Download - Computer Applications for Business (11)
BS1904 Week 11 1
Computer Applications for Business (11) Last week – successfully achieved:
» Wrap-up of Database work» Completing Mail-Merge with Database data» Mail-Merge with Spreadsheet data
This week:» Practice examinations
– http://www2.winchester.ac.uk/bm/courses/bs1904/index.html#exam» Operating Systems – introduction» What have we missed?
– Questionnaire design » Questionnaire to evaluate this module » Optional Practical: Excel Filtering and Pivot tables
– http://www.winchester.ac.uk/bm/courses/BS1904/BS1904wB.doc
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So far we’ve covered: Introduction to the role of IT in Business
» Operational, Production, Decision-support» Communications and how to get your point across
Word-processing» Fonts, Styles, Spell-checkers, Tables
Spreadsheets» “What if” models, Excel functions, Graphical reporting
Composite documents – putting things together Database
» Purposes; types; flat file versus Relational databases Mail-merge
» Driving Word from databases, spreadsheets and tables There’ll be more about managing Information in the degree,
but this module is the last “skill-based” one
Demonstrated in your
assignment
Exam
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What Else do you Need?
Let’s try to list any areas omitted:» For example:
– Graphics packages (CAD, image editors, Visio)– Multimedia – building/editing sound and movie clips– PC maintenance and enhancement– Fax– Statistical packages– Accounting packages– Other applications of what you already know
We’ll cover any burning issues next week
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Operating Systems
What you actually see on a computer» Windows, MacOS, zOS, VMS, UNIX
Provide the building blocks of complex systems» Common functions encapsulated» Microsoft (or Apple, or IBM) supplies code to drive disks,
so application programmer doesn’t need to do it again Controls the hardware of the computer
» Application program instructs OS what to do(doesn’t have authority to drive hardware)
» OS only performs valid actions Makes the computer appear to do several things at once Organizes saved data into files
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Understanding Hardware
Most of our experience is of an Operating System, not a computer» True of Windows, MacOS, UNIX, VM...» Today’s Macs run on Intel hardware, like Windows
Need to think in lower-level terms to understand what’s really happening» Many things become clearer as a result» Problem is that you can’t easily start a PC without
operating system» Even DOS hides files, output etc.
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ProcessorProcessorMemoryMemory
Disk StorageDisk StorageOther
long-term Storage
Other long-term Storage
1234567890-=QWERTYUIOP[]#ASDFGHJKL;’ZXCVBNM,./
Input (Data)
Output (Information)Bus
Modern Computer Architecture
Processor works on data in memory Other data flows through the bus
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Programming Languages
In the beginning» machine code
(1948 to around 1950) Then Assemblers developed
» translate 1:1 into machine code» Processor-dependent» As complex as the processor
(at least)» Still in use today
We used to include some of this in the module, to get students to understand what tiny things a computer does
High-level compiled languages (from 1956)» Processor-independent» FORTRAN, Cobol, ALGOL,
Pascal, C , PL/I
Interpreted languages» from late 1960s» Basic, APL, REXX
Object-oriented» Visual Basic, C++, Java
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Input and Output (I/O)
Peripherals are much slower than CPU or memory Programs would have to keep waiting if they output
direct to printer, or even to disk» Best to write results into Buffers – bit of memory from
where it will be copied to the output device» Stop processing every so often to copy some data
Today’s computers have special I/O processors» Separate dedicated processors that drive I/O devices
and have Direct memory access (DMA)» CPU fires off the I/O processor, then goes back to work
Printing is so slow we do it via SPOOL» Program writes to disk, OS later copies to the printer
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Operating Systems – Summary
Though the processor is simple and serial, we want to do more complex things, often several at once
An operating system is the program that:» Provides the building blocks of complex systems» Controls the hardware of the computer» Makes the computer appear to do several things at once
– It goes round looking for work; keystrokes, mouse clicks...– It then does a bit of the required work,– then looks for other things to do, and so on
» We say the machine is doing things “concurrently” – – they’re not simultaneous, but they look it!
» Organizes saved data into files
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Notes about the Examination
Entirely Practical» No printing: You’ll be given an exam account, and we will
mark what you store in its “My Documents”» Accounts should be logged on when the exam starts» Make sure you can extract contents from a zip file
Timing» Scheduled to last 1 hour 45 minutes
– Should be more than enough time to finish» 2-hour slot booked on exam timetable, because:
– You get extra time if you suffer a computer crash (rare, but it does happen – make sure you keep saving)
– May take longer than planned to log everybody on
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Purpose of the Examination
Goal is to check that you’ve achieved the learning outcomes not tested by the assignment» Familiarity with the Windows environment» Styles and fields in Word» Using the Access database (queries and a simple report)» Combining data and text with Mail-Merge
Only 25% of the total assessment
Designed to be progressive» Several database examples, starting with very easy» But even so there’s “low hanging fruit” throughout,
so don’t give up at the first thing you can’t do
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Practice Exams
The real exam will be different, but on similar lines» For practising, work on your normal IT account
Find a practice paper at http://www2.winchester.ac.uk/bm/courses/bs1904/index.html#exam
Also helps you find the files referred to in the papers Make sure you follow the instructions – remember:
» Download materials in to My Documents (don’t open them) » Never edit anything inside a zip file» Always extract materials into a folder in My Documents
Keep saving your work Close Access when you’ve finished making changes
» That way it saves everything cleanly
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Surveys
Including feedback on modules
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Surveying Opinions
Businesses need to know the opinions of:» Customers and prospective customers, for
– Market research– Satisfaction and Quality assessment
» Employees, for– Morale– Quality management
Need to:» Ask the right questions..» ..of the right people» Also have to process their answers thoughtfully
Usually accomplished with a questionnaire
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Questionnaire Design
Questionnaires have to:» Be Ethical: no impertinent questions; no risk to respondents» Engage support of respondents» Be easy to fill in» And be clear and free from accidental ambiguity» Match the way people think about the topic
Results will be used by the business» So conclusions should be clear» Respondents will also want to see the results
(to encourage future support, or to enhance morale) Specialized tools are available, but we can also:
» Develop the questionnaire with word processor» Analyse and present results with a spreadsheet
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Question Types
Matters of fact» Yes/No & other binary questions such as Male/Female» Numbers, selections from list, or values
Demographic questions – facts about the respondent» Needed to analyse views of subsets of respondents
“is popularity of deep-fried Mars bars highest in Scotland?”» Often involves putting oneself into a category
– under 20– 20-29– 30-39– 40 and over
Subjective views» Usually choosing points on a continuum of opinion
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Demographic Questions Some are very clear:
» Age, sex, post-code Others are much more difficult to pin down
» What is the “principal job responsibility” of the head physics teacher – management, teaching, admin?
» Does “income” include interest, spouse’s salary…? Even clear questions may be impertinent or intrusive
» Income, ethnic origin, political affiliations Some options for question design:
» Collect data (e.g. age) and divide into buckets later, or» Get respondent to choose a range (e.g. 45-54)» First is clearer and open to different analyses,
but may be viewed as too intrusive
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Question Clarity
Where you ask respondent to pick a category, think of logical way to list the categories:» Good
Tick the box corresponding to your age under 20 20-29 30-39 40 and over
» BadEnter the number corresponding to your age 1. under 20 2. 20-293. 30-39 4. 40 and over
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Multiple Answers
Some questions have more than one valid response, for example:
Which of the following cereals do you eat in a typical week? � Special K � Rice Krispies � Fibre 1 � Corn Flakes � Other branded cereal
(Kellogg's, Nestle, Jordan’s) � Supermarket or unbranded cereal � Porridge
To get the best responses, put most generic low in the list, otherwise people may tick general item before seeing the exact match
May be interesting to get items listed in a sequence» Put “1” by product you
eat most often, “2” by next...
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1 2 3 4 5
Verysatisfied
Satisfied Neither satisfiednor dissatisfied
Dissatisfied Verydissatisfied
Opinions
People’s views form part of a continuum» Questionnaire should reflect this:
» Try to make descriptions symmetrical:– Satisfied versus Dissatisfied – Agree versus Disagree (not “Oppose”)
» Otherwise you’re biasing the way people respond There’s a risk of respondents “sitting on the fence”
» Counter this by having an even number of opinions – no middle choice
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Be Consistent
If “1” is the most favourable response in one question, don’t make it the least favourable in another» May want to use letters where the values are reversed,
e.g. How long does it take you to find your chosen cereal?A) Over 2 minutesB) 1-2 minutesC) Under a minute
Avoid numbers where there’s no sequence of goodness» for example: Do you think the pace of the course was:
– Too slow– About right– Too fast
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Word-processing the Survey
Devise a consistent set of styles for:» Question heading» Question text» The bit the respondent answers – there will probably be
different styles for the various kinds of question, e.g.– Yes/No– Choosing from a list– Expressing an opinion (best to use a graphic)
» Any explanatory text Think about the respondent, not data-entry clerk
» You can always provide an overlay for this purpose» Or have small codes by the choices
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Data Analysis
Collect data for each respondent, for example in a database or spreadsheet
Decide on categories for analysis» Certainly analyse the “all-respondent” case» Plus any demographic splits (M/F, local/remote…)
Count responses for each part of each question» So if Q1 is a Y/N, count the number of Ys and Ns across
the selected population» If it’s an opinion, count the 1s, 2s, … 5s over respondents
Display the counts as percentage of responses» Don’t be tempted to “average” numeric responses
– 10 twos and 40 threes may be OK– 35 twos, 5 fours and 10 fives is not (still averages 2.8)
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Displaying Results
Bar charts are clear but space-consuming
For discrete information, need separate bars
For Opinion/distribution data, stack the bars
Can save space by making the bars horizontal
Be consistent with colours and direction» e.g. Good on left in Blue
Bad on right in RedNeutral in middle and blank
Student Origin
0
10
20
30
40
50
Winchester
Other Hampshire
Other S ofThames
Other UK
Other Europe
Outside Europe
Student evaluation
Very dissatisfied
Very satisfied
Pie-chart better here – why?
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Next Week
More exam practice
Revision of entire course
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Please do Survey before you Escape