ITGS Section II

2.1 Basics: Hardware and Networks

2.1.1 Systems Fundamentals

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems. These may include among others:

health issues and ergonomics related to the use of hardware
increase in teleworking and the virtual office,
password protection, security, biometrics and authorized access
the economic value of information
greater dependence of organizations on IT

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems, the systems must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include among others:

advantages and disadvantages of analogue and digital data
key terms like data, information, and hardware.
operating systems
responsible computer use
a responsible and systematic approach to implementing or upgrading IT systems

2.1.2 Networks

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of networks. These may include among others:

vulnerability of networks to intrusion
ability to filter incoming data,
need for interface standards
implications of network failures
need for network use policy
ability to filter incoming data

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of networks the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:

e-commerce
security measures
types of intrusion like viruses and hacking
encryption and SSL
key terms like LAN and WAN.

2.2 Applications

2.2.1 Software Fundamentals

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of software. These may include among others:

interfaces adapted for the disabled
bug-free software
software piracy
globalization of software
use of password protection to prevent unauthorized access

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of software, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include among others:

key terms like software and shareware
GUI, command-line interface, and voice recognition.

2.2.2 Databases and Spreadsheets

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases and spreadsheets. These may include among others:

privacy of information in different cultures
rights of individuals with respect to the storage of personal data,
ethical issues related to the collection and use of personal data
ethical issues related to the selling of data stored in databases.

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These include:

design and creation concepts like updating data
storage and access concepts such as data mining and data matching
presentation concepts such as special purpose databases in libraries or encyclopedia systems.

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of spreadsheets, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These include:

design and creation concepts like cell, cell format
storage and access concepts such as data transfer between a data base and a spreadsheet.
presentation concepts like select print, use of appropriate graph or chart and special purpose spreadsheets

2.2.3 Word Processing and Desktop Publishing

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of word processing and desktop publishing (DTP), such as:

social impacts of speech-enabled input / output
economic effects of DTP on business
the effects of word processing and DTP on the workplace like job loss.

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of word processing and desktop publishing, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:

word processing versus page layout
appropriate use of templates
effective use of word processing functions
appropriate use of fonts, white space and line spacing to create output which communicates effectively

2.2.4 Images, Sound and Presentations

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of images, sound and presentations, These may include among others:

multimedia, slideshows, virtual reality, games,
copyright issues
biased information
reliability of data
surveillance and privacy.

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of images, sound and presentations, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These include:

design and creation concepts such as data integrity and storage
storage, processing and access concepts such as file formats, loading time, and portability.

2.2.5 Modeling and Simulations

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of modeling and simulations such as:

reliability of predictions based on computer models like in global warming
security issues involved in military simulations
social impact of reliance on simulations to examine issues of public policy

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of modeling and simulations, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:

key terms like model and simulation
faulty or hidden assumptions
processing power needed to create complex models
visualization of information
correspondence of the model with reality

2.2.6 Tutorials, Training and Wizards (Assistants)

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training, and wizards, such as:

balance in responsibility between an individual and an organization for training
the need for IT companies to consider global and cultural diversity when preparing training and tutorial software
the requirement of organizations to provide training when implementing change

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training, and wizards, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:

key terms such as tutorial software, training software, wizards and assistants
using wizards, assistants and online assistants and web sites.

2.3 Communication Systems

2.3.1 The Internet

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of the Internet, such as:

ethical considerations relating to the use of encryption and, to workplace monitoring
social impact of global viruses and dependence on the Internet
reliability of the information
etiquette rules for appropriate behavior when using the Internet
ethical considerations relating to workplace monitoring

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of Internet the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:

e-mail
viruses
global databases
encryption methods
features of a web page
the limiting effect of bandwidth
means for blocking access to information

2.3.2 Personal and Public Communications

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of personal and public communications, such as:

social effects of telecommuting
effect on the environment of personal communication devices
social effects of telecommuniting
social effects of widespread use of teleconferencing and video conferencing

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of personal and public communications, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:

face-to-face communication versus via technology
mobile phones and associated services and uses
personal mobile devices such as laptops and PDA
key terms
undetected intrusions into IT systems

2.4 Integrated Systems

2.4.1 Robotics

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of robotics, such as:

social and economic effects of replacing people with robots in the work place
ethical decisions regarding the use of robots in situations that endanger human beings
social impact of human interaction with robots
reliability of robotic devices
social impact and ethical considerations regarding the use of robotics in medicine

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use robotics, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:

key terms
why robots don't have android human-like forms
processing power in relation to the capabilities and limitations of robots
the capabilities and limitations of robots with respect to vision, touch, sound and movement

2.4.2 Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems

Social and Ethical Issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of artificial intelligence and expert systems, such as:

implications of creative production by computers using AI
responsibility for the performance of an expert system
social impact of using smart machines in every day life
responsibility for the performance of an expert system

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of artificial intelligence and expert systems, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts, such as:

key terms
storage requirements for AI
processing requirements for AI
collection / creation of a knowledge base
storage requirements for common-sense knowledge
identifying domains that are suitable for expert systems