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Unit 1The Information Age

Advanced Applied ICT

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Outline

• Aim– To give people living 100 years from now, an idea of the

Information Age now.• How

– Research three key areas• Online services• Life in the information age• The Digital Divide

– Design, make and test an ebook.• Then

– Make an eportfolio consisting of your ebook, together with evidence of design, resources and testing.

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Assessment

• Marks are awarded for – Content– Effectiveness of the ebook– Quality of the ebook

• The examination board will expect to see – Evidence of design– Use of appropriate software– Bibliography– Original material (text, image, etc.)– Proof of testing– Accurate and legible text

• Higher marks are awarded for– Content– Use of the more advanced features.– A range of multimedia components, both ready-made and original

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Assessment (continued…)

• It is important to– Introduce each section– Use your own words– Provide non-linear means of navigation– Have a consistent design theme– Think about the quantity of text on a page– Use appropriate images (consider size, positioning)– Use screenshots– Use sound and video– Use ready-made multimedia components– Make your own multi-media components– Don’t use live links – they may not be around in 100 years

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Good Practice

• The ebook forms part of an eportfolio.– You will need to include design notes, sketches, bibliography, list of

source material etc.– Get into the habit of keeping these notes.

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The Information Age

The e-book will contain more detailed information but it is useful to give the future reader some background into the

current Information Age

The e-book will contain more detailed information but it is useful to give the future reader some background into the

current Information Age

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The Information Age

• Digital technology is having a profound effect on the way businesses and individuals operate.

• Information can be – Exchanged globally in milliseconds– Shared between millions of users simultaneously– Stored in small devices (USB sticks, iPods etc.)

• These opportunities exist because of new technologies.– The Internet– Multimedia– Broadband– Wireless– Digital and mobile technologies (TV, video, telephones)

• These technologies are always developing.

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An introduction

• What is the Internet ?• Who uses the Internet ?• What makes the Internet useful and exciting to use ?• You will need to give an overview of

– The Internet– Multimedia– Broadband– Wireless– Digital and mobile technologies

The e-book will contain more detailed information but it is useful to give the future

reader some background into the current Information Age

The e-book will contain more detailed information but it is useful to give the future

reader some background into the current Information Age

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The Internet

• The Internet is a network that links computers globally.

• To access the Internet, these factors need to be considered– Hardware (Computers, GPS etc..)– Software (Browsers)– Services (ISP

• These are some of ways of accessing the Internet– Broadband– ADSL– Cable– ISDN– T3

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The Internet

• Connection speed and reliability need to be considered• In some areas, upgraded services are being introduced while in other areas,

widely accepted services are not available.• Costs of services need to be considered

– Speed– Usage– Permanent connection– Reliability

• Newer technologies don’t require a PC to connect with the Internet– Email phones– WAP, SMS phones– Games consoles– PDAs and organisers– Telephone booths / kiosks– Set-top boxes– Fridges !– GPS

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The Internet

• Software – Most operating systems have integrated Internet access software

including• Dial-up networking• Browsers

• Services– Once connected via an ISP, the following services are available

• E-mail• Web-browsing• FTP• Newsgroups• Internet relay chat• Web space• Web hosting• Help

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Multimedia

• Multimedia tools are used to generate– Pictures and graphics– Moving images– Sounds

• Multimedia can enhance– Documents– Presentations– Web-pages– E-books

• Good multimedia products provide a rich environment in which the user interacts and experiences a range of multimedia products.

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Broadband

• Broadband is a very high-speed connection to the Internet.• There are a range of services at a different costs.

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Wireless, digital and mobile technologies

• There is a wide range of wireless technologies– Local wireless

• Keyboards, mice using Infrared or radio technologies• Bluetooth

– Wireless networks• WLAN-enabled devices can be connected at any time• Laptops, e-zones

– Mobile phone networks• Increased services and speed has led to far greater flexibility.• Now used for voice, text, video• Live TV being trialled

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Digital television and video

• DTV is replacing analogue TV.• DTV has these advantages

– Greater image resolution– Smaller bandwidth– Compatible with computers and the Internet– Interactive– Superior audio quality– More consistent reception

• DVD is replacing video tapes.

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Your introduction

• Write a background into the Internet.• Include brief descriptions of

– The Internet– Multimedia– Broadband– Wireless, digital and mobile technologies– Digital TV and radio

• Write a background into the Internet.• Include brief descriptions of

– The Internet– Multimedia– Broadband– Wireless, digital and mobile technologies– Digital TV and radio

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The opportunities of the information age

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Presentation of information

• Organisations can create templates that can be used on a national or global basis.

• Multimedia tools allow the development of – More creative designs– More visual content– More interactivity

• These features are widely used in– Presentations (on-line and at conferences or meetings)– Websites

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Sharing information quickly

• Information can be shared rapidly via the use of technologies such as– Email– Webcams– Video conferencing– Virtual communities

• Newsgroups• Chat rooms

• Mobile phone technologies are developing all the time and now offer– Voice transmission– Text and picture transmission– News

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Greater interactivity with others

• Effective and speedy interaction can be achieved via modern digital technologies– Internet, Intranet– Email– Etc.

• This allows far greater flexibility in where people work.• Software allows much more ‘collaboration’.• Geographical location may not be so important.

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Business opportunities

• Large and small businesses are affected.• Marks and Spencers, for example, may be losing money with their High

Street operations but increasing their sales via the Internet.• Small businesses can now have a global market.• There are pros and cons

– More profit– Fewer staff

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Virtual communities

• These have been set up on the Internet to bring together people with shared interests– Hobbies– Opinion groups– Homework help

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A self-service environment

• On-line banking• On-line shopping• On-line learning

• These sites can store your personal details and provide a personal service allowing you to carry out a transaction or download some information at the click of a button.

• Such features describe a self-sufficient system.

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Your introduction

• Add to your background a brief discussion of the Opportunities of the information age.

• Some ideas to describe– The presentation of information– Sharing information quickly– Greater interaction with others and organisations– Business opportunities large and small– Virtual communities– Mobile technologies– A self-service, self-sufficient environment

• Add to your background a brief discussion of the Opportunities of the information age.

• Some ideas to describe– The presentation of information– Sharing information quickly– Greater interaction with others and organisations– Business opportunities large and small– Virtual communities– Mobile technologies– A self-service, self-sufficient environment

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Issues and challenges

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Challenges

• The need to be lifelong learners– Online access to learning resources, courses, training opportunities– Employees and individuals must adapt to changing technologies

• Privacy rights– The Data Protection Act 1998

• Copyright and legislation– Copyright, Design and Patent Act

• Impacts on employment– ICT skills, training, costs

• The digital divide– Many people are excluded from the online world because of cost,

fear of technology, location.– What problems will they face and what can be done about it.

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Your introduction

• Add to your background a brief discussion of the Issues and challenges arising from the information age

• Some ideas– Lifelong learning– Privacy rights– Copyright and legislation– Impacts on employment– The digital divide

• Add to your background a brief discussion of the Issues and challenges arising from the information age

• Some ideas– Lifelong learning– Privacy rights– Copyright and legislation– Impacts on employment– The digital divide