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ICT Practical Notes

The document discusses several topics related to safe internet usage, mail merge, databases, and data validation. It provides advice on safe internet practices, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using mail merge to send 6,000 personalized letters, compares relational and flat file databases, and gives examples of different types of data validation.

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Sumaiya
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
200 views

ICT Practical Notes

The document discusses several topics related to safe internet usage, mail merge, databases, and data validation. It provides advice on safe internet practices, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using mail merge to send 6,000 personalized letters, compares relational and flat file databases, and gives examples of different types of data validation.

Uploaded by

Sumaiya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The rules of safe internet usage:

 Only give personal details/account details to secure websites


 Switch on firewall
 Install up to date anti-spyware/antivirus software
 Never accept contact requests from unknown people
 Never reply to spam emails
 Do not open attachments from unknown sources
 Use alias/nickname rather than real name

Mail merge can also be used for generating personalised letters. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of using mail merge to generate personalized letters to offer university places to 6,000
students.

Advantages:
 Only 1 letter has to be typed which saves time.
 Only the master letter/data source has to be proofread which is time saving.
 Data source may already exist which saves time.
 Can select on any criteria which saves time creating it.
 Faster than typing 6,000 individual letters/sending 6000 individual emails.

Disadvantages:
 If there are errors in the master letter, then 6000 incorrect letters are sent.
 Higher level of staff skill/specialised training required.
 If there are errors in the data source, they may not be checked until after mail merge, then the
process becomes more difficult.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a relational database rather than a flat-file
database to store data.

Advantages of relational:
 Simpler to create reports with data from multiple tables
 Data is stored once which cuts down inconsistency of repeated data entry
 Less storage space required for data files

Disadvantages of relational:
 More complex to set up a relational database
 More technical expertise to set up
Would this work? Answer If no, explain why?
Formatting rather than validation
Example A No
Example B Yes
Example C No
Not limited to list
Example D No An auto filter on existing data, not validation of new data
Features that make a form user-friendly:
 A meaningful title
 Appropriate field width spacing
 Clear text for field descriptions
 Drop down list
 Tick/check boxes
 Have easy-to-understand instructions
 Navigation buttons

The university is going to create an online facility to enable communication on a range of issues.
They need to decide between using a blog and a forum.
Evaluate the differences between a blog and a forum. Recommend what you consider to be the most
appropriate option for use by the university and explain your reasons.

Blog – one person or organisation disseminating information - postings can be longer and more detailed
Blog is a personal internet journal or diary - writer will type in observations on some topic
Blog creator drives content - one person’s thoughts - one author posts thought on a subject
Blog posts are typically longer - readers can comment on content
Blogs are unmoderated

Forum - a group sharing thoughts or discussions


Comments are brief - broader collection of thoughts - several different thoughts on a subject
Conversation between members of a group
Comments could be moderated to ensure content is appropriate for the university

Why internet information may not be reliable


• The internet is not regulated
• Anybody can set up a website
• Commercial sites may be biased
• Wikis can be edited by non-experts

How to evaluate website content


• Check the website domain - .ac, .gov, .org, .edu suffixes are usually reliable
• Compare information from different sources/sites
• Check for bias/purpose of the site
• Check if responsible bodies have endorsed the site
• Check date – if out of date it is likely to be unreliable
• Check author’s credentials

John is planning to validate data entry.


a) Define the term data validation.
Checks to see if data is reasonable/if it satisfies certain criteria when input into a computer

b) Name the most appropriate type of validation that would be used in the Score field.
Range check

c) Identify the most appropriate validation criteria that would be used in the Score field.
Between 0 and 60 or =0 and <=60 or >-1 and <61

d) Name another type of validation to check data entry.


Lookup check / character or type check / limit check / format or picture check / presence checks / length
check / existence check
The data from this skills checklist is entered into a database manually by university staff. The
university is considering changing this to an online form to be completed by new applicants.
Discuss in your own words the advantages and disadvantages to the applicants of using an
online form for this task.

Advantages:
Easier to correct errors on an online form than a paper form
Easier for disabled people to use and accessibility tools can be used
No need to take the form to the interview as data is entered by the applicant online

Disadvantages:
Not all applicants have a device to be able to complete an online form
Not all applicants have internet connectivity so they cannot access an online form
Possible data protection issues as the data is stored in digital form
Increased risk of data loss / unauthorized access to personal data as data is transmitted electronically

Tawara Cruises would like to use social networking to promote their business.
Describe how they can use social networking as a means of communication.

 Release news, status or updates about new cruises/destinations/products


 Post images or videos of cabins/ships
 Allow customers to ask questions about prices/durations
 Request customer feedback to improve service/polls

This relational database uses data stored in two tables.


Describe two advantages of using relational tables rather than a flat file database.

 Data is only stored once/data does not have to be typed in twice – reduces data duplication or
redundancy.
 Quicker to enter/update/edit data
 Fewer errors are likely
 Reduces storage requirements

Tawara Cruises now want to distribute the newsletter and plan to send a printed copy of this
by post. Evaluate this method of distributing the information.

Advantages:
 not everyone has a computer/internet, so may not see the newsletter if sent electronically
 can be read anywhere/not limited to where computer is
 can ensure sent to all customers listed
 can target people in an area

Disadvantages:
 costs of ink/paper/printing
 cost of postage
 time delay (dated)
 difficult to update content
 not interactive
 no animation/sound/video
 environmental impact of printed copies
Evaluate the use of cloud to backup data compared to a tape drive system.
Data can be accessed anywhere on a Cloud, however, data on a tape drive system is only available in
physical location. There is no need for additional hardware and software using a Cloud, therefore costs
are reduced. The storage capacity may be unlimited on the Cloud, compared to a limited storage
capacity of the tape drive. However the ownership of data on the tape is fully owned by the owner.
Cloud storage device is recommended due to the accessibility of data.

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