Kelvin Luong Sefton High School

Class of 2016
Preliminary IPT EOY Exam Study
Unit One: Introduction to Information Skills and Systems

- Information System Diagram

o Environment: Everything that influences or is influenced by the system (e.g. ATMs
are located all over Australia following Australian laws)
o Purpose: A statement identifying who the information system is for and what it
needs to achieve
o Information Processes: The actions which take place within the information system
in order to transform data into useful information
o Information Technology: The electronic hardware and software used to process
information
 Hardware: The physical components of a computer/electronic system
 Software: The programs and operating information used by a computer
o Data: Raw material/information which has not been processed
o Information: Data which has been processed and given meaning
o Users: The people who view or use the output of an info sys (e.g. bank users
withdraw money from ATM)
o Participants: A special class of users who initiate or contribute to the information
processes within an info sys

- Nature of data and information

o How is it represented? Data can be represented through 5 main formats. They are
text, hypertext, audio, image, video.
 Image: Bitmap graphics are made up of pixels, and each pixel is made up of
binary numbers. Vector graphics use mathematical formulas to draw lines
and curves. Lossless and lossy compression. (Jpeg, PNG, Bmp, Tiff, psd)
 Audio: Digital recordings sample the waveforms and convert them to digital
signals which are then amplified through speakers (MP3, WAV, wma, m4a,
aif)
 Video: Represented as a sequence of bitmap images often with
synchronised soundtracks. (MP4, AVI, wmv, flv, ogg)
 Text: Text is converted into binary and processed by the PC, and then the
typed character will appear on the word processor. Codes where each
number represents a character (ASCII) can be used to convert text into
binary. (txt, doc, docx, readme, webdoc)
 Numbers: Various mathematical systems are used by computer systems to
represent, encode or process numbers. (xls, txt)
 Hypertext/media: Text which contains links to other texts (htm, html, php,
js)

- Reasons for digital data

o Digitization: The process of converting data from analogue to digital form

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Kelvin Luong Sefton High School
Class of 2016
 How it is changed? The analogue data is converted into an electrical digital
code (usually binary) that can be read by computers (e.g. images are
rasterised to become pixels which can be viewed on computers)
 Hardware e.g. Camera, Microphone, OCR Scanner
 Software e.g. Photoshop, PDF Reader, Acid Express, Audacity
o The needs (Data Quality)
 Accuracy: Closeness of data to a standard - Involves data validation and data
verification checks
 Timeliness: How soon changes to data are actually made and how soon such
data changes are available to other processes/systems
 Accessibility: Availability and suitability of data for processing
o Current Data Trends: Cloud computing, Big data, Web of Things,

- Social and ethical issues

o Privacy: Protecting an individual’s personal information
o Security: Guarding from theft and destruction:
o Data Accuracy: The correctness, timeliness and accessibility of data
o Data Quality: An assessment of data’s fitness to serve its purpose in a given context
o Changing Nature of Work: How the format of work and types of job available
change over a period of time
o WHS: Social issue concerned with protecting health and safety of stakeholders in a
workplace from work-related hazards and risks
o Copyright Law: Legal right that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights
to its use and distribution for a limited time
o Appropriate Information Use: often detailed as a policy statement for an
organisation. Information misuse can be innocent and unintentional (e.g. clients
information are collected and sold to the mail company, mail company then sends
out mass advertising)
 Who is being affected by them? Anyone who has access to the information
or is involved with it in some way
 Means of limiting the issues? Creating policies/legal documents stating how
the information is to be used. Having different levels of access to the
information dependant on position
- Global Information Systems: Any information system which attempts to deliver the totality
of measurable data worldwide within a defined context

Unit Two: Tools for Information Processes

- Collecting: What to collect, how to collect, where to collect

o What is the process? Identify data sources and deciding how to obtain it
o Hardware for the process: Surveys, forms, computer, USB flash drive, camera,
scanner, optical character recognition (OCR)
o Software for the process: Word, Excel, Windows media player, Windows Photo
Viewer
o Non – Computing procedures for the process: Surveying, writing, listening, manual
recording of events

© 2016 Kelvin Luong. All Rights Reserved. For personal and educational use only.
Kelvin Luong Sefton High School
Class of 2016
o Social and Ethical Issues relating to the process: Privacy, Bias of Data, Accuracy of
Data

- Organising
o What is the process? Prepares the data in a structured format for use by other
information processes
o Hardware for the process: Computer, servers
o Software for the process: DBMS, Word, Windows explorer, Database
o Non – Computing procedures for the process: Filing cabinet, folders, cupboard,
Dewey system, phone books
o Social and Ethical Issues relating to the process: Bias of Data, Inaccuracy of Data,
Data Validity (e.g. I’m 17 now & in 2 years’ time I’ll be 19  reorganise)

- Analysing
o What is the process? Observing and identifying relevant data and transforming it
into information
o Hardware for the process: Fast processors, lots of primary & secondary storage
o Software for the process: Searching/selecting software, Photoshop, Word, Excel,
Premiere, modelling software
o Non – Computing procedures for the process: Non-computer models, human
senses, searching manual filing systems
o Social and Ethical Issues relating to the process: Bias & Accuracy of Data

- Storing and Retrieving

o What is the process? Saving the data for later use and obtaining the saved data
(storing = saving in USB, retrieving = opening up a file)
o Hardware for the process: USB flash driver, HDD, CD, DVD, SDD, RAM
o Software for the process: File management software (Windows explorer), DBMS,
hardware interface software, password protection software
o Non – Computing procedures for the process: Paper, libraries, microfiche
o Social and Ethical Issues relating to the process: Breach of Privacy (data stored in
wrong/unsecure place), Security

- Processing: Since its technically part all 7 info processes, it’s needed to move on to the next
information process
o What is the process? The manipulation of data and information
o Hardware for the process: Computer, CPU, GPU, RAM, large storages
o Software for the process: Word, Excel, Premiere, Photoshop,
o Non – Computing procedures for the process: Reading, listening, understanding
information before initiating specific processing
o Social and Ethical Issues relating to the process: Inaccuracy of Data (information
can be processed incorrectly), Ownership of processed data

- Transmitting and Receiving

© 2016 Kelvin Luong. All Rights Reserved. For personal and educational use only.
Kelvin Luong Sefton High School
Class of 2016
o What is the process? The transfer of data within and between info systems
o Hardware for the process: Ethernet cables, modem, Networks (LAN, WAN), buses,
email servers
o Software for the process: Web browser, cloud storage servers, email
o Non – Computing procedures for the process: Mail, phone, fax, radio, TV
o Social and Ethical Issues relating to the process: Breach of Privacy (transmitted to
incorrect recipient), Security (data needs to be sent safely)

- Displaying
o What is the process? Information is output from the system to meet purpose
o Hardware for the process: Screens (LCD, Plasma), printers, speakers
o Software for the process: Display interface software,
o Non – Computing procedures for the process: Traditional display methods (charts,
reports, drawing, prototypes)
o Social and Ethical Issues relating to the process: Bias of Data, Trends in Displays,
Appropriate displays for the impaired + suitable for children

Unit Three: Developing Information Systems (Project Development)

- Understanding the problem: Identifying changes that need to be made to existing system,
suggest use of requirements prototype to clarify participants understanding
o Interviews / Surveys / questionnaires
- Planning: Nature of problem described in report and recommendations are made to
management as to whether proposed solution is practicable + project plan is developed
o Feasibility Study (economic, time, technical(technology), operational(people))
 Gantt Charts (amount of work done vs amount planned for those periods)
- Designing: Documentation of the development of a solution to the new system, prototype
to clarify solution to the participant, design tools to explain solution
o Manuals, Context Diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams, Data Dictionaries, Decision tables

© 2016 Kelvin Luong. All Rights Reserved. For personal and educational use only.
Kelvin Luong Sefton High School
Class of 2016

- Implementing: Acquisition of IT and making it operational + decisions made on how the new
system will be implemented
o Direct
Dropping old system and implementing new
system at a single point in time, No reverting

o Parallel Run two systems at once for some time.

Allows any problems with new system to
be corrected without data loss (useful for
products of crucial nature) but double
workload
o Pilot
Small number of users TEST new system while
other users use old system. Once satisfied, all
users will convert to new system. Useful for
systems with many users

o Phased

Removing old system, and implementing new

system one by one/gradually.

- Testing, Evaluating and Maintaining: Users test system against design specs, maintenance is
through training of participants and renewing of operation manuals, modifications can be
made to system
- Roles of people involved in developing systems:
o Project Managers: Coordinates the various team members and resources to
complete the project on time
o System Analysts: Analyse and design the system
o Programmers: Developing the actual system that meets specifications
 Strength and weaknesses of individual team members:
o Communication: Reports, phone calls, emails which concern the progress of
development
o Interpersonal (Job Roles): Relationships and communication between other
members
o Technical: Skills related to hands-on work
o Organisational: Organising aspects of job (time, efficiency, costs, delegation)
- Machine Centred systems: Simplify what computers do at the expense of participants
- Human Centred systems: Make participants work as effective and satisfying as possible
- Impacts of the system on participants:

© 2016 Kelvin Luong. All Rights Reserved. For personal and educational use only.
Kelvin Luong Sefton High School
Class of 2016
o opportunities to use their skills
o meaningful work
o need for change
o opportunities for involvement and commitment

Miscellaneous

- Types of Software: Application (Word, Photoshop, Excel, Flash, etc) and System software
(OSX, Windows, Linux, etc)
o How they differ?
 System software: involved with managing the computer itself
 Application software: end-user programs allowing users to complete tasks
- Data Validation: Correct format and is reasonable when entered into system
- Data Verification: Ensures that data entered is correct
- Software design: The process of defining software methods, functions, objects, and overall
structure to satisfy user requirements
- User Interface (UI): The means by which user and system interact
- Communication through technology: Email, social networking sites, blogs, video calls,
phones

© 2016 Kelvin Luong. All Rights Reserved. For personal and educational use only.