The Nature, Impact, and Issue of Information Technology
1. IT Applications in everyday life
- Introduction of IT applications in everyday life
- Identify the IT applications in everyday life
- Describe the use of IT in the following fields
# Home
# School
# Office
# Bank
# Entertainment
- Different IT tools that can be used to accomplish a particular task
- Describe the function of different IT tools.
- Choose appropriate IT tools to accomplish a particular task
2. The benefits and drawbacks of using IT
- Pros and cons of IT applications
- The reasons for choosing the IT applications
- The comparison to the traditional applications
3. Impacts of IT on people and society
- Health and safety
- Changing skill requirements and patterns of employment
- Identify and understand the requirements of an IT job
- Identify IT jobs at different levels
- Need for training and retraining
- Understand trend of career in IT
- Identify and understand the skills and requirements of different jobs in IT
- Identify the IT courses provided by the universities and colleges
- Identify retraining opportunities
- Ethical, moral, social and environmental issues
- the type and scale of damage by computer crimes
4. Impacts of technology on IT development
- Cost of technology
# Identify and understand the advantages of a wireless device
# Compare the cost of a wireless device against an equivalent wired version of device
- Forecasting the developing trends of IT
# Identify and understand the development of video conferencing with mobile phone
5. Basic legal framework relating to the use of IT
- Provisions of copyright
# Identify and understand the intellectual property right
# Understand the provisions of copyright
- Software license
# Understand the importance of software license
# Understand the Customs action against illegal software in Hong Kong
- Data privacy
# Identify and understand importance of data privacy
6. Strategies used to prevent deliberate or accidental illegal actions
- Access authentication
# Understand the importance of access authentication
# Identify and understand the purpose of different methods to prevent illegal access to a computer system
- Protective measures
# Understand the importance of information protection, physical protection and copyright protection
# Identify and understand the purpose of different methods to information protection, physical protection and copy protection
- Data Validation and Data Verification
# Understand the importance of data validation and data verification
# Understand the formula of check digit of ID number.
- Backup Procedure
# Understand the importance of backup
# Understand the purpose of different schedules for backup procedures
- Computer virus
# Identify what is virus and the symptoms of virus infection
# Understand the purpose of different methods for the prevention of computer virus infection
Information Processing
1. Basic knowledge of computer platforms
- Elements of a typical personal computer
# Identify the five components of a typical personal computer
# Describe/explain the purpose the following components:
.. input unit
.. System unit
.. Storage unit
.. Output unit
# Describe the function of the following items and how they affect the performance of a computer operation..
.. CPU
.. RAM
.. Cache
.. Display Memory
.. Display Adapter
# Describe/ explain about the features of the following types of storage
.. CD-ROM
.. CD-RW
.. DVD
.. Zip
.. Jaz
# Choose the appropriate storage medium for different situation.
# Describe the size of data or storage capacity, including the following (but not the precise numbers):
.. bits (binary digit-smallest data item) byte (8 bits)
.. Kbyte (Kilo or 1024 or 210 bytes)
.. Mbyte (Mega or 1,048,576 or 220 bytes)
.. Gbyte (Giga or 1,073,741,842 or 230 bytes)
- Types and Features of Desktop Computers and Workstations
# List different types of desktop computers and workstations, such as
.. File sever
.. Terminal
.. Workstation
# Choose appropriate desktop computers for different applications
- Functions and Features of Peripheral Devices
# Explain the meaning of peripheral devices.
# Describe the functions of the following peripheral devices:
.. Keyboard
.. Pointing device
.. Scanner
.. Monitor
.. Printer
2 Types of computer software
- The relationship among operating systems, application programs and user files
# Describe the flow of data among
.. operating system
.. application programs
.. peripherals
# Distinguish between 
.. an operating system
.. application programs
.. data files
# State the data files and their corresponding application programs
# Understand that the installation of application programs requires an operating system
- Common operating systems for computers
# Identify different types and features of operating system such as
.. Windows 98
.. Windows NT
.. Windows 2000
.. Mac OS
.. Novell's Netware
.. Unix
.. Linux
.. Windows CE
# Select appropriate operating systems for different scenarios.
- Different files created by various application programs
# Distinguish different types of data files created by various application program by file extension
.. Word processing, text file
~ .doc
~ .rtf
~ .txt
.. Spreadsheet software
~ .xls
~ .wks
.. Presentation Graphics
~ .ppt
.. Database software
~ .dat
~ .dbf
~ .mdb
3 Functions of typical application programs
- Word processing
# Understand the application of word processing software.
# Give examples of word processing software
# Insert text
# Edit text format
# Insert text graphics
# Insert table
# Save file in HTML
- Spreadsheet
# Understand the application of Spreadsheet software
# Give examples of Spreadsheet software
# Create a spreadsheet
# Use formula for calculations
# Understand commonly use functions in Excel
# Use auto-correction function
# Create a chart
- Database management
# Understand the application of database management software
# Give examples of database management type software
# Create a database
# Create a form
# Create a query
# Create a report
# Use the Wizard
- Presentation graphics
# Understand the application of presentation graphics software
# Give examples of presentation graphics software
# Create a slide
# Add text, graphics and sound
# Add animation
# Edit background
# Add a slide
# Add transition
# Use Wizard
- Desktop publishing
# Understand the application of desktop publishing software
# Give examples of desktop publishing software
- Communication
# Understand the application of communication software.
# Give examples of communication software
- Utility
# Understand the application of utility software
# Give examples of utility software
- Integrated software
# Understand the application of integrated software
# Give examples of integrated software
4 The representation and processing of information
- Information in the real world
# Identify various types of information in the real world
# Distinguish different types of text files such as
.. .txt
.. .rtf 
..  .doc
# Identify the differences between
.. vector graphics
.. bitmap graphics
# Identify the differences between
.. wave-form sound
.. non-wave-form sound
# Identify the differences between
..  frame-based animation
.. object animation
.. Identify the features and properties of video..
.. Identify the features and properties of hyperlink
- Concept of converting, storing and retrieving information for computer files
# Understand the technology of read-write devices, such as
.. How a disk drive works
.. Multiple disks and cylinder method
.. Optical-disk technology-laser beam
# Identify different types of economical storage medium
- Multimedia file types and file properties
# Distinguish different types of text files and their properties
.. .doc
.. .txt
.. .rtf
# Distinguish different types of graphics and images files
.. .tif
.. .eps
.. .jpg
.. .gif
.. .bmp
# Distinguish different types of sound files
.. .au
.. .aiff
.. .midi
.. .wav
.. .mpeg
# Distinguish different types of video files
.. .avi
.. .Quicktime
.. .Mpeg
- Capturing, processing and presentation of multimedia files
# Identify different types of input devices
.. Scanner
.. Audio board
.. Midi Board
.. Frame-grabber
.. Full motion card