Applied ICT

Answers for Chapter 2: How organisations use ICT 1

This document demonstrates the type of answer that the examiner is expecting for the examination questions in Chapter 2. In an examination, the candidate is expected to write their answers in essay style, i.e. consecutive sentences. However, in order to make it clear what information is required for each mark, each model answer here is split up into separate marking points, normally one sentence each. Occasionally, there are answers that require more than one sentence to gain a mark, and so these sentences are grouped together. Note that the purpose of these answers is not necessarily to give you all the possible answers or points that could be made, but to give you a feel for the type of answer required and what examiners will award marks for. So, for example, if you have been asked to give two reasons for using robotic arms, the sample answer will only give two, although there are others. All the questions come from the specimen Applied ICT examination papers as set by CIE.

Questions 1 to 3 relate to this scenario.

In South Africa, a car engine manufacturing company has just started manufacturing complete cars. They are looking to sell cars throughout Africa. The factory is in East London and they have a main office in Johannesburg, where the manager, Simphiwe, organises the day to day running of the business. The main office employs a lot of workers to produce the company payroll for all the workers in East London and for those in Johannesburg. There is also a human resources department in the main office in Johannesburg which keeps all the files on each worker. Simphiwe has asked Capetown Publicists, an advertising company, to publicise the business on a large scale. The publicist company employs four people including the manager Mosola. They need to have regular meetings to discuss their progress with various jobs. This is difficult as they are very rarely in the office together as they all do a lot of their work at home. 1 (a) The company uses robotic arms to control a number of processes. Give two reasons why they use these robotic arms. (b) Describe how robotic arms are used in two of these processes. (c) Describe how the movements of the robotic arm were originally programmed into the computer. [2] [4] [5]

Part (a)
What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least two reasons here. Complete answers are required comparing the robot with a human. Brief answers will not be acceptable, such as not having to pay robots a wage. The fact is that robots still cost money to run but not as much as having to pay workers a wage. Any reason that is equally true of a human would not be acceptable: for example, saying that robots are accurate, since humans are as well. However, it would be acceptable to say that robots are more accurate than humans.

Cambridge University Press 2008

Applied ICT

Answers for Chapter 2: How organisations use ICT 1

Sample answer

You only have to pay money for the cost of maintenance and use of electricity, which is less than paying a wage to a worker. Human workers would get tired and lose concentration whereas robotic arms do not get tired and are able to produce cars of a consistent standard.

Part (b)
What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least two points to be made for each process. There are four marks for this question and two processes to be described. This means that each process is worth two marks. Just naming processes would gain a maximum of two marks, while naming more than two processes would not gain any extra marks. One mark is awarded for naming the process and the additional mark is awarded for going on to write about the use of end effectors or the role of sensors in the process.
Sample answer

A robotic arm would be used for painting the car bodies. There would be a paint sprayer end effector attached to the arm. The robotic arm could be used to pick up objects and move them to somewhere else. The gripper attached to the arm would have pressure sensors attached to it so that the microprocessor would know if the object was being gripped tightly enough.

Part (c)
What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least five steps for the answer. This means that the candidate should break down the process of programming into five separate steps. Robot arms are actually guided through the steps that they must perform. This is achieved either manually with the programmer actually physically holding the robot arm and guiding it or using a remote control to guide it. The only other possible way is for sensors to be attached to a person who goes through the steps. Whichever method is used it is important for the candidate to write about how the robot arm feeds the steps back to a microprocessor which learns the instructions.
Sample answer

The programmer guides the robot arm. To do this he has to use a remote control which he presses the moves into. The movements are passed back to the microprocessor so that it can memorise each sequence of steps. The exact movements are stored as a set of instructions in the form of a computer program like Logo. The program is kept in the microprocessors memory so that it can be used repetitively.

(a) Mosola decides he needs to get in touch with his fellow executives. This has to be done as soon as possible. Describe at least two methods by which they could exchange ideas without having to travel into work. Include in your answer the additional hardware they would need to add to their home computers and printers. [4] (b) Mosola has considered a number of ways in which ICT could be used to advertise the company but has decided on a web page. Discuss the reasons for his choice when compared with the other ICT alternatives.

[6]

Cambridge University Press 2008

Applied ICT

Answers for Chapter 2: How organisations use ICT 1

Part (a)
What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least four points to be made in the answer. This would include the naming of two methods, including the hardware required for each method and a description of how each method enables two-way communication to take place. As the question stipulates that the method has to be fast, the use of some form of computerised communication is suggested. Failure to include mention of the way in which such communication takes place would limit the maximum mark to one per method and therefore mean that only a maximum of two marks would be available. Describing more than two methods with hardware would not gain any extra marks. For example, an answer which simply described four correct methods and hardware would still only gain two marks.
Sample answer

One method that Mosala could use is videoconferencing. Each executive would have to have a modem or router to connect to the Internet for the conference and a webcam, microphone and speakers to communicate. As soon as each executive logged on to the conference they would be able to hear and see each of the other executives taking part in the conference. Another method would be to use e-mail. Each executive would need a modem to connect their computer to the Internet. Mosala could send out the same e-mail to every executive. He would only need to write the message once and address it to all the executives. Providing all the executives had their e-mail software running they would be able to write back immediately.

Part (b)
What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least six points to be made in the answer. This question asks you to discuss the reasons. This means that both sides of the argument should be put, i.e. both the advantages and disadvantages of using a web page; you need to include at least one advantage and at least one disadvantage it is not sufficient to give all advantages or all disadvantages. In addition, the question asks for alternatives (plural). Any candidate not giving at least two alternative methods of advertising would not be able to get full marks. Discuss questions usually are allocated one mark for a reasoned conclusion but in this case the choice of a web page has been given to the candidate and so it is possible to gain full marks here without providing a reasoned conclusion.
Sample answer

Mosola has chosen a website because he can show videos of the company with a soundtrack, which will make the customer more excited by the website. He can also keep a website more up to date. Once a poster has been made it cannot be changed without producing a brand new poster, which would take time and would be expensive. If he used a yer, he would only send it to people in his local area. With a website, people all over the world could see it. On the other hand, yers are cheap to mass produce whereas a website can be expensive to maintain since it requires technical people to look after it. With a yer you are limited to the amount of information you can include. With a website you can have links to other sites or pages for more information. Posters can be vandalised, ripped and covered with grafti, whereas it is much more difcult to damage a website.

Cambridge University Press 2008

Applied ICT

Answers for Chapter 2: How organisations use ICT 1

Simphiwe has decided it might be a good idea to computerise the payroll system and also the human resource department records. He has asked a systems analyst to investigate the current system and to suggest a replacement system. (a) One of the recommendations of the systems analyst will probably be to create a database of information about the workers. The information will contain details about both the payroll and personnel information. Explain how the data will be organised on the database, including details of how they will be retrieved. (b) The workers in East London are hourly paid. The number of hours of workers in East London are sent, via the company network, to the main office. Describe how a payroll system would take in this data and produce their payslips.

[4]

[4]

Part (a)
What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least four points to be made in the answer. The question is phrased so that the candidate should realise that serial access is required for a payroll system, but in order to access an individual workers record quickly direct access will also be needed. A description of a system which allows both methods must be included in the answer.
Sample answer

The database of information about the workers will be stored in an indexed sequential fashion. This is because the index given to each record will let the computer have direct access to a record. This is important because with a personnel information system you will need the information quickly and you wont want to go through each record one at a time. The records will be stored sequentially one after the other so that the payroll system can work.

Part (b)
What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least four points to be made in the answer. The question uses the words take in, produce and payslips. The candidate should realise that this is equivalent to input, processing and output and that each of these should be written about, although full marks are achievable without covering all three.
Sample answer

The transaction le would have the workers IDs and the hours worked and be sorted in order of ID number. The computer would read the records off the master le one by one. It would use the hourly rate on each record in the master le and the hours worked on the transaction le. It would multiply these numbers to get the wages and then take off tax to calculate their actual pay.

Alternative points could be the fact that the master file would be updated and that the details of each worker would be printed out on separate payslips.

Cambridge University Press 2008

Applied ICT

Answers for Chapter 2: How organisations use ICT 1

Mr Devlin is the principal of a college of education. He has decided to upgrade the computer network. He wants to have a new system which will allow the college to keep student personal records and test marks. He also wants to have a system which will let the students have the opportunity to use computers to improve their learning. He has invited Sara Lopez, a systems analyst, to design and create the new system. 4 Describe the types of input devices and software that she could recommend so that students will benefit from the use of CAL and CBL. [6]

What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least six points to be made in the answer. Descriptions of what CAL and CBL are would not gain any marks on their own here as the question is about input devices and software. Both input devices and software need to be described to gain full marks. For example, a description of six input devices would not be awarded full marks. The choice of input devices and software has to be related to an education-based scenario and the description must include who it would be used by or what it would be used for. It is anticipated that candidates would probably separate out their answers to give one device or type of software per line.
Sample answer

A mouse could be used for choosing which level of work you are on. A keyboard could be used for typing up coursework. An overlay keyboard would help disabled students who might not be able to use a normal keyboard. A tracker ball could be used by disabled students who might not manage a mouse. To use the Internet for carrying out some chemistry research, you would need a web browser. If you needed to make graphs in science, you could use a spreadsheet.

Companies, such as banks, are setting up call centres in the Far East to provide support to customers in the West. Describe how a computer-based system, such as a bank enquiry help desk, can support a telephone call centre operator when dealing with a customers telephone call. [4]

What the examiner wants The examiner is expecting at least four points to be made in the answer. The question mentions the use of a computer-based system so the answer must refer to the computer and how it will help the operator.
Sample answer

The computer software produces a script for the operator. The script appears on the operators screen. By looking at the screen operators can see which questions they have to ask. The operator will also be able to use the script to decide on the replies to give the customer because suggestions will be there in the script.

Cambridge University Press 2008