Working Safely and Multimedia

Suggested Answers to Exam-style Questions: Working Safely and Multimedia

  1. Describe three methods that could be used to capture or obtain a sound file for editing on a computer. (6 marks)

Directly recording the sound into a microphone connected to the computer which would transfer the sound into a .wav file.

Downloading the sound file from the Internet, subject to copyright considerations.

Taking the sound file from a CD or other storage medium (subject to copyright considerations).

  1. Describe the differences between bitmap and vector images, illustrating your answer with examples of areas where each type is used. (4 marks)

Bitmap graphics are made up of thousands of pixels (tiny coloured squares) which when viewed from a distance form a picture. The resolution of a bitmap image is measured in pixels per inch. When resized, bitmap images may become blurry. Bitmaps are often used as a medium for photos. Vector images use shapes, lines, fills and mathematical equations to construct images. They do not become blurry when resized. Vector images are often used in drawing programs or when creating custom text or logos.

  1. Describe why using sequential file names could help with avoiding data loss. (2 marks)

Sequential file names mean that different versions of files are saved under slightly different names (e.g. vsn1, vsn2). This means that should one version of the

file become corrupt or unusable, the most recent save would still be available for use.

4. Discuss how the following can help with data security.

(6 Marks)

a) Passwords and logins: Passwords and logins can ensure that only authorized users can access a network or document. This helps to prevent hackers. It also allows the network manager to see what actions occurred when each user was logged in, allowing accountability for any malicious acts.

b)Biometric readers: Biometric readers like fingerprint scanners provide a very reliable method of identifying a person. Combined with a login, this guarantees with near 100% certainty that only authorized users will be allowed to take certain actions. Unlike passwords, which can be guessed or hacked, biometric readers require the individual to be present before access is granted. They are often used in the financial industry for multi-million pound trades of shares where data security is essential.

c)Access levels: Access levels allow a network manger to only allow certain users to perform specific tasks. Using access levels can help prevent against the accidental deletion or corruption of data and limits human error to some extent. It also creates accountability to some degree, as only certain people will be suspects if a file is deleted. This can help prevent against sabotage and can also make retrieving the data easier.

5. A student is writing an end of term essay on his computer.
He needs to transfer it to and from school, his home and the library. Describe a safe, secure and practical method of doing this. (5 marks)

Depending on the size of the file, various media would be suitable. One of these would be a flash memory stick. The stick could be easily carried between the three locations. To help protect against loss, the data should also be regularly backed up, either to a hard drive on the home computer or to another memory stick or other medium. It would also be wise to add a password setting to the file to prevent other users copying or accessing it if the stick is ever lost or left unattended.

6. Name three devices used by schools to protect students from dangers on the Internet. (3 marks)

Could include: Firewall, Web filters, access controls or anti-virus/malware software

7. Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of limiting Internet access in schools. (4 marks)

It is beneficial to limit Internet access in schools as it prevents students from accessing inappropriate content. It can also help to limit the spread of viruses between home and school networks.

It is a disadvantage to limit Internet access in schools as it may restrict some sites that are of benefit to learning. It may also stop the teacher downloading free teaching tools or increase the time it takes to do so, and it may cause some access problems when trying to add useful peripherals to the school network.

8. Explain the term ‘cyberbullying’ and the impact it has had on modern life. (5 marks)

Cyberbullying is a term used to describe harassment or bullying of an individual which predominantly takes place online or through digital communication devices. It might include sending upsetting emails or SMS messages, posting negative comments or pictures on social networking sites or creating websites/blogs that ridicule an individual.

Cyberbullying has made using the Internet a lot more stressful and dangerous for some users. It has resulted in a numberof organizations spending more time giving out helpful advice on how to use online tools safely, and has also affected the Internet policies of many schools and organizations.

In certain cases, the police have looked into cyberbulling and tried to come up with ways to prevent misuse of the Internet, and to punish those that use the Internet and other digital devices for malicious purposes.

9. Discuss why social networks should be used with caution.

The quality of written communication will be assessed in your answer to this question. (8 marks)

Notes on written communication:

The answer should be written in a clear and structured manner with specialist vocabulary used appropriately and spelt correctly. There should be justification of all issues raised, culminating in a reasoned conclusion. There should be few errors in spelling grammar and punctuation.

A social network is an online community of contacts who use web-based services to communicate with one another. Often these networks start as small groups of friends, families and colleagues, and then expand as new friends and friend of friends are added to each network. The sites provide facilities to manage the expansion of such networks and also allow people with mutual interests to become connected with one another.

One of the key features of social networks is that each individual spends time adding personal information (including photos, contact details and information about their daily activities) to their personal web page. The privacy settings in social network services can vary a great deal, to the extent that some users may be posting personal photos, contact details and intimate knowledge about themselves to a page which can be publically accessed by strangers. This is of course undesirable from a privacy point of view, and it also means that certain data obtained from such sites could be used for malicious purposes (e.g. identity theft, or burglars checking when someone is on holiday).

Added to this is the fact that all the data is held by one central company (the social networking site) on their servers, and users have to trust that there will be no breach of the Data Protection Act or data handling errors by the company behind the website. Some commentators have questioned whether it is ethical for one commercial company to hold so much personal information about numerous individuals on its servers.

Finally, there have been cases of social networking sites used for abuse. In some cases these have been phishing scams where fake websites have lured people into giving away passwords, but in other cases the social network medium has allowed users to post

offensive and abusive messages, or even set up groups and organizations to taunt or harass certain individuals.

Many users are unaware of the options available to protect themselves from such dangers, or how to control their privacy settings. This lack of knowledge, combined with the multitude of users and the potential for abuse of data is the main reason, in my opinion, why social networking sites should be used with caution.

Total marksavailable on this worksheet = 45marks

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