A2 Information Technology (IT) Revision Notes

1. IT in Society

Impact of IT on Different Sectors

Sector Positive Impact Negative Impact

Digital Divide, Screen Fatigue, Dependence

E-learning, Digital Libraries, Virtual
Education on Technology, Lack of Personal
Classrooms, Online Exams, AI Tutors
Interaction

Telemedicine, Electronic Health Records, Data Security Risks, High Implementation

Healthcare
AI-based Diagnosis, Robotic Surgery Costs, Potential Job Losses

E-commerce, Automation, Cloud

Job Losses in Manual Sectors, Data
Business Computing, Digital Marketing, AI-driven
Breaches, Increased Competition
Customer Service

E-governance, Digital Voting, Online Public Cybersecurity Threats, Privacy Concerns,

Government
Services, Surveillance Systems Digital Literacy Issues

Ethical and Legal Issues

 Privacy Concerns: Data misuse, surveillance, online tracking, targeted ads

 Intellectual Property: Copyright laws, software piracy, open-source software vs. proprietary

 Digital Divide: Unequal access to IT resources, lack of IT infrastructure in developing

countries

 Cybersecurity: Hacking, phishing, identity theft, online fraud

 Automation & Job Displacement: AI replacing human labor, need for re-skilling workers

2. New and Emerging Technologies

Technology Description Applications Challenges

Chatbots, Self-driving cars,

AI & Machine Intelligent automation and Bias in AI, Ethical concerns,
Fraud detection,
Learning pattern recognition Data privacy
Healthcare diagnostics

Smart connected devices Smart homes, Industrial Security risks, Data

IoT that communicate via the monitoring, Wearable overload, Compatibility
internet health devices issues

Decentralized, tamper-proof Cryptocurrencies, Smart Scalability, Energy

Blockchain ledger for secure Contracts, Digital Identity consumption, Legal
transactions Verification regulations

Uses quantum bits (qubits) Extremely expensive,

Scientific research,
Quantum to solve complex problems Limited commercial use,
Cryptography, Drug
Computing faster than traditional Requires specialized
discovery
computers knowledge

3. Communications Technology

Types of Communication Networks

Type Description Example Advantages Disadvantages

Local network for

LAN Home, Office High speed, Secure Limited range
small areas

Connects multiple LANs, Expensive infrastructure,

WAN Large area network Internet
Wide coverage Slower speeds

Faster than WAN, Covers

MAN City-wide network Cable TV Networks Limited scalability
metropolitan areas

Secure private Remote Work, Secure, Remote May slow down internet
VPN
network Business Security accessibility speed

Wired vs Wireless Communication

Feature Wired Wireless

Speed Faster, Consistent Slower, Affected by interference

Reliability More stable Can be disrupted by obstacles and weather

Security More difficult to intercept Easier to hack if not properly secured

Cost Expensive to install Cheaper, Easier to scale

4. Project Management

Project Management Stages

Stage Description Key Considerations

Initiation Define objectives, feasibility study Project scope, Budget, Stakeholder needs

Develop timelines, resource

Planning Gantt charts, Risk assessment, Communication plan
allocation

Task delegation, Collaboration, Change

Execution Implement project plan
management

Monitoring Track progress, risk management KPIs, Performance reviews, Issue tracking

Post-mortem analysis, Lessons learned,

Closure Final evaluation, documentation
Maintenance plan

Project Management Tools

 Gantt Charts: Visual timeline for tasks and dependencies

 PERT Charts: Identify critical paths and optimize workflows

 Critical Path Analysis (CPA): Identifying key tasks to meet deadlines

 Agile vs Waterfall Models: Agile is iterative, Waterfall is sequential

5. System Life Cycle

Phase Description Key Activities Tools Used

Feasibility Study Evaluate project Cost-benefit analysis, Risk SWOT analysis, Feasibility
Phase Description Key Activities Tools Used

viability assessment reports

Requirements Surveys, Interviews, UML Diagrams, Data Flow

Gather user needs
Analysis Documentation Diagrams

Plan system
Design Wireframes, Database design ER Diagrams, Prototyping
architecture

Development Implement coding Programming, Debugging IDEs, Code Repositories

Unit Testing, System Testing,

Testing Ensure functionality Automated Testing Tools
UAT

Training, Installation, Cloud Deployment, CI/CD

Deployment Launch system
Migration Pipelines

Continuous Bug fixes, Updates, User Help Desk Systems, Version

Maintenance
improvement Feedback Control

6. Mail Merge

Steps in Mail Merge

1. Create a document (e.g., letter, label)

2. Link to a data source (Excel, database)

3. Insert merge fields (Name, Address, etc.)

4. Preview and verify data

5. Generate and distribute merged documents

Uses of Mail Merge

 Bulk Emailing & Newsletters

 Automated Invoicing

 Event Invitations

 Business Letters and Contracts

7. Graphics Creation

Types of Graphics
Type Description Example Uses File Formats

Bitmap (Raster) Pixel-based images Photos, Digital Paintings JPEG, PNG, BMP

Vector Scalable, formula-based Logos, Icons, Illustrations SVG, AI, EPS

Graphic Design Tools

 Adobe Photoshop: Raster image editing, Retouching

 CorelDRAW: Vector illustration

 Canva: Online graphic creation with templates

 GIMP: Open-source image editing software

8. Animation

Types of Animation

Type Description Example

2D Animation Frame-by-frame motion Cartoons, Advertisements

3D Animation Computer-generated models Movies, Video Games

Stop Motion Frame-based real object movement Claymation, Puppet Animation

Motion Graphics Text and objects animated for storytelling Infographics, Commercials

Animation Tools

 Adobe Animate (2D)

 Blender (3D)

 Toon Boom Harmony (Professional Animation)

 After Effects (Motion Graphics)

9. Programming for the Web

Web Development Technologies

Technology Purpose Example

HTML Structure of web pages Headings, Paragraphs, Tables

CSS Styling & layout Colors, Fonts, Positioning

JavaScript Interactivity Form validation, Animations

PHP Server-side scripting User authentication

SQL Database management Storing user data

Web Hosting & Deployment

1. Choose a web host

2. Upload files via FTP

3. Configure domain & DNS

4. Implement security protocols

5. Launch website & Monitor performance