Topic 6

ICT Applications
6.1 Communication

Objective: To be able to explain the uses of communication media.

 Topic Success Criteria/PLC
Skill R/A/G
❏ I can identify communication media and mobile
communication devices and their uses.
Communication
Communication Media:

● In the past it was traditional to communicate mainly by letter-writing, written reports,

newsletters, telephone and face-to-face meetings, but the use of ICT has brought about
major changes in the way we communicate with each other on a personal level, and
also on the way that organisations communicate.
● We will look at:
○ Newsletters
○ Posters
○ Websites
○ Multimedia presentations
○ Media streaming
○ E-publications
Communication
Communication Media - Newsletters:

● Organisations such as businesses, schools, universities and clubs produced printed or electronic
newsletters for employees, customers, parents and students or for their members.
● They are used to give updates on progress and new developments and can be a single sheet
or many pages long.
● The use of word processing and desktop publishing software has allowed more sophisticated
newsletters. Features include:
○ Automated bullet points and
○ Using columns
numbering systems
○ Altering the margins and the spacing
○ Justification of text
○ Changing the character size
○ Inserting links
○ Using different typefaces(fonts)
○ Use of headers, footers,
○ Different effects, like italic, bold and superscripts
automatic page numbering
○ Indenting text
● There is a skill in producing a newsletter, and part of the skill is to ensure that the document
looks impressive, while remaining readable without too many distracting effects.
Communication
Communication Media - Posters:

● A poster contains less text and information than a newsletter and has a greater visual
element so that it is eye catching.
● Posters are intended to communicate one message rather than being a document
containing lots of information on different topics. The difference is in the design of the
finished product.
● Posters are usually used to advertise products and events.
Communication
Communication Media - Websites:

● A website is a collection of interactive web pages containing text, graphics, audio, video
and links to other pages.
● A website is hosted on a web server on the internet.
● The information on a website can be viewed by internet users using a web browser.
● Websites are used to raise the profile either of a person or an organisation and to
communicate with others.
● Websites can be used for various purposes:
○ Entertainment
○ Provide information about an organisation
○ Advertise an organisation or product
○ Allow users to upload and download files
○ Allow users to order products advertised on a website
Communication
Communication Media - Multimedia presentations:

● A multimedia presentation is a standalone presentation that uses a mixture of different

media such as text, video, audio and images to present information effectively and to
maintain the interest of the viewer.
● Changes from one screen to another can use complex transitions to catch attention.
● Hyperlinks can be included as part of a single user presentation to give the user a choice
of path through it.
● Multimedia presentations can be used to:
○ Accompany a talk
○ Run on their own for people to view
○ Create educational tutorials
○ Produce a digital portfolio of a person’s work
○ Create interactive stories and quizzes
○ Create animations
Communication
Communication Media - Audio and video communication:

● Audio and video can be used to convey information to individuals or whole groups.
● Audio communication without video is used when people must concentrate or cannot view a
screen such as when they are running or exercising. They can listen to music or a podcast but
keep watching where they are going.
● Information is communicated using audio in shops and on railway stations so that it reaches as
many people as possible as they do not have to stand in one place and look at a screen.
● Many presenters now use audio on its own for comedy, storytelling and providing information
through the use of podcasts.
● A podcast is a digital audio file that users can download from the internet and listen to on a
mobile device such as a smartphone. They are typically available as a series with new
instalments automatically downloading.
● Podcasts are used for entertainment, education and also by organisations to provide
information to customers.
● Video communication combines moving images and sounds and is a successful method of
providing information as the viewers are entertained by the moving pictures.
● Video is widely used in education, entertainment and by organisations to advertise and
promote their products.
Communication
Communication Media - Media Streaming:

● Media streaming refers to the continuous transmission of audio or video files to a user.
● The file being streamed is stored remotely and streaming happens in real time.
● This means that you don’t need to wait for the whole file to download to begin
watching.
● Streaming means you don’t need to download the files and use space on the hard drive.
● Audio and video data is broken down into data packets to be sent over the internet.
● For streaming high quality video, fast internet speeds are required.
● Streaming is used for entertainment where users can watch films and listen to music
stored on remote servers.
● Streaming is also used by television channels for live events such as football matches.
● Live streaming is used by large and small organisations to broadcast meetings and
events where new products are unveiled, across the internet.
Communication
Communication Media - E-publications:

● E-publications are the publishing of digital books, magazines, newsletters and

newspapers online.
● The advantages of digital publications are:
○ They can be shared globally
○ There are no printing costs
○ It is quicker to get published
○ You have constant access to your digital library where all of the items you have
brought are kept, ready for you to read if you have internet access or downloaded
them to your device
○ E-readers are often less bulky than books and constant access to your digital library
means you just have to pack a small e-reader rather than many bulky books that
you want to read if you’re away from home.
Communication
Mobile Communication:

● Smartphones are mobile devices that can be used for many methods of
communication.
● Like all other telephones, smartphones can be used for voice or phone calls. They allow
two or more people to communicate by talking to each other.
● Phone calls can be made between landlines and mobile phones.
● SMS, which stands for short message service, allows users to send short text messages to
each other.
● They are delivered very quickly and allow instantaneous text conversations.
Communication
Mobile Communication - Voice over internet protocol:

● The voice over internet protocol (VOIP) allows the use of the internet to carry voice data
when making phone calls.
● When using VoIP technology, the voice data is broken into packets of data that are sent
along different routes to arrive at the same destination where they are reassembled in
the right order. VoIP technology is referred to as packet switching.
● VoIP telephony is generally free for the actual calls. The only costs are those for attaching
to the internet, ut the person making the call will not pay for these if they are in a
restaurant or coffee shop providing free internet access.
● VoIP telephony can be between a computer and a landline telephone, not just
between two computers or smartphones.
● VoIP is also used when making video calls over the internet using the device’s camera,
speaker and monitor.
● Various services such as WhatsApp and FaceTime allow users to make video calls.
● As more data has to be transmitted than just a voice call, the picture can sometimes
lock so that no motion is shown.
Communication
Mobile Communication - Accessing the internet:

● Mobile devices can access the internet using either Wi-Fi or a mobile or cellular network,
which is also a wireless network that is distributed through cells.
● Each cell includes a fixed location transceiver known as a base station.
● Working together, these cells provide wireless coverage over a large geographical area.
Each cell offers coverage of between nine to 21 miles.
● When a user moves out of range, the signal falls and the base station makes a request to
transfer control to another base station that is receiving the strongest signals without
notifying the subscriber. This is called handover.
● Over the years, cellular technology has improved, with each improvement being called
a “generation”.
● Most people now use 3G/4G/5G.