16.1 Introduction Supermarkets make use of ICT systems for a range of purposes. In the following sections, we'll look at the processes of receiving, storing, retrieving, manipulating and sending data at the checkout, and then we'll move on to the larger context of the supermarket.
7 Describing an ICT system: conclusion We have arrived at a model of a communication system that illustrates the processes needed for communication. We have also looked at the different kinds of communication link that can be used to convey data, and how to express the rates at which they can convey data. In sections 8–14, we shall be looking at a computer system as an example of an ICT system where data manipulation and storage are the most important features.
7.5 The spread of spam A staggering 25 per cent of all incoming mail messages to the Open University in February 2004 were marked as spam by our automated spam filter. Is this a problem that is getting worse? There are companies that act as filtering agents for email; they check and stop viruses, spam and pornography. Do, using the link below, look at the proportion of messages that one such company, Messagelabs, has blocked in the last 12 months.
3.1 Searching for your ancestors In this section we consider searching for information about your ancestors. We cannot hope to cover all the techniques and information required to research genealogy, family history and local history; there is only time in this unit to scratch the surface. Some of the activities here are open-ended; please do not spend too long on them. If the subject interests you, you can revisit it after the course finishes, making use of the genealogical resources in the Appendix.
2.4 Using search engines Search engines can be very good at finding information since they cover such a huge number of web pages. Unfortunately it can be difficult to find the one you want in the huge number of hits that they return. I can illustrate some of the problems, and some of the strategies you can use to overcome them, with an example. Let's assume a friend of yours, Jill, has heard you talking about ‘Living with the Net’ and is trying to find out more about the course. What problems might Jill fac
Introduction There is more to computers and processors than simply PCs. In fact computers are ubiquitous in everyday life. This unit challenges how we view computers through the examples of processors in kitchen scales and digital cameras, as well as a work of art that, at heart, is a computer. This unit is from our archive and is an adapted extract from Computers and processors (T224) which is no longer taught by The Open University. If you want to study formally with us, you may wish to explore ot
2.2.1 Finance Every time you use a debit or credit card the shop till uses a terminal connected to other computers via a network. Your identification details are automatically transferred from your card to your bank or credit card company for verification, and your balance adjusted accordingly. This also applies if you are shopping online, or over the phone (when booking a cinema ticket, for example). ATMs (also known as cashpoints) allow you to check your bank balance or withdraw cash from wherever you ar
Learning outcomes After studying this unit you should be able to: describe some of the architectural and programming paradigms used in distributed system development; describe message passing and the role of protocols within a message passing paradigm; introduce the concept of a distributed object; describe how event-based architectures are used within distributed system development; introduce one implementation of an event-based archite
7.2.1 E-shop This is the most ubiquitous form of commerce on the World Wide Web. It involves a company presenting a catalogue of its wares to internet users and providing facilities whereby such customers can purchase these products. Almost invariably such a site will contain facilities for ordering and paying for products by means of credit cards. The sophistication of sites described by this business model range from just the simple presentation of a static catalogue to the presentation of an interactiv
4.3.1 Start writing Using the format of introduction, main body and conclusion outlined in Section 3, write up your answer to the question.
4.2.4 Plan your time When planning to use the time available, you should: make sure that you are answering the right number of questions divide your time according to the weighting of the questions write down the finishing time for each question try to allow for 10 minutes checking time at the end. Stick to your plan. Evidence indicates that two half-answered questions obtain more marks than one completed
9.2 What is reflection? Is reflection different to just thinking about your study? And how do we do it? Can someone teach you how to reflect or is it a matter of practice? Can everyone be reflective or are some students - and some people - more reflective than others? There is no clear definition of reflection or precise way of describing what we mean by a reflective learner. But we can discuss some characteristics of the process, and encourage you to develop your own preferred ways of developing it. Ref
8.5 Reviewing Undoubtedly this is the most difficult phase to apply to revision and an exam or to the preparation and production of an end-of-course assessment. Most of us heave a huge sigh of relief when it is all over and then try to put it out of our minds during the weeks while we wait for the results. When these arrive, it is very difficult to think back to the exam itself or revisit the details of the end-of-course assessment. With very little feedback to help, learning how to learn from exams or the
4.2 The wider social context – policy in the UK In Section 3, you were introduced to a range of theories that have been developed within psychology to try to explain how learning takes place. These theories act as a starting point for how you might apply theory to your own learning. They also act as a starting point in applying academic skills. These skills include reading and note taking, but they also include thinking about what these theories might have to offer and what their weaknesses are. You may remember that we suggested three suc
3.3.7 Entwistle’s theory – students’ approaches to learning Noel Entwistle’s ideas are much more concerned with the ways in which individuals approach learning. They focus on how people go about learning a body of knowledge. This contrasts with community of practice theory which is more interested in how groups of people together create knowledge or understanding, as the St Kildans did about ‘high-rise’ egg collecting. This might suggest that we are going back to where we started on this unit. You may recall that this starting point involv
3.3.3 How might it be possible to integrate theory and personal understanding? The answer to this question depends partly on the outcome of your work on the rest of this section. This should help you to bring academic theory and personal understanding together in ways that you find interesting and enriching. Sometimes it is important to realise that you are being asked to produce different sorts of writing. To do this you will need to draw on a skill that you probably already have. This is the skill of adapting your communication, in this case your written communication
1.5.1 Using a mind map to summarise information To quickly summarise a lot of information, some people find it helpful to draw a ‘mind map’ which shows how the different topics are connected. Start with a large sheet of unlined (plain) paper and coloured pens or pencils. A mind map can be produced for any subject or topic. They all begin in the middle of the paper with a word, picture or symbol that represents the subject being explored. The next stage is to let your mind wander as freely as possible around the subject, thinking
1.4 Study skills, other skills You will find many references to ‘skills’ in this unit. Before we explain how we will be using this word, we would like you to think about what you understand is meant by ‘skills’. 1.3 Learning through activities The unit has been designed to actively involve you in your own learning. One of the most important aspects of this are the activities that you are asked to do. For each activity, there is a suggested time, for example, ‘Allow about 10 minutes for this activity’. These estimates are intended to give you a sense of the amount of effort required. However, you may find that you spend longer on each activity. That is fine, so long as you feel you are learning. If you come across ideas th 1.2 What’s in this unit? As you have probably realised from reading this far, there are also other aspects to the unit. We will have a look at these in a moment. This unit is divided into five sections including this introduction. Each section encourages you to see how learning can underpin personal change. Section 1 (this section) – Introduction. This section introduces the unit. It gives you an idea of how the unit is structured and what approaches to learning and change it takes. Section 2 –
Activity 2 What’s in a word – skills?
