: (simplex, duplex, half duplex), pointto-point, and broadcast.

2. 3.

distinguish among Internet, intranet and Refer to glossary. extranet; explain concepts associated with the Including Electronic mail (e-mail), newsgroups, Internet Internet; Relay Chat (IRC), Telnet, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), upload, download, World Wide Web (WWW), web browser, HTTP, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML/XHTML), web page, website, blogging, webserver, URL, e-commerce, e-learning, HTTP, podcasting, bulletin board, VoIP. describe measures to secure data and Software Restrictions: passwords, encryption, virus maintain data integrity; protection, firewall; physical access restrictions: biometric systems, guards, locks; fire/water proof cabinets; archiving; backup and recovery procedures; propriety data and software.

4.

APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (contd) B: APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
Students should be able to: 5. outline ways by which information can Violation of privacy, propaganda, software piracy, computer be misused; fraud, electronic eavesdropping, industrial espionage, surveillance, storage of inaccurate information, identity theft, credit card fraud. describe appropriate hardware and Projects to determine the relevant hardware and software software to meet the particular needs (open source vs. proprietary) used in areas including of a given application; business, industry, science and technology, education, law enforcement, recreation, music, gaming. describe current and technological trends; emerging Expert systems, robots, CADD, CAE, CAM, telemarketing, teleconferencing.

CONTENT

6.

7. 8.

assess the impact of Information Computer skills used by office employees, teachers, engineers, medical personnel, musicians, mass media Technology on job skills and careers; personnel, law enforcement personnel, movie industry; loss of jobs; retraining; telecommuting. describe the roles of various personnel The functions of individuals in computer-related fields: 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.

9.

SECTION 4: APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

1. Use terms associated with data communications and networks;
Data Communication is broadly described as the transfer of information between two points. A network is a group of two or more computers linked together for the purpose of data exchange and to share resources. Types of Networks include: 1. Local Area Network 2. Wide Area Network 3. Metropolitan Area Network Local Area Network-is a computer network where computers are directly linked within a small geographical area, such as a room or school. Another Definition- Where two or more computers are directly linked in a small geographical area. Advantages Software and data files can be shared by many users. Users can work together on a single document Users can communicate using email It is usually cheaper to buy one copy of a software application and pay the licence fee for several machines, than to buy individual packages for each computer. (e.g. Microsoft operating system, cd, license) Disadvantages The initial set-up costs are high There is an increased risk of data corruption. Since many users will be using the system, there is greater chance of data being corrupted or tampered with Greater risk from viruses Star Topology-It is the most common type of network topology that is used in homes and offices. In the Star Topology there is a central connection point called the hub which is a computer hub or sometimes just a switch. A hub is a hardware device to which a number of computers can be connected. Data is transmitted from one computer to the next by packets. A packet containing the addresses of the sender and receiver is first sent to the central hub, which then sends the packet to the designated computer. NB: A Star Network Topology is best suited for smaller networks and works efficiently when there is limited number of nodes. One has to ensure that the hub or the central node is always working and extra security features should be added to the hub because it s the heart of the network.

Advantages The addition of new devices to the network is easy. If a computer stops working, the network is not affected. If one piece of cable is damaged, only one computer is affected. Disadvantages It requires more cabling. If the central computer or server malfunctions, the entire network will fail. Only one computer on the network can send data at any particular time. Ring Topology-Is a computer network configuration where each network computer and device is connected to each other forming a large circle (or similar shape). Advantages If a computer stops working, the other computers can continue to communicate. Communication is usually faster than with a line network. Disadvantages If the main cable is damaged, the entire network goes down. The entire network has to be shut down for any maintenance to be carried out The entire network becomes very difficult to maintain if it gets very large. Bus, Line or Tree Topology- It uses a common backbone to connect all devices. A single cable, the backbone functions as a shared communication medium that devices attach or tap into with an interface connector. A device wanting to communicate with another device on the network sends a broadcast message onto the wire that all other devices see, but only the intended recipient actually accepts and processes the message. Another definition- This is a single line or cable (also called the backbone) with nodes at different points. Servers, computers and other devices can be connected to any of the nodes on the line. Data is sent down the line in any direction in packets. Each packet has the address of its sender and the address of the intended receiver. Advantages Extending the network is very easy. New equipment can be connected to it simply by tapping into the main cable. It requires less hardware to set up. It is easy to configure. Disadvantages Any problems with the main cable may cause the whole network to malfunction. Packets of data may collide, resulting in loss of information. Wide Area Network-Is where networks are connected across a large geographical area such as a city, a state or a country. Information can be transmitted using special high-speed telephone lines, microwave links, satellite links or a combination of all three. Internet-It is a network of networks that connects computers worldwide via a huge set of telecommunications links.

Intranet-A network based on TCP/IP protocols (an internet) belonging to an organization, usually a corporation, accessible only by the organization's members, employees, or others with authorization. Metropolitan Area Network-MAN is a computer network where computers are directly linked together within a city or large University campus. There are two types of transmission media: i. Wired media ii. Wireless media Cable/Wired media transmit data using cables such as: Coaxial cables are used by cable TV and are common for data communications. Fibre Optic cables are strands of a special optical material as thin as a human hair that carries data over long distances. In optical fibres data is carried as light signals. Twisted Pair cabling is a type of wiring in which two conductors (the forward and return conductors of a single circuit) are twisted together for the purposes of cancelling out electromagnetic interference (EMI) from external sources. Unshielded Twisted Pair and Shielded Twisted Pair are types of twisted pair cabling. Wireless media transmit data using technologies such as: Satellite- This is man-made equipment that orbits around the Earth or the moon. It acts as a relay station in outer space. It accepts signals beamed to it from a point on Earth and then reflects the signal to another point. It can transmit data that includes text, voice, pictures and video. Microwave- These are very high-frequency signals that can be transmitted through space. In this communication channel the medium is not a solid substance but air itself. Infra-red- It is a wave of light that is in the area beyond the visible part of the colour spectrum. While it is invisible to the human eye, infrared is often used to enhance visibility when using night-vision devices.

Types of Wireless Technology include: Bluetooth is an open wireless protocol for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal- area networks. It can connect several devices, overcoming problems of synchronisation. Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)-This is a trademark of the Wi-Fi group for certified products based on the IEEE 802.11 standards (which is an organisation dealing with local-area networks and metropolitan-area networks). This certification warrants interoperability between different wireless devices. Wi-Fi is used by most personal computer operating systems, many video game consoles, laptops, smart phones, printers and other peripherals. Another Definition- A brand name certifying that a device or other product is compatible with a set of broadband wireless networking standards. Hotspot- is a physical location that offers Internet access over a wireless LAN through the use of a shared Internet connection and a single router. Router- is a device in computer networking that forwards data packets to their destinations, based on their addresses. Modem-The term modem is short for modulator - demodulator and is an electronic device that can convert digital signals into analogy signals and vice versa. The Acoustic Coupler- Is an apparatus usually used in combination with a telephone and a modem to create an internet connection between two computers, using telephony as a method of data transport. The Direct Connect Modem- Is a modem that connects directly to a telephone line via modular connectors rather than requiring an acoustic coupler. Almost all modern modems are directconnect. Bandwidth- This is a data transmission rate, that is, the maximum amount of information (bits/second) that can be transmitted along a channel. Types of bandwidth Broadband - This is the bandwidth that includes microwave, satellites, coaxial cable and fibre-optic channels. It describes a technology that provides bandwidth that is greater than that provided by ordinary telephone lines, that is, greater than 64 kilobits per second. It is used for very high-speed computers whose processors communicate directly with each other; the greater the bandwidth the greater the data carrying capacity. Narrowband - this is a term used to describe data that is transmitted at a slow speed (just over 10 characters per second) for example, telegraphed transmission. Voice band - This is the bandwidth of a standard telephone line and is used often for microcomputer transmission; the bps is between 110 and 9600.

Communication Modes Simplex-This is where data is transmitted in one direction. An example in computing is the interface between the keyboard and the computer, in that key codes need only be sent from the keyboard to the computer system. Half-Duplex This describes a channel that can send and receive data but not at the same time. An example of this would be the use of a walkie-talkie. Only one end transmits at a time; the other receives. Full Duplex - This is where data can travel in both directions simultaneously. There is no need to switch from transmit to receive mode as in half duplex. It is like a two-way bridge on a two-lane highway. Point-to-Point Transmission- This is a direct link between two objects (such as computers) in a network. Broadcast - This is the transmission of data to all connected stations simultaneously.

2. Distinguish among Internet, intranet and extranet;

The internet is the largest computer network system in the world. It consists of many smaller networks connected together by a global public network. Whereas an intranet is a private network that belongs to an organization, and is designed to be accessible by the organization's members, employees or others with authorization and on the other hand extranet is when part of an intranet is made accessible to customers, partners, suppliers or others outside a respective company.

3. Explain concepts associated with the Internet;

Electronic mail (email) these are mails or messages transmitted electronically by computers over communication channels. Messages are usually held in a central store for retrieval at the user's convenience. Advantages Messages are sent instantly, faster and more convenient Recipients can store, print, erase, edit or forward messages Disadvantages Email makes it very easy for computer viruses to spread You cannot send email to people who do not have an email account You cannot send parcels via an email Newsgroups- This is an online discussion group that covers a particular subject or interest. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) - This allows two or more people from all over the world to participate in live discussions. To participate in a discussion, the user must have on his/her computer special software (IRC client) and Internet connection. When you type a message, it is sent to the server and then relayed to the IRC clients of the other people in the discussion. Telnet-This allows you to connect to remote computers over a network called the Internet. Telnet programs activate if your computer is a terminal that is connected to the remote computer. People or companies can limit the privileges of persons who are logging on to their computers via telnet. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - This is a set of rules used to govern the sending and receiving of files on the Internet. It facilitates the transfer of larger files between your hard drive and servers connected to the Internet. One of the special features of FTP is that you can continue to download and upload file interruption, beginning where you left off. Upload-This is the process of reading data from a user's computer storage and sending it to another computer over communication channels.

Download-This is the process whereby programs or data are transferred over communications channels, from a computer and stored on media located on the user's computer. World Wide Web-This is just one component of the internet. It is basically a collection of text and media documents called web pages, some of which are linked. Web Browser-This is a program that allows users to view and explore information on the World Wide Web. Examples of popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. These browsers allow users to view graphics, video, text and animation. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) - this is a protocol used to request and transmit files, especially web pages and web page components, over the Internet or other computer network. Hypertext Markup Language(HTML/XHTML)- This is a markup language used to structure text and multimedia documents used extensively on the World Wide Web. Hypertexts are electronic documents that can contain text, tables, graphics, sounds and links to other documents. The links are called hyperlinks. Clicking on a hypertext link transports the user to another location on the web. This location can be on the same web page or website or a totally different website. Web page-This is a document on the World Wide Web consisting of an HTML file and any related files for scripts and graphics and often hyperlinked to other Web pages. Website-This is a set of interconnected web pages, usually including a home page, generally located on the same server, and prepared and maintained as a collection of information by a person, group or organization. Blogging- This is short for Web log. A blog is an online journal or diary of an individual's opinions and latest news. It is updated regularly, in chronological order. Webserver-This is a computer that delivers web pages. When a request is made to access a website, the request is sent to the web server. The server then fetches the page and sends it to your browser. Uniform Resource Locator (URL) - This is a unique address obtained by each page on the World Wide Web. It is basically the address of an Internet file. For example: www.google.com Electronic Commerce (E-commerce) - this is commonly known as (electronic marketing) or ecommerce. It consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. E-learning- It is the convergence of the Internet and learning, or Internet-enabled learning.

Podcasting- this is a form of audio broadcasting using the Internet; podcasting takes its name from a combination of iPod and broadcasting. It is a method of releasing files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe and receive new files automatically. Bulletin Board- this is used as a part of a communication network where users can post messages, read messages posted by other users, communicates with the system operator and uploads or download programs. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) - this is a protocol which governs the transmission of voice over the Internet.