Meta Info
- Article Title: IT Systems
- Author: Zac Gordon
- Publication Date: Aug, 12 2008
- Last Edited: Sep, 05 2008
- Categories: External Assessment, IB Terms
- Tags:
IT Systems
- 2.1 Basics: Hardware and Networks
- 2.1.1 Systems Fundamentals
- 2.1.2 Networks
- 2.2 Applications
- 2.3 Communication Systems
- 2.3.1 The Internet
- 2.3.2 Personal and Public Communications
- 2.4 Integrated Systems
- 2.4.1 Robotics
- 2.4.2 Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems
Taken from Fleming-Ruffner Magnet Center - Roanoke, Virginia ITGS website
2.1 Basics: Hardware and Networks
2.1.1 Systems Fundamentals
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems. These may include among others:
- health issues and ergonomics related to the use of hardware
- increase in teleworking and the virtual office
- password protection, security, biometrics and authorized access
- the economic value of information
- greater dependence of organizations on IT
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems, the systems must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include among others:
- advantages and disadvantages of analogue and digital data
- key terms like data, information, and hardware.
- operating systems
- responsible computer use
- a responsible and systematic approach to implementing or upgrading IT systems
2.1.2 Networks
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of networks. These may include among others:
- vulnerability of networks to intrusion
- ability to filter incoming data,
- need for interface standards
- implications of network failures
- need for network use policy
- ability to filter incoming data
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of networks the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:
- e-commerce
- security measures
- types of intrusion like viruses and hacking
- encryption and SSL
- key terms like LAN and WAN.
2.2 Applications
2.2.1 Software Fundamentals
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of software. These may include among others:
- interfaces adapted for the disabled
- bug-free software
- software piracy
- globalization of software
- use of password protection to prevent unauthorized access
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of software, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include among others:
- key terms like software and shareware
- GUI, command-line interface, and voice recognition.
2.2.2 Databases and Spreadsheets
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases and spreadsheets. These may include among others:
- privacy of information in different cultures
- rights of individuals with respect to the storage of personal data,
- ethical issues related to the collection and use of personal data
- ethical issues related to the selling of data stored in databases.
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These include:
- design and creation concepts like updating data
- storage and access concepts such as data mining and data matching
- presentation concepts such as special purpose databases in libraries or encyclopedia systems.
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of spreadsheets, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These include:
- design and creation concepts like cell, cell format
- storage and access concepts such as data transfer between a data base and a spreadsheet.
- presentation concepts like select print, use of appropriate graph or chart and special purpose spreadsheets
2.2.3 Word Processing and Desktop Publishing
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of word processing and desktop publishing (DTP), such as:
- social impacts of speech-enabled input / output
- economic effects of DTP on business
- the effects of word processing and DTP on the workplace like job loss.
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of word processing and desktop publishing, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:
- word processing versus page layout
- appropriate use of templates
- effective use of word processing functions
- appropriate use of fonts, white space and line spacing to create output which communicates effectively
2.2.4 Images, Sound and Presentations
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of images, sound and presentations, These may include among others:
- multimedia, slideshows, virtual reality, games,
- copyright issues
- biased information
- reliability of data
- surveillance and privacy.
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of images, sound and presentations, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These include:
- design and creation concepts such as data integrity and storage
- storage, processing and access concepts such as file formats, loading time, and portability.
2.2.5 Modeling and Simulations
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of modeling and simulations such as:
- reliability of predictions based on computer models like in global warming
- security issues involved in military simulations
- social impact of reliance on simulations to examine issues of public policy
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of modeling and simulations, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:
- key terms like model and simulation
- faulty or hidden assumptions
- processing power needed to create complex models
- visualization of information
- correspondence of the model with reality
2.2.6 Tutorials, Training and Wizards (Assistants)
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training, and wizards, such as:
- balance in responsibility between an individual and an organization for training
- the need for IT companies to consider global and cultural diversity when preparing training and tutorial software
- the requirement of organizations to provide training when implementing change
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training, and wizards, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:
- key terms such as tutorial software, training software, wizards and assistants
- using wizards, assistants and online assistants and web sites.
2.3 Communication Systems
2.3.1 The Internet
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of the Internet, such as:
- ethical considerations relating to the use of encryption and, to workplace monitoring
- social impact of global viruses and dependence on the Internet
- reliability of the information
- etiquette rules for appropriate behavior when using the Internet
- ethical considerations relating to workplace monitoring
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of Internet the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:
- viruses
- global databases
- encryption methods
- features of a web page
- the limiting effect of bandwidth
- means for blocking access to information
2.3.2 Personal and Public Communications
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of personal and public communications, such as:
- social effects of telecommuting
- effect on the environment of personal communication devices
- social effects of telecommuniting
- social effects of widespread use of teleconferencing and video conferencing
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of personal and public communications, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:
- face-to-face communication versus via technology
- mobile phones and associated services and uses
- personal mobile devices such as laptops and PDA
- key terms
- undetected intrusions into IT systems
2.4 Integrated Systems
2.4.1 Robotics
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of robotics, such as:
- social and economic effects of replacing people with robots in the work place
- ethical decisions regarding the use of robots in situations that endanger human beings
- social impact of human interaction with robots
- reliability of robotic devices
- social impact and ethical considerations regarding the use of robotics in medicine
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use robotics, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:
- key terms
- why robots don't have android human-like forms
- processing power in relation to the capabilities and limitations of robots
- the capabilities and limitations of robots with respect to vision, touch, sound and movement
2.4.2 Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems
Social and Ethical Issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of artificial intelligence and expert systems, such as:
- implications of creative production by computers using AI
- responsibility for the performance of an expert system
- social impact of using smart machines in every day life
- responsibility for the performance of an expert system
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of artificial intelligence and expert systems, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:
- key terms
- storage requirements for AI
- processing requirements for AI
- collection / creation of a knowledge base
- storage requirements for common-sense knowledge
- identifying domains that are suitable for expert systems
