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Information Systems

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Learning Guide

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This learning guide supports the Wikiversity course Information Systems, available at https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Information_Systems.

Overview

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Information Systems/Collection/Sidebar

Information Systems is an introductory computer systems and applications course that includes hardware, peripherals, operating systems, applications, networking, Internet, security, information systems, system development, programming, databases, and social issues.

This course comprises 13 lessons on information systems and computer applications. Each lesson includes a combination of Wikipedia readings, YouTube videos, and hands-on learning activities. The course also assists learners in preparing for the CLEP Information Systems exam.

This entire Wikiversity course can be downloaded in book form by selecting Download Learning Guide in the sidebar. The corresponding Wikibook can be downloaded in book form by selecting Download Wikibook.

Preparation

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This is an introductory college-level information systems course. Learners should already have basic computer skills.

Lessons

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  1. Introduction
  2. Hardware
  3. Peripherals
  4. Operating Systems
  5. Applications
  6. Networking
  7. Internet
  8. Security
  9. Information Systems
  10. Systems Development
  11. Programming
  12. Databases
  13. Social Issues
  14. Review

See Also

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Bibliography

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  • CLEP: Information Systems
  • CLEP Information Systems 2015 Examination Guide
  • Beekman George, et al. (2012). Digital Planet: Tomorrow's Technology and You, Complete, 10th Edition. Pearson. ISBN 9780132091534
  • Bourgeois, David T. (2014). Information Systems for Business and Beyond. Saylor.org
  • Morley, Deborah, and Parker, Charles S. (2013). Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow, Comprehensive, 14th Edition. Cengage. ISBN 9781133190240
  • Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.

Lesson 1 - Introduction

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This lesson introduces computers applications, computer networking, information systems, and computer impacts on society.

Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the CLEP Information Systems exam are covered in other lessons. This lesson helps you:

  • Identify resources that may be used to study information systems
  • Understand basic computer and application concepts
  • Describe the sphere of influence of computers in our personal and work environment

Readings

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  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/What is a Computer?
  2. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers in Your Life
  3. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers to Fit Every Need
  4. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computer Networks and the Internet
  5. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers and Society

Multimedia

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  1. YouTube: What is a computer?
  2. YouTube: The History of Computers
  3. YouTube: Claude Shannon - Father of the Information Age
  4. YouTube: Moore's Law
  5. YouTube: The World Wide Web in Plain English
  6. YouTube: How to Follow Proper Netiquette Rules
  7. YouTube: Internet of Things Explained Simply
  8. YouTube: What is a Smartphone
  9. YouTube: What is a tablet?
  10. YouTube: What is an Information System?

Activities

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  1. Review Wikipedia: Moore's law. In 2005, Gordon Moore stated that this projection cannot be sustained indefinitely. Research current projections for the technical limits of Moore's law and any potential alternatives to sustain this growth in processing performance.
  2. Review After Moore's Law- The Future of Computing [7] to learn about future of computing- possible end of Moore’s law which will be disguised by the shift to cloud computing.
  3. Search the Internet for the top business computer vendors by market share. For one of the top three vendors, compare prices and capabilities for their tablets, laptops, desktops, workstations, servers, and thin clients. Consider how each of these devices might be a cost-effective solution in your school or business.
  4. Review Wikipedia: Internet of Things. Consider your own home, school, or work environment. Which devices in this environment would be more useful if they were connected to the network? Are there any associated security risks in connecting these devices? Would there be any privacy concerns if others were able to monitor your use of these devices?
  5. Review related online study materials using a textbook website such as Digital Planet: Exploring Our Digital Planet.
  6. Review Bureau of Labor Statistics: Computer and Information Technology Occupations to learn about information systems careers. Select one or more of the listed occupations and identify median pay, education requirements, and job outlook for that occupation.
  7. Review CLEP: Information Systems to learn about this exam and consider whether completing this exam would be beneficial for you. Practice using the sample questions and find out about the study resources available for this exam, including this Wikiversity learning project
  8. Review http://www.blurb.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-ebook/ to learn how to choose the right eBook or Tablet for you. In today's technologically savvy world, choosing the right handheld device that will fit your every day needs is not only essential, but required for work and educational purposes. Before spending what seems like a good chunk of change for an ebook or tablet, make sure you've chosen the right one for you.

Research and Discussion

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  1. Identify computers and information systems in your work and personal environments. How many different computer systems do you interact with on a daily basis?
  2. Research and compare different information systems. How do information systems and sources influence our personal and work environments? Is there an information system that could benefit you to increase your productivity?
  3. How are information technologies changing the way we interact with others in the workplace and in our personal lives? Describe the advantages and disadvantages.
  4. Describe digital tools that make you more productive at work or home. Identify digital tools that make you less productive.

Lesson Summary

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  • Computers and mobile devices have become an almost every-day use for individuals of every age. Having one at home or in the business environment will allow you to access the Internet, and be more knowledgeable, more efficient, and more productive.[source?]
  • Portable computers are compact and fully functioning versions of a regular desktop computer that are designed to be mobile. They allow freedom to move around while still being productive. Their mobility alongside their ability to operate similar to a desktop make them powerful tools for businessmen, students, and common individuals alike.[1]
  • Mainframe computers are much larger computers that consolidate the needs of large organizations like universities, hospitals, banks, government offices, etc.[2]
  • Data is essentially the raw (unorganized) facts that are usually typed into a computer.[3]
  • Information is the output. The computer processes the data and spits out the information.[4]
  • The term hardware refers to the components used to build a computer. Breaking down the components into categories, you will find five main groups: input, output, memory, CPU, and communications hardware.[5]
  • Communications hardware is important when it comes to letting computer users access information from the Internet, put information onto the Internet, or interact with other computer users on a network.[6]
  • Most personal computers are made up of a central processing unit, control circuitry on an integrated circuit, and various input/output devices.[7]
  • A URL uniquely identifies a specific Web page. The URL is composed of a communication protocol, (typically HTTP or HTTPS,) a domain name, and a page.[8]
  • Domain names are like fingerprints; two of the same cannot exist.[9]
  • Certain webpages have specific programs and algorithms that sort through the vast expanse of information available on the web. These websites work by processing keywords that are typed into the search bar and display a large list of webpages matching the keywords.[10]
  • Netiquette describes the do's and don'ts of online communicating.  Basic courtesy and common sense are generally the rule of the day when communicating, whether it is face-to-face or through the Internet.[11]
  • Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. It is generally a personal choice to uphold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standards.[12]
  • Advantages of computer use include improved efficiency, quality, communication, and collective knowledge.[13]
  • Disadvantages of computer use include excessive use, security and privacy concerns.[14]
  • Examples of an application include a word processor, a spreadsheet, an accounting application, a web browser, a media player, an aeronautical flight simulator, a console game or a photo editor.[15]
  • The term "app" is a shortening of the term "application software".[16]
  • Native mobile apps often stand in contrast to software applications that run on desktop computers, and with web applications which run in mobile web browsers rather than directly on the mobile device.[17]
  • Apps that are not pre installed are usually available through distribution platforms called app stores. They began appearing in 2008 and are typically operated by the owner of the mobile operating system, such as the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Phone Store, and BlackBerry App World.[18]
  • Computers at home are no longer limited to just desktops and laptops. Now many home appliances, such as thermostats, home entertainment systems and home security systems are controlled by computer resulting it what is called a smart home.[19]
  • Portable computers are not just laptops, they also include, but are not limited to, smart phones, smart watches and tablets.[20]
  • Children as young as kindergarten are using computers at school. This helps develop fundamental skills needed later in life.[21]
  • Tablets provide an instantaneous connection between parents, students, and teachers. It may be easy to lose a handwritten note or assignment, but as the tablet goes back and forth between home and school, parents can monitor their student’s assignments, teachers can notify parents, and all around connections can be sustained.[source?]

Key Terms

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application software
A set of computer programs designed to permit the user to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities.[22]
cell phone
See smartphone
computer programming
The process of developing and implementing various sets of instructions to enable a computer to do a certain task.[23]
data (raw data)
A collection of numbers or characters used as input to a system.[24]
data processing
The collection and manipulation of items of data (input) to produce meaningful information (output).[25]
desktop computer
A personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location due to its size and power requirements.[26]
digital divide
An economic and social inequality with regard to access to, use of, or impact of information and communication technologies.[27]
electronic mail (email or e-mail)
A method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients.[28]
embedded system
A computer system with a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electrical system, often with real-time computing constraints.[29]
hardware
Physical parts or components of a computer. It includes all the parts inside a computer and is tangible.[30]
industrial age
A period characterized by an economy organized for the purpose of manufacturing.[31]
Industrial Revolution
The transition to new manufacturing processes that included going from hand production methods to factories and machines.[32]
information age
A period characterized by an economy based on computerization.[33]
information
Output from a system that gives the answer to a question of some kind.[34]
information system (IS)
A set of components for collecting, creating, storing, processing and distributing information.[35]
integrated circuit (aka Silicon Chip)
A set of electronic circuits on a small plate or "chip" of semiconductor material, normally silicon.[36]
Internet
A global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link billions of devices worldwide.[37]
laptop computer
A portable personal computer with a clamshell form factor, suitable for mobile use.[38]
mainframe computer
Computers used primarily by large organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning and transaction processing.[39]
microprocessor
A computer processor that incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) on a single integrated circuit (IC), or at most a few integrated circuits.[40]
mobile app
A computer program designed to run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.[41]
Moore's Law
The observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years.[42]
netbook
A generic name given to a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive computers.[43]
netiquette (Internet or network etiquette)
A set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks.[44]
network
A telecommunications network which allows computers to exchange data.[45]
notebook computer
A generic name given to a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive computers that were introduced in 2007.[46]
operating systems (OS)
Collection of software that directs a computer's execution of other programs, manages storage, input/output, and communication resources.[47]
paradigm shift
A fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline.[48]
peripheral
An auxiliary device that connects to and works with the computer in some way.[49]
personal computer
A general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities and original sale price make it useful for individuals, and is intended to be operated directly by an end-user operated by a microprocessor.[50]
server
A computer that provides other network-connected computers with access to data and programs.[51]
Silicon Valley
A nickname for the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, which is home to many of the world's largest high-tech corporations, as well as thousands of tech startup companies.[52]
smart phone
A mobile phone with an advanced operating system which combines features of a personal computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use.[53]
supercomputer
A computer with a high-level computational capacity used for a wide range of computationally intensive tasks in various fields, including quantum mechanics, weather forecasting, climate research, oil and gas exploration, molecular modeling and physical simulations.[54]
system software
Computer software designed to provide services to other software such as operating systems.[55]
tablet computer
A type of portable PC that de-emphasizes the use of traditional input devices (such as a mouse or keyboard) by using a touchscreen display, which can be controlled using either a stylus pen or finger.[56]
terminal
An electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system.[57]
thin client
A computer or computer program that depends heavily on another computer to fulfill its computational roles.[58]
timesharing
The sharing of a computing resource among many users by means of multiprogramming and multi-tasking.[59]
transistor
A semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and electrical power. It is the fundamental building block of modern electronic devices.[60]
web browser
A software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.[61]
workstation
A special computer designed for technical or scientific applications and intended primarily to be used by one person at a time.[62]
World Wide Web
An information space where documents and other web resources are identified by URLs, interlinked by hypertext links, and can be accessed via the Internet.[63]

Review Questions

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Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. Today's world runs on computers. Computers are _____. Having one at home allows you to _____.
    Today's world runs on computers. Computers are efficient. Having one at home allows you to access the most informative tool known to mankind.
  2. Computers are used _____.
    Computers are used at home, in education, and in work environments.
  3. Computer types include _____.
    Computer types include embedded computers, mobile devices, personal computers, midrange servers, mainframe computers, and supercomputers.
  4. An embedded computer is _____.
    An embedded computer is a mini computer with a specific function within a product that completes detailed tasks or jobs for that product.
  5. Portable computers are _____.
    Portable computers are compact and fully functioning versions of a regular desktop computer that are designed to be mobile. They allow freedom to move around while still being productive. Their mobility alongside their ability to operate similar to a desktop make them powerful tools for businessmen, students, and common individuals alike.
  6. Mainframe computers are _____.
    Mainframe computers are much larger computers that consolidate the needs of large organizations like universities, hospitals, banks, government offices, etc.
  7. Data are essentially _____.
    Data are essentially the raw facts that are usually typed into a computer.
  8. Information is _____.
    Information is the output. The computer calculates the data and spits out the information.
  9. The term hardware refers to _____.
    The term hardware refers to the components used to build a computer. Breaking down the components into categories, you will find five main groups: input, output, memory, CPU, and communications hardware.
  10. Communications hardware is important when _____.
    Communications hardware is important when it comes to letting computer users access information from the Internet, put information onto the Internet, or interact with other computer users on a network.
  11. Most personal computers are made up of _____.
    Most personal computers are made up of a central processing unit, control circuitry on an integrated circuit, and various input/output devices.
  12. A URL uniquely identifies _____. The URL is composed of _____.
    A URL uniquely identifies a specific Web page. The URL is composed of a communication protocol, (typically HTTP or HTTPS,) a domain name, and a page.
  13. Domain names are like _____.
    Domain names are like fingerprints; two of the same cannot exist.
  14. Certain webpages have specific programs and algorithms that sort through the vast expanse of information available on the web. These websites work by _____.
    Certain webpages have specific programs and algorithms that sort through the vast expanse of information available on the web. These websites work by processing keywords that are typed into the search bar and display a large list of webpages matching the keywords.
  15. When communicating online, it is important to remember _____, and to follow _____.
    When communicating online, it is important to remember you are interacting with a human being, and to follow netiquette guidelines.
  16. The integrity factor is important when _____.
    The integrity factor is important when searching the Internet. Always verify the credibility of the information given.
  17. Advantages of computer use include _____.
    Advantages of computer use include improved efficiency, quality, communication, and collective knowledge.
  18. Disadvantages of computer use include _____.
    Disadvantages of computer use include excessive use, security and privacy concerns.
  19. Some examples of home computers, besides desktops and laptops are _____, _____ and _____.
    Computers at home are no longer limited to just desktops and laptops. Now many home appliances, such as thermostats, home entertainment systems and home security systems are controlled by computer resulting it what is called a smart home.
  20. Portable computers include _____, _____ and _____.
    Portable computers are not just laptops, they also include, but are not limited to, smart phones, smart watches and tablets.
  21. School age children are using computers to help _____.
    Children as young as kindergarten are using computers at school. This helps develop fundamental skills needed later in life.
  22. A tablet is a _____.
    A tablet is a small portable computer that accepts input directly onto its screen rather than via a keyboard or mouse.

Assessments

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See Also

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References

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Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers in Your Life
  2. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers to Fit Every Need
  3. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/What is a Computer?
  4. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/What is a Computer?
  5. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/What is a Computer?
  6. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/What is a Computer?
  7. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers to Fit Every Need
  8. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computer Networks and the Internet
  9. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computer Networks and the Internet
  10. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computer Networks and the Internet
  11. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers and Society
  12. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers and Society
  13. Wikibooks:Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers and Society
  14. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers and Society
  15. Wikipedia: Application software
  16. Wikipedia: Mobile App
  17. Wikipedia: Mobile App
  18. Wikipedia: Mobile App
  19. Wikibooks:Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers in Your Life
  20. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers in Your Life
  21. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computers in Your Life
  22. Wikipedia: Application software
  23. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/computer-programming.html
  24. Wikipedia: Data
  25. Wikipedia: Data processing
  26. Wikipedia: Desktop computer
  27. Wikipedia: Digital divide
  28. Wikipedia: Email
  29. Wikipedia:Embedded system
  30. http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-computer-hardware-components-definition-examples.html
  31. Wikipedia: Industrialization
  32. Wikipedia: Industrial Revolution
  33. Wikipedia: Information Age
  34. Wikipedia: Information
  35. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/information-system
  36. Wikipedia: Integrated Circuit
  37. Wikipedia: Internet
  38. wikipedia: Laptop
  39. Wikipedia: Mainframe computer
  40. Wikipedia: Microprocessor
  41. Wikipedia: Mobile app
  42. Wikipedia: Moore's Law
  43. Wikipedia: Netbook
  44. Wikipedia: Etiquette in technology
  45. Wikipedia: Computer_network
  46. Wikipedia: Laptop
  47. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/operating-system?s=t
  48. Wikipedia: Paradigm shift
  49. Wikipedia: Peripheral
  50. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  51. Wikipedia: Server (computing)
  52. Wikipedia: Silicon Valley
  53. Wikipedia: Smartphone
  54. Wikipedia: Supercomputer
  55. Wikipedia: System software
  56. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  57. Wikipedia: Computer terminal
  58. Wikipedia: Thin client
  59. Wikipedia: Time-sharing
  60. Wikipedia: Transistor
  61. Wikipedia: Web browser
  62. Wikipedia: Workstation
  63. Wikipedia: World Wide Web

Lesson 2 - Hardware

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personal computer exploded view

Hardware refers to the physical parts or components of a computer. System hardware includes components such as the CPU, hard disk drive, graphic cards, sound cards, RAM, power supply unit, motherboard, etc.[1] This lesson covers internal system components. Peripherals, such as keyboards, displays, pointing devices, and printers, are covered in the next lesson.


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the hardware portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Concepts of computer architectures (mainframe, client/server, operating systems)
  • Devices (processing, storage, input and output, telecommunications, networking)
  • Functions (computer, telecommunications, network hardware)

Readings

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  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/The System Unit
  2. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  3. Wikipedia: Computer hardware
  4. Wikipedia: Computer architecture
  5. Wikipedia: Server (computing)

Multimedia

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  1. YouTube: Basic breakdown to build your own machine!
  2. HowStuffWorks: Computer hardware pictures.
  3. YouTube: Tour of the parts inside a computer.
  4. YouTube: Computer basics - Hardware.
  5. YouTube: Intro to binary numbers.
  6. YouTube: Inside your computer.
  7. YouTube: How a CPU works.
  8. YouTube: Binary numbers.
  9. YouTube: Conversion of decimal number to Binary/Hexadecimal/Octal number and vice versa using a calculator.
  10. YouTube: What kind of computer should I get?
  11. YouTube: How to swap hard drives.
  12. YouTube: Input, Processing, Output & Feedback - Information system components.
  13. YouTube: How to build a PC.
  14. YouTube: Air vs Liquid cooling.
  15. YouTube: How to upgrade your PC with a new graphics card.
  16. YouTube: How does RAM Work?
  17. YouTube: Hardware Basics

Activities

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  1. Use Quia: Computer Basics to play an interactive game where you match key computer hardware terms with definitions.
  2. Review edc.org: Identify Computer Components. Identify computer components in your system.
  3. Run the System Information or List Hardware utility for your operating system:
  4. Create an inventory list of all internal hardware components in your system. Using your preferred hardware vendor, check the hardware specifications for a new system. How recent is your hardware? Is the same technology still in use on current systems?
  5. Review the Consumer Reports "Computer Buying Guide". Visit your favorite computer retailer's website and go "shopping" for a new computer or familiarize yourself with the hardware of a computer at PCPartPicker and build your own system.
  6. To understand how a CPU works, review MathsIsFun: Binary, Decimal and Hexadecimal Numbers and MathsIsFun: Binary to Decimal to Hexadecimal Converter. Experiment with converting decimal values to hexadecimal and binary, and then back to decimal again. Then use your operating system's calculator and change the view to programmer mode. Perform simple math calculations in binary and hexadecimal. Convert the values to decimal to check your work.

Research and Discussion

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  1. Research computer hardware market share. Which companies are the top three vendors for business computers, personal computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones? Are hardware companies successful in all markets, or do they specialize and target specific opportunities?
  2. Research the average lifespan of computer hardware. Compare performance and costs for current high-end, middle-of-the-pack, and entry-level systems. Which systems provide the best return on investment when considering performance and expected lifespan?
  3. Moore's law theory has suggested that the speed of computer processors would double every two years. How do you predict the future of computer processors?
  4. After you created an inventory list of the internal hardware components in your system, what components would you upgrade on your computer? Research, identify and support your reasons for upgrading these different hardware components.

Lesson Summary

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  • System hardware is a general term for various physical components of a computer system. It includes all the parts inside the computer case such as the CPU, hard disk drive, graphic cards, sound cards, RAM, power supply unit, motherboard, etc. Computer hardware is what you can physically touch.[1]
  • The central processing unit, or CPU, is that part of a computer which executes software program instructions.[3]
  • The power supply unit, or PSU, converts general purpose electric current from the mains to direct current for the other components of the computer. Appropriate PSU capacity is dependent on power required to run system hardware [4]
  • A PC's main memory is a fast storage area that is directly accessible by the CPU, and is used to store the currently executing program and immediately needed data. PCs use semiconductor random access memory (RAM) of various kinds such as DRAM, SDRAM or SRAM as their main memory.[5]
  • Mass storage devices such as hard drives store programs and data even when the power is off; they do require power to perform read and write functions during usage.[6]
  • Optical drives, including CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc, are data storage devices using rapidly rotating discs coated with reflective material and read using a laser diode.[7][8]
  • Hard disk drives (HDD) are data storage devices used for storing and retrieving digital information using rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material.[9]
  • Solid state drives (SSD) are data storage devices using integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently.[10]
  • Video cards—otherwise called graphics cards, graphics adapters or video adapters—process the graphics output from the motherboard and transmit it to the display. Dedicated video cards are components that are entirely separate from the CPU, while integrated graphics are graphics processes that are handled within the CPU[11]
  • A network interface controller (NIC, also known as a network interface card, network adapter, LAN adapter, and by similar terms) is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network.[12]
  • The motherboard, also referred to as system board or main board, is the primary circuit board within a personal computer, and other major system components plug directly onto or cable into the motherboard.[13]
  • Computer architecture consists of different computer designs used for specific tasks, including, but not limited to: smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, super computers, and mainframe computers.[14]
  • The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is the latest successor to the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) to build on and address any technical shortcomings.[15]
  • The cooling systems help dissipate the heat generated by the hardware to provide optimal operating temperatures and therefore performance.[16]

Key Terms

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architecture
A set of rules and methods that describe the functionality, organization and implementation of computer systems.[17]
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
An eight-bit character encoding scheme used on personal computing devices.[18]
backward compatible
Products designed for a new standard that can also receive, read, view or play older standards or formats.[19]
bay
A standard-sized area for adding hardware to a computer.[20]
binary
A system of representing letters, numbers or other characters using the digits 0 and 1.[21]
bit
The basic unit of information in computing and digital communications which can have only one of two values, most commonly represented as either a 0 or 1.[22]
bus
A communication system that transfers data between components inside a computer, or between computers.[23]
byte
A unit of digital information in computing and telecommunications that consists of eight bits, permitting the values 0 through 255 and used to encode a single character of text.[24]
cache
A component that stores data so future requests for that data can be served faster.[25]
cluster
A set of loosely or tightly connected computers that work together so that, in many respects, they may be viewed as a single system.[26]
cooling system
A passive or active system in a computer that helps regulate and dissipate the heat generated to maintain optimal temperature and thereby performance.[27]
computer
central processing unit (CPU)
A general-purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations automatically.[28]
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The electronic circuitry within a computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetic, logical, control and input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions.[29]
data
A set of values of qualitative or quantitative variables identified as individual pieces of information.[30]
digital
Data that is represented using discrete (discontinuous) values.[31]
EB (Exabyte)
A unit of digital information equal to 1018 (1 quintillion) bytes.[32]
EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code)
An 8-bit character encoding scheme used mainly on IBM mainframe and IBM midrange computer operating systems.[33]
expansion card
A printed circuit board that can be inserted into an electrical connector, or expansion slot on a computer motherboard, backplane or riser card to add functionality to a computer system.[34]
file
A resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage.[35]
FireWire
An interface standard for a serial bus for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer developed by Apple and replaced with Thunderbolt.[36]
firmware
The combination of a hardware device, e.g. an integrated circuit, and computer instructions and data that reside as read-only software on that device.[37]
GB (Gigabyte)
A unit of digital information equal to 109 (1 billion) bytes.[38]
GHz (Gigahertz)
A unit of frequency defined as 109 (1 billion) cycles per second.[39]
GPU (Graphics Processor Unit)
A specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display.[40]
hardware
The collection of physical elements that constitutes a computer system.[41]
heat sink
A passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium, often air or a liquid coolant, where it is dissipated away from the device, thereby allowing regulation of the device's temperature at optimal levels.[42]
Hertz (Hz)
A unit of frequency defined as one cycle per second.[43]
information
That which may be derived from data and knowledge.[44]
input
Signals or data received by a computing system.[45]
KB (Kilobyte)
A unit of digital information equal to 103 (1 thousand) bytes.[46]
MB (Megabyte)
A unit of digital information equal to 106 (1 million) bytes.[47]
memory
Primary storage devices used to store information for immediate use in a computer.[48]
MHz (Megahertz)
A unit of frequency defined as 106 (1 million) cycles per second.[49]
microprocessor
A multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and provides results as output[50]
motherboard (PCB)
motherboard
The main printed circuit board (PCB) found in computers and other expandable systems.[51]
multicore processor
A single computing component with two or more independent processing units.[52]
multiprocessing
The use of two or more central processing units (CPUs) within a single computer system.[53]
multitasking
A concept of performing multiple processes by executing them concurrently.[54]
nanotechnology
The manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale.[55]
optical computer
A computing device that uses photons rather than electrons for computation.[56]
output
Signals or data sent from a computing system.[57]
parallel processing
The simultaneous use of more than one CPU or processor core to execute a program or multiple computational threads.[58]
PB (Petabyte)
A unit of digital information equal to 1015 (1 quadrillion) bytes.[59]
PC Card
A parallel communication peripheral interface designed for laptop computers in 1990.[60]
port
Power supply (PSU)
An interface between the computer and other computers or peripheral devices.[61]
power supply unit (PSU)
Converts main AC to low-voltage regulated DC power for the internal components of a computer.[62]
quantum computer
A computing device that uses subatomic particles rather than electrons for computation.[63]
RAM (Random-Access Memory)
Volatile data storage directly accessible by the processor.[64]
ROM (Read-Only Memory)
A class of non-volatile computer data storage which cannot be modified.[65]
secondary storage (auxiliary memory)
Non-volatile data storage not directly accessible by the processor.[66]
Sound card
sound card
an internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under program controls.[67]
TB (Terabyte)
A unit of digital information equal to 1012 (1 trillion) bytes.[68]
Unicode
An encoding scheme that uses 8, 16, or 32 bits to represent text expressed in most of the world's writing systems.[69]
video card (display card, graphics card, display adapter, or graphics adapter)
An expansion card which generates a feed of output images to a display (such as a computer monitor).[70]

Review Questions

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Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. Computer hardware is _____.
    Computer hardware is a collection of physical elements that make up a computer system.
  2. System hardware consists of _____.
    System hardware consists of the physical parts of a computer such as the CPU, hard disk drive, graphic cards, sound cards, RAM, power supply unit, motherboard, etc.
  3. The central processing unit, or CPU, is that part of a computer which _____.
    The central processing unit, or CPU, is that part of a computer which executes software program instructions.
  4. The power supply unit, or PSU, converts _____ to _____.
    The power supply unit, or PSU, converts general purpose mains Alternating Current to low voltage regulated Direct Current for the internal components of the computer.
  5. A PC's main memory is _____, and is used to _____.
    A PC's main memory is a fast storage area that is directly accessible by the CPU, and is used to store the currently executing program and immediately needed data.
  6. Mass storage devices such as _____ store _____.
    Mass storage devices such as hard drives store programs and data even when the power is off; they do require power to perform read and write functions during usage.
  7. Optical drives, including _____, are _____.
    Optical drives, including CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc, are data storage devices using rapidly rotating discs coated with reflective material and read using a laser diode.
  8. Hard disk drives (HDD) are _____.
    Hard disk drives (HDD) are data storage devices used for storing and retrieving digital information using rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material.
  9. Solid state drives (SSD) are _____.
    Solid state drives (SSD) are data storage devices using integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently.
  10. Video cards—otherwise called _____—process _____ and transmit it to _____.
    Video cards—otherwise called graphics cards, graphics adapters or video adapters—process the graphics output from the motherboard and transmit it to the display.
  11. A network interface controller (NIC, also known as _____) is a _____.
    A network interface controller (NIC, also known as a network interface card, network adapter, LAN adapter, and by similar terms) is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network.
  12. The motherboard, also referred to as _____ is the _____.
    The motherboard, also referred to as the main printed circuit board (PCB), is the primary circuit board within a personal computer. Other major system components plug directly into the motherboard.
  13. What role does the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) play in the systems hardware?
    The BIOS is used to assist in configuring and identifying hardware such as hard drives, CPU, and memory in a computer.

Assessments

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See Also

[edit | edit source]

Additional Resources

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. 1.0 1.1 Wikipedia: Computer hardware
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  4. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  5. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  6. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  7. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  8. Wikipedia: Optical disc
  9. Wikipedia: Hard disk drive
  10. Wikipedia: Solid-state drive
  11. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  12. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  13. Wikipedia: Personal computer
  14. Wikipedia: Computer architecture
  15. Wikipedia: Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface
  16. Computer cooling system
  17. Wikipedia: Computer architecture
  18. Wikipedia: ASCII
  19. Wikipedia: Backward compatibility
  20. Wikipedia: Drive bay
  21. Wikipedia: Computer hardware
  22. Wikipedia: Bit
  23. Wikipedia: Bus(computing)
  24. Wikipedia: Byte
  25. Wikipedia: Cache (computing)
  26. Wikipedia: Computer cluster
  27. Computer cooling system
  28. Wikipedia: Computer
  29. Wikipedia: Central processing unit
  30. Wikipedia: Data
  31. Wikipedia: Digital
  32. Wikipedia: Exabyte
  33. Wikipedia: EBCDIC
  34. Wikipedia: Expansion card
  35. Wikipedia: Computer file
  36. Wikipedia: Firewire
  37. Wikipedia:Firmware
  38. Wikipedia: Gigabyte
  39. Wikipedia: Hertz
  40. Wikipedia: Graphics processing unit
  41. Wikipedia: Computer hardware
  42. Wikipedia: Heat Sink
  43. Wikipedia: Hertz
  44. Wikipedia: Information
  45. Wikipedia: Input/output
  46. Wikipedia: Kilobyte
  47. Wikipedia: Megabyte
  48. Wikipedia: Computer memory
  49. Wikipedia: Hertz
  50. Wikipedia: Microprocessor
  51. Wikipedia: Motherboard
  52. Wikipedia:Multi-core processor
  53. Wikipedia:Multiprocessing
  54. Wikipedia: Computer multitasking
  55. Wikipedia: Nanotechnology
  56. Wikipedia: Optical computing
  57. Wikipedia: Input/output
  58. Wikipedia: Parallel processing
  59. Wikipedia: Petabyte
  60. Wikipedia: PC Card
  61. Wikipedia: Computer port (hardware)
  62. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_supply_unit_(computer)
  63. Wikipedia: Quantum computing
  64. Wikipedia: Random-access memory
  65. Wikipedia: Read-only memory
  66. Wikipedia: Computer data storage
  67. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card
  68. Wikipedia: Terabyte
  69. Wikipedia: Unicode
  70. Wikipedia: Video card

Lesson 3 - Peripherals

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Peripherals are devices used to put information into or get information out of a computer. Peripheral types include input, output, and storage.[1]


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the peripherals portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Devices (processing, storage, input and output, telecommunications, networking)

Readings

[edit | edit source]
  1. Wikipedia: Peripheral
  2. Wikipedia: Input device
  3. Wikipedia: Output device
  4. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Input and Output
  5. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Storage

Multimedia

[edit | edit source]
  1. YouTube: Understanding the Parts of Your Computer
  2. YouTube: What is a Peripheral
  3. YouTube: Input and output devices
  4. YouTube: Computer Terms: Peripherals
  5. YouTube: List of computer peripherals
  6. YouTube: OCR GCSE Computing: Input/output Devices
  7. YouTube: Explaining USB 3.1
  8. YouTube: What does Peripheral mean?
  9. YouTube: Peripheral vs. Hardware
  10. YouTube: What Are Peripheral Devices of a Computer Definition, Examples & Types

Activities

[edit | edit source]
  1. Practice identifying personal computer hardware and peripherals.
  2. Create an inventory list of all peripherals available on your system. Include separate categories for input, output, and storage.
  3. Create an inventory list of all connectors available on your system. Note which peripherals use each connector type.
  4. Research and identify options not included in your system's current configuration. Are there options you could add that would make you more productive?
  5. Review Wikipedia: Unicode input. Insert special characters into a text document:
    • Windows: Run the Notepad application and use the Character Map utility to select special characters and paste them into Notepad.
    • macOS: Run the TextEdit application and insert special characters into the text file.
    • Linux: Run the gedit application and use the GNOME Character Map utility to select special characters and paste them into gedit.
  6. Review Wikipedia: ASCII and Wikipedia: Alt code. On a PC, open Notepad and then use Alt codes to enter the ASCII value for the characters in your first name. Observe how the ASCII values are converted into standard display characters just as if you had typed those characters on the keyboard.

Research and Discussion

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  1. Identify common computer peripherals in use in your work and personal environments. What devices are in use? How are they connected (built-in, wired, wireless)? What device or devices could you add to increase productivity?
  2. Research cloud computing services and cloud storage. Identify ways in which cloud services are replacing or have replaced peripherals in your work and home environments. What cloud services could you add to increase reliability or productivity?

Lesson Summary

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There are many peripherals that go along with making a computer function as it should. Input devices, such as the mouse and keyboard are peripherals referred to as input because they are some of the many parts used to input, enter or give information, data, and instructions to the computer. Output peripheral devices such as the printer and headphones, help to get information out of the computer. Finally, there are devices with the dual functionality of input/output, such as the external hard drive or USB flash drives. These are able to be used to both send or store and receive or retrieve information to/from your computer.

Peripherals

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  • Peripherals are auxiliary devices used for computer input (keyboards, pointing devices, etc.), output (monitors, printers, etc.), or data storage (hard drives, flash drives, etc.).[3]
  • Peripherals are ancillary components used to put information into a computer and as a way to get information out of a computer.[4]

Input

[edit | edit source]
  • Input devices are different instruments of computer hardware used to provide data to a computer or any other kind of IPS. .[5]
  • Devices include mouse, keyboard, joystick, scanning device, touchscreens, etc..[6]
  • Input device is any hardware device that sends data to a computer.[7]

Output

[edit | edit source]
  • Output devices are different instruments of computer hardware used to transfer commands from the user to the computer to store data, follow user commands, and perform computer tasks..[8]
  • Devices include headphones, monitors, speakers, wireless devices, touchscreens, etc..[9]
  • Output device is any peripheral that receives data from a computer.[10]
  • Combined input / output devices are the pieces of hardware used by a human (or other system) to communicate with a computer. .[11]

Data Storage

[edit | edit source]
  • Data storage devices are used to transfer data from one computer source to the other. You may also use these devices for recording and storing information for future use and retrieval.[12]
  • There are two types of storage devices that computers use, primary devices like RAM, and secondary devices like discs. The primary memory or storage is the brain of the computer where data can be stored for fast access. If the computer isn't running, all the data stored will be lost. However, with secondary memory, data is stored on a long term basis on devices like hard disk drive, DVD or CD, Flash drives, memory cards etc.[13]
  • External devices, like solid state and hard disk drives, connect to the motherboard through an external USB or other port, providing extra storage space with the convenience of mobility.[14]
  • External devices usually have a larger capacity to store enough data since primary devices can't. They also ensure the data stored is backed up and back up sources should be made known to most staff so that when need arises, data can be retrieved by anyone present at that time the data stored is backed up and these back up sources should be made known to most staff and trained on how to access them so that when need arises, data can be retrieved by anyone present at that time.[15]
  • Rotating optical storage devices, such as CD and DVD drives, have even longer access times. Other examples of secondary storage technologies includeUSB flash drives floppy disks, magnetic tape, paper tape, punched cards, and RAM disks.[16]

Key Terms

[edit | edit source]
barcode reader
An electronic device that can read and decode barcodes and send the result to a computer through the device's output port.[17]
biometric reader
Measures biological traits such as eyes, fingerprints, voice and face in an attempt to identify someone.[18]
Blu-Ray (BD-ROM)
A digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format, with a storage capacity of 25 GB per layer, and dual layer discs (50 GB) being the industry standard for high definition (1080p) feature-length video discs.[19]
Bluetooth
A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, and building personal area networks (PANs).[20]
CD (Compact Disc)
A digital optical disc data storage format originally developed to store and play only sound recordings (CD-DA), but was later adapted for storage of data (CD-ROM), with a storage capacity of 737 MB.[21]
CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory)
A pre-pressed optical compact disc which contains data and is not writable or erasable.[22]
CD-RW (Compact Disc-ReWritable)
A compact disc that can be written, read arbitrarily many times, erased and written again.[23]
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)
A vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns, and a fluorescent screen used to view images.[24]
digital camera
A camera that encodes digital images and videos digitally and stores them for later reproduction.[25]
digitize
Represent an object, image, sound, document or signal (usually an analog signal) by generating a series of numbers that describe a discrete set of its points or samples.[26]
display resolution
The number of distinct pixels in each dimensions that can be displayed on a device.[27]
dot-matrix printer
A type of computer printing which uses a print head that moves back and forth, or in an up and down motion, on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper, much like the print mechanism on a typewriter.[28]
DVD
A digital optical disc storage format with a storage capacity of 4.7 GB for a single-layered, single-sided disc and 8.5 GB for a dual-layered, single-sided disc.[29]
ergonomic keyboard
A computer keyboard designed with ergonomic considerations to minimize muscle strain and related problems.[30]
ergonomics
The practice of designing products, systems or processes to take proper account of the interaction between them and the people who use them.[31]
external drive
A data storage device used for storing and retrieving digital information, connected via USB, eSATA, FireWire, or Thunderbolt.[32]
fax (short for facsimile)
The telephonic transmission of scanned printed material.[33]
fax modem
Enables a computer to transmit and receive documents as faxes on a telephone line.[34]
FireWire (IEEE 1394)
An interface standard for a serial bus for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer developed by Apple and replaced with Thunderbolt.[35]
flash drive
A data storage device that includes flash memory, typically with an integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.[36]
flatscreen display / flat panel display
A light, thin display usually based on LCD technologies, and back-lit to make them easier to read in bright environments.[37]
graphics tablet
A computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like stylus, similar to the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper.[38]
handwriting recognition
The ability of a computer to receive and interpret intelligible handwritten input from sources such as paper documents, photographs, touch-screens and other devices.[39]
heads-up display
Any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints.[40]
hot swap
The ability to replace computer system components without shutting down the system.[41]
impact printer
Uses a print head that either hits the surface of the ink ribbon, pressing the ink ribbon against the paper (similar to the action of a typewriter), or hits the back of the paper, pressing the paper against the ink ribbon.[42]
ink-jet printer
A type of computer printer that recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper, plastic, or other substrates.[43]
joystick
An input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling.[44]
keyboard
A typewriter-style device, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches.[45]
laser printer
An electrostatic digital printing process that passes a laser beam back & forth over an electron-charged, cylindrical drum, to define a deferentially-charged image.[46]
LCD (liquid-crystal display)
A flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly.[47]
line printer
An impact printer in which one line of text is printed at a time.[48]
magnetic tape
A medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film.[49]
MICR (magnetic ink character recognition)
A character-recognition technology used mainly by the banking industry to ease the processing and clearance of checks and other documents.[50]
memory card
An electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information, commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players and video game consoles.[51]
microphone
An acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound in air into an electrical signal.[52]
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
A technical standard that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors and allows a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers and other related devices to connect and communicate with one another.[53]
modem
A device that modulates signals to encode digital information and demodulates signals to decode the transmitted information.[54]
monitor
An electronic visual display device.[55]
mouse
A pointing device that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a surface.[56]
multi-function printer (MFP)
An office machine which incorporates the functionality of multiple devices in one, including printer, scanner, photocopier, fax, and e-mail.[57]
multi-touch
Technology that enables a surface to recognize the presence of more than one or two points of contact with the surface.[58]
OCR
The mechanical or electronic conversion of images of typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded text.[59]
open architecture
A type of computer architecture or software architecture that is designed to make adding, upgrading and swapping components easy.[60]
optical disk drive
A disk drive that uses laser light or electromagnetic waves within or near the visible light spectrum as part of the process of reading or writing data to or from optical discs.[61]
optical mark reader
A device used to capture human-marked data from document forms such as surveys and tests.[62]
parallel port
A communication interface based on a 25-pin connector, also known as a printer port or Centronics port.[63]
pixel
A physical point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable element in an all points addressable display device; so it is the smallest controllable element of a picture represented on the screen.[64]
plotter
A wide format printer for printing vector-based graphics.[65]
POS terminal (Point of Sale terminal)
A device which processes customer payments in exchange for goods or after provision of a service.[66]
printer
A peripheral which makes a persistent human readable representation of graphics or text on paper or similar physical media.[67]
RFID
The use of wireless electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of identifying and tracking objects.[68]
random access
The ability to access an item of data at any given coordinates in a population of addressable elements.[69]
repetitive strain injury
Injury to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that may be caused by repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression, or sustained or awkward positions.[70]
Retina Display
A brand name used by Apple for screens that have a higher pixel density than their previous models.[71]
scanner
A device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image.[72]
sensor
A device whose purpose is to detect events or changes in its environment, and then provide a corresponding output.[73]
sequential access
The ability to access a group of data elements in a predetermined, ordered sequence.[74]
solid-state drive (SSD)
A device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently.[75]
serial port
A communication interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time and based on a 9-pin connector.[76]
speaker
A device which converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound.[77]
stylus pen
A computer accessory used to assist in navigating or providing more precision when using a touchscreen.[78]
tape drive
A data storage device that reads and writes data on a magnetic tape.[79]
thermal printer
A digital printing device which produces a printed image by selectively heating coated thermochromic paper, primarily used for label printing.[80]
touchscreen
An input device normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system.[81]
touchpad
A pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on the operating system that is outputted to the screen.[82]
trackball
A stationary pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes.[83]
TrackPoint (pointing stick)
An isometric joystick used as a pointing device and typically mounted in a computer keyboard.[84]
uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
An electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically main power, fails.[85]
USB
An industry standard that defines the cables, connectors and communications protocols used in a bus for connection, communication, and power supply between computers and electronic devices communicating at 12 Mbps, 480 Mbps, 5 Gbps, or 10 Gbps.[86]
video projector
A device that receives a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system.[87]
webcam
A video camera that feeds or streams its image in real time to or through a computer to a computer network.[88]
wireless
The use of radio waves in place of cables allowing peripheral devices to transfer information to and from a computer through a transmitter in the device and a receiver plugged into the computer, usually in the form of a USB dongle.[89]

Review Questions

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Enable JavaScript to hide answers.
Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. Peripherals are _____ used for _____, _____, or _____.
    Peripherals are auxiliary devices used for computer input (keyboards, pointing devices, etc.), output (monitors, printers, etc.), or data storage (hard drives, flash drives, etc.).
  2. Input devices include _____, _____, _____, _____, and _____.
    Input devices include keyboards, pointing devices, scanners, microphones, and webcams.
  3. Output devices include _____, _____, _____, and _____.
    Output devices include monitors, projectors, printers, and speakers.
  4. Combined input / output devices include _____ and _____.
    Combined input / output devices include fax and touchscreen displays.
  5. Data storage devices include _____, _____, _____, _____, _____, and _____.
    Data storage devices include hard drives, flash drives, optical drives, Network Attached Storage (NAS), media players, and smart phones.
  6. External hard drives, including _____ and _____, connect to the motherboard through ____, providing _____.
    External hard drives, including solid state and hard disk drives, connect to the motherboard through an external USB or other port, providing extra storage space with the convenience of mobility.

Assessments

[edit | edit source]

See Also

[edit | edit source]

Additional Resources

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Wikipedia: Peripheral
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. Wikipedia: Peripheral
  4. "Peripheral". Wikipedia. 2018-04-27. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peripheral&oldid=838528142. 
  5. Computer Hope: Output Device.
  6. Computer Hope: Output Device.
  7. Computer Hope: Input Device.
  8. Computer Hope: Output Device.
  9. Computer Hope: Output Device.
  10. Computer Hope: Output Device.
  11. Wikipedia: Input/Output.
  12. Wikibooks:Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Storage
  13. Wikibooks:Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Storage
  14. Wikibooks:Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Storage
  15. Wikibooks:Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Storage
  16. "data storage - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  17. Wikipedia: Barcode reader
  18. "Fingerprints and Other Biometrics". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  19. Wikipedia: Blu-ray
  20. Wikipedia: Bluetooth
  21. Wikipedia: Compact disc
  22. Wikipedia: CD-ROM
  23. Wikipedia: CD-RW
  24. Wikipedia: Cathode ray tube
  25. Wikipedia: Digital camera
  26. Wikipedia: Digitizing
  27. Wikipedia:Display resolution
  28. Wikipedia: Dot matrix printing
  29. Wikipedia: DVD
  30. Wikipedia: Ergonomic keyboard
  31. Wikipedia: Human factors and ergonomics
  32. Wikipedia: External hard drive
  33. Wikipedia: Fax
  34. Wikipedia: Fax modem
  35. Wikipedia: Firewire
  36. Wikipedia: USB flash drive
  37. Wikipedia: Flat panel display
  38. Wikipedia: Graphics tablet
  39. Wikipedia: Handwriting recognition
  40. Wikipedia: Head-up display
  41. Wikipedia: Hot swapping
  42. Wikipedia: Printer (computing)
  43. Wikipedia: Inkjet printer
  44. Wikipedia: Joystick
  45. Wikipedia: Computer keyboard
  46. Wikipedia: Laser printer
  47. Wikipedia: Liquid-crystal display
  48. Wikipedia: Line printer
  49. Wikipedia: Magnetic Tape
  50. Wikipedia: Magnetic ink character recognition
  51. Wikipedia: Memory card
  52. Wikipedia: Microphone
  53. Wikipedia: MIDI
  54. Wikipedia: Modem
  55. Wikipedia: Computer monitor
  56. Wikipedia: Mouse (computing)
  57. Wikipedia: Multifunction printer
  58. Wikipedia: Multi-touch
  59. Wikipedia: Optical character recognition
  60. Wikipedia: Open architecture
  61. Wikipedia: Optical disc drive
  62. Wikipedia: Optical mark recognition
  63. Wikipedia: Parallel port
  64. Wikipedia: Pixel
  65. Wikipedia: Plotter
  66. Wikipedia: Point of sale
  67. Wikipedia: Printer (computing)
  68. Wikipedia: Radio-frequency identification
  69. Wikipedia: Random access
  70. Wikipedia: Repetitive strain injury
  71. Wikipedia: Retina Display
  72. Wikipedia: Image scanner
  73. Wikipedia: Sensor
  74. Wikipedia: Sequential access
  75. Wikipedia: Solid-state drive
  76. Wikipedia: Serial port
  77. Wikipedia: Loudspeaker
  78. Wikipedia: Stylus
  79. Wikipedia: Tape drive
  80. Wikipedia: Thermal printer
  81. wikipedia: Touchscreen
  82. Wikipedia: Touchpad
  83. Wikipedia: Trackball
  84. Wikipedia: Pointing stick
  85. Wikipedia: Uninterruptible power supply
  86. Wikipedia: USB
  87. Wikipedia: Video projector
  88. Wikipedia: Webcam
  89. Wikipedia:Wireless

Lesson 4 - Operating Systems

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An operating system (OS) is a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for computer programs. The operating system is a vital component of the system software in a computer system. Application programs usually require an operating system to function.[1]


Objectives and Skills

[edit | edit source]

Objectives and skills for the operating systems portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Concepts of computer architectures (mainframe, client/server, operating systems)
  • Basic user functions of a desktop operating system (memory management, file management, interfaces, types of OS)

Readings

[edit | edit source]
  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/System Software
  2. Wikipedia: Operating system
  3. Wikipedia: 64-bit_computing#32-bit_vs_64-bit
  4. Wikihow: How to pick an Operating System
  5. Linux Disti-Breakdown

Multimedia

[edit | edit source]
  1. Operating Systems - Crash Course Computer Science
  2. YouTube: Operating System Functions
  3. YouTube: Types of Operating Systems
  4. YouTube: The History of Operating Systems
  5. YouTube: What Are Bits, and Are They Important?
  6. YouTube: Windows 10 updates
  7. YouTube: what is an Operating system as Fast As possible
  8. YouTube: Computer Basics: Understanding Operating Systems
  9. YouTube: Types of Operating Systems; Explained in Short Time
  10. YouTube: Basics of OS Computer System Operation
  11. YouTube: Split view: Mac vs Windows 10
  12. YouTube: Operating System Basics

Activities

[edit | edit source]
  1. Complete the tutorial GCFLearnFree: Understanding Operating Systems.
  2. Determine whether your computer is running a 32 or 64-bit operating system:
  3. Use your system's monitoring utilities to review active processes and resources in use:
  4. Review Wikipedia: Device Manager and Microsoft: Update a driver for hardware that isn't working properly. Run Device Manager on a Windows system Use Device Manager to check for updated drivers for all display adapters, network adapters, and sound controllers.
  5. Examine system health and recent events for your system:
  6. Try out any of these Tips and Tricks on Windows 10[3]
  7. Identify your operating system version:
    • Windows: Use the Start menu and run winver.
    • Linux: Open a Terminal window and run lsb-release -a.
    • macOS: Select the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and select About this MAC.
  8. Test operating systems:
  9. VirtualBox - Software - This link will take you to the Oracle VM VirtualBox software - you can download this for free and essentially "make your own machine" virtually to test out different components of a device - higher skill level recommended.

Research and Discussion

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  1. Research operating systems in use in your work and personal environments. Consider server-based systems, personal computers, tablets, smartphones, and wearable devices. Are the operating systems proprietary or open-source? Does each provider charge for the operating system? If not, what do they receive in return for their efforts?
  2. Compare PC-based operating systems (Windows, macOS, Unix/Linux) and mobile operating systems (Android, ChromeOS, iOS). Describe advantages and disadvantages of each. Which operating system(s) do you prefer, and why.
  3. Research and compare different PC-based operating system functions. What is the purpose between the operating system and the computer hardware? Describe a few tasks that you frequently perform using your operating system, and why.

Lesson Summary

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  • An operating system is a software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs. Operating systems are crucial to system software as most applications require an OS to run.[4].
  • The operating system allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer language. The basic goal of an operating system is to carry out user programs and make the burden easier. In other words, it provides an interface between the user and the system.[5]
  • Hardware functions such as input & output and memory allocation, the operating system acts as an intermediary between application programs and the computer hardware.
  • The operating system coordinates all of the hardware and software components on the computer to make sure each program gets what it needs..[6]
  • The operating system provides an environment for software applications like spreadsheets, word processors and database programs to function. For instance, word processors create, edit, save and print documents. [7]
  • The operating system monitors system health and functionality of the computer by providing a file structure for data management.[8]
  • Popular computer operating systems include Windows, macOS/macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS, with Windows 7 being the most popular operating system for desktop and laptops.[9][10]
  • A mobile operating system, also referred to as mobile OS, is an operating system that operates a smartphone, with Android being the most popular smartphone operating system and IOS as the most popular tablet operating system, PDA, or other mobile devices.[11]
  • macOS, Linux, Android, Chrome OS, and iOS are based on Unix. iOS is based on macOS which is, itself, a variant of a BSD UNIX kernel running on top of a micro kernel called Mach. [12], https://www.quora.com/Is-iOS-based-on-Linux-kernel-In-this-case-is-it-possible-to-install-a-Linux-program-in-an-iPhone-for-example-a-node-js-server.
  • Popular distributions of Linux include Red Hat, Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Google's Android.[13]
  • Open-source software is computer software with its source code made available with a license in which the copyright holder provides the rights to study, change and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose.[14]. Examples of the open-source software include internet browsers like Mozilla Firefox, LibreOffice and Google Chrome.[source?]
  • Proprietary software or closed source software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder with the intent that the licensee is given the right to use the software only under certain conditions, and restricted from other uses, such as modification, sharing, studying, redistribution, or reverse engineering.[15]
  • A real-time operating system (RTOS) is an operating system intended for applications with fixed deadlines (real-time computing). This is completed by a core switching rapidly between tasks without buffer delays. [16]

Key Terms

[edit | edit source]
32-bit
A computer architecture that supports at most 32-bit integers, memory addresses, and other data units, limiting integer values to -2,147,483,648 through 2,147,483,647 and memory addresses to 4 GiB (gigabytes or gibibytes).[17]
64-bit
A computer architecture that supports at most 64-bit integers, memory addresses, and other data units, limiting integer values to over 18 quintillion and memory addresses to 16 EiB (exbibytes).[18]
agent
A computer program that acts on behalf of a user or other program.[19]
Android
A mobile operating system (OS) based on the Linux kernel and currently developed by Google.[20]
BlackBerry OS
A proprietary mobile operating system developed by BlackBerry Ltd for its BlackBerry line of smartphone handheld devices.[21]
booting
The initialization of a computerized system.[22]
command-line interface (CLI)
A means of interacting with a computer program where the user issues commands to the program in the form of successive lines of text.[23]
compatibility
The ability to run software on a given system.[24]
copyright
Used by proprietary software companies to prevent the unauthorized copying of their software and by open source licenses to enforce their terms.[25]
cross-platform
An attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms.[26]
daemon
A daemon is a long-running computer program that runs as a background process. Examples of this would be inted, httpd, mysqld, and snmpd.[27]
device driver
A computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer, specifically hardware devices [28]
disk operating system (DOS)
An acronym for several computer operating systems that were operated by using the command line.[29]
end-user license agreement (EULA)
The contract between a licensor and purchaser, establishing the purchaser's right to use software.[30]
file manager
A computer program that provides a user interface to manage files and folders.[31]
formatting
The process of preparing a data storage device such as a hard disk drive, solid-state drive, floppy disk or USB flash drive for initial use.[32]
fragmentation
Occurs when a file system cannot or will not allocate enough contiguous space to store a complete file as a unit, but instead puts parts of it in gaps between existing files.[33]
Google Chrome OS
An operating system based on the Linux kernel and designed by Google to work with web applications and installed applications, initially designed as a pure web thin client operating system.[34]
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
A type of interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through icons and visual indicators such as secondary notation, instead of text-based user interfaces, typed command labels or text navigation.[35]
iOS
A mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. and distributed exclusively for Apple hardware, including iPods, iPhones, and iPads.[36]
kernel
A computer program that manages I/O requests from software, and translates them into data processing instructions for the central processing unit and other electronic components of a computer.[37]
Linux
A Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and distribution.[38]
macOS
A series of graphical user interface–based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems, currently branded as macOS.[39]
malware (short for malicious software)
Any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server or computer network.[40]
memory management
Provides ways to dynamically allocate portions of memory to programs at their request, and free it for reuse when no longer needed.[41]
menu bar
A graphical control element that lists options or commands presented to an operator by a computer or communications system.[42]
mobile operating system
An operating system for smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices (Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Blackberry).[43]
multi-tasking
Performing multiple tasks over a certain period of time by executing them concurrently.[44]
open source
Computer software with its source code made available with a license in which the copyright holder provides the right to study, change and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose.[45]
operating system
System software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs (Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Blackberry).[46]
macOS
A series of Unix-based graphical interface operating systems developed and marketed by Apple Inc. designed to run on Mac computers.[47]
paging
A memory management scheme by which a computer stores and retrieves data from the secondary storage for use in main memory.[48]
path
The general form of the name of a file or directory, specifies a unique location in a file system.[49]
platform
Computer hardware architecture, an operating system, and runtime libraries in which a piece of software is designed to run.[50]
root directory
The first or top-most directory in a hierarchy.[51]
real-time operating system (RTOS)
An operating system intended for applications with fixed deadlines (real-time computing). Such applications include some small embedded systems, automobile engine controllers, industrial robots, spacecraft, industrial control, and some large-scale computing systems.[52]
safe mode
A diagnostic mode of a computer operating system (OS). [53]
shell
A user interface used to access an operating system's services.[54]
style
predefined text formatting available in software applications.[source?]
task manager
A system monitor program used to provide information about the processes and programs running on a computer, as well as the general status of the computer.
taskbar
An element of a graphical user interface which typically shows which programs or applications are running on the device, as well as providing links or shortcuts to other programs or places. [55]
Unix
A family of multitasking, multi-user computer operating systems.[56]
user interface
The space where interactions between humans and machines occur.[57]
virtual memory
A memory management technique that is implemented using both hardware and software that maps memory addresses used by a program.[58]
Windows
A metafamily of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Microsoft.[59]
x64
The 64-bit version of the x86 instruction set, supporting 64-bit addressing and processing, and fully backwards compatible with 16-bit and 32-bit x86 code.[60]
x86
A family of backward compatible instruction set architectures based on the Intel 8086 through 80486 CPUs supporting 16-bit and 32-bit addressing and processing.[61][62]
Xbox OS
The Xbox One system software, sometimes called the Xbox OS, is the operating system for the eighth-generation home video game console, Xbox One.[63]

Review Questions

[edit | edit source]
  1. An operating system is _____.
    An operating system is software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs.
  2. The operating system provides an interface between _____.
    The operating system provides an Interface between the user and the system.
  3. The operating system coordinates _____.
    The operating system coordinates hardware components.
  4. The operating system provides an environment for _____.
    The operating system provides an environment for software applications to function.
  5. The operating system monitors _____.
    The operating system monitors system health and functionality.
  6. The operating system provides a file structure for _____.
    The operating system provides a file structure for data management.
  7. Popular computer operating systems include _____.
    Popular computer operating systems include Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.
  8. What kinds of devices use a mobile operating system?
    A mobile operating system, also referred to as mobile OS, is an operating system that operates a smartphone, tablet, PDA, or other mobile device.
  9. Name the (4) main mobile operating systems (2 popular, 2 less popular)
    Popular mobile operating systems include Android, iOS and to a lesser extent Windows Phone and Blackberry.
  10. Name the (5) operating systems that are based on Unix:
    macOS, Linux, Android, Chrome OS and iOS are based on Unix.
  11. Name the (5) popular distributions of Linux:
    Popular distributions of Linux include Red Hat, Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Google's Android.
  12. What is Open-source software?
    Open-source software is computer software with its source code made available with a license in which the copyright holder provides the rights to study, change and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose.
  13. Proprietary software or closed source software is _____.
    Proprietary software or closed source software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder with the intent that the licensee is given the right to use the software only under certain conditions, and restricted from other uses, such as modification, sharing, studying, redistribution, or reverse engineering.
  14. What does RTOS stand for and its definition:
    A real-time operating system is an operating system intended for applications with fixed deadlines (real-time computing). Such applications include some small embedded systems, automobile engine controllers, industrial robots, spacecraft, industrial control, and some large-scale computing systems.
  15. 15. What are the two most common operating systems:

Assessments

[edit | edit source]

See Also

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Wikipedia: Operating system
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. Sele Training (2018-02-12), Top 20 Windows 10 Tips and Tricks, retrieved 2018-06-07
  4. Wikipedia: Operating system
  5. CompTIA IT Fundamentals Certification Exam Objectives (FC0-U51)
  6. CompTIA IT Fundamentals Certification Exam Objectives (FC0-U51)
  7. CompTIA IT Fundamentals Certification Exam Objectives (FC0-U51)
  8. CompTIA IT Fundamentals Certification Exam Objectives (FC0-U51)
  9. Wikipedia: Operating system
  10. Wikipedia: Mac OS
  11. Wikipedia: Mobile operating system
  12. Wikipedia: Operating system
  13. Wikipedia: Operating system
  14. Wikipedia: Open-source software
  15. Wikipedia: Proprietary software
  16. Wikipedia: Operating system
  17. Wikipedia: 32-bit
  18. Wikipedia: 64-bit
  19. Wikipedia: Software agent
  20. Wikipedia: Android (operating system)
  21. Wikipedia: BlackBerry OS
  22. Wikipedia: Booting
  23. Wikipedia: Command-line interface
  24. Wikipedia: Computer compatibility
  25. Wikipedia: Software copyright
  26. Wikipedia: Cross-platform
  27. Wikipedia:Daemon_(computing)
  28. Wikipedia: Operating system
  29. Wikipedia: DOS
  30. Wikipedia: End-user license agreement
  31. Wikipedia: File manager
  32. Wikipedia: Disk formatting
  33. Wikipedia: Defragmentation
  34. Wikipedia: Chrome OS
  35. Wikipedia: Graphical user interface
  36. Wikipedia: iOS
  37. Wikipedia: Kernel (operating system)
  38. Wikipedia: Linux
  39. Wikipedia: macOS
  40. Wikipedia: Malware
  41. Wikipedia: Memory management
  42. Wikipedia: Menu bar
  43. Wikipedia: Mobile operating system
  44. Wikipedia: Computer multitasking
  45. Wikipedia: Open source
  46. Wikipedia: Operating system
  47. Wikipedia: macOS
  48. Wikipedia: Paging
  49. Wikipedia: Path (computing)
  50. Wikipedia: Computing platform
  51. Wikipedia: Root directory
  52. Wikipedia: Operating system
  53. Wikipedia: Safe mode
  54. Wikipedia: Shell (computing)
  55. Wikipedia: Taskbar
  56. Wikipedia:Unix
  57. Wikipedia: User interface
  58. Wikipedia: Virtual memory
  59. Wikipedia: Microsoft Windows
  60. Wikipedia: x86-64
  61. Wikipedia: x86
  62. Wikipedia: IA-32
  63. Wikipedia: Xbox One system software

Lesson 5 - Applications

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Applications

Application Software are the most common programs that run in the foreground of the computer. They tend to perform useful tasks which are not associated with computer maintenance, system boot-up, or hardware communication. Application Software are the most familiar forms of software and come in a variety of types. Most often they can be accessed through the graphical user interface of the operating system being used by double-clicking on an icon. Some of the most popular examples include word processors, spreadsheets, photo-editing programs, database programs, and accounting programs to name a few.[1]


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the applications portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Standard office suite tools (word processors, spreadsheets, presentation packages, end-user database packages)
  • Office systems (e-mail, conferencing, cooperative work, document imaging, system resources, voicemail)

Readings

[edit | edit source]
  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Application Software
  2. Wikipedia: Productivity software
  3. Wikipedia: Collaboration software
  4. Wikipedia: Utility software
  5. Wikipedia: Filename extension
  6. Mobile app

Multimedia

[edit | edit source]
  1. YouTube: Computer Software: Application Software
  2. YouTube: Google Docs - Tutorial - Learn the Basics
  3. YouTube: Advantages and Disadvantages of Application Software
  4. YouTube: How to use google drive / Beginners Tutorial
  5. YouTube: LibreOffice 6.0: New Features

Activities

[edit | edit source]
  1. Use the built-in text editor to create and edit text files:
  2. Review Wikipedia: OpenOffice and How To Geek: OpenOffice vs. LibreOffice. Download and install an open-source office software suite. Then review LibreOffice.org: Documentation. Use the open source software suite to create a short document, spreadsheet, and presentation. Save the files under Documents.
  3. Complete one or more of the following office suite tutorials for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software:
  4. Use screen sharing software to collaborate with other users:
    • Windows: Search the Internet for information on Chrome Remote Desktop, Microsoft Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, or similar applications. Use one of these applications to share your desktop with another user.
    • macOS: Search the Internet for information on Chrome Remote Desktop, Microsoft Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, or similar applications. Use one of these applications to share your desktop with another user.
    • Linux: Search the Internet for information on Chrome Remote Desktop, Microsoft Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, or similar applications. Use one of these applications to share your desktop with another user.
    • All: Use collaboration features in one or more of the cloud-based office software suites to share and edit documents amongst users in real time.
  5. Use file compression software to compress and uncompress folders and files:
    • Windows: Review Microsoft: Compress and Uncompress Files. Create a Zip file and compress the text and document files created above. Compare file sizes between the compressed and uncompressed versions.
    • macOS: Review macOS Daily: How to Zip Files in macOS. Compress the text and document files created above. Compare file sizes between the compressed and uncompressed versions.
    • Linux: Review Ubuntu.org: File Roller. Use the Archive Manager to create a new .gz or .zip file and compress the text and document files created above. Compare file sizes between the compressed and uncompressed versions.
  6. Use video conferencing software to collaborate with other users:
    • Windows: Search the Internet for information on Google+ Hangout, Skype, or similar applications. Use one of these applications to set up and join a video conference to collaborate with other users.
    • macOS: Search the Internet for information on FaceTime, Google+ Hangout, Skype, or similar applications. Use one of these applications to set up and join a video conference to collaborate with other users.
    • Linux: Search the Internet for information on Google+ Hangout, Skype, or similar applications. Use one of these applications to set up and join a video conference to collaborate with other users.
  7. Back up and restore files.
  8. Chrome OS explore and create Applications
    • Chrome OS applications [9] Explore and Create, Get Stuff Done, and Play Games

Research and Discussion

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  1. Compare proprietary and open-source office productivity suites (Google Apps, iWork, Libre Office, Microsoft Office, Open Office). Describe advantages and disadvantages of each. Which office productivity suite does your school or company use, and why?
  2. Research leading collaboration software (email platforms, shared calendaring or time management, groupware, virtual meeting software, chat, social media, etc.). Identify which platforms or applications are in use in your work and personal environments. Consider whether these applications enhance productivity or detract from it.

Lesson Summary

[edit | edit source]
  • An application program (app or application for short) is a computer program designed to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user.[3]
  • Productivity software, or office productivity software, are application software dedicated to producing information, such as documents, presentations, worksheets, databases, charts, graphs, digital paintings, electronic music and digital video.[4]
  • Existing office suites contain a wide range of components. Most typically, the base components include a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program.[5]
  • Popular office suites include Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Microsoft Office and Google Docs.[6]
  • Collaborative software, or groupware, is application software designed to help people involved in a common task to achieve goals. It can be divided into three categories depending on the level of collaboration: communication, conferencing and co-ordination.[7]
  • Communication can be thought of as unstructured interchange of information. Examples of communication tools include synchronous conferencing, asynchronous conferencing, e-mail, faxing, voice mail, wikis, web publishing, and revision control.[8]
  • Conferencing refers to interactive work toward a shared goal. Examples of conferencing include Internet forums, online chat, instant messaging, telephones, video conferencing, data conferencing, and application sharing.[9]
  • Co-ordination refers to complex interdependent work toward a shared goal. Examples of co-ordination include electronic calendars, project management systems, online proofing, workflow systems, knowledge management systems, enterprise bookmarking, prediction markets, extranet, social software, online spreadsheets, and client portals.[10]
  • Utility software is system software designed to help analyze, configure, optimize or maintain a computer.[11]
  • Utility software is a type of system software used to support the computer infrastructure, distinguishing it from application software which is aimed at directly performing tasks that benefit ordinary users.[12]
  • A filename extension is a suffix, separated from the base filename by a dot or space, used to indicate the file's content format or usage.[13]
  • Mobile apps are becoming more prevalent with the use of smartphones. More people use apps than search the internet: 51.1% vs. 49.8% respectively.[14]

Key Terms

[edit | edit source]
accounting software
Application software that records and processes accounting transactions within functional modules such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and trial balance.[15]
autocorrection
An automatic data validation and replacement function commonly found in word processors and text editing interfaces.[16]
automatic recalculation
A feature which eliminates the need to manually request that a spreadsheet program recalculate values.[17]
autosave
A function in many computer applications or programs which saves an opened document automatically, helping to reduce the risk or impact of data loss in case of a crash or freeze.[18]
bar chart
A chart that presents grouped data with rectangular bars with lengths proportional to the values that they represent.[19]
cell
A unit in a spreadsheet formed by the intersection of a row and a column.[20]
cell address
Alphanumeric code used to identify a spreadsheet cell.[21]
column
A vertical element in a spreadsheet.[22]
concurrent
A software license that is based on the number of simultaneous users accessing the program. It typically deals with software running in the server where users connect via the network. For example, in a five-user concurrent use license, after five users are logged on to the program, the sixth user is prohibited.[23]
conferencing
Used as an umbrella term for various types of online collaborative services including web seminars, webcasts, and peer-level web meetings.[24]
database
An organized collection of facts and information such as text and numbers, and often can hold still images, sounds and videos or film clips.[25]
desktop publishing (DTP)
The creation of documents using page layout skills on a personal computer.[26]
electronic paper
Display technologies that mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper.[27]
e-reader
A mobile electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital e-books and periodicals.[28]
equation solver
Software used to find values (numbers, functions, sets, etc.) that fulfill a condition.[29]
formula
An expression that automatically calculates and displays a value based on the contents of other spreadsheet cells.[30]
freeware
Copyrighted software that may be used free of charge.[31]
function
A sequence of program instructions that perform a specific task, packaged as a unit.[32]
groupware
Application software designed to help people involved in a common task to achieve goals.[33]
information retrieval
Is the activity of obtaining information resources relevant to an information need from a collection of information resources.[34]
instant messaging
A type of online chat which offers real-time text transmission over the Internet.[35]
justification
A common type of text alignment where the spaces between words are stretched or compressed to align both the left and right ends of each line of text.[36]
line chart
A type of chart which displays information as a series of data points connected by straight line segments.[37]
macro key
A sequence of application or operating system instructions that is recorded or written once and then may be repeated using a keyboard shortcut or application interface button.[38]
mail merge
A software operation describing the production of multiple documents from a single template form and a structured data source.[39]
mathematical software
Software used to model, analyze or calculate numeric, symbolic or geometric data.[40]
modeling
Representing a system using symbols and equations or calculations.[41]
multiuser
A software license that allows more than one person to use the software. See concurrent use license, per seat license and EULA.[42]
open source software
Software programs made up of source code which is made available to the public. i.e. Wikibook.[43]
outliner
A computer program that allows text to be organized into discrete sections that are related in a tree structure or hierarchy and may be collapsed into a node, or expanded and edited.[44]
page-layout software
The primary purpose of page layout software is to make it easy to combine text and graphics  when creating layouts for brochures, ads, newsletters, greeting cards, etc.[45]
personal information manager (PIM)
A type of application software that functions as a personal organizer.[46]
pie chart
A circular statistical graphic, which is divided into slices to illustrate numerical proportion.[47]
presentation software
Productivity software used to display information in the form of a slide show.[48]
programming tools
software in the form of programs or applications that software developers (also known as programmers, coders, hackers or software engineers) use to create, debug, maintain, or otherwise support software.[49]
public domain software
A software program which is not copyright so it is accessible to all users and able to be duplicated.[50]
row
A horizontal element in a spreadsheet.[51]
scatter chart
A type of mathematical diagram using Cartesian coordinates to display values for typically two variables for a set of data.[52]
shareware
A type of proprietary software which is provided (initially) free of charge to users, who are allowed and encouraged to make and share copies of the program, which helps to distribute it.[53]
single-user
The authorization that grants one user the right to use a software package. It may grant the user the right to install the software on only one machine, or it may authorize installation on any number of machines as long as that same licensee is the only user.[54]
software
Any set of machine-readable instructions that directs a computer's processor to perform specific operations.[55]
software suite
A group of related programs that interact together and are purchased together.[56]
speech recognition software
Software used for the translation of spoken words into text.[57]
spell checker
Software that flags words in a document that may not be spelled correctly.[58]
spreadsheet software
Productivity software used to perform the organization, analysis and storage of data in tabular form.[59]
stack chart
A bar chart with the bars grouped (stacked) to show cumulative effect.[60]
style
Predefined text formatting available in software applications.[61]
template
A standardized non-executable file type used by computer software as a pre-formatted example on which to base other files, especially documents.[62]
utility program
System software designed to help analyze, configure, optimize or maintain a computer.[63]
web based software
Software that is delivered on demand via the Web; also referred to as Software as Service (SaaS) or cloudware.[64]
wizard
A user interface type that presents a user with a sequence of dialog boxes that lead the user through a series of well-defined steps.[65]
word processing
Productivity software used to perform the composition, editing, formatting, and sometimes printing of any sort of written material.[66]
word wrap
The process of breaking a section of text into lines such that it will fit in the available width of a page, window or other display area.[67]
worksheet
A single array of data in spreadsheet software.[68]

Review Questions

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Enable JavaScript to hide answers.
Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. Productivity software, or office productivity software, is application software dedicated to _____.
    Productivity software, or office productivity software, is application software dedicated to producing information, such as documents, presentations, worksheets, databases, charts, graphs, digital paintings, electronic music and digital video.
  2. Existing office suites contain a wide range of components. Most typically, the base components include _____.
    Existing office suites contain a wide range of components. Most typically, the base components include a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program.
  3. The names of some popular office suites are _____.
    Popular office suites include Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Microsoft Office and Google Docs.
  4. Collaborative software, or groupware, is application software designed to _____.
    Collaborative software, or groupware, is application software designed to help people involved in a common task to achieve goals, such as email, calendaring, text chat, wiki, bookmarking, shared document storage, screen sharing, and video conferencing.
  5. Communication can be thought of as _____. Examples of communication tools include _____.
    Communication can be thought of as unstructured interchange of information. Examples of communication tools are synchronous conferencing, asynchronous conferencing, e-mail, faxing, voice mail, wikis, web publishing, and revision control.
  6. Conferencing refers to _____. Examples of conferencing include _____.
    Conferencing refers to interactive work toward a shared goal. Examples of conferencing are Internet forums, online chat, instant messaging, telephones, video conferencing, data conferencing, and application sharing.
  7. Co-ordination refers to _____. Examples of co-ordination include _____.
    Co-ordination refers to complex interdependent work toward a shared goal. Examples of co-ordination include electronic calendars, project management systems, online proofing, workflow systems, knowledge management systems, enterprise bookmarking, prediction markets, extranet, social software, online spreadsheets, and client portals.
  8. Utility software is system software designed to _____.
    Utility software is system software designed to help analyze, configure, optimize or maintain a computer.
  9. Utility software is a type of system software used to support the computer infrastructure, distinguishing it from application software which is _____.
    Utility software is a type of system software used to support the computer infrastructure, distinguishing it from application software which is aimed at directly performing tasks that benefit ordinary users.
  10. A filename extension is _____.
    A filename extension is a suffix, separated from the base filename by a dot or space, used to indicate the file's content format or usage.

Assessments

[edit | edit source]

See Also

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/System Software
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. Wikipedia: Application software
  4. Wikipedia: Productivity software
  5. Wikipedia: Productivity software
  6. Wikipedia: List of office suites
  7. Wikipedia: Collaborative software
  8. Wikipedia: Collaborative software
  9. Wikipedia: Collaborative software
  10. Wikipedia: Collaborative software
  11. Wikipedia: Utility software
  12. Wikipedia: Utility software
  13. Wikipedia: Filename extension
  14. "Mobile app". Wikipedia. 2018-05-29. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mobile_app&oldid=843477249. 
  15. Wikipedia: Accounting Software
  16. Wikipedia: Autocorrection
  17. Wikipedia: Spreadsheet
  18. Wikipedia: Autosave
  19. Wikipedia: Bar Chart
  20. Wikipedia: Cell (database)
  21. Wikipedia: Spreadsheet
  22. Wikipedia: Column (disambiguation)
  23. [1]
  24. Wikipedia: Web conferencing
  25. Wikipedia: Database
  26. Wikipedia: Desktop publishing
  27. Wikipedia: Electronic paper
  28. Wikipedia: E-reader
  29. Wikipedia: Equation solving
  30. Wikipedia: Spreadsheet
  31. Wikipedia: Freeware
  32. Wikipedia: Subroutine
  33. Wikipedia: Collaborative software
  34. Wikipedia: Information retrieval
  35. Wikipedia: Instant messaging
  36. Wikipedia: Typographic alignment
  37. Wikipedia: Line chart
  38. Wikipedia: Macro (computer science)
  39. Wikipedia: Mail merge
  40. wikipedia: Mathematical software
  41. Wikipedia: Model
  42. [2]
  43. Wikipedia: Open-source software
  44. Wikipedia: Outliner
  45. Wikipedia: Page layout program
  46. Wikipedia: Personal information manager
  47. Wikipedia: Pie chart
  48. Wikipedia: Presentation program
  49. Wikipedia: Presentation program
  50. Wikipedia: Application software
  51. Wikipedia: Column (disambiguation)
  52. Wikipedia: Scatter plot
  53. Wikipedia: Shareware
  54. [3]
  55. Wikipedia: Software
  56. Wikipedia: Software Suites
  57. Wikipedia: Speech recognition
  58. Wikipedia: Spell checker
  59. Wikipedia: Spreadsheet
  60. Wikipedia: Bar chart
  61. Wikipedia: Word processor
  62. Wikipedia: Templates
  63. Wikipedia:Utility software
  64. Wikipedia:Utility software
  65. Wikipedia: Wizard (software)
  66. Wikipedia: Word processor
  67. Wikipedia: Line wrap and word wrap
  68. Wikipedia: Worksheet

Lesson 6 - Networking

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Networking consists of a group of computer systems and computer hardware that connect together through different channels to facilitate sharing and receiving of data and information.[citation needed]


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the networking portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[1]

  • Devices (processing, storage, input and output, telecommunications, networking)
  • Functions (computer, telecommunications, network hardware)
  • Concepts of network architectures (local area, wide area, VPN (virtual private network), enterprise)
  • Wireless computing/communication devices (Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite, PDA, GPS)

Readings

[edit | edit source]
  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computer Networks
  2. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computer Networks and the Internet
  3. Wikibooks: Internet Technologies/Protocols
  4. Wikipedia: Computer network
  5. Wikipedia: Wireless network
  6. Wikipedia: Wireless security
  7. Wikipedia: Node (networking)

Multimedia

[edit | edit source]
  1. YouTube: Introduction to Computer Networks Part 1 - Easy to understand basics
  2. YouTube: Introduction to Computer Networks Part 2 - Easy to understand basics
  3. YouTube: Introduction to Computer Networks Part 3 - Easy to understand basics
  4. YouTube: Introduction to Networking
  5. YouTube: How Wireless Works
  6. YouTube: How to check whether you have a static or dynamic ip address and how to change it
  7. YouTube: Computer Information Systems—Networking
  8. YouTube: Management Information system: Networking Technologies
  9. YouTube: Introduction to Computer Networks
  10. YouTube: The Internet and the World Wide Web
  11. YouTube: The Internet: IP Addresses & DNS
  12. YouTube: Network Types
  13. YouTube: Learn Basic Networking in 4 Minutes

Activities

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  1. Review IP address settings for your local network:
  2. Verify Internet connectivity:
    1. Verify a physical connection:
      • Wired: Check for connectivity lights on the network adapter and switch or router.
      • Wireless: Check for connectivity through the user interface.
    2. Verify ip address settings.
      • Windows: Use ipconfig.
      • macOS: Use Network Utility, System Preferences / Network, or ifconfig.
      • Linux: Use Network Configuration, System Settings / Networking, or ifconfig.
    3. Review Ping/Host. Verify local and remote connectivity using ping.
      • Ping your local IP address.
      • Ping your local default gateway address.
      • Ping an Internet host such as 8.8.8.8.
    4. Review Nslookup. Verify name resolution using nslookup and an Internet host name, such as en.wikiversity.org.
  3. Share a folder and connect to the shared folder:
  4. Experiment with the Wireshark open source packet analyzer. Follow the activities to install Wireshark and capture network traffic. Then view the captured information.
  5. Play the GoCertify: OSI Networking game to practice matching protocols to their corresponding OSI layer.
  6. Research Bureau Of Labor Statistics: Network and Computer Systems Administrators careers. Identify education requirements, job outlook, and median pay.

Research and Discussion

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  1. You are interested in setting up an Internet connection on your new computer. Compare and contrast different options on how you can access the Internet. Which type would you prefer to use from your results? Support your answer.
  2. Computer users should be aware of the different wireless security options. Identify different wireless network security vulnerabilities and their potential risks. Discuss solutions to resolve those identified threats.
  3. Explore different network design types. Select one network design type based on performance, hardware, cost and setup requirements. Justify your answers with supported research.

Lesson Summary

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  • A computer network or data network is a telecommunications network that allows computers to exchange data. Networked computing devices pass data to each other in the form of packets across connections established using either cable or wireless media.[2]
  • Computer networks support applications such as the access to the World Wide Web, storage servers, printers, and fax machines, and use of email and instant messaging applications. Two devices are said to be networked when they can exchange information between them.[3]
  • The different networks are nanoscale communication network, personal area network, local area network, home area network, storage area, campus area, backbone network, metro area, enterprise private network, virtual private network, and global area network.
  • A network packet is a formatted unit of data sent through a network to the destination. Once packets arrive, they are reassembled into their original message.[4]
  • Wired media includes coaxial cable, twisted-pair cable, and optical fiber.[5]
  • Wireless local area network connections use spread spectrum technology based on a common flavor of open-standards wireless radio-wave technology defined as IEEE 802.11 and known as Wi-Fi.[6]
  • A network interface controller (NIC) is hardware that provides a computer with the ability to access the transmission media, and has the ability to process low-level network information.[7]
  • In Ethernet networks, each NIC has a unique 48-bit Media Access Control (MAC) address.[8]
  • A repeater or hub is an electronic device that receives a network signal in the form of bits. Most organization have replaced hubs with switches.[9]
  • A bridge or switch is a device that connects and filters multiple network segments or devices, by forwarding data only to one or multiple devices that need to receive the data based on destination MAC address.[10]
  • A router is a device that forwards data packets between different computer networks based on the network address (IP address).[11]
  • A modem is a device used to connect network nodes via wire not originally designed for digital network traffic, by modulating the digital signal to produce an analog signal for transmission.[12]
  • A firewall is a device used to control network security and access rules by rejecting access requests from unrecognized sources while allowing actions from recognized ones.[13]
  • An access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, or related standards.[14]
  • An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host identification and network addressing.[15]
  • IP addresses are 32-bit (IPv4) or 128-bit (IPv6) numbers usually written and displayed in human-readable notations, such as 198.51.100.1 (IPv4), and 2001:db8:0:1234:0:567:8:1 (IPv6).[16]
  • IP addresses are assigned to a host either anew at the time of booting, or permanently by fixed configuration of its hardware or software. Persistent configuration is also known as using a static IP address. In contrast, in situations when the computer's IP address is assigned newly each time, this is known as using a dynamic IP address.[17]
  • Static IP addresses are manually assigned to a computer by an administrator.[18]
  • Dynamic IP addresses are assigned either by the computer interface or host software itself through automatic configuration, or assigned by a server using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).[19]
  • A shared resource, or network share, is a computer resource made available from one host to other hosts on a computer network.[20]
  • In SOHO networks, a decentralized approach is often used, where every user may make their local folders and printers available to others. This approach is sometimes denoted as a workgroup or peer-to-peer network.[21]
  • In a workgroup, each computer is responsible for its own security, rather than relying on centralized authentication.[22]
  • Windows 7 and later Microsoft operating systems extend the workgroup with a homegroup option that uses a password to join computers into the group, and allows users' libraries, along with individual files and folders, to be shared between multiple computers.[23]
  • In larger networks, a centralized file server or print server, sometimes denoted client–server network is typically used. A client process on the local user computer takes the initiative to start the communication, while a server process on the file server or print server remote computer passively waits for requests to start a communication session.[24]
  • The centralized authentication approach used in larger networks is referred to as a domain, where all user accounts, computers, printers and other security principals, are registered with a central directory service.[25]
  • Users and network administrators typically have different views of their networks. Users can share printers and some servers from a workgroup, which usually means they are in the same geographic location and are on the same LAN, whereas a Network Administrator is responsible to keep that network up and running.[26]
  • Network administrators can see networks from both physical and logical perspectives. The physical perspective involves geographic locations, physical cabling, and the network elements (e.g., routers, bridges and application layer gateways) that interconnect via the transmission media. Logical networks, called, in the TCP/IP architecture, subnets, map onto one or more transmission media.[27]
  • Over the Internet, there can be business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C) and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) communications. When money or sensitive information is exchanged, the communications are apt to be protected by some form of communications security mechanism. Intranets and extranets can be securely superimposed onto the Internet, without any access by general Internet users and administrators, using secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology.[28]
  • The word Cyberspace became popular in the 1990s when the uses of the Internet, networking, and digital communication were all growing dramatically and the term "cyberspace" was able to represent the many new ideas and phenomena that were emerging.[29]
  • As a social experience, individuals can interact, exchange ideas, share information, provide social support, conduct business, direct actions, create artistic media, play games, engage in political discussion, and so on, using this global network.[30]
  • Computer networking may be considered a branch of electrical engineering, telecommunications, computer science, information technology or computer engineering, since it relies upon the theoretical and practical application of the related disciplines.[31]
  • A computer network may be used by computer crackers to deploy computer viruses or computer worms on devices connected to the network, or to prevent these devices from accessing the network via a denial of service attack.[32]

Key Terms

[edit | edit source]
bandwidth
The amount of information that can be sent through a given communication channel in a given amount of time.[33]
blog
A discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first).[34]
Bluetooth
A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz[4]) from fixed and mobile devices, and building personal area networks (PANs).[35]
broadband
A wide bandwidth data transmission with an ability to simultaneously transport multiple signals and traffic types.[36]
chat room
Describes any form of electronic conferencing, but traditionally refers to synchronous text-based communications with a group of users.[37]
client
A piece of computer hardware or software that accesses a service made available by a server.[38]
cyberspace
The notional environment in which communication over computer networks occurs.[39]
coaxial cable
copper or aluminum cables widely used for cable television systems, office buildings, and other work-sites for local area networks.[40]
download
To receive data to a local system from a remote system, or to initiate such a data transfer.[41]
dynamic IP address
An address assigned either by the computer interface or host software itself, or assigned by a server using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).[42]
Ethernet
A family of computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs) and metropolitan area networks (MANs), standardized in 1983 as IEEE 802.3.[43]
file server
A computer attached to a network that has the primary purpose of providing a location for shared storage of computer files that can be accessed by workstations attached to the same computer network. [44]
forum
An online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages.[45]
global positioning system (GPS)
A space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.[46]
instant messaging (IM)
A type of online chat which offers real-time text transmission over the Internet.[47]
local area network (LAN)
A computer network that interconnects computers within a limited geographic area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building.[48]
mesh network
A network topology in which each node relays data for the network.[49]
network
Telecommunications network which allows computers to exchange data.[50]
network administrator
An individual responsible for the maintenance of computer hardware and software systems that make up a computer network.[51]
network adapter (NIC)
A computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network. [52]
network architecture
The layout of the network. [53]
network operating system (NOS)
Software that implements an operating system of some kind that is oriented to computer networking.[54]
network packet
Formatted unit of data carried by a packet-switched network. Computer communications links that do not support packets, such as traditional point-to-point telecommunications links, simply transmit data as a bit stream. When data is formatted into packets, the bandwidth of the communication medium can be better shared among users than if the network were circuit switched.[55]
network switch
A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub,) is a computer networking device that connects devices together on a computer network by using packet switching to receive, process, and forward data to the destination device.[56]
network topology
Arrangement of the various elements (links, nodes, etc.) of a computer network.[57]
node
A connection point, a redistribution point, or a communication endpoint (e.g. data terminal equipment). The definition of a node depends on the network and protocol layer referred to. A physical network node is an active electronic device that is attached to a network and is capable of creating, receiving, or transmitting information over a communications channel.[1] A passive distribution point such as a distribution frame or patch panel is consequently not a node. [58]
optical fiber
A glass fiber that carries pulses of light that represent data which can be used for long runs of cable carrying very high data rates, and are used for undersea cables to interconnect continents.[59]
packet switching
A digital networking communications method that groups all transmitted data into suitably sized blocks, called packets, that are transmitted via a medium that may be shared by multiple simultaneous communication sessions.[60]
peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol
An application layer distributed networking protocol that can be used to form and maintain an overlay network among participant nodes.[61]
POP Point of presence
An artificial demarcation point or interface point between communicating entities.[62]
protocol
A system of rules that allow two or more entities of a communication system to communicate between them to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity.[63]
Radio-frequency identification (RFID)
The wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects.[64]
router
A networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. Routers perform the "traffic directing" functions on the Internet.[65]
static IP address
An address manually assigned to a computer by an administrator.[66]
SSID or Service Set Identifier
The technical term for a network name.[67]
TCP/IP
The computer networking model and set of communications protocols used on the Internet and similar computer networks.[68]
telecommunication
The exchange of information between two or more entities using technology in the form of signals over a physical medium or in the form of electromagnetic waves.[69]
text message
A brief, electronic message sent between two or more mobile phones, or fixed or portable devices over a phone network.[70]
twisted-pair
A type of wiring in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of canceling out electromagnetic interference (EMI) from external sources.[71]
upload
The sending of data from a local system to a remote system such as a server or another client with the intent that the remote system should store a copy of the data being transferred, or the initiation of such a process.[72]
virtual private network (VPN)
A private, secure path over the Internet that provides authorized users a secure means of accessing a private network via the Internet.[73]
wide area network (WAN)
A network that covers a broad geographic area using leased telecommunication lines.[74]
WI-Fi
A local area wireless computer networking technology based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards.[75]
wireless access point (AP or WAP)
A device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, or related standards. [76]
wireless local area network (WLAN)
Links two or more devices over a short distance using a wireless distribution method.[77]

Review Questions

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Enable JavaScript to hide answers.
Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. A computer network or data network is a _____. Networked computing devices pass data to each other in the form of _____ across connections established using _____.
    A computer network or data network is a telecommunications network that allows computers to exchange data. Networked computing devices pass data to each other in the form of packets across connections established using either cable or wireless media.
  2. A network packet is a _____. Once packets arrive, they are _____.
    A network packet is a formatted unit of data sent through a network to the destination. Once packets arrive, they are reassembled into their original message.
  3. Wired media includes _____, _____, and _____.
    Wired media includes coaxial cable, twisted-pair cable, and optical fiber.
  4. Wireless local area network connections use _____ technology based on a common flavor of open-standards wireless radio-wave technology defined as _____ and known as _____.
    Wireless local area network connections use spread spectrum technology based on a common flavor of open-standards wireless radio-wave technology defined as IEEE 802.11 and known as Wi-Fi.
  5. A network interface controller (NIC) is _____.
    A network interface controller (NIC) is hardware that provides a computer with the ability to access the transmission media, and has the ability to process low-level network information.
  6. In Ethernet networks, each NIC has a unique _____.
    In Ethernet networks, each NIC has a unique 48-bit Media Access Control (MAC) address.
  7. A repeater or hub is _____. In local area networks, hubs have been replaced by _____.
    A repeater or hub is an electronic device that receives a network signal in the form of bits, cleans it of unnecessary noise, and regenerates it. In local area networks, switches have replaced hubs.
  8. A bridge or switch is _____.
    A bridge or switch is a device that connects and filters multiple network segments or devices, by forwarding data only to one or multiple devices that need to receive the data based on destination MAC address.
  9. A router is _____.
    A router is a device that forwards data packets between different computer networks based on network address (IP address).
  10. A modem is _____.
    A modem is a device used to connect network nodes via wire not originally designed for digital network traffic, by modulating the digital signal to produce an analog signal for transmission.
  11. A firewall is _____.
    A firewall is a device used to control network security and access rules by rejecting access requests from unrecognized sources while allowing actions from recognized ones.
  12. An access point is _____.
    An access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, or related standards.
  13. An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is _____. An IP address serves two principal functions: _____ and _____.
    An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host identification and network addressing.
  14. IP addresses are _____-bit (IPv4) or _____-bit (IPv6) numbers usually written and displayed in human-readable notations, such as _____ (IPv4), and _____ (IPv6).
    IP addresses are 32-bit (IPv4) or 128-bit (IPv6) numbers usually written and displayed in human-readable notations, such as 198.51.100.1 (IPv4), and 2001:db8:0:1234:0:567:8:1 (IPv6).
  15. IP addresses are assigned to a host either _____, or _____.
    IP addresses are assigned to a host either anew at the time of booting, or permanently by fixed configuration of its hardware or software. Persistent configuration is also known as using a static IP address. In contrast, in situations when the computer's IP address is assigned newly each time, this is known as using a dynamic IP address.
  16. Static IP addresses are assigned _____.
    Static IP addresses are assigned to a computer manually by an administrator.
  17. Dynamic IP addresses are assigned _____.
    Dynamic IP addresses are assigned either by the computer interface or host software itself through automatic configuration, or assigned by a server using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
  18. A shared resource, or network share, is _____.
    A shared resource, or network share, is a computer resource made available from one host to other hosts on a computer network.
  19. In SOHO networks, a decentralized approach is often used, where _____. This approach is sometimes denoted as a _____ or _____ network.
    In SOHO networks, a decentralized approach is often used, where every user may make their local folders and printers available to others. This approach is sometimes denoted as a workgroup or peer-to-peer network.
  20. In a workgroup, each computer is responsible for _____.
    In a workgroup, each computer is responsible for its own security, rather than relying on centralized authentication.
  21. Windows 7 and later Microsoft operating systems extend the workgroup with _____.
    Windows 7 and later Microsoft operating systems extend the workgroup with a homegroup option that uses a password to join computers into the group, and allows users' libraries, along with individual files and folders, to be shared between multiple computers.
  22. In larger networks, a centralized file server or print server, sometimes denoted _____, is typically used. A _____ process on the local user computer takes the initiative to start the communication, while a _____ process on the file server or print server remote computer passively waits for requests to start a communication session.
    In larger networks, a centralized file server or print server, sometimes denoted client–server network, is typically used. A client process on the local user computer takes the initiative to start the communication, while a server process on the file server or print server remote computer passively waits for requests to start a communication session.
  23. The centralized authentication approach used in larger networks is referred to as a _____, where all _____ are registered with _____.
    The centralized authentication approach used in larger networks is referred to as a domain, where all user accounts, computers, printers and other security principals, are registered with a central directory service.

Assessments

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See Also

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References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. CLEP: Information Systems
  2. Wikipedia: Computer network
  3. Wikipedia: Computer network
  4. Wikipedia: Computer network
  5. Wikipedia: Computer network
  6. Wikipedia: Computer network
  7. Wikipedia: Computer network
  8. Wikipedia: Computer network
  9. Wikipedia: Computer network
  10. Wikipedia: Computer network
  11. Wikipedia: Computer network
  12. Wikipedia: Computer network
  13. Wikipedia: Computer network
  14. Wikipedia: Wireless access point
  15. Wikipedia: IP address
  16. Wikipedia: IP address
  17. Wikipedia: IP address
  18. Wikipedia: IP address
  19. Wikipedia: IP address
  20. Wikipedia: Shared resource
  21. Wikipedia: Shared resource
  22. Wikipedia: Workgroup (computer networking)
  23. Wikipedia: Features new to Windows 7
  24. Wikipedia: Shared resource
  25. Wikipedia: Windows domain
  26. Wikipedia: computer network
  27. Wikipedia: computer network
  28. Wikipedia: computer network
  29. Wikipedia: cyberspace
  30. Wikipedia: cyberspace
  31. Wikipedia: Computer Network
  32. Wikipedia: Computer Network
  33. Wikipedia: Bandwidth
  34. Wikipedia:Blog
  35. Wikipedia: Bluetooth
  36. Wikipedia: Broadband
  37. Wikipedia: Chat room
  38. Wikipedia: Client (computing)
  39. Wikipedia: Cyberspace
  40. Wikipedia: Computer Network
  41. Wikipedia: Download
  42. Wikipedia: IP address
  43. Wikipedia: Ethernet
  44. Wikipedia: File server
  45. Wikipedia: Internet forum
  46. Wikipedia: Global Positioning System
  47. Wikipedia: Instant Messaging
  48. Wikipedia: Local area network
  49. Wikipedia: Mesh network
  50. Wikipedia: Computer network
  51. Wikipedia : Network Administrator
  52. Wikipedia: Network interface controller
  53. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Computer Networks
  54. Wikipedia: Network Operating System
  55. Wikipedia: Network Packet
  56. [[4]]
  57. Wikipedia: Network Topology
  58. Wikipedia: Node (networking)
  59. Wikipedia: Computer network
  60. Wikipedia: Packet switching
  61. Wikipedia: Peer-to-Peer Protocol (P2PP)
  62. Wikipedia: Point of presence
  63. Wikipedia: Protocol
  64. Wikipedia: Radio-frequency identification
  65. Wikipedia: Router (computing)
  66. Wikipedia: IP address
  67. https://support.bell.ca/Internet/Connection-help/What-do-SSID-and-WPA2-mean
  68. Wikipedia: Internet protocol suite
  69. Wikipedia: Telecommunication
  70. Wikipedia: Text messaging
  71. Wikipedia: Twisted pair
  72. Wikipedia: Upload
  73. Wikipedia: Virtual private network
  74. Wikipedia: Wide area network
  75. Wikipedia: Wi-Fi
  76. Wikipedia: Wireless access point
  77. Wikipedia: Wireless LAN

Lesson 7 - Internet

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The Internet is a global wide area network that connects computer systems across the world. It includes several high-bandwidth data lines that comprise the Internet "backbone."[1]


Objectives and Skills

[edit | edit source]

Objectives and skills for the Internet portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Web browsers (URLs, protocols, standards, history, cookies, resource allocation)
  • Internet and other online services and methods (World Wide Web, protocol, Web search engines, Web bots, intranet, cloud computing, communications, push/pull technology, W3C)
  • Web technologies (HTML, XML, Javascript)
  • Web site development (analysis, design, functionality, accessibility)

Readings

[edit | edit source]
  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Internet
  2. Wikipedia: Internet
  3. Wikipedia: Web browser
  4. Wikipedia: Browser security
  5. [Outside Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/5-ways-to-protect-yourself-online-a6834636.html]]

Multimedia

[edit | edit source]
  1. YouTube: How the Internet Works in 5 Minutes
  2. YouTube: What is the World Wide Web?
  3. YouTube: Web Development Tutorial for Beginners
  4. YouTube: JavaScript Tutorial for Beginners
  5. YouTube: Push Notifications
  6. YouTube: Cloud Computing Explained
  7. Youtube: How does Wi-Fi Work
  8. Youtube:How To: Improve or Optimize Your WIFI Signal
  9. Youtube:How to: Install VPN on Windows
  10. Youtube: What is the Internet?
  11. Youtube: Wi-Fi Security as Fast as Possible
  12. YouTube: What is a DNS?
  13. YouTube: How the Internet Was Invented Part 1

Activities

[edit | edit source]
  1. Complete the tutorial GCF Learn Free: Internet 101: Browser Basics.
  2. Review Learn the Net: Master the basics and Learn the Net: The Web At a Glance.
  3. Review Google: How Search Works.
  4. Build a website one or more of the following ways :
  5. See how well your web browser scores on the HTML5 standards test, view how other browsers scored, and compare your browser with other browsers.

Research and Discussion

[edit | edit source]
  1. How is the Internet changing education and the learning institutions today? Describe how distance learning has changed how you learn.
  2. Do you think the Internet needs controls or censorship? Support your answer.
  3. Communication over the Internet has expanded and broadened everyone's lives. The Internet can have positive and negative affects as we spend time online. Is living in the digital world good or bad for people? Support your answer.

Lesson Summary

[edit | edit source]

Overview

  • The internet also has the ability to "talk" to other computers. The internet is connected to the point where access to just about anything is derived from the internet. The internet is a globally connected network system that uses TCP/IP to transmit data via various types of media. The internet is a network of global exchanges – including private, public, business, academic and government networks – connected by guided, wireless and fiber-optic technologies.[3]

Web Browsers

  • Web browsers are used to deliver information resources, which are identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URL/URI). The user via a client/server model, can view and access information from the world wide web. [4]
  • A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.[5]
  • All web browsers follow standards of HTML and XHTML to ensure information is easily shared and communicated. All web browsers utilize protocols, that allow information to be routed between the source host and the user host. [6] [7]
  • Cookies and history are used to personalize the users experience on a web page. They are also used to track, retrieve, and present information regarding of past activities on a website. Cookies and history data can be used to modify the user's current activity on the same website. Cookies may be deleted using a browser's Settings or Preferences options.[8] [9]

Internet Services

  • The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link several billion devices worldwide.[10]
  • The World Wide Web is an information system of interlinked hypertext documents and other digital resources that are accessed via the Internet.[11]
  • The Internet operates without a central governing body.[12]
  • A web search engine is a software system that is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web.[13]
  • A web bot is a computer program whose developers claim is able to predict future events by tracking keywords entered on the internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone.[14][15]

Web Site Development

  • Web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet (World Wide Web) or an intranet (a private network).[16]
  • Web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, electronic businesses, and social network services.[17]
  • Web development takes into account many security considerations, such as data entry error checking through forms, filtering output, and encryption.[18]
  • Many people use the terms Internet and World Wide Web, or just the Web, interchangeably, but the two terms are not synonymous.[19]
  • The World Wide Web is only one of hundreds of services used on the Internet. The Web is a global set of documents, images and other resources, logically interrelated by hyperlinks and referenced with Uniform Resource Identifiers(URIs).[20]
  • URIs symbolically identify services, servers, and other databases, and the documents and resources that they can provide. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the main access protocol of the World Wide Web.[21]
  • Web services also use HTTP to allow software systems to communicate in order to share and exchange business logic and data.[22]
  • World Wide Web browser software, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Apple's Safari, and Google Chrome, lets users navigate from one web page to another via hyperlinks embedded in the documents.[23] 
  • Client-side software can include animations, games, office applications and scientific demonstrations.[24] 
  • The Web has also enabled individuals and organizations to publish ideas and information to a potentially large audience online at greatly reduced expense and time delay. Publishing a web page, a blog, or building a website involves little initial cost and many cost-free services are available.[25]
  • Publishing and maintaining large, professional web sites with attractive, diverse and up-to-date information is still a difficult and expensive proposition. [26] 
  • Many individuals and some companies and groups use web logs or blogs, which are largely used as easily updatable online diaries. Some commercial organizations encourage staff to communicate advice in their areas of specialization in the hope that visitors will be impressed by the expert knowledge and free information, and be attracted to the corporation as a result.[27] 

Key Terms

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3G
The third generation of mobile telecommunications technology, based on a set of standards used for mobile devices and mobile telecommunications introduced in 1998.[28]
4G
The fourth generation of mobile telecommunications technology, based on a set of standards used for mobile devices and mobile telecommunications introduced in 2008.[29]

The fifth generation of mobile telecommunications technology, based on a set of standards used for mobile devices and mobile telecommunications introduced in 2017. [30]

Active Server Pages (ASP)
A common Microsoft server-side scripting language.[31]
application server
A software framework that provides both facilities to create web applications and a server environment to run them.[32]
Application Service Provider (ASP)
A business providing computer-based services to customers over a network using a standard protocol.[33]
blog
A discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries typically displayed in reverse chronological order.[34]
Business-to-Business (B2B)
A situation where one business makes a commercial transaction with another.[35]
Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
A situation where a business makes a commercial transaction with a consumer.[36]
cable modem
A type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a hybrid fibre-coaxial and RFoG infrastructure.[37]
cloud computing
A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand access to a shared pool of Internet-based configurable computing resources.[38]
communication protocol
A defined set of rules and regulations that determine how data is transmitted in telecommunications and computer networking.[39]
Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
A situation where a consumer makes a commercial transaction with another consumer.[40]
Content Management System (CMS)
A software development system that enables adding or updating text, images, and other Web site content without coding in HTML or using a Web authoring program.[41]
cookie
A small file deposited on a user’s hard disk by Web sites, enabling sites to remember what they know about their visitors between sessions.[42]
cyberspace
A term used to describe the Internet and other online networks, especially the artificial realities and virtual communities that form on them.[43]
dial-up
An early form of Internet access that uses the facilities of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to establish a connection to an Internet service provider (ISP) by dialing a telephone number on a conventional telephone line.[44]
digital divide
A term that describes the divide between the people who do and do not have access to the Internet.[45]
Domain Name System (DNS)
A system that translates a computer’s numerical IP address into an easier-to-remember string of names separated by dots.[46]
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
A family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines.[47]
dynamic IP address
An IP address that is assigned to a device when it connects to a network; when that device disconnects from the network, the IP address may be reused.[48]
e-commerce (electronic commerce)
Trading in products or services using computer networks, such as the Internet.[49]
email (electronic mail)
A method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients.[50]
email server
A specialized server that acts like a local post office for a particular Internet host.[51]
extranet
A website that allows controlled access to partners, vendors and suppliers or an authorized set of customers.[52]
file server
In a LAN, a computer used as a storehouse for software and data that are shared by several users.[53]
file sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digital media, such as computer programs, multimedia (audio, images and video), documents or electronic books.[54]
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
A communications protocol that enables users to download files from remote servers to their computers and to upload files they want to share from their computers to these archives.[55]
filtering software
Software that, for the most part, keeps offensive and otherwise inappropriate Web content from being viewed by children, on-duty workers, and others.[56]
Global Position System (GPS)
A space-based navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more satellites.[57]
grid computing
The collection of computer resources from multiple locations to reach a common goal.[58]
hotspot
A physical location that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network (WLAN) through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider.[59]
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
A text file that includes codes that describe the format, layout, and logical structure of a hypermedia document.[60]
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
An application protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems used as the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web.[61]
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)
is a communications protocol for secure communication over a computer network which is widely used on the Internet.[62]
hypertext
Text displayed on a computer display or other electronic devices with references or links to other text which the reader can immediately access, or where text can be revealed progressively at multiple levels of detail.[63]
I-commerce
Broad term covering all commercial activity on the internet, including auctioning, placing orders, making payments, transferring funds, and collaborating with trading partners. Internet commerce is not a synonym for electronic commerce (e-commerce) but one of its subsets.[64]
Internet
A global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link several billion devices worldwide.[65]
Internet bot
Also known as web robot, WWW robot or simply -bot-, is a software application that runs automated tasks (scripts) over the Internet.[66]
Internet safety
The knowledge of maximizing the user's personal safety and security risks to private information and property associated with using the internet, and the self-protection from computer crime in general.[67]
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A business that provides its customers with connections to the Internet along with other services.[68]
internetworking
Connecting different types of networks and computer systems.[69]
intranet
A private website, accessible only to an organization’s staff. Gives employees the ability to communicate, collaborate, share documents and other information.[70]
Java
A platform-neutral, object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems for use on multiplatform networks.[71]
JavaScript
An interpreted scripting language that enables Web page designers to add scripts to HTML code.[72]
m-commerce (mobile commerce)
The delivery of electronic commerce capabilities directly into the consumer’s hand, anywhere, via wireless technology.[73]
malware
Malicious software used and spread on the Internet includes computer viruses which copy with the help of humans, computer worms which copy themselves automatically.[74]
Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG)
Web browser-based games, in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a world.[75]
net neutrality
The principle that Internet access should be free from restrictions related to the type of equipment being connected and the type of communication being performed with that equipment.[76]
open standards
A standard that is publicly available and has various rights to use associated with it.[77]
optical fiber
A flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair.[78]
packet-switching
A digital networking communications method that groups all transmitted data into suitably sized blocks which are transmitted via a medium that may be shared by multiple simultaneous communication sessions.[79]
platform
Whatever environment a piece of computer software or code object is designed to run within, obeying its constraints, and making use of its facilities.[80]
plug-in
P software extension that adds new features.[81]
pull technology
Technology in which browsers on client computers initiate requests from server machines before any information is delivered.[82]
push technology
Technology in which information is delivered automatically to a client computer.[83]
Real-Time Communication (RTC)
An integrated communication environment that permits computer users to exchange multimedia and audio content in real time.[84]
Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
An XML-based format for publishing frequently updated information.[85]
satellite internet
Internet access provided through communications satellites.[86]
search engine optimization
The process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's unpaid results.[87]
spam
Unsolicited or undesired electronic messages.[88]
static IP address
An IP address assigned semipermanently to a particular device connected to a network.[89]
social networking
A platform to build relationships among people who share similar interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.[90]
streaming audio
Sound files that play without being completely downloaded to the local hard disk.[91]
streaming video
Video clip files that play while being downloaded.[92]
telecommuting
A work arrangement in which employees use technology to reduce or eliminate commuting time.[93]
Telnet
An application protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communication facility using a virtual terminal connection.[94]
Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)
A string of characters used to identify a resource [95]
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
The address of a Web site.[96]
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A dedicated connection to a local area network via the internet.[97]
Voice over IP (VoIP)
A methodology and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over IP networks, such as the Internet.[98]
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
The main international standards organization for the World Wide Web.[99]
web authoring software
Programs that work like desktop publishing page layout programs to allow users to create, edit, and manage Web pages and sites without having to write HTML code.[100]
web bot
an internet bot computer program whose developers claim is able to predict future events by tracking keywords entered on the internet. [101]
web development
A broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet (World Wide Web) or an intranet (a private network).[102]
web portal
A Web site designed as a Web entry station, offering quick and easy access to a variety of services.[103]
web search engine
A web search engine is a software system that is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web.[104]
web server
A server that stores Web pages and sends them to client programs that request them.[105]
World Wide Web (WWW)
Part of the Internet, a collection of multimedia documents created by organizations and users worldwide linked by hypertext.[106]
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
A markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format which is both human-readable and machine-readable.[107]

Review Questions

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Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. A web browser is _____.
    A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.
  2. Web browsers are _____. 
    Web browsers are used to deliver information resources, which are identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URL/URI), to the user via a client/server model, so that the user can view and access information from the world wide web. 
  3. All web browsers follow standards of _____.  
    All web browsers follow standards of HTML and XHTML to ensure information is easily shared and communicated and all web browsers utilize protocols, allowing information to be routed between the source host and the user host.  
  4. Cookies and history are used to _____.  
    Cookies and history are used to personalize the users experience on a web page and also used to track, retrieve, and present information regarding past activity on a website and use it to modify the user's current activity on the same website.  
  5. The Internet is _____.
    The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link several billion devices worldwide.
  6. The World Wide Web is _____.
    The World Wide Web is an information system of interlinked hypertext documents and other digital resources that are accessed via the Internet.
  7. The Internet operates _____.
    The Internet operates without a central governing body.
  8. A web search engine _____.
    A web search engine is a software system that is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web.
  9. A web bot is _____.
    A web bot is a computer program whose developers claim is able to predict future events by tracking keywords entered on the internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone.
  10. Web development is _____.
    Web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet (World Wide Web) or an intranet (a private network).
  11. Web development can range from _____.
    Web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, electronic businesses, and social network services.
  12. Web development takes into account _____.
    Web development takes into account many security considerations, such as data entry error checking through forms, filtering output, and encryption.
  13. Many people use the terms Internet and World Wide Web, or just the Web, interchangeably, but _____.
    Many people use the terms Internet and World Wide Web, or just the Web, interchangeably, but the two terms are not synonymous.
  14. The World Wide Web is only one of _____.
    The World Wide Web is only one of hundreds of services used on the Internet. The Web is a global set of documents, images and other resources, logically interrelated by hyperlinks and referenced with Uniform Resource Identifiers(URIs).
  15. URIs symbolically identify _____.
    URIs symbolically identify services, servers, and other databases, and the documents and resources that they can provide. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the main access protocol of the World Wide Web.
  16. Web services also use HTTP to _____.
    Web services also use HTTP to allow software systems to communicate in order to share and exchange business logic and data.
  17. World Wide Web browser software, such as _____, lets users _____. 
    World Wide Web browser software, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Apple's Safari, and Google Chrome, lets users navigate from one web page to another via hyperlinks embedded in the documents. 
  18. Client-side software can include _____. 
    Client-side software can include animations, games, office applications and scientific demonstrations. 
  19. The Web has also enabled individuals and organizations to publish _____.
    The Web has also enabled individuals and organizations to publish ideas and information to a potentially large audience online at greatly reduced expense and time delay. Publishing a web page, a blog, or building a website involves little initial cost and many cost-free services are available.

Assessments

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See Also

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References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Internet definition
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. "What is the Internet? - Definition from Techopedia". Techopedia.com. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  4. Wikipedia: Web browser
  5. Wikipedia: Web browser
  6. Wikipedia: Web browser
  7. Wikipedia: Internet Protocol
  8. Wikipedia: HTTP cookie
  9. Wikipedia: Web browser history
  10. Wikipedia: Internet
  11. Wikipedia: World Wide Web
  12. Wikipedia: Internet
  13. Wikipedia: Web search engine
  14. Wikipedia: Web Bot
  15. Wikipedia: Internet bot
  16. Wikipedia:Web development
  17. Wikipedia:Web development
  18. Wikipedia:Web development
  19. Wikipedia:Internet
  20. Wikipedia:Internet
  21. Wikipedia:Internet
  22. Wikipedia:Internet
  23. Wikipedia:Internet
  24. Wikipedia:Internet
  25. Wikipedia:Internet
  26. Wikipedia:Internet
  27. Wikipedia:Internet
  28. Wikipedia: 3G
  29. Wikipedia: 4G
  30. "What Is 5G?". PCMAG. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  31. Wikipedia: Active Server Pages
  32. Wikipedia: Application server
  33. Wikipedia: Application Service Provider
  34. Wikipedia: Blog
  35. Wikipedia:Business-to-Business
  36. Wikipedia:Business-to-Business
  37. Wikipedia: Cable modem
  38. Wikipedia: Cloud computing
  39. Wikipedia: Protocol
  40. Wikipedia:Business-to-Business
  41. Wikipedia: Content management
  42. Wikipedia: HTTP cookie
  43. Wikipedia: Cyberspace
  44. Wikipedia: Dial-up Internet access
  45. Wikipedia: Digital divide
  46. Wikipedia: Domain Name System
  47. Wikipedia:Digital_subscriber_line
  48. Wikipedia: IP address
  49. Wikipedia: E-commerce
  50. Wikipedia: Email
  51. Wikipedia: Message transfer agent
  52. Wikipedia:Extranet
  53. Wikipedia: File server
  54. Wikipedia: File sharing
  55. Wikipedia: File Transfer Protocol
  56. Wikipedia: Content-control software
  57. Wikipedia: Global Positioning System
  58. Wikipedia:Grid computing
  59. Wikipedia: Hotspot
  60. Wikipedia: HTML
  61. Wikipedia: Hypertext Transfer Protocol
  62. Wikipedia: HTTPS
  63. Wikipedia: Hypertext
  64. "What is internet commerce? definition and meaning". BusinessDictionary.com. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  65. Wikipedia: Internet
  66. Wikipedia: Internet Bot
  67. wikipedia: Internet safety
  68. Wikipedia: Internet service provider
  69. Wikipedia: Internetworking
  70. Wikipedia: Intranet
  71. Wikipedia: Java
  72. Wikipedia: JavaScript
  73. Wikipedia: Mobile commerce
  74. Wikipedia: Malware
  75. Wikipedia: Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
  76. Wikipedia: Net neutrality
  77. Wikipedia: Open standard
  78. Wikipedia: Optical fiber
  79. Wikipedia: Packet switching
  80. Wikipedia: Computing platform
  81. Wikipedia: Plug-in (computing)
  82. Wikipedia: Pull Technology
  83. Wikipedia: Push technology
  84. Wikipedia: Real-time communication (RTC)
  85. Wikipedia: RSS
  86. Wikipedia: Satellite Internet access
  87. Wikipedia: Search engine optimization
  88. Wikipedia: Spam
  89. Wikipedia: IP address
  90. Wikipedia: Social networking service
  91. Wikipedia: Streaming media
  92. Wikipedia: Streaming media
  93. Wikipedia: Telecommuting
  94. Wikipedia: Telnet
  95. Wikipedia: Uniform resource identifier
  96. Wikipedia: Uniform resource locator
  97. Wikipedia: Virtual Private Network
  98. Wikipedia: VoIP
  99. Wikipedia: World Wide Web Consortium
  100. Wikipedia: HTML editor
  101. Wikipedia: Web bot
  102. Wikipedia: Web development
  103. Wikipedia: Web portal
  104. Wikipedia: Web search engine
  105. Wikipedia: Web server
  106. Wikipedia: World Wide Web
  107. Wikipedia: XML

Lesson 8 - Security

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This lesson covers security in various forms of technology, such as phones, the internet, and computers.


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the security portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[1]

  • Economic effects (secure transactions, viruses, malware, cost of security)
  • Privacy concerns (individual, business, identity theft)
  • Computer security and controls (system, application, personal computer, disaster recovery)

Readings

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  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Security
  2. Wikipedia: Computer security
  3. Wikipedia: Backup
  4. Wikipedia: Data recovery
  5. Wikipedia: Internet safety
  6. Wikipedia: Internet security
  7. Wikipedia: Internet privacy
  8. Wikipedia: Multi-factor authentication
  9. Wikipedia: Password manager
  10. Wikipedia: Mobile Security
  11. Wikipedia: Phishing
  12. Wikipedia: Encryption

Multimedia

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  1. YouTube: Protecting Your Computer from Malware
  2. YouTube: Malware: Difference Between Computer Viruses, Worms and Trojans
  3. YouTube: Backup and Disaster Recovery Explained
  4. YouTube: How your computer gets hacked in under a minute
  5. YouTube: Computer Security
  6. YouTube: Securing your WIFI network
  7. YouTube: 5 tips for staying safe on the web
  8. YouTube: Protect your Privacy Completely: Web Browsing with TAILS
  9. YouTube: How to create a strong password
  10. YouTube: What is Two-Factor Authentication? (2FA)
  11. YouTube: Common Threats to Information Security
  12. YouTube: HTTPS and SSL tutorial
  13. YouTube: Information Security Management-Learn and Gain
  14. YouTube: Cyber Security – Top 10 Threats
  15. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2nsUgG0zfQ YouTube: The Best Password Managers, Compared

Activities

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  1. Research Data Backup and Recovery. Schedule and perform regular data backups.
  2. Learn tips to make stronger passwords. Then research password managers. Consider installing and using a password manager on your system.
  3. Configure password management on your system.
  4. Mac: Review Mac Security. Consider one of these options for best Mac security.
  5. Research multi-factor authentication. Consider setting up multi-factor authentication on your Apple, Facebook, Google, and/or Microsoft accounts, as well as your password manager and your financial institutions.
  6. Review Protecting Your Computer. Use anti-malware software to scan your system and test malware detection.
    • All: Set anti-malware,anti-virus software and operating system to automatically update.
    • All: Review Wikipedia: Comparison of antivirus software. Download a free, well-known anti-malware application and scan your system.
    • All: Review Wikipedia: EICAR test file. Download and save the EICAR test file to test your anti-malware application and follow the process for removing malware.
  7. Review Wikipedia: Wardriving. Use a free wireless scanner and scan your environment for wireless networks:
  8. Windows password security testing:
    • Test your Windows environment to extract plain texts passwords, hash, PIN codes, and kerberos tickets from memory through the use of Mimikatz.

Research and Discussion

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  1. You are browsing the Internet at your favorite restaurant. How can you browse the Internet safely? Identify different threats and potential solutions associated with using unsecured Wi-Fi locations?
  2. Identify various vulnerabilities that can affect you, your personal information. and your computer devices. Research, discuss and share information on how you can protect yourself against identify theft.
  3. Security is an important concern while using email. Identify risks and list best practice solutions on how to safely use email.
  4. Research top security software for common personal computer and mobile platforms. Include both proprietary and open source options. Install and test trial versions of one or more products. Which products would you recommend others use, and why?

Lesson Summary

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  • Computer security is the protection of information systems from theft or damage to the hardware, the software, and to the information on them, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.[2] This includes controlling physical access to hardware, as well as protecting against harm that may come via network access, data and code injection, and due to malpractice by operators, whether intentional, accidental, or due to them being tricked into deviating from secure procedures.[3] There are security tips you can follow to protect your computer and personal information. Tips, like updating your software, turning on two-factor authentication protection of passwords, back up your files and giving personal information over encrypted websites only, will keep Security threats like backdoors, denial-of-service attacks, direct-access attacks, eavesdropping, malware, spoofing, tampering, privilege escalation, phishing, and clickjacking.[4] at a distance.[5]
  • Network Backups is a system where the named data from a single computer/network of computers is dispatched and sent to a backup server.[6] The primary aim of backups is to recover data after its loss, be it by data deletion or corruption and the minor purpose is to recover data from an earlier time, according to a user-defined data retention policy.[7]
  • Data recovery is a process of retrieving inaccessible data from corrupted or damaged secondary storage, removable media or files, when the data they store cannot be accessed in a normal way.[8] Data recovery framework involves an operating system failure, break down and logical failure of storage devices and accidental damages.[9]
  • A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a documented process or set of procedures to recover and protect a business IT infrastructure in the event of a disaster.[10] It responds to unplanned incidents with precautions to minimize the effects of a disaster for an organization to continue with its operations.[11]
  • Internet safety is the knowledge of maximizing the user's personal safety and security risks to private information and property associated with using the internet, and the self-protection from computer crime in general.[12] For your own safety from hackers, you need to keep your personal information professional and limited, keep your privacy settings on and practice safe browsing among other safe rules.[13]
  • Common threats to personal safety on the Internet include cyberstalking, cyberbullying, online predation, and obscene/offensive content.[14]. we need to take precautions whenever we are suspicious of these threats.
  • Malware, short for malicious software, is any software used to cause damage to a computer network, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems. It includes botnets, viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, scareware, ransomware, and worms.[15]. A game plan for protecting against malware is to stop harmful software from gaining access to the target computer.
  • Internet privacy involves the right or mandate of personal privacy concerning the storing, repurposing, provision to third parties, and displaying of information pertaining to oneself via the Internet.[16] It is concerned with protecting user information. Privacy can entail either Personally-Identifying Information (PII) or non-PII information such as a site visitor's behavior on a website.[17]
  • Risks to Internet privacy include activity monitoring, content searches, and social network profiling. [18].You may, however, protect your privacy online by using built-in features of many social networks and browsers and third-party tools.[19]
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a method of computer access control which a user can pass by successfully presenting several separate authentication stages through credentials based on knowledge (something you know), possession (something you have), and inherence (something you are).[20]. in other words, it is a system that requires more than one method of authentication from a self-reliant listing of credentials to verify a user's identity for login.
  • A password manager is a software application that helps a user store and organizes passwords.[21]. It assists in initiating and retrieving complex passwords, possibly calculating them on request. Password managers require a user to remember and create one master password to unlock and access any information stored in their databases.

Key Terms

[edit | edit source]
authentication
The process of confirming identity.[22]
authorization
The function of specifying access rights to resources.[23]
backdoor
A backdoor in a computer system, a cryptosystem or an algorithm, is any secret method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls.[24]
backup
Copying and archiving of computer data so it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event.[25]
biometrics
Refers to measurements of human characteristics. [26]
BitLocker
A full disk encryption feature included with the Ultimate and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista and later Windows operating systems.[27]
bot
A software application that runs automated tasks over the Internet. [28]
botnet
A number of Internet-connected computers communicating with other similar machines in an effort to complete repetitive tasks and objectives.[29]
brute-force attack
A cryptanalytic attack that consists of systematically checking all possible keys or passwords until the correct one is found.[30]
computer forensics
A branch of digital forensic science pertaining to the recovery and investigation of material found in computers and digital storage media, often related to computer crime. [31]
computer security
The protection of information systems from theft or damage to the hardware, the software, and to the information on them, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.[32]
cyber crime
Any crime that involves a computer and a network.[33]
cryptography
the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties called adversaries.[34]
denial-of-service attack
An attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users.[35]
device hardening
The process of securing a system by reducing its surface of vulnerability through the removal of unnecessary software, unnecessary usernames or logins and the disabling or removal of unnecessary services.[36]
dictionary attack
A technique for defeating a cipher or authentication mechanism by trying to determine its decryption key or passphrase by trying hundreds or sometimes millions of likely possibilities from a list.[37]
disaster recovery plan
A documented process or set of procedures to recover and protect a business IT infrastructure in the event of a disaster.[38]
dumpster diving
The practice of sifting through commercial or residential waste to find items that have been discarded by their owners, but that may prove useful to the collector.[39]
eavesdropping
The act of surreptitiously listening to a private conversation, typically between hosts on a network.[40]
encryption
The process of encoding messages or information in such a way that only authorized parties can read it.[41]
ethical hacker
A computer security expert, who specializes in penetration testing and in other testing methodologies to ensure the security of an organization's information systems.[42]
filter

On the Internet, a filter is a program to screen and exclude from access or availability Web pages or e-mail that is deemed inappropriate.[43]

firewall
A network security system that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.[44]
hacking
Seek and exploit weaknesses in a computer system or computer network.[45]
HTTPS
A communications protocol for secure communication over a computer network which is widely used on the Internet.[46]
identity theft
The deliberate use of someone else's personal information, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name.[47]
internet security
A catch-all term for a very broad issue covering security for transactions made over the Internet. Generally, Internet security encompasses browser security, the security of data entered through a Web form, and overall authentication and protection of data sent via Internet Protocol.[48]
iptables
A Linux kernel software firewall that allows system administrators to configure rules and chains.[49]
keystroke logging
The action of recording the keys struck on a keyboard, typically in a covert manner so that the person using the keyboard is unaware that their actions are being monitored.[50]
malware
Any software used to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems.[51]
multi-factor authentication
A method of computer access control which a user can pass by successfully presenting authentication factors from at least two of the three categories of knowledge, possession, and inherence.[52]
packet sniffer
A computer program that can intercept and log traffic passing over a digital network.[53]
password complexity
The length and character set combinations used to create a password, such as upper case and lower case letters, numbers, and punctuation.[54]
password confidentiality
A set of rules or a promise that limits access or places restrictions on password sharing.[55]
password cracking
The process of recovering passwords from data that have been stored in or transmitted by a computer system, most often through brute-force or dictionary attacks.[56]
password expiration
A policy that requires users to change passwords periodically.[57]
password reuse
A policy that prevents users from repeating recently used passwords.[58]
permissions
Access rights assigned to specific users and groups of users to control the ability of the users to view or make changes to system objects.[59]
penetration test
A targeted and simulated attack on a system to identify potential security vulnerabilities.[60]
phishing
The attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.[61]
physical security
Measures designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment and resources, and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm.[62]
ransomware
A type of malware which restricts access to the computer system that it infects, and demands a fee be paid to the operators of the malware in order for the restriction to be removed.[63]
rootkit
A stealthy type of software, typically malicious, designed to hide the existence of certain processes or programs from normal methods of detection and enable continued privileged access to a computer.[64]
security patch
A change applied to an asset to correct the weakness described by a vulnerability.[65]
shoulder surfing
Using direct observation techniques to obtain information such as passwords, PINs, security codes, and similar data.[66]
single sign-on
A property of access control systems that allows a user to log in once and gain access to all interrelated systems without being prompted to log in again.[67]
social engineering
Psychological manipulation of people to cause them to perform actions or divulge confidential information.[68]
spam
Unsolicited electronic messages, especially advertising.[69]
spoofing
Concealing the identity of the sender by impersonating another computing system.[70]
spyware
Software that aims to gather information about a person or organization without their knowledge and that may send such information to another entity without the consumer's consent, or that asserts control over a computer without the consumer's knowledge.[71]
system administrator
A person who is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems; especially multi-user computers.[72]
Trojan
A non-self-replicating type of malware program containing malicious code that, when executed typically causes loss or theft of data, and possible system harm.[73]
virus
A malware program that, when executed, replicates by inserting copies of itself (possibly modified) into other computer programs, data files, or firmware.[74]
worm
A standalone malware computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers.[75]
WPA / WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access)
Security protocol used secure wireless computer networks.[76]
zombie computer
A computer connected to the Internet that has been compromised by a hacker, computer virus or Trojan horse and can be used to perform malicious tasks of one sort or another under remote direction.[77]

Review Questions

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Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. Computer security is _____.
    Computer security is the protection of information systems from theft or damage to the hardware, the software, and to the information on them, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.
  2. Computer security includes _____.
    Computer security includes controlling physical access to hardware, as well as protecting against harm that may come via network access, data and code injection, and due to malpractice by operators, whether intentional, accidental, or due to them being tricked into deviating from secure procedures.
  3. Security threats include _____.
    Security threats include backdoors, denial-of-service attacks, direct-access attacks, eavesdropping, malware, spoofing, tampering, privilege escalation, phishing, and clickjacking.
  4. Internet safety is _____.
    Internet safety is the knowledge of maximizing the user's personal safety and security risks to private information and property associated with using the internet, and the self-protection from computer crime in general.
  5. Network security system that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules is called ________.
    Network security system that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules is called Firewall.
  6. Process of encoding messages or information in a way that only authorized parties can read it is called ________.
    Process of encoding messages or information in a way that only authorized parties can read it is called Encryption.
  7. Common threats to personal safety on the Internet include _____.
    Common threats to personal safety on the Internet include cyberstalking, cyberbullying, online predation, and obscene/offensive content.
  8. Malware, short for malicious software, is _____. It includes _____.
    Malware, short for malicious software, is any software used to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems.
  9. Malware, includes _____.
    Malware includes botnets, viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, scareware, ransomware, and worms.
  10. Internet privacy involves _____.
    Internet privacy involves the right or mandate of personal privacy concerning the storing, repurposing, provision to third parties, and displaying of information pertaining to oneself via the Internet.
  11. Privacy can entail either _____.
    Privacy can entail either Personally Identifying Information (PII) or non-PII information such as a site visitor's behavior on a website.
  12. Risks to Internet privacy include _____. 
    Risks to Internet privacy include activity monitoring, content searches, and social network profiling. 
  13. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is _____.
    Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a method of computer access control which a user can pass by successfully presenting several separate authentication stages through credentials based on knowledge (something you know), possession (something you have), and inherence (something you are).
  14. A password manager is _____.
    A password manager is a software application that helps a user store and organize passwords.
  15. A non-self-replicating type of malware program which typically causes loss or theft of data, and possible system harm is called ______.
    A non-self-replicating type of malware program which typically causes loss or theft of data, and possible system harm is called Trojan.

Assessments

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See Also

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. CLEP: Information Systems
  2. Wikipedia: Computer security
  3. Wikipedia: Computer security
  4. Wikipedia: Computer security
  5. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0009-computer-security
  6. https://nordic-backup.com/blog/why-network-backup-is-essential-for-your-business/
  7. Wikipedia: Backup
  8. Wikipedia: Data recovery
  9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_recovery
  10. Wikipedia: Disaster recovery plan
  11. https://searchdisasterrecovery.techtarget.com/definition/disaster-recovery-plan
  12. Wikipedia: Internet safety
  13. https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/top-10-internet-safety-rules-and-what-not-to-do-online
  14. Wikipedia: Internet safety
  15. Wikipedia: Internet security
  16. Wikipedia: Internet privacy
  17. Wikipedia: Internet privacy
  18. Wikipedia: Internet privacy
  19. https://blog.trendmicro.com/protecting-your-privacy-part-1-the-privacy-risks-of-social-networks-and-online-browsing/
  20. Wikipedia: Multi-factor authentication
  21. Wikipedia: Password manager
  22. Wikipedia: Authentication
  23. Wikipedia: Authorization (computer access control)
  24. Wikipedia: Backdoor (computing)
  25. Wikipedia: Backup
  26. Wikipedia: Biometrics
  27. Wikipedia: BitLocker
  28. Wikipedia: Internet bot
  29. Wikipedia: Botnet
  30. Wikipedia: Brute-force attack
  31. Wikipedia: Computer forensics
  32. Wikipedia: Computer security
  33. Wikipedia: Computer crime
  34. Wikipedia: Cryptography
  35. Wikipedia: Denial-of-service attack
  36. Wikipedia: Hardening (computing)
  37. Wikipedia: Dictionary attack
  38. Wikipedia: Disaster recovery plan
  39. Wikipedia: Garbage picking
  40. Wikipedia: Eavesdropping
  41. Wikipedia: Encryption
  42. Wikipedia: White hat (computer security)
  43. [[5]]
  44. Wikipedia: Firewall (computing)
  45. Wikipedia: Hacker (computer security)
  46. Wikipedia: HTTPS
  47. Wikipedia: Identity theft
  48. Techopedia; Internet Security
  49. Wikipedia: Iptables
  50. Wikipedia: Keystroke logging
  51. Wikipedia: Malware
  52. Wikipedia: Multi-factor authentication
  53. Wikipedia: Packet analyzer
  54. Wikipedia: Password strength
  55. Wikipedia: Confidentiality
  56. Wikipedia: Password cracking
  57. Wikipedia: Password policy
  58. Wikipedia: Password policy
  59. Wikipedia: File system permissions
  60. Wikipedia: Penetration_test
  61. Wikipedia: Phishing
  62. Wikipedia: Physical security
  63. Wikipedia: Ransomware
  64. Wikipedia: Rootkit
  65. Wikipedia: Security patch
  66. Wikipedia: Shoulder surfing (computer security)
  67. Wikipedia: Single sign-on
  68. Wikipedia: Social engineering (security)
  69. Wikipedia: Spamming
  70. Wikipedia: IP address spoofing
  71. Wikipedia: Spyware
  72. Wikipedia: System administrator
  73. Wikipedia: Trojan horse (computing)
  74. Wikipedia: Computer virus
  75. Wikipedia: Computer worm
  76. Wikipedia: Wi-Fi Protected Access
  77. Wikipedia: Zombie computer

Lesson 9 - Information Systems

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An information system (IS) is an organized system for the collection, organization, storage and communication of information. More specifically, it is the study of complementary networks that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create and distribute data.[1]


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the information systems portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Specialized systems (expert systems, collaborative systems, DSS, GIS, BI, workflow management, project management tools)
  • Electronic Data Interchange (standards, tools, characteristics, types of transactions)
  • Enterprise-wide systems (ERP, CRM, SCM)
  • Knowledge management (capturing, distributing, summarizing)
  • Business strategies (competition, process re-engineering, process modeling, e-commerce, TQM, Web 2.0)

Readings

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  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Information Systems
  2. Wikipedia: Learning management system
  3. Wikipedia: Management information system
  4. Wikipedia: Transaction processing system
  5. Wikipedia: Office automation
  6. Wikipedia: Expert system
  7. Wikipedia: Enterprise resource planning
  8. Wikipedia: Knowledge management
  9. Wikipedia: Decision support system
  10. Wikipedia: Geographic information system
  11. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  12. Wikipedia: Web 2.0

Multimedia

[edit | edit source]
Information systems
  1. YouTube: Knowledge Management Basics
  2. YouTube: What is EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)?
  3. YouTube: What is a Database?
  4. YouTube: How IT and Business Process Fit Together
  5. YouTube: Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  6. YouTube: What is a Workflow?
  7. YouTube: What is Business Intelligence (BI)?
  8. YouTube: What is an ERP system
  9. YouTube: Introduction to Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  10. YouTube: Decision Support System (DSS)
  11. YouTube: The 5 Components of an Information System
  12. YouTube: Microsoft Dynamics 365

Activities

[edit | edit source]
  1. Review Wikipedia: Information system. Create a list of information systems you encounter every day. What systems and devices do you use that capture and interpret information? This may include computers, automobiles, shopping at stores, Internet purchases, Internet surfing, business systems, accounting systems, healthcare systems, etc.
  2. Review Wikipedia: Privacy. Consider the information that various vendors and providers track about you. What information do they have? How is your information used and who do they share it with? Select a vendor or provider and read their privacy policy to find out.
  3. Review Wikipedia: Enterprise resource planning. Research ERP systems. Who are the top three or top five vendors? Find out what these systems cost and consider why a company would make an investment in this type of system. Provide examples.
  4. Review Wikipedia: Supply chain management. Think about a recent manufactured food or beverage product purchase you made at a store. Now consider the full supply chain involved in making that item available for you to purchase. What inventory control systems are likely in place at the store, the distributor, and the manufacturer? What manufacturing processes and ingredients were necessary, and what information systems would have been required to support manufacturing and delivering this product to you?
  5. Review Wikipedia: Watson (computer). IBM's Watson computer system is now being used to improve health care. How does Watson use knowledge management concepts to improve healthcare, and what types of benefits are being seen? Provide examples.
  6. Review Wikipedia: Geographic Information System. Consider goods or services needed in your area(park, hospital etc.). Now, determine where the providers of these services should be placed.

Research and Discussion

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  1. Employment in computer and information technology occupations are expected to increase within the next ten years. With these different types of advancements in information systems, what types of potential skills do you feel will be necessary for students to need to be successful?
  2. Most information systems include the discussion of hardware, software, data, people, and procedures. What is the importance of including people? What are some skills and concepts that are critical for people in information technology to be successful? Discuss.
  3. With our current use of technology and information system resources, do you feel that you receive enough information or not enough information to make appropriate decisions (personally or professionally)? Discuss.
  4. Many individuals may agree that the use of robots has benefits for our society. What do you think would be some potential positive and negative implications?
  5. From the above readings, select an information system and explain how that information system relates to you. Support your answer with potential advantages and disadvantages.

Lesson Summary

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  • An information system is any organized system for the collection, organization, storage and communication of information.[3]
  • Information systems aim to support operations, management, and decision making through inter-relation between data systems and activity systems.[4]
  • Information systems are a combination of hardware, software, data, procedures, people, and feedback.[5]
  • Expert systems are computer systems that emulate the decision-making ability of a human expert.[6]
  • An expert system is divided into two sub-systems: the knowledge base and the inference engine. The knowledge base represents facts and rules. The inference engine applies the rules to the known facts to deduce new facts.[7]
  • Electronic data interchange (EDI) is an electronic communication method that provides standards for exchanging data via any electronic means. By adhering to the same standard, two different companies or organizations, even in two different countries, can electronically exchange documents (such as purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, and many others).[8]
  • EDI and other similar technologies save a company money by providing an alternative to, or replacing, information flows that require a great deal of human interaction and paper documents.[9]
  • Barriers to implementing EDI systems include necessary business process changes and cost in time and money for initial set-up.[10]
  • Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is business management software that an organization can use to collect, store, manage and interpret data from a variety of business activities.[11]
  • ERP systems may include product planning, manufacturing or service delivery, marketing and sales, inventory management, shipping, and payment.[12]
  • Knowledge management (KM) is the process of capturing, developing, sharing, and effectively using organizational knowledge.[13]
  • Knowledge management efforts typically focus on organizational objectives such as improved performance, competitive advantage, innovation, the sharing of lessons learned, integration and continuous improvement of the organization.[14]
  • GIS is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data.[15]

Key Terms

[edit | edit source]
access point
Box consisting of a radio receiver/transmitter and antennae that link to a wired network, router, or hub.[16]
acceptance testing
Provides the final certification that the system is ready to be used in a production setting.[17]
artificial intelligence (AI)
artificial intelligence diagram
is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence (NI) displayed by humans and other animals. In computer science AI research is defined as the study of "intelligent agents": any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of successfully achieving its goals.[18]
batch processing
The execution of a series of programs on a computer without manual intervention.[19]
business intelligence (BI)
A set of techniques and tools for the acquisition and transformation of raw data into meaningful and useful information for business analysis purposes.[20]
business strategy
The formulation and implementation of the major goals and initiatives taken by a company's top management on behalf of owners, based on consideration of resources and an assessment of the internal and external environments in which the organization competes.[21]
cost-benefit analysis (CBA)
A systematic approach to estimating the strengths and weaknesses of alternatives that satisfy transactions, activities or functional requirements for a business.[22]
critical path method (CPM)
An algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities based on the time (duration) that each activity will take to complete, the dependencies between the activities, and logical end points such as milestones or deliverable items.[23]
critical success factor (CSF)
An element that is necessary for an organization or project to achieve its mission.[24]
customer relationship management (CRM)
An approach to managing a company’s interactions with current and future customers that often involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support.[25]
data mining
Analysis of large pools of data to find patterns and rules that can be used to guide decision making and predict future behavior.[26]
data administration
A special organizational function for managing the organization's data resources, concerned with information policy, data planning, maintenance of data dictionaries, and data quality standards.[27]
database management system (DBMS)
A computer software application that interacts with the user, other applications, and the database itself to capture and analyze data.[28]
decision support system (DSS)
A computer-based information system that supports business or organizational decision-making activities.[29]
E-commerce (electronic commerce)
Trading in products or services using computer networks, such as the Internet.[30]
eLearning
eLearning technology enables organizations to create customized training and education software. This can include lesson plans, monitoring progress against learning goals, online classes, etc. eLearning technology enables organizations to significantly reduce the cost of training and educating their members.[31]
electronic data interchange (EDI)
An electronic communication method that provides standards for exchanging data via any electronic means.[32]
enterprise portal
Web site that aggregates information across the entire organization or for groups within the organization such as project teams.[33]
enterprise resource planning (ERP)
Business management software that a company can use to collect, store, manage and interpret data from many business activities.[34]
executive information system (EIS)
A type of management information system that facilitates and supports senior executive information and decision-making needs.[35]
expert system
A computer system that emulates the decision-making ability of a human expert. [36]
GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)
Describes how computers may unquestioningly process unintended, even nonsensical, input data and produce undesired, often nonsensical, output.[37]
geographic information system (GIS)
A system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical data.[38]
groupware
Technologies that facilitate collaboration and sharing of organizational information. One of the earliest very successful products in this category was Lotus Notes. Notes provided tools for threaded discussions, sharing of documents, organization wide uniform email, etc.[39]
information system
A system composed of people and computers that processes or interprets information.[40]
knowledge base
Represents facts and rules.[41]
knowledge management (KM)
The process of capturing, developing, sharing, and effectively using organizational knowledge, It refers to a multi-disciplinary approach to achieving organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge.[42]
learning management system (LMS)
Is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of educational courses or training programs.[43]
management information system (MIS)
The management of information systems to provide efficiency and effectiveness of strategic decision making. [44]
robot
Robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer— capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically.[2] Robots can be guided by an external control device or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be constructed to take on human form but most robots are machines designed to perform a task with no regard to how they look.[45]
scheduling and planning tools
Automate the creation and maintenance of an organization's schedule: scheduling meetings,notifying people of a meeting, etc. An example of a well known scheduling tool is Microsoft Outlook. The planning aspect can integrate with project management tools such as Microsoft Project. Some of the earliest successful uses of KM technology in the business world were the development of the following types of tools: online versions of corporate "yellow pages" with listing of contact info, relevant knowledge, and work history.[46]
strategic planning
An organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy.[47]  
supply chain management (SCM)
The oversight of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. .[48]
telepresence
Telepresence technology enables individuals to have virtual meetings rather than having to be in the same place. Videoconferencing is the most obvious example.[49]
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Consists of organization-wide efforts to install and make permanent a climate in which an organization continuously improves its ability to deliver high-quality products and services to customers.[50]
software prototyping
The activity of creating prototypes of software applications, i.e., incomplete versions of the software program being developed.[51]
transaction processing system (TPS)
A software system, or software/hardware combination, that processes data by dividing the processes into individual, indivisible operations.[52]
value added network (VAN)
A hosted service offering that acts as an intermediary between business partners sharing standards based on proprietary data via shared business processes. [53]
value chain
A set of activities that a firm operating in a specific industry performs in order to deliver a valuable product or service for the market.[54]
Web 2.0
refers to World Wide Web websites that emphasize user-generated content, usability (ease of use, even by non-experts), and interoperability (this means that a website can work well with other products, systems, and devices) for end users.[55]
workflow tools
Allow the representation of processes associated with the creation, use, and maintenance of organizational knowledge. For example the process to create and utilize forms and documents within an organization. For example, a workflow system can do things such as send notifications to appropriate supervisors when a new document has been produced and is awaiting their approval.[56]
workflow management system (WMS)
Provides an infrastructure for the set-up, performance and monitoring of a defined sequence of tasks, arranged as a workflow.[57]

Review Questions

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Enable JavaScript to hide answers.
Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. An information system is _____.
    An information system is any organized system for the collection, organization, storage and communication of information.
  2. Information systems aim to _____.
    Information systems aim to support operations, management and decision making through inter-relation between data systems and activity systems.
  3. Information systems are a combination of _____, _____, _____, _____, _____, and _____.
    Information systems are a combination of hardware, software, data, procedures, people, and feedback.
  4. Expert systems are _____.
    Expert systems are computer systems that emulate the decision-making ability of a human expert.
  5. An expert system is divided into two sub-systems: _____ and _____. _____ represents facts and rules. _____ applies the rules to the known facts to deduce new facts.
    An expert system is divided into two sub-systems: the knowledge base and the inference engine. The knowledge base represents facts and rules. The inference engine applies the rules to the known facts to deduce new facts.
  6. Electronic data interchange (EDI) is _____.
    Electronic data interchange (EDI) is an electronic communication method that provides standards for exchanging data via any electronic means. By adhering to the same standard, two different companies or organizations, even in two different countries, can electronically exchange documents (such as purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, and many others).
  7. EDI and other similar technologies save a company money by _____.
    EDI and other similar technologies save a company money by providing an alternative to, or replacing, information flows that require a great deal of human interaction and paper documents.
  8. Barriers to implementing EDI systems include _____.
    Barriers to implementing EDI systems include necessary business process changes and cost in time and money for initial set-up.
  9. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is _____.
    Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is business-management software that an organization can use to collect, store, manage and interpret data from a variety of business activities.
  10. ERP systems may include processes such as _____.
    ERP systems may include processes product planning, manufacturing or service delivery, marketing and sales, inventory management, shipping, and payment.
  11. Knowledge management (KM) is _____.
    Knowledge management (KM) is the process of capturing, developing, sharing, and effectively using organizational knowledge.
  12. Knowledge management efforts typically focus on organizational objectives such as _____.
    Knowledge management efforts typically focus on organizational objectives such as improved performance, competitive advantage, innovation, the sharing of lessons learned, integration and continuous improvement of the organization.

Assessments

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See Also

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Wikipedia: Information system
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. Wikipedia: Information system
  4. Wikipedia: Information system
  5. Wikipedia: Information system
  6. Wikipedia: Expert system
  7. Wikipedia: Expert system
  8. Wikipedia: Electronic data interchange
  9. Wikipedia: Electronic data interchange
  10. Wikipedia: Electronic data interchange
  11. Wikipedia: Enterprise resource planning
  12. Wikipedia: Enterprise resource planning
  13. Wikipedia: Knowledge management
  14. Wikipedia: Knowledge management
  15. Wikipedia: Geographic Information System
  16. information systems
  17. information systems
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence
  19. Wikipedia: Batch processing
  20. Wikipedia: Business intelligence
  21. Wikipedia: Strategic management
  22. Wikipedia: Cost-benefit analysis
  23. Wikipedia: Critical path method
  24. Wikipedia: Critical success factor
  25. Wikipedia:Customer relationship management
  26. information systems
  27. information systems
  28. Wikipedia:database management
  29. Wikipedia: Decision support system
  30. Wikipedia:e-commerce
  31. Wikipedia:Knowledge management
  32. Wikipedia:Electronic data interchange
  33. Wikipedia:Knowledge management
  34. Wikipedia:Enterprise resource planning
  35. Wikipedia:Executive information system
  36. Wikipedia:Expert system
  37. Wikipedia: Garbage in, garbage out
  38. Wikipedia:Geographic information system
  39. Wikipedia: Knowledge management
  40. Wikipedia: Information system
  41. "Knowledge base". Wikipedia. 2019-04-30. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Knowledge_base&oldid=894838115. 
  42. Wikipedia: Knowledge management
  43. Wikipedia: Learning management
  44. Wikipedia: Management information system
  45. [[6]]
  46. Wikipedia: Knowledge management
  47. Wikipedia: Strategic planning
  48. Wikipedia:Supply chain management
  49. Wikipedia: Knowledge management
  50. Wikipedia:Total quality management
  51. Wikipedia:Software prototyping
  52. Wikipedia:Transaction processing system
  53. Wikipedia: Value added network
  54. Wikipedia:Value chain
  55. Wikipedia:Web 2.0
  56. Wikipedia: Knowledge management
  57. Wikipedia: Workflow management system

Lesson 10 - Systems Development

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Systems development is a process used in systems engineering, information systems, and software engineering for planning, creating, testing, and deploying an information system.[1]


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the systems development portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Software development (prototyping, SDLC, RAD, CASE, JAD, Agile)
  • Systems development (feasibility, process, systems analysis, systems design, end-user development, project management)
  • System implementation (testing, training, data conversion, system conversion, system maintenance, post-implementation activities, post-implementation review, documentation)
  • Information processing methods (batch, real-time, transaction)
  • User interface design (GUI, multimedia)
  • Standards (development, purpose, proprietary, open source)

Readings

[edit | edit source]
  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Program Development
  2. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  3. Wikipedia: Software development process
  4. Wikipedia: User interface design
  5. Wikipedia: Rapid application development
  6. Wikipedia: Computer-aided software engineering
  7. Wikipedia: Transaction processing system
  8. Wikipedia: Agile software development

Multimedia

[edit | edit source]
  1. Youtube: CIS 121 - System Development Life Cycle
  2. Youtube: Simplified Software Development
  3. YouTube: Introduction To Agile
  4. YouTube: Business Analysis and System Development
  5. YouTube: System Implementation
  6. YouTube: Transaction Processing System
  7. YouTube: Understanding Agile
  8. Youtube: Rapid Application and Agile Development Methodologies
  9. Project Roles in System Development

Activities

[edit | edit source]
  1. Review Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle and Wikipedia: Waterfall model. Compare and contrast the two methodologies. For historical reference, see University of North Florida: Software Development Life Cycle as an example of assignments from this perspective.
  2. Review Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle and Wikipedia: Agile software development. Compare and contrast the two methodologies.
  3. Review Wikipedia: Processing modes and the different types of computer processing. Consider your bank or credit card account. Is your current balance immediately available, suggesting real-time processing, or is it updated daily, suggesting batch processing?
  4. Read the article ConceptDraw: Graphic User Interface. Then identify different features of a GUI, including windows, title bars, buttons, menus, icons, content areas, scroll bars, status bars, etc.
  5. Review Wikipedia: Diagramming software. Select a diagramming program and create a diagram, flowchart, or mind map for systems development.
  6. Complete the TutorialsPoint: System Analysis and Design Tutorial

Research and Discussion

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  1. A company you are working for is implementing a new system at your work location. Select a phase in the system development life cycle that interests you. Discuss the activities that may occur during this step of the SDLC and include how it has impacted you at your place of work.
  2. What are the benefits derived from using a systems development methodology? Support your answer.
  3. Describe the purpose of systems analysis and design when developing information systems and how it can apply to you. What are potential advantages and disadvantages to systems analysis?
  4. What do you do first when implementing a new system? Explain your experience. Does it support the SDLC?
  5. Compare and contrast SDLC and Agile development? What are the pros and cons of each development?

Lesson Summary

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Software Development

  • Software development is the process of computer programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications and frameworks involved in a software release life cycle and resulting in a software product.[3]
  • Software prototyping is the activity of creating prototypes of software applications, i.e., incomplete versions of the software program being developed.[4]
  • The systems development life cycle (SDLC), also referred to as the application development life cycle, is a term used in systems engineering, information systems, and software engineering to describe a process for planning, creating, testing, deploying and maintaining an information system.[5]
  • Rapid application development (RAD) is an alternative to the conventional waterfall model of software development which puts less emphasis on planning tasks and more emphasis on development through the use of prototypes addition to or even sometimes in place of design specifications.[6]
  • Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) is the domain of software tools used to design and implement software that is high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable.[7]
  • Joint application design (JAD) is a process used to collect business requirements while developing new information systems for a company which includes approaches for enhancing user participation, expediting development, and improving the quality of specifications.[8]
  • Agile software development is a group of software development methods in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams. It promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, continuous improvement, and encourages rapid and flexible response to change.[9]
  • The Waterfall model is a breakdown of sequential project activities. Each phase depends on the completion of the prior step and corresponds to a specialization of tasks. this model does not allow for much flexibility and can be time consuming since you can't progress until the previous step is complete.

System Development

  • Before any system planning is done, a feasibility study should be conducted to determine if creating a new or improved system is a viable solution. This will help to determine the costs, benefits, resource requirements, and specific user needs to be required for completion.[10]
  • The goal of system analysis is to determine where the problem is, in an attempt to fix the system. This step involves breaking down the system in different pieces to analyze the situation, analyzing project goals, breaking down what needs to be created and attempting to engage users so that definite requirements can be defined.[11]
  • In systems design, the design functions and operations are described in detail, including screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams and other documentation. The design stage takes as its initial input the requirements identified in the approved requirements document. For each requirement, a set of one or more design elements will be produced as a result of interviews, workshops, and/or prototype efforts. Design elements describe the desired system features in detail and generally include functional hierarchy diagrams, screen layout diagrams, tables of business rules, business process diagrams, pseudo-code, and a complete entity-relationship diagram with a full data dictionary. These design elements are intended to describe the system in sufficient detail, such that skilled developers and engineers may develop and deliver the system with minimal additional input design.[12]
  • Project management is the discipline of carefully projecting or planning, organizing, motivating and controlling resources to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria. Project management processes include initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.[13]

System Implementation

  • New systems are tested in a variety of ways and at various levels to provide information on the functionality and performance of the product or service that is to be utilized. [14] [15]
  • After the system is tested, operational and production training is provided to users who will be maintaining the system and those using the system for production.[16]
  • Data conversion and system conversion translates data and systems from one format to another, which can be completed in increments or all at once, allows users to access and process information and data all under the implemented system.[17]
  • After a system is fully implemented, system maintenance and post-implementation activity are required for upkeep and enhancements, post-implementation review to analyze and evaluate the system's performance and assess any potential changes and enhancements to improve functionality.[18] [19]
  • Documentation is taken throughout the whole implementation process-- pre-implementation, during implementation, and post-implementation-- to record, measure, and audit the system's effectiveness and functionality.[20]

Information Processing

  • Transaction processing is a style of computing that divides work into individual, indivisible operations, called transactions.[21]
  • Batch processing is the execution of a series of programs (jobs) on a computer without manual intervention. Several transactions, called a batch are collected and processed at the same time. The results of each transaction are not immediately available when the transaction is being entered; there is a time delay.[22]
  • Real-time systems attempt to guarantee an appropriate response to a stimulus or request quickly enough to affect the conditions that caused the stimulus. Each transaction in real-time processing is unique; it is not part of a group of transactions.[23]

Graphical user interface

  • The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible. [24]

Key Terms

[edit | edit source]
agile software development
A group of software development methods in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams which promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, continuous improvement, and encourages rapid and flexible response to change. [25]
alpha testing
Simulated or actual operational testing by potential users/customers or an independent test team at the developers' site.[26]
batch processing
Batch processing is the execution of a series of programs (jobs) on a computer without manual intervention. Several transactions, called a batch are collected and processed at the same time. The results of each transaction are not immediately available when the transaction is being entered;[1] there is a time delay.[27]
beta testing
Comes after alpha testing and can be considered a form of external user acceptance testing.[28]
compiler
A language translator that converts an entire program into machine language before executing it.[29]
computer aided design (CAD)
The use of computer systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.[30]
computer-aided software engineering (CASE)
The domain of software tools used to design and implement software applications.[31]
data dictionary
A centralized repository of information about data such as meaning, relationships to other data, origin, usage, and format. [32]
data flow diagram
A graphical representation of the "flow" of data through an information system, modeling its process aspects.[33]
decision table
A precise yet compact way to model complex rule sets and their corresponding actions which associates conditions with actions to perform.[34]
end-user development
Activities and tools that allow end-users – people who are not professional software developers – to program computers.[35]
Feasibility Study
Flowchart
an assessment of the practicality of a proposed project or system which helps to determine the costs, benefits, resource requirements, and specific user needs required for completion.[36]
flowchart
A program design tool that graphically shows step-by-step the actions a computer program will take.[37]
graphical user interface (GUI)
is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and visual indicators such as secondary notation, instead of text-based user interfaces, typed command labels or text navigation.[38]
implementation phase
The SDLC phase that includes testing, training, equipment replacement, and file conversion.[39]
information architecture
Development of the process and/or information flow of the system.[40]
integrated development environment (IDE)
An IDE is a software development application that consists of tools for debugging, source code editing, and automation.[41]
investigation phase
The SDLC phase where existing business problems and/or opportunities are studied.[42]
joint application design (JAD)
A process used to collect business requirements while developing new information systems for a company which includes approaches for enhancing user participation, expediting development, and improving the quality of specifications.[43]
maintenance phase
The system is assessed to ensure it does not become obsolete and changes are made to initial software.[44]
parallel systems
A process used in testing systems where the old system and the new system are operated simultaneously to verify the new system is working properly.[45]
program design
The phase of the program development life cycle in which the program specifications are expanded into a complete design of the new program.[46]
program coding
The phase of the program development life cycle in which the program code is written using a programming language.[47]
project management
The process and activity of planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals in scientific or daily problems.[48]
rapid application development (RAD)
A design approach that emphasizes the necessity of adjusting requirements in reaction to knowledge gained as the project progresses, and based on the use of prototypes in addition to or even sometimes in place of design specifications.[49]
real time processing
Attempt to guarantee an appropriate response to a stimulus or request quickly enough to affect the conditions that caused the stimulus.[50]
scrum (Software Development)
Scrum is a software development framework that is designed to work with small teams focusing on two weeks development cycles called "sprints".[51]
source code
A computer program before it is compiled.[52]
systems development life cycle (SDLC)
A process used by systems engineers and systems developers to plan for, design, build, test, deliver and maintain information systems.[53]
stepwise refinement
A process used to break problems down into smaller problems.[54]
software maintenance
After the deployment of a new interface, occasional maintenance may be required to fix software bugs, change features, or completely upgrade the system.[55]
software prototyping
The activity of creating incomplete test versions of a software program being developed. [56]
systems design
The process of defining the architecture, components, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specified requirements.[57]
unified modeling language (UML)
A set of standard notations for creating business models; widely used for modeling object-oriented programs.[58]
usability inspection
A set of methods where a tester evaluates a user interface.[59]
user interface design (UI)
is the design of user interface for machine and software, such as computer, home appliances, mobile devices and other electronic devices, with the focus on maximizing usability and the user experience. Wikipedia: User interface design [60]
transaction processing (TPS)
A Transaction Processing System (TPS) is a type of information system that collects, stores, modifies and retrieves the data transactions of an enterprise. Transaction processing systems also attempt to provide predictable response times to requests, although this is not as critical as for real-time systems. Rather than allowing the user to run arbitrary programs as time-sharing, transaction processing allows only predefined, structured transactions. Each transaction is usually short duration and the processing activity for each transaction is programmed in advance.[61]

Review Questions

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Enable JavaScript to hide answers.
Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. The activity of creating prototypes of software applications, i.e., incomplete versions of the software program being developed is ____________.
    Software prototyping
  2. What is the term used in systems engineering, information systems, and software engineering to describe a process for planning, creating, testing, deploying and maintaining an information system?
    The systems development life cycle (SDLC), also referred to as the application development life cycle.
  3. An alternative to the conventional waterfall model of software development which puts less emphasis on planning tasks and more emphasis on development through the use of prototypes addition to or even sometimes in place of design specifications is ___________.
    Rapid application development (RAD)
  4. What is the domain of software tools used to design and implement software that is high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable?
    Computer-aided software engineering (CASE)
  5. What is the process used to collect business requirements while developing new information systems for a company which includes approaches for enhancing user participation, expediting development, and improving the quality of specifications?
    Joint application design (JAD)
  6. A group of software development methods in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing and cross-functional teams is called _______________. It promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, continuous improvement, and encourages rapid and flexible response to change.
    Agile software development
  7. What should be conducted to determine if creating a new or improved system is a viable solution? This will help to determine the costs, benefits, resource requirements, and specific user needs required for completion.
    A feasibility study
  8. The goal of system analysis is _____.
    The goal of system analysis is to determine where the problem is, in an attempt to fix the system. This step involves breaking down the system in different pieces to analyze the situation, analyzing project goals, breaking down what needs to be created and attempting to engage users so that definite requirements can be defined.
  9. In systems design, _____.
    In systems design, the design functions and operations are described in detail, including screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams and other documentation. The design stage takes as its initial input the requirements identified in the approved requirements document. For each requirement, a set of one or more design elements will be produced as a result of interviews, workshops, and/or prototype efforts. Design elements describe the desired system features in detail and generally include functional hierarchy diagrams, screen layout diagrams, tables of business rules, business process diagrams, pseudo-code, and a complete entity-relationship diagram with a full data dictionary. These design elements are intended to describe the system in sufficient detail, such that skilled developers and engineers may develop and deliver the system with minimal additional input design.
  10. What is the discipline of carefully projecting or planning, organizing, motivating and controlling resources to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria which contain the following processes: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing?
    Project management
  11. New systems are tested _____.  
    New systems are tested in a variety of ways and at various levels to provide information on the functionality and performance of the product or service that is to be utilized.  
  12. After the system is tested, _____ is provided to users who will be maintaining the system and those using the system for production.
    After the system is tested, operational and production training is provided to users who will be maintaining the system and those using the system for production.
  13. Data conversion and system conversion _____.
    Data conversion and system conversion translates data and systems from one format to another, which can be completed in increments or all at once, allows users to access and process information and data all under the implemented system.
  14. After a system is fully implemented, system maintenance and post-implementation activity are required for _____. 
    Upkeep and enhancements, post-implementation review to analyze and evaluate the system's performance and assess any potential changes and enhancements to improve functionality. 
  15. What is created throughout the whole implementation process-- pre-implementation, during implementation, and post-implementation-- to record, measure, and audit the system's effectiveness and functionality?
    Documentation
  16. The style of computing that divides work into individual, indivisible operations, is called ________________.
    Transaction processing
  17. An execution of a series of programs (jobs) on a computer without manual intervention. Several transactions are collected and processed at the same time. The results of each transaction are not immediately available when the transaction is being entered; there is a time delay. This is known as ___________________.
    Batch processing
  18. What type of systems attempt to guarantee an appropriate response to a stimulus or request quickly enough to affect the conditions that caused the stimulus. Each transaction is unique and it is not part of a group of transactions.
    Real time systems
  19. The goal of _________________________ is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible.
    user interface design

Assessments

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See Also

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References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. Wikipedia: Software_development
  4. Wikipedia: Software prototyping
  5. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  6. Wikipedia: Rapid application development
  7. Wikipedia: Computer-aided software engineering
  8. Wikipedia: Joint application design
  9. Wikipedia: Agile software development
  10. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  11. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  12. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  13. Wikipedia: Project management
  14. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  15. Wikipedia: Software testing
  16. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  17. Wikipedia: Data conversion
  18. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  19. Wikipedia: Project management
  20. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  21. Wikipedia: transaction processing
  22. Wikipedia: batch processing
  23. Wikipedia: real-time computing
  24. Wikipedia: Graphical user interface
  25. Wikipedia: Agile Software Development
  26. Wikipedia: Alpha Testing
  27. Wikipedia: Transaction processing system
  28. Wikipedia: Beta Testing
  29. Wikipedia: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Program Development
  30. Wikipedia: Computer-aided design
  31. Wikipedia: Computer-aided software engineering
  32. Wikipedia: Data dictionary
  33. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  34. Wikipedia: Decision table
  35. Wikipedia: End-user development
  36. Wikipedia: Feasibility Study
  37. Wikipedia: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Program Development
  38. Wikipedia: User interface design
  39. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  40. Wikipedia: User interface design
  41. Wikipedia: Integrated_development_environment
  42. Wikipedia: System development life cycle
  43. Wikipedia: Joint application design
  44. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  45. Wikipedia: Software testing
  46. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Program Development
  47. Wikipedia: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Program Development
  48. Wikipedia: Project Management
  49. Wikipedia: rapid application development
  50. Wikipedia: Transaction processing system
  51. Wikipedia: Scrum_(software_development)
  52. Wikipedia: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Program Development
  53. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  54. Wikipedia: Top-down and bottom-up design
  55. Wikipedia: Systems development life cycle
  56. Wikipedia: Software development process
  57. Wikipedia:Systems design
  58. Wikipedia: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Program Development
  59. Wikipedia: Usability inspection
  60. Wikipedia: User interface design
  61. Wikipedia: Transaction processing system

Lesson 11 - Programming

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Data Flow Diagram

Programming is the craft of writing useful, maintainable, and extensible source code which can be interpreted or compiled by a computing system to perform a meaningful task.[1]


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the programming portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Programming logic (Boolean, algorithmic, order of operations, SQL)
  • Methodologies (object-oriented, structured)
  • Data (concepts, types, structures, digital representation of data)
  • File (types, structures)

Readings

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  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Program Development
  2. Wikipedia: Computer programming
  3. Wikipedia: Order of operations
  4. Wikipedia: Object-oriented programming
  5. Wikipedia: Structured programming
  6. Wikipedia: Data type
  7. Wikipedia: Computer file
  8. Wikipedia: SQL
  9. Wikipedia: Source code

Multimedia

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  1. Khan Academy: Introduction to Computer Programming
  2. YouTube: Introduction to Programming
  3. YouTube: How does structured programming work?
  4. YouTube: What is an API?
  5. YouTube: Programming Words
  6. YouTube: Software Development Lifecycle in 9 Minutes!

Activities

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  1. Learn programming concepts by playing a computer game at Code.org.
  2. Review the TIOBE: Software Index. Identify currently popular programming languages. If your organization does software development, find out what programming languages are used and where they fall on the software index. Otherwise, check programming classes available at your school and find out what languages are taught and where they fall on the software index.
  3. Complete one or more of the drag-and-drop programming tutorials at Code.org: Learn.
  4. Complete the dungeon levels of the first lesson of CodeCombat.
  5. Review Wikipedia: Macro (computer science) and complete the tutorial Microsoft: Save Time by Creating and Running Macros in Excel 2010 or complete one or more of the Excel Easy: VBA programming tutorials.
  6. Download the Visual Logic flowchart / coding tool and complete the tutorial.
  7. Review Wikipedia: Structured programming and Wikipedia: Diagramming software. Select a diagramming program and create a flowchart that includes examples of sequence, condition/selection, and loop/iteration structures.
  8. Review Wikipedia: Computer science and Wikipedia: Computer programming. Consider the differences between writing a program and designing an information system.
  9. Create a free account with Codecademy and start learning coding.
  10. Complete the Debugging JavaScript in Chrome at Google.com: JavaScript.

Research and Discussion

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  1. When people and computers are creating a program, users generally blame the computer. Do you think it is more likely that a computer or a person would be responsible for a serious system problem? Support your answer.
  2. New programming languages are developed to meet different user needs. Identify and research one new programming language that interests you. Determine the purpose of the program and what it is used for. Is this a program that would be useful for you? Why or why not.
  3. Describe a computer program that you use at your workplace. Does this program enhance and support your job experience? Explain.

Lesson Summary

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  • Computer programming is a process that leads from an original formulation of a computing problem to executable computer programs.[3]
  • Programming involves activities such as analysis, developing understanding, generating algorithms, verification of requirements of algorithms, and implementation (commonly referred to as coding) of algorithms in a target programming language.[4]
  • Source code is written in one or more programming languages.[5] Popular programming languages include Java, C, C++, C#, and Python.[6]
  • Programming quality is measured by:[7]
    • Reliability: how often the results of a program are correct.
    • Robustness: how well a program anticipates problems due to errors (not bugs).
    • Usability: the ease with which a person can use the program for its intended purpose.
    • Portability: the range of computer hardware and operating system platforms on which the source code of a program can be compiled/interpreted and run.
    • Maintainability: the ease with which a program can be modified by its present or future developers in order to make improvements.
    • Efficiency: the amount of system resources a program consumes.
  • Most programming languages follow the order of operations commonly used in mathematics of Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction, or PEMDAS.[8]
  • Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects", which are data structures that contain data, in the form of fields, often known as attributes; and code, in the form of procedures, often known as methods.[9]
  • Most popular object-oriented programming languages are class-based, meaning that objects are instances of classes, which typically also determines their type.[10]
  • Popular object-oriented programming languages include Java, C++, C#, and Python.[11]
  • Structured programming is a programming paradigm aimed at improving the clarity, quality, and development time of a computer program by making extensive use of subroutines, block structures and for and while loops—in contrast to using simple tests and jumps such as the goto statement which could lead to "spaghetti code", which is difficult both to follow and to maintain. [12]
  • Structured programming uses three control structures — sequencing, selection (conditions), and iteration (loops) — to define any program or function.[13]
  • Structured query language (SQL) is a domain-specific language used in programming and designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS), or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system (RDSMS).[14]
  • A data type is a classification identifying one of various types of data, such as integer, floating-point number, Boolean, character, or string, that determines the possible values for that type; the operations that can be done on values of that type; the meaning of the data; and the way values of that type are stored.[15]
  • At the machine level, data types correspond to the sizes of system memory locations and processor data containers (registers) and supporting instructions.[16]
  • A computer file is a resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage.[17]

Key Terms

[edit | edit source]
acceptance testing (beta testing/application testing/end user testing)
A test conducted to determine if the requirements of a specification or contract are met.[18]
advanced business application programming (ABAP)
A high-level programming language created by the German software company SAP SE.[19]
algorithm
A self-contained step-by-step set of operations to be performed.[20]
applet
Any small application that performs one specific task that runs within the scope of a dedicated widget engine or a larger program, often as a plug-in. The term is frequently used to refer to a Java applet, a program written in the Java programming language that is designed to be placed on a web page.[21]
assembly language
A low-level programming language.[22]
Boolean
A data type having two values (usually denoted true and false), intended to represent the truth values of logic and Boolean algebra.[23]
bug
An error, flaw, failure, or fault in a computer program or system that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result, or to behave in unintended ways.[24]
C
A general-purpose, imperative computer programming language, supporting structured programming, lexical variable scope and recursion, while a static type system prevents many unintended operations.[25]
C++
A general-purpose programming language that has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features, while also providing facilities for low-level memory manipulation.[26]
compiler
A program that reads source code, translates it into machine language, and writes the machine language to binary (object) code that can be directly loaded and executed.[27]
computer architecture
A set of rules and methods that describe the functionality, organization, and implementation of computer systems.[28]
computer file
a resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage.[29]
computer programming
A process that leads from an original formulation of a computing problem to executable computer programs.[30]
control structure
The order in which individual statements, instructions or function calls of an imperative program are executed or evaluated.[31]
data flow diagram (DFD)
A graphical representation of the "flow" of data through an information system, modeling its process aspects.[32]
data structure
A particular way of organizing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently.[33]
debugging
The process of finding and resolving defects that prevent correct operation of computer software or a system.[34]
decompiler
A computer program that takes an executable file as input, and attempts to create a high level source file which can be recompiled successfully.[35]
deployment environment
A computer system in which a computer program or software component is deployed and executed.[36]
Flowgorithm
A graphical authoring tool which allows users to write and execute programs using flowcharts.[37]
hard coding
The software development practice of embedding an input or configuration data directly into the source code of a program or other executable object, instead of obtaining that data from external sources or generating data or formatting in the program itself with the given input.[38]
interpreter
A computer program that directly executes instructions written in a programming or scripting language, without previously compiling them into a machine language program.[39]
Java
A general-purpose computer programming language that is concurrent, class-based, object-oriented, and specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible.[40]
JavaScript
A high-level, dynamic, weakly typed, object-based, multi-paradigm, and interpreted client-side programming language. It's also one of the three core technologies of World Wide Web content production alongside of HTML and CSS.[41]
logic error
A bug in a program that causes it to operate incorrectly, not to terminate abnormally, but produce unintended or undesired output or other behavior, although it may not immediately be recognized as such.[42]
macro
A rule or pattern that specifies how a certain input sequence (often a sequence of characters) should be mapped to a replacement output sequence (also often a sequence of characters) according to a defined procedure.[43]
machine language
A set of instructions executed directly by a computer's central processing unit (CPU).[44]
maintainability
the ease with which a program can be modified by its present or future developers in order to make improvements.[45]
methodology
The systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study.[46]
modular programming
A software design technique that emphasizes separating the functionality of a program into independent and interchangeable units.[47]
object-oriented programming (OOP)
A programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects", which may contain data, in the form of fields, often known as attributes; and code, in the form of procedures, often known as methods.[48]
order of operations
A rule used to clarify which procedures should be performed first in a given mathematical expression.[49]
pair programming
An agile software development technique in which two programmers work together at one workstation. One, the driver, writes code while the other, the observer or navigator, reviews each line of code as it is typed in.[50]
Portability
the range of computer hardware and operating system platforms on which the source code of a program can be compiled/interpreted and run.[51]
PHP
A server-side scripting language designed primarily for web development but also used as a general-purpose programming language.[52]
pseudocode
An informal high-level description of the operating principle of a computer program or other algorithm.[53]
program analysis
The process of automatically examining the behavior of computer programs regarding a property such as correctness, robustness, safety and liveness.[54]
programming
Involves activities such as analysis, developing understanding, generating algorithms, verification of requirements of algorithms, and implementation (commonly referred to as coding) of algorithms in a target programming language.[55]
programming language
A formal constructed language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer.[56]
Python
A widely used general-purpose, high-level programming language that emphasizes code readability.[57]
query language
Computer languages used to make queries in databases and information systems.[58]
reliability
An attribute of resiliency and structural solidity.[59]
robustness
ability of a system to resist change without adapting its initial stable configuration.[60]
run time
The time during which a program is running (executing).[61]
sandbox
A testing environment that isolates untested code changes and outright experimentation from the production environment or repository.[62]
scripting language
A programming language that supports programs written for a special run-time environment that can interpret (rather than compile) and automate the execution of tasks that could alternatively be executed one-by-one by a human operator.[63]
software development
The computer programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications and frameworks involved in a software release life cycle and resulting in a software product.[64]
source code
Any collection of computer instructions (possibly with comments) written using some human-readable computer language, usually as text.[65]
Spaghetti Code
is a pejorative phrase for unstructured and difficult to maintain source code, broadly construed. Spaghetti code can be caused by several factors, such as volatile project requirements, lack of programming style rules, and insufficient ability or experience.[65]
SQL (Structured Query Language)
A special-purpose programming language designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS), or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system (RDSMS).[66]
structured programming
programming paradigm aimed at improving the clarity, quality, and development time of a computer program by making extensive use of subroutines, block structures, for and while loops—in contrast to using simple tests and jumps such as the go to statement which could lead to "spaghetti code" causing difficulty to both follow and maintain.[67]
subroutine
A sequence of program instructions that perform a specific task, packaged as a unit.[68]
syntax error
An error in the sequence of characters or tokens that is intended to be written in a particular programming language.[69]
systems development life cycle (SDLC)
A term used to describe a process for planning, creating, testing, and deploying an information system. The concept applies to a range of hardware and software configurations, as a system can be composed of hardware only, software only, or a combination of both.[70]
usability
The ease with which a person can use the program for its intended purpose.[71]
variable
A storage location paired with an associated symbolic name (an identifier), which contains some known or unknown quantity of information referred to as a value.[72]
visual programming language (VPL)
Any programming language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements graphically rather than by specifying them textually. A VPL allows programming with visual expressions, spatial arrangements of text and graphic symbols, used either as elements of syntax or secondary notation.[73]

Review Questions

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Enable JavaScript to hide answers.
Click on a question to see the answer.
  1. Computer programming is _____.
    Computer programming is a process that leads from an original formulation of a computing problem to executable computer programs.
  2. Programming involves activities such as _____.
    Programming involves activities such as analysis, developing understanding, generating algorithms, verification of requirements of algorithms, and implementation (commonly referred to as coding) of algorithms in a target programming language.
  3. Source code is written in one or more programming languages. Popular programming languages include _____.
    Source code is written in one or more programming languages. Popular programming languages include Java, C, C++, C#, and Python.
  4. Programming quality is measured by _____.
    Programming quality is measured by reliability, robustness, usability, portability, maintainability, and efficiency.
  5. Reliability is _____.
    Reliability is how often the results of a program are correct.
  6. Robustness is _____.
    Robustness is how well a program anticipates problems due to errors (not bugs).
  7. Usability is _____.
    Usability is the ease with which a person can use the program for its intended purpose.
  8. Portability is _____.
    Portability is the range of computer hardware and operating system platforms on which the source code of a program can be compiled/interpreted and run.
  9. Maintainability is _____.
    Maintainability is the ease with which a program can be modified by its present or future developers in order to make improvements.
  10. Efficiency is _____.
    Efficiency is the amount of system resources a program consumes.
  11. Most programming languages follow the order of operations commonly used in mathematics of _____.
    Most programming languages follow the order of operations commonly used in mathematics of Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction, or PEMDAS.
  12. Object-oriented programming (OOP) is _____.
    Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects", which are data structures that contain data, in the form of fields, often known as attributes; and code, in the form of procedures, often known as methods.
  13. Most popular object-oriented programming languages are class-based, meaning _____.
    Most popular object-oriented programming languages are class-based, meaning that objects are instances of classes, which typically also determines their type.
  14. Popular object-oriented programming languages include _____.
    Popular object-oriented programming languages include Java, C++, C#, and Python.
  15. Structured programming is _____. 
    Structured programming is a programming paradigm aimed at improving the clarity, quality, and development time of a computer program by making extensive use of subroutines, block structures and for and while loops—in contrast to using simple tests and jumps such as the goto statement which could lead to "spaghetti code", which is difficult both to follow and to maintain. 
  16. Structured programming uses three control structures — _____, _____, and _____ — to define any program or function.
    Structured programming uses three control structures — sequencing, selection (conditions), and iteration (loops) — to define any program or function.
  17. Structured query language (SQL) is_____
    Structured query language (SQL)is a domain-specific language used in programming and designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS), or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system (RDSMS).
  18. A data type is _____.
    A data type is a classification identifying one of various types of data, such as integer, floating-point number, Boolean, character, or string, that determines the possible values for that type; the operations that can be done on values of that type; the meaning of the data; and the way values of that type are stored.
  19. At the machine level, data types correspond to _____.
    At the machine level, data types correspond to the sizes of system memory locations and processor data containers (registers) and supporting instructions.
  20. Data types may be combined into _____.
    Data types may be combined into composite data types such as arrays and structures.
  21. A computer file is _____.
    A computer file is a resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage.

Assessments

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See Also

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References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Wikibooks:Computer Programming
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. Wikipedia: Computer programming
  4. Wikipedia: Computer programming
  5. Wikipedia: Computer programming
  6. TIOBE: Software Index
  7. Wikipedia: Computer programming
  8. Wikipedia: Order of operations
  9. Wikipedia: Object-oriented programming
  10. Wikipedia: Object-oriented programming
  11. Wikipedia: Object-oriented programming
  12. Wikipedia: Structured programming
  13. Wikipedia: Structured programming
  14. Wikipedia: SQL
  15. Wikipedia: Data type
  16. Wikipedia: Data type
  17. Wikipedia: Computer file
  18. Wikipedia: Acceptance testing
  19. Wikipedia: ABAP
  20. Wikipedia: Algorithm
  21. Wikipedia: Applet
  22. Wikipedia: Assembly language
  23. Wikipedia: Boolean data type
  24. Wikipedia: Software bug
  25. Wikipedia: C (programming language)
  26. Wikipedia: C++
  27. Wikipedia: Compiler
  28. Wikipedia: Computer Architecture
  29. Wikipedia: Computer file
  30. Wikipedia: Computer programming
  31. Wikipedia: Control flow
  32. Wikipedia: Data Flow Diagram
  33. Wikipedia: Data structure
  34. Wikipedia: Debugging
  35. Wikipedia: Decompiler
  36. Wikipedia: Deployment environment
  37. Wikipedia: Flowgorithm
  38. Wikipedia: Hard coding
  39. Wikipedia: Interpreter (computing)
  40. Wikipedia: Java (programming language)
  41. Wikipedia: JavaScript
  42. Wikipedia: Logic error
  43. Wikipedia: Macro
  44. Wikipedia: Machine code
  45. Quizlet information systems/programming
  46. Wikipedia: Methodology
  47. Wikipedia: Modular programming
  48. Wikipedia: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
  49. Wikipedia: Order of operations
  50. Wikipedia: Pair programming
  51. Quizlet information systems/programming
  52. Wikipedia: PHP
  53. Wikipedia: Pseudocode
  54. Wikipedia: Program analysis
  55. Wikipedia: Computer programming
  56. Wikipedia: Programming language
  57. Wikipedia: Python (programming language)
  58. Wikipedia: Query language
  59. Wikipedia: Reliability
  60. Wikipedia: Robustness
  61. Wikipedia: Run time (program lifecycle phase)
  62. Wikipedia: Sandbox (software development)
  63. Wikipedia: scripting language
  64. Wikipedia: Software development
  65. 65.0 65.1 Wikipedia: Source code Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content
  66. Wikipedia: SQL
  67. Wikipedia: Structured programming
  68. Wikipedia: Subroutine
  69. Wikipedia: Syntax error
  70. Wikipedia: System Development Life Cycle (SDL)
  71. Wikipedia: Usability
  72. ̪Wikipedia: Variable (computer science)
  73. Wikipedia: Visual Programming Language

Lesson 12 - Databases

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Databases are organized collections of data typically collected by schemas, tables, queries, reports and views. Databases are typically organized to process data to provide quick information retrieval.[1]


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the databases portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[2]

  • Database management systems (data warehousing, data mining, networking, security, validation, migration, storage, obsolescence)
  • Database management systems (relational, hierarchical, network, management strategies)
  • Difference between multidimensional, object-oriented, hierarchical, and relational databases.

Readings

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  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Database
  2. Wikipedia: Database
  3. Wikipedia: Data warehouse
  4. Wikipedia: Data mining
  5. Wikipedia: Data Security
  6. Wikipedia: Relational model
  7. Wikipedia: Hierarchical database model
  8. Wikipedia: Network database model
  9. Wikipedia: Data validation
  10. Wikipedia: Data migration
  11. Wikipedia: Database storage structures
  12. Wikipedia: Digital obsolescence

Multimedia

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  1. YouTube: Introduction to Database Management System (Short Version)
  2. YouTube: Introduction to Database Management System (Longer Version)
  3. YouTube: Beginners MS Access Database Tutorial 1 - Introduction and Creating Database
  4. YouTube: What is Database & SQL
  5. YouTube: How to Create a Database in SQL Server 2016
  6. YouTube: 2016 whats new in 2016 Microsoft Access
  7. YouTube: RelationalDatabase Concepts
  8. YouTube: How to make a Database-Part 1 Tables
  9. YouTube: Database Security
  10. YouTube: Different types of Databases
  11. YouTube: Database Tutorial for Beginners
  12. YouTube: What Are Databases and Why Do We Need Them?

Activities

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  1. Complete one or more of the following database tutorials:
  2. Complete A Quick-Start Tutorial on Relational Database Design.
  3. Review QCI: Database vs. Spreadsheet and PC Magazine: Spreadsheet Does Not = Database. Identify spreadsheets you use at work, school, or home that should be implemented as databases instead. If you are responsible for the data, try creating a database as a replacement. If someone else is responsible for the data, discuss with them the advantages of using a database.

Research and Discussion

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  1. Identify different database management systems that you frequently use. Identify potential benefits and limitations of information stored in those systems.
  2. Research the various levels of security used to protect database management systems.

Lesson Summary

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  • A database is an organized collection of data, including schemas, tables, queries, reports, views and other objects.[3]
  • A database management system (DBMS) is a computer software application that interacts with the user, other applications, and the database itself to capture and analyze data. It allows you to keep accurate records and retrieve records quickly.[4]
  • A general-purpose DBMS is designed to allow the definition, creation, querying, update, and administration of databases.[5]
  • Because of the close relationship between them, the term "database" is often used casually to refer to both a database and the DBMS used to manipulate it.[6]
  • A data warehouse is a central repository of integrated data from one or more disparate sources used for reporting and data analysis.[7]
  • Data mining is the computational process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, and database systems.[8]
  • A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a database management system (DBMS) that is based on the relational model.[9] The relational model represents data terms of ordered sets of elements (tuples), grouped into relations (tables).[10][11]
  • A hierarchical database model is a data model in which the data is organized into a tree-like structure. The data is stored as records which are connected to one another through links. A record is a collection of fields, with each field containing only one value. The entity type of a record defines which fields the record contains.[12]
  • An object database is a database management system in which information is represented in the form of objects as used in object-oriented programming.[13]
  • The network model is a database model conceived as a flexible way of representing objects and their relationships. Its distinguishing feature is that the schema, viewed as a graph in which object types are nodes and relationship types are arcs, is not restricted to being a hierarchy or lattice.[14]
  • Network databases create multiple linkages between sets by placing links, or pointers, to one set of records in another; the speed and versatility of network databases have led to their wide use within businesses and in e-commerce.[15]
  • Data migration is the process of transferring data between computer storage types or file formats. It occurs for a variety of reasons, including server or storage equipment replacements, maintenance or upgrades, application migration, website consolidation and data center relocation.[16]
  • Data warehouses (known as DW, DWH, and EDW) are systems used for reporting and data analysis. Current and historical data uploaded from the operational systems in stored in one single place and is used for creating analytical reports.[17].

Key Terms

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centralized database
A database that is located, stored, and maintained in a single location.[18]
client / server
A distributed application structure that partitions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service and service requesters.[19]
data cleansing
The process of detecting and correcting or removing corrupt or inaccurate records from a record set, table, or database.[20]
data mining
The computational process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, and database systems.[21]
data security
protecting data, such as those in a database, from destructive forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users.[22]
data validation
The process of ensuring that a program operates on clean, correct and useful data.[23]
data warehouse
A central repository of integrated data from one or more disparate sources used for reporting and data analysis.[24]
database administrator (DBA)
The role responsible for installation, configuration, design, migration, capacity planning, performance monitoring, security, troubleshooting, as well as backup and recovery of a database or databases.[25]
database management system(DBMS)
software for creating and managing databases[source?]
database model
Determines the logical structure of a database and fundamentally determines in which manner data can be stored, organized, and manipulated.[26]
database storage
The container of the physical materialization of a database. It comprises the internal (physical) level in the database architecture.[27]
database schema
The structure of a database described in a formal language supported by the database management system.[28]
digital obsolescence
A situation where a digital resource is no longer readable because of its archaic format.[29]
distributed database
A database in which portions of the database are stored on multiple computers within a network.[30]
export
The act or process of retrieving data out of data sources for further data processing or data storage (data migration).[31]
field
A column or attribute of a record in a relational database.[32]
geographical information system (GIS)
A system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical data.[33]
hierarchical database
A data model in which the data is organized into a tree-like structure.[34]
import
The act or process of loading data into a data source.[35]
join (SQL)
combines columns from one or more tables in a relational database.[36]
migration
The process of transferring data between storage types, formats, or computer systems.[37]
multidimensional database
A database which uses aggregated, inter-related arrays to organize data and express the relationships between data and is used for online analytical processing.[38]
network model
A database model conceived as a flexible way of representing objects and their relationships.[39]
object oriented database
A database management system in which information is represented in the form of combinations of variables, functions, and data structures.[40][41]
NoSQL
(Originally referring to "non SQL" or "non relational") database provides a mechanism for storage and retrieval of data that is modeled in means other than the tabular relations used in relational databases. [42]
query
A precise request for information retrieval with database and information systems.[43]
record
A row or collection of attributes in a relational database.[44]
relation (database)
A set of tuples (d1, d2, ..., dn), where each element dj is a member of Dj, a data domain.[45]
structured query language (SQL)
A special-purpose programming language designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS), or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system (RDSMS).[46]
table
A collection of related data held in a structured format within a database.[47]
tuple
A finite ordered list (sequence) of elements.[48]
XML (Extensible Markup Language)
A markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding data in a format which is both human-readable and machine-readable.[49]

Review Questions

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  1. A database is an organized collection of _____.
    A database is an organized collection of data, including schemas, tables, queries, reports, views and other objects.
  2. A database management system (DBMS) is a computer software application that _____.
    A database management system (DBMS) is a computer software application that interacts with the user, other applications, and the database itself to capture and analyze data.
  3. A general-purpose DBMS is designed to allow _____.
    A general-purpose DBMS is designed to allow the definition, creation, querying, update, and administration of databases.
  4. Because of the close relationship between them, the term "database" is often used casually to refer to _____.
    Because of the close relationship between them, the term "database" is often used casually to refer to both a database and the DBMS used to manipulate it.
  5. A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a database management system (DBMS) that ______. The ______ represents _____.
    A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a database management system (DBMS) that is based on the relational model. The relational model represents data terms of ordered sets of elements (tuples), grouped into relations (tables).
  6. A hierarchical database model is a data model in which the data is organized into _____. The data is stored as ______.
    A hierarchical database model is a data model in which the data is organized into a tree-like structure. The data is stored as records which are connected to one another through links.
  7. A record is a collection of ______. The ______ type of a record defines which fields the record contains.
    A record is a collection of fields, with each field containing only one value. The entity type of a record defines which fields the record contains.
  8. The network model is a _____ model conceived as a ______. Its distinguishing feature is that the _____, viewed as a graph in which object types are nodes and relationship types are arcs, is not restricted to being a _____ or a _______.
    The network model is a database model conceived as a flexible way of representing objects and their relationships. Its distinguishing feature is that the schema, viewed as a graph in which object types are nodes and relationship types are arcs, is not restricted to being a hierarchy or lattice.
  9. Management strategies include _____ and _____ users, enforcing data _____, monitoring _____, maintaining data integrity, dealing with concurrency control, and _____ information that has been _____ by some event such as an unexpected system failure.
    Management strategies include registering and monitoring users, enforcing data security, monitoring performance, maintaining data integrity, dealing with concurrency control, and recovering information that has been corrupted by some event such as an unexpected system failure.
  10. A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a database managment system (DMS) that is based on the _____. The _____ represents data terms of ordered sets of _____, grouped into _____.
    A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a database management system (DBMS) that is based on the relational model. The relational model represents data terms of ordered sets of elements (tuples), grouped into relations (tables).
  11. Protecting data, such as those in a database, from destructive forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users is _____.
    Protecting data, such as those in a database, from destructive forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users is Data security.
  12. Computing process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems is ____.
    Computing process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems is Data mining.
  13. Process that provides certain well-defined guarantees for fitness, accuracy, and consistency for any of various kinds of user input into an application or automated system is ____.
    Process that provides certain well-defined guarantees for fitness, accuracy, and consistency for any of various kinds of user input into an application or automated system is Data validation.
  14. The process of transferring data between computer storage types or file formats is ____.
    The process of transferring data between computer storage types or file formats is Data migration.

Assessments

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See Also

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References

[edit | edit source]
Type classification: this is a lesson resource.
Completion status: this resource is considered to be complete.
  1. Wikipedia: Databases
  2. CLEP: Information Systems
  3. Wikipedia: Database
  4. Wikipedia: Database
  5. Wikipedia: Database
  6. Wikipedia: Database
  7. Wikipedia: Data warehouse
  8. Wikipedia: Data mining
  9. Wikipedia: Relational database management system
  10. Wikipedia: Relational model
  11. Wikipedia: Tuple
  12. Wikipedia: Hierarchical database model
  13. "Top 9 Object Databases - Compare Reviews, Features, Pricing in 2019". PAT RESEARCH: B2B Reviews, Buying Guides & Best Practices. 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  14. Wikipedia: Network model
  15. "database | Definition, Types, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  16. Wikipedia: Data migration
  17. Wikipedia: Data warehouse
  18. Wikipedia: Centralized database
  19. Wikipedia: Client-server model
  20. Wikipedia: Data Cleansing
  21. Wikipedia: Data mining
  22. Wikipedia: Data security
  23. Wikipedia: Data validation
  24. Wikipedia: Data warehouse
  25. Wikipedia: Database administrator
  26. Wikipedia: Database model
  27. Wikipedia: Database
  28. Wikipedia: Database schema
  29. Wikipedia: Digital obsolescence
  30. Wikipedia: Distributed database
  31. Wikipedia: Data extraction
  32. Wikipedia: Field (computer science)
  33. Wikipedia: Geographic information system
  34. Wikipedia: Hierarchical database model
  35. Wikipedia: Extract, transform, load
  36. Wikipedia: Join (SQL)
  37. Wikipedia: Data migration
  38. Wikipedia: Multidimensional database
  39. Wikipedia: Network Model
  40. Wikipedia: Object database
  41. Wikipedia: Object (computer science)
  42. Wikipedia: NoSQL
  43. Wikipedia: Query
  44. Wikipedia: Record (computer science)
  45. Wikipedia: Relation (database)
  46. Wikipedia: SQL
  47. Wikipedia: Table (database)
  48. Wikipedia: Tuple
  49. Wikipedia: XML

Lesson 13 - Social Issues

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This lesson covers social issues related to information systems.


Objectives and Skills

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Objectives and skills for the social issues portion of CLEP Information Systems include:[1]

  • Property rights (intellectual, legal ownership of materials, open source software)
  • Effects of information technology on jobs (ergonomics, virtual teams, telecommuting, job design)
  • Technology’s influence on workforce strategies (globalization, virtual teams, telecommuting, outsourcing, insourcing)
  • Careers in IS (responsibilities, occupation, career path, certification)
  • Social networking (benefits, risks, ethics, technology, Web 2.0)
  • Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems (ethics, social, and political issues)

Readings

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  1. Wikibooks: Introduction to Computer Information Systems/Ethics
  2. Wikipedia: Science, technology and society
  3. Wikipedia: Intellectual property
  4. Wikipedia: Telecommuting
  5. Wikipedia: Professional certification (computer technology)
  6. Wikipedia: Social networking service
  7. Wikipedia: Open-source software
  8. Wikipedia: Web 2.0
  9. Wikipedia: Privacy issues of social networking sites
  10. Wikipedia: Information technology outsourcing
  11. Wikipedia: Technological convergence
  12. Wikipedia: Virtual team

Multimedia

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  1. YouTube: Whats the Difference Between Copyrights vs. Trademark vs. Patent
  2. YouTube: Information Technology & Ethics with Social Media
  3. YouTube: The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies On Our Lives
  4. YouTube: The Economic Impact of Information Technology
  5. YouTube: Virtual Team Effectiveness - Closing the Gap in Workplace Performance
  6. YouTube: What is TELECOMMUTING? What does TELECOMMUTING mean?
  7. YouTube: What is Web 2.0? What is Social Media? What comes next??
  8. Ethics in the field of Information Systems
  9. YouTube: Stop Cyberbullying
  10. YouTube: Email Phishing Attack Example and How to Avoid Getting Hacked
  11. YouTube: Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems

Activities

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  1. Review Wikipedia: Creative Commons License.  Consider the benefits that support the building of a richer public domain when an author wants to give people the right to share, use, and build upon a work that they have created.
  2. Review Microsoft: Computer Ergonomics Guide. If necessary, adjust your workspace to provide a healthy work environment.
  3. Complete one or more of the GCF LearnFree: Social Media tutorials.
  4. Review Wordpress:Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems. Research the ethical problems that one can face in Information Systems.
  5. Review Quizlet: Virtual Teams Review keyterms and meanings.
  6. Complete the GCF LearnFree:Introduction to Internet safety tutorials.
  7. Review 5 Skills Every Information Systems Student Needs to Succeed
  8. Complete this tutorial: Internet Safety for Kids
  9. Complete this Quiz on Ergonomics: Proprofs' Ergo Quizry.DM3

Research and Discussion

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  1. Review RIAA:About Piracy. Research legal issues and potential penalties related to illegal peer-to-peer file sharing.
  2. Review the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and offshoring. Describe the impact or potential impact of these business practices on your organization.