Communication

A newsletter that is emailed to parents is a document. Do not write about videos in it. A poster is judged on the features that make it attractive to its audience, and on how each feature is used in the poster. Animations and sound are not poster features.

An ePublication is electronic, so its design features are media based: audio, video and animation together with static features. It can use videos and hyperlinks. Compared with a printed booklet, it is cheaper to produce and it is interactive.

Do not describe the look of the page when asked for characteristics. Colours are described as bright, not as fun.

A multimedia presentation is shown at a specific time to a specific audience. A website is available all the time to a wider audience. A web page needs an internet connection.

Both can include video, sound and other multimedia elements. An advantage or a disadvantage must compare the two. Refer back to who the question says made each one.

Audio and video are the media that an ePublication or a multimedia presentation can carry.

Media streaming is an on demand service that requires the internet. A copy is not downloaded, so it does not take up storage space. Do not name a service: brand names are not credited. Do not repeat the word "streaming" as the answer.

Media streaming is not streaming live events on social media, and it is not TV broadcasting.

A text message (SMS) needs only the minimum mobile connection, so it can be sent with a weaker signal. It cannot be sent with no signal.

A phone call can suffer from background noise, so the friend may not hear the conversation. Many answers say that a text message is cheaper, or that it is quicker. Say why it is quicker if you use that point.

Read the whole question first. In an emergency, reading the text message at a later date is not the point, and neither is including videos.

A mobile phone is portable and is used for voice calls. The technical name is smartphone. The word "phone" alone is too vague: it can mean a mobile phone, a smartphone or other types of phone.

A phablet is a smartphone and tablet computer hybrid. It is larger than a smartphone but smaller than a tablet computer, and has the features of both devices.

Mobile devices can also access the internet. The internet connection may not be present, or may not be stable.

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol: calls are made over the internet. It is Voice, not Video.

Calls can be cheaper, and video calls can be made. Link cheaper to the cost of international calls. Write about VoIP, not about mobile phones in general. Leave out the cost of installation and maintenance when the scenario does not ask for it.

A smartphone used for a video call is portable. Its screen is small, so the user cannot clearly see the person they are talking to.

A computer model is a simulation of a real system. It is computer generated and uses mathematical formulae to work out its results.

The model lets the user predict the outcome and try different scenarios.

It is used to test the real thing before it is built. It is not a physical copy of it.

A spreadsheet can be a model. Its cells hold data and formulas. Change a value and the formulas give new results.

This is a what-if scenario. The user compares the new results with the old ones. The results can also be shown on graphs.

A formula such as `=B2*B3` must refer to cells, not typed numbers, so a changed value changes the result.

The syllabus names five uses: personal finance, bridge and building design, flood water management, traffic management and weather forecasting.

In each, the model is a simulation of a real system that lets the user predict the outcome.

For a bridge, designers set what-if scenarios instead of building lots of different bridges.

Compared with working by hand or with the real thing, a model is a faster method. The computer carries out every calculation, so the results are accurate.

Many what-if scenarios can be set. For a bridge, it is impractical to build lots of different bridges.

Safety and cost earn marks only with a reason. A reason that treats the model as a real object, such as "it saves materials", earns nothing.

A model depends on its formulas. If the formulas are not correct then results could be wrong.

The model does not take everything into consideration. People can come to rely on it, and make decisions on the model and not on real life.

The user must know how to use the model, and it takes time to set up.

In a computer controlled system a sensor sends data to a microprocessor all the time. The output from a sensor is analogue, so an analogue to digital converter (ADC) changes it to digital data before it enters the microprocessor.

The microprocessor compares each reading with a pre-set value. If the reading is higher or lower than the pre-set value, the microprocessor sends a signal to an actuator, such as a motor, which makes the change.

The sensor does not make decisions, and the microprocessor does not move anything itself. When a question asks only what the microprocessor does, leave out the conversion to digital.

In manufacture, robots do tasks on a production line, such as building cars. The line is a control system: sensors send data to a microprocessor all the time, and the microprocessor sends signals to actuators.

Robots change job roles and working conditions. Some jobs are lost, so say which ones. New jobs are created to look after the computers.

Compare the work before and after the robots, and keep to the scenario in the question.

An autonomous vehicle controls itself. A sensor, such as a proximity sensor, sends data to the microprocessor. The microprocessor compares the data with a pre-set value and sends a signal to an actuator to slow the vehicle down or speed it up.

The sensor does not change the speed, and no warning is given to a driver.

When a question asks about driverless vehicles, write about the concept: what the vehicle does better or worse than one with a driver. Do not write about what happens to the drivers.

An advantage makes a comparison with the humans. Computer controlled systems can work 24/7, whereas human workers need breaks.

They reduce the overall cost of wages, because fewer workers are paid. Do not write that no staff are paid.

Answers about lifting heavy items, power outages or being faster than a human were among the vague ones. Support each advantage with a reason.

Computer controlled systems are expensive to install and expensive to maintain.

Workers lose their jobs. Say which jobs are lost.

Staff who stay need retraining, which increases costs. Always add the increase in costs.

A discuss or evaluate question needs advantages and disadvantages, each expanded or justified. Write in continuous prose, not bullet points or two lists.

Make each point a comparison with the humans, in the scenario. End with a conclusion.

A school management system is used to manage learner registration and attendance. It is also used to record learner performance, including computer aided learning.

To use a registration system, the school first sets up all the learners on the system. Each learner then scans in to the system to register.

A learner can be registered by scanning their handprint. This is more secure, because each learner has a different handprint.

There are drawbacks. A handprint is difficult to read if it is dirty or damaged. The system takes time to set up at first, because each learner needs their handprint saved by the system.

Give both benefits and drawbacks, each with its reason. Use the word in the question: a handprint is not a fingerprint.

Computer Aided Learning (CAL) uses specially designed software or online platforms. It is a computer program that assists the user in learning a particular subject.

When asked what CAL means, say what it is. Do not list what it can do.

An online booking system lets a customer book over the internet. It is used in the travel industry, for concerts, for cinemas and for sporting events.

A use says what the system books. It is not a benefit. If the question says "state a use", name the event or industry.

Bookings can be made at any time and from anywhere. The customer gets immediate feedback for the time booked.

The ticket is sent electronically to a smartphone and displayed as a QR code. At the venue a QR code scanner / reader is the input device that reads it.

Booking online is faster than going to the venue to book. The visitor could have a set time to visit, so it is faster to gain access. It reduces the time to queue and the length of queues at the venue.

The customer gets immediate feedback for the time booked, and can book at any time, from anywhere. The ticket is sent electronically, so there is less chance of losing the ticket.

Expand each point. "Saves time" alone does not say what is faster, or faster than what.

The venue's staff can easily monitor the number of visitors entering the building. This reduces overcrowding.

It is easier for the organiser to manage the bookings. Sending the ticket electronically reduces the cost of printing / sending the tickets.

An organiser's advantage is about the venue, not the customer. Read whose benefit the question asks for.

An online system needs internet access. "From anywhere" is only true where there is a connection. A manual system needs no internet access.

Security is a disadvantage too: identity theft and online fraud. Security is only one small part of an answer.

When the question compares online with manual booking, link each point to both systems. With online booking customers do not have to travel to book, saving cost and time, and double booking is reduced. Fit the point to the scenario: saving travel to a hotel that could be in a different country was not credited.

At an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) a customer can withdraw cash, deposit cash or cheques, check the account balance, print a mini statement, pay bills and make money transfers.

One advantage is that an ATM operates 24/7. Another is not waiting in queues in the bank.

When a question asks about the processing, give what the computer checks. Typing in the PIN is an input. The options displayed on screen are outputs, and so is the ATM asking the user to input their PIN. None of these gains credit as processing.

For a cash withdrawal the processing is checking the amount available in the account and checking if the daily limit has been exceeded.

A cheque can be deposited at an ATM. If the question is about cheques, do not answer about cash. A cheque is read using MICR. Give a cheque, not a bank card, as the example of MICR.

Details on a cheque must be precise: write name of recipient, not just name. Give cheque details, not card details. A question on clearing wants the process of clearing the cheques, not the process of checking them.

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) moves money electronically. An EFTPOS terminal is used to pay by card, for example when buying a ticket.

When a customer pays by card, the computer checks that the card holder has enough money to pay the bill. It does this by checking with the bank.

A contactless card is read by an RFID reader. A chip reader does not have to be contactless. A contactless card can be used without a PIN.

With internet banking at home, the advantages to the customer are saving time and saving transport money in travelling to the bank. The security of the system, or the lack of it, is a popular disadvantage. To reduce fraud online, a customer can look for the green padlock or an HTTPS website and use a strong password.

Read whose point of view is asked. If the internet banking is within a physical bank, the advantages are to the bank: fewer tellers are needed, which saves staff wages.

Information systems in medicine hold patient records and pharmacy records. A patient record holds information about a patient. A pharmacy record holds information about medicines.

A 3D printer needs a 3D model of the object. The model is based on a scan or on measurements. Software slices the 3D model into layers. The printer then prints the object layer by layer, using raw materials such as resin or plastics. The layers bind together.

In medicine, 3D printers are used to print prosthetics. They are also used for tissue engineering, to print artificial blood vessels, and to make customised medicines.

An answer must say that the 3D printer creates the item. Naming the item is not enough.

One medical use of a 3D printer is the production of prescription drugs. A question may ask for an advantage or a disadvantage of this use.

Answer about producing the drugs. Do not list other things a 3D printer does in medicine. Do not write about printing prescriptions.

One disadvantage is that the 3D printer is expensive to buy. Say whether a cost is for the printer or for the materials. Another disadvantage is illegal use. A better answer adds a breach of copyright law.

A 3D printer can only work with some materials. Its initial cost can be high.

A 3D printer does not always produce a perfect model. The result depends on the program.

An expert system produces possible solutions for a scenario. It holds facts gained from experts.

Uses include mineral prospecting, car engine fault diagnosis, medical diagnosis, chess games, financial planning, route scheduling for delivery vehicles, and plant and animal identification.

Name the use exactly. 'Garage' is not a use. 'Car engine fault diagnosis' is. A word processor or a robot is a general system, not a use of an expert system.

The user interface is the way that the user interacts with the system. The system displays questions and the user gives answers, often yes or no.

The knowledge base is a collection of facts. The facts are created by gaining information from experts or other resources.

Do not call the knowledge base 'a collection of data'. That is too vague.

The inference engine searches the knowledge base. It uses the rules base to do this.

The explanation system is the fifth component. Learn all five names.

A search engine is not a component of an expert system.

Describe how it is used, not how it is set up.

The system asks questions on the user interface. The user answers them. The inference engine compares the answers with the knowledge base using the rules base. The system then outputs possible solutions: more than one result can be shown.

An expert system gives a wrong result if its input or its stored facts are wrong.

If the questions are answered incorrectly, the result is incorrect. If the knowledge base holds incorrect data, the result is incorrect. If the problem is new, the knowledge base may not hold it.

Point of sale (POS) terminals are used in the retail industry. Each time an item is sold, the system updates the stock file automatically.

The system also orders new stock automatically. It uses flags in the ordering. When the goods arrive, the values and the flags are reset.

Electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS) terminals take payment by card in the shop. The terminal checks the validity of the card.

The supermarket computer communicates with the bank computer. Answer with the EFTPOS steps the question asks for, not the whole purchase.

Chip and PIN is one way of paying at an EFTPOS terminal. The card has a chip and the customer uses a PIN.

If a question compares card systems, refer to both. A comparison needs similarities and differences.

Write ‘the transaction is faster’, and say what it is faster than. If you write that a card is more secure, explain why.

A contactless card is one way of paying at an EFTPOS terminal. Contactless does not refer to contact with the customer. A magnetic stripe card is not a contactless card.

Near Field Communication (NFC) payment is another way of paying at an EFTPOS terminal.

A contactless card can be used without a PIN. A stolen card is therefore a risk. Say why.

In internet shopping customers buy goods over the internet. Customers can only buy from anywhere if they have internet access.

Advantages must be specific: saving travelling time or travelling costs. Disadvantages include shipping costs and delayed delivery time.

A question can ask about the retailer, not the customer. Read who the question is about.

Good retailer points are cost savings because fewer staff are required, and more customers because the shop sells worldwide, giving higher profits.

Optical mark recognition reads marks on a paper document. It does not read characters.

Two uses are school registers and multiple-choice examination papers. In an answer, name the use in full: 'marking exams' is too vague.

The syllabus lists the barcode and the QR code with OMR. A barcode is read by a barcode scanner, which is an input device.

A QR code holds information about the product and saves space on the packaging. It can take a user to a website, using a device with a camera.

Optical character recognition reads characters from a scanned paper document, so that the text can be edited on a computer.

Benefits are faster data input and no need to type the data in. Drawbacks are that OCR can confuse letters, reads any mark on the paper as a character, and needs consistent fonts. The user has to check the text, which takes more time.

An ANPR system uses a camera and OCR to read vehicle number plates. The camera only takes the photograph. A connected computer system and database do the rest.

A photograph is taken when a car enters. Each character is read by OCR, stored, and searched for in a database.

The number plate must be seen by the camera. A plate that is dirty, damaged or hidden by a person or object may not be read. Bad weather has the same effect. When the characters are unclear, OCR may confuse numbers and letters.

An RFID reader sends radio waves to a tag. The tag is activated by the reader and emits radio waves. The reader then reads the data. The tag does not need to be seen. Uses include tracking stock, passports, automobiles and contactless payment.

In an answer, say why RFID is used. 'It is faster' earns nothing without the reason why that is an advantage.

The syllabus puts contactless payment by card under RFID, and payment using a smartphone under near field communication (NFC). A contactless card is not inserted in a reader, and no PIN is entered.

The risk follows from this: a stolen card can be used without a PIN.

Biometric recognition identifies a person from the face, iris, retina, finger, thumb, hand or voice.

Biometric data is unique to the person and always with you, so it is not forgotten. It is difficult to forge, but not impossible. It is difficult to change once set.

Face recognition may not work if the person wears glasses, has facial hair or is in poor lighting. A face also changes with age.

A Global Positioning System (GPS) finds where a device is. The device receives signals from three or more satellites. A calculation then gives its position.

The satellites send signals to the Earth. The device does the processing. It does not send signals to the satellites and it does not need the internet.

GPS is used to pinpoint the current location of a device or a person. A use must say what is being located. 'Tracking a device' is too vague.

A good answer names the thing being tracked, for example tracking a vehicle to know where it is. Three types of vehicle are one use repeated, not three uses. An answer about satnav or GIS does not answer a GPS question.

A satellite navigation system (satnav) uses GPS to help a driver reach a destination. The driver uses the satnav to find the best route and to be given a time of arrival.

The satellites do not calculate the route. The satnav in the car does. The car and the satellite are not in direct contact, and the satellites are not in continuous communication with the satnav.

Expand each point or give a clear reason. Vague answers lose the marks.

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is not the same as GPS or satnav. It is a different system, and a question about it needs a GIS answer with enough depth.

Reading the question matters more than spotting the word 'satellite'. Writing about GPS when the question says GIS earns no marks.

A satellite phone is a media communication system. It is not satellite navigation, so an answer about GPS does not fit.

A smartphone needs land-based infrastructure such as towers. In remote areas there are none, so a satellite phone can be used where a smartphone cannot. Satellite television is the other media communication system in the syllabus.

A satnav on a smartphone can help someone walking in a remote area. Good answers mention the benefits of satnav over maps.

The limits are battery issues and loss of signal. A top answer links a limit to its consequence, such as the walker becoming lost.