Please answer all of the following questions, and then email them to itgs.sass@gmail.com
DO NOT LEAVE THE ROOM UNTIL YOU CHECK WITH ME THAT I HAVE RECEIVED THE EXAM IN MY ACCOUNT.
There will be a post-exam ITGS mini-farewell party, at a room that I will indicate.
1. A family who plans to relocate to Argentina wants to find information about St. Andrew’s Scots School. In order to do that, it uses Google to search for the name of the school. Explain in detail:
a. How the search engine knows which pages contain information about our school.
b. How it ranks these pages so as to return them in order of decreasing relevance.
c. The process by which the user types the query and receives the links returned by the search engine.
d. How the school could make sure that the school’s web site appears first on the list.
2. Explain clearly how, in a network:
a. Users are prevented from accessing unauthorized web sites.
b. Outside hackers are stopped from gaining access to the network.
c. A single broadband Internet connection can be shared by many users in the network.
3. A friend of yours decides to start his own retail store and wants to take advantage of the latest technology. Give at least 5 examples of technological innovations that will result in increased productivity for his firm.
4. As you are surely aware, our school is dealing with issues that have to do with students accessing exams through staff email accounts, the school network and other means. Related to the topics studied in ITGS, please answer the following questions:
a. Why was the school network vulnerable to these activities?
b. Were there, in your opinion, other safety measures that the school should have adopted and that would have prevented these attacks?
c. Comment on what the reaction will likely be from staff and other users whose accounts have been broken into.
d. Why, again in your opinion, did this hacking take place?
5. A school decides to issue laptops to all their students and teachers. What would be advantages and concerns stemming out of this initiative from the point of view of:
a. Teachers at the school
b. Administrators
c. Students
6. Choose one of these topics and comment on the research you have done related to the impact of technology on individuals and society as applied to that topic.
a. Health
b. Arts, Entertainment and Leisure
c. Science and the environment
d. Politics and government
7. You are hired as a security advisor for a bank, who has had some security issues and wishes to re-examine their network access policies. Give examples, relative to the operation of this bank, in which you would use:
a. Encrypted information
b. Password access
c. Biometric control
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Blog on ethical issues related to the use of technology
From now until the end of our regular classes, we will be working, in an attempt to revise and consolidate what we have learnt throughout the year, on creating your own ITGS blog, focused on the social impact of the use of technology.
Working in pairs, you will create a new blog in Blogspot. This blog will feature news articles, videos and any other resources that deal with the social and ethical impact of the use of technology. The theme of your blog will be the impact of technology on individuals and societies, and your target audience are web surfers who are interested in analyzing those implications and want to know more about the impact of technology.
You are expected to write a short commentary on the resources posted, and create a discussion thread for each article that you publish. You will be expected to respond to user comments on each of these threads.
You will be assessed on the quality of the posts, how they successfully cover the syllabus, and how you respond to user comments, thus encouraging a positive discussion on the topic.
Your blog must contain at least one post per topic posted on the ITGS Blog.
Individually, you are expected to post at least three comments per lesson on other people’s blogs, and send a copy of each comment to itgs.sass@gmail.com
By the end of the lesson today, you have to send an email that contains:
- Names of the students in the group and the URL of the newly created blog.
- User name or Google account which you will use to post comments.
Working in pairs, you will create a new blog in Blogspot. This blog will feature news articles, videos and any other resources that deal with the social and ethical impact of the use of technology. The theme of your blog will be the impact of technology on individuals and societies, and your target audience are web surfers who are interested in analyzing those implications and want to know more about the impact of technology.
You are expected to write a short commentary on the resources posted, and create a discussion thread for each article that you publish. You will be expected to respond to user comments on each of these threads.
You will be assessed on the quality of the posts, how they successfully cover the syllabus, and how you respond to user comments, thus encouraging a positive discussion on the topic.
Your blog must contain at least one post per topic posted on the ITGS Blog.
Individually, you are expected to post at least three comments per lesson on other people’s blogs, and send a copy of each comment to itgs.sass@gmail.com
By the end of the lesson today, you have to send an email that contains:
- Names of the students in the group and the URL of the newly created blog.
- User name or Google account which you will use to post comments.
Friday, October 2, 2009
The 21st Century business
Like no other area, technology has impacted businesses very significantly, and resulted in increased productivity. However, there are issues associated with the generalized use of technology in the workplace that have affected both positively and negatively individuals and society.
We will analyze the influence of technology in business and how it can affect jobs. You are a consultant and you have been hired by a client to develop the technological support for his new firm. This is a 2000-employee retail store that sells goods direct to the general public, and will have branches at various shopping centers within Buenos Aires. Your client is set on incorporating the latest available technology to his firm and as such, it is your job to provide him with the latest advances in the following areas:
- Transportation and logistics: storage and transport of goods, inventory control, purchase processing.
- Employment: electronic employee monitoring, payroll processing, ergonomics and health, job obsolescence and retraining, online job search, employee surveillance.
- Banking and finance: ATMs, Internet banking and brokerage, electronic cash, insurance.
- E-commerce: teleshopping, online marketing, data mining,
- Retailing: advertising, media.
For each of these areas, you must find at least one application that will position his firm on the cutting edge. By creating a Power Point presentation, you will highlight for each of these applications:
- Characteristics and main functions.
- How it can help boost productivity and gain efficiency.
- Eventual ethical or social issues associated with their use, concerns that employees might have.
You can work in pairs, and the assignment must be submitted to itgs.sass@gmail.com by the end of our lesson next Friday.
We will analyze the influence of technology in business and how it can affect jobs. You are a consultant and you have been hired by a client to develop the technological support for his new firm. This is a 2000-employee retail store that sells goods direct to the general public, and will have branches at various shopping centers within Buenos Aires. Your client is set on incorporating the latest available technology to his firm and as such, it is your job to provide him with the latest advances in the following areas:
- Transportation and logistics: storage and transport of goods, inventory control, purchase processing.
- Employment: electronic employee monitoring, payroll processing, ergonomics and health, job obsolescence and retraining, online job search, employee surveillance.
- Banking and finance: ATMs, Internet banking and brokerage, electronic cash, insurance.
- E-commerce: teleshopping, online marketing, data mining,
- Retailing: advertising, media.
For each of these areas, you must find at least one application that will position his firm on the cutting edge. By creating a Power Point presentation, you will highlight for each of these applications:
- Characteristics and main functions.
- How it can help boost productivity and gain efficiency.
- Eventual ethical or social issues associated with their use, concerns that employees might have.
You can work in pairs, and the assignment must be submitted to itgs.sass@gmail.com by the end of our lesson next Friday.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Creating an assessment instrument
After designing a plan to learn about the optional topic, our next stage involves creating an assessment instrument that will target on how to effectively demonstrate the acquisition of the knowledge and skills required.
Our assignment for the day consists of:
- Create an assignment that will cover the range of topics and skills needed and that takes into account the nature of the course, incorporating into analysis, critical thinking, and specifically the evaluation of the social and ethical implications of the topic chosen.
- The assignment must involve the use of technology and/or software in some form.
- Crete a detailed rubric that will serve as a reference criteria for awarding grades to the project.
Compile all of the above into a single Word document and submit before the end of the lesson to itgs.sass@gmail.com
Our assignment for the day consists of:
- Create an assignment that will cover the range of topics and skills needed and that takes into account the nature of the course, incorporating into analysis, critical thinking, and specifically the evaluation of the social and ethical implications of the topic chosen.
- The assignment must involve the use of technology and/or software in some form.
- Crete a detailed rubric that will serve as a reference criteria for awarding grades to the project.
Compile all of the above into a single Word document and submit before the end of the lesson to itgs.sass@gmail.com
Friday, September 18, 2009
Creating the log
The next step in planning the learning of the topic involves doing research and finding relevant web sites that relate to the topics chosen.
Your assignment today will entail:
- Finding at least 6 web sites that can be used as reference for the topics chosen.
- At least 2 of these sites should include videos o some other sort of multimedia elements.
- Before the end of this lesson you are expected to produce a document that contains:
o URL of each web site.
o Validation of the authors / contents.
o An annotated commentary or brief reference of what the web site or resource contains.
o Enumeration of the topics from the IB list that are covered by that web site.
The assignment should be submitted to itgs.sass@blogspot.com before the end of the lesson.
Your assignment today will entail:
- Finding at least 6 web sites that can be used as reference for the topics chosen.
- At least 2 of these sites should include videos o some other sort of multimedia elements.
- Before the end of this lesson you are expected to produce a document that contains:
o URL of each web site.
o Validation of the authors / contents.
o An annotated commentary or brief reference of what the web site or resource contains.
o Enumeration of the topics from the IB list that are covered by that web site.
The assignment should be submitted to itgs.sass@blogspot.com before the end of the lesson.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Optional topics
The ITGS syllabus allows students to choose one other topic for further study and development.
The following is a list of topics, including the issues that the syllabus highlights as essential within each unit:
3.3 Health
• Telemedicine: service delivery to isolated and remote areas
• Electronic health records: privacy, data analysis, public health
• Diagnostic and therapeutic tools: robotic surgery, prosthetic devices, diagnostic software, drug
development and marketing
• Medical advice on the Internet or a CD-ROM
• Monitoring patients
• IT solutions for disabled people
3.4 Arts, entertainment and leisure
• Digital art: electronic music, interactive visual art, desktop publishing
• Film: digital actor simulations, characters and animation
• Live arts: digital effects, choreography, lighting, marketing
• New media: DVD, CD, VR, stereolithography
• Broadcast media: digital radio and television, electronic news, magazines and books
• Toys and games: CD or online games, online gambling
3.5 Science and the environment
• Modelling and simulation: digital experimentation, demographic and environmental simulation
• Visualization: mapping
• Data search, collection, processing and analysis
• Forecasting
• Data logging
3.6 Politics and government
• Political process: voting and elections, lobbying, open government and free movement of information
• Government administration: record keeping, tax collection, policy implementation
• Legislation: policy development, enactment, enforcement and analysis
• Police: DNA data collection, video surveillance
• Military: cyberwarfare, smart weapons development, espionage
• Rebel and terrorist use of IT
Working in pairs, you will select one of these topics and start creating your digital log of resources to help you achieve the learning objectives. Please remember that the focus of the subject is to acquire mastery of the topics outline but, more importantly, to analyze ethical and social implications of these topics on individuals and society.
Specifically, your initial assignment involves:
1) Choose one of the topics listed above.
2) Without exploring any web sites write one paragraph summarizing your current knowledge of the unit, including one sentence explanations of the sub topics listed if you know what they refer to.
3) Write a second paragraph with a preliminary analysis of the general social and ethical implications of the topics included within the unit.
4) Write at least five questions related to what else you expect to learn about the topics listed and their social and ethical implications.
You are expected to complete this assignment before the end of the lesson, and to submit it to itgs.sass@gmail.com
The following is a list of topics, including the issues that the syllabus highlights as essential within each unit:
3.3 Health
• Telemedicine: service delivery to isolated and remote areas
• Electronic health records: privacy, data analysis, public health
• Diagnostic and therapeutic tools: robotic surgery, prosthetic devices, diagnostic software, drug
development and marketing
• Medical advice on the Internet or a CD-ROM
• Monitoring patients
• IT solutions for disabled people
3.4 Arts, entertainment and leisure
• Digital art: electronic music, interactive visual art, desktop publishing
• Film: digital actor simulations, characters and animation
• Live arts: digital effects, choreography, lighting, marketing
• New media: DVD, CD, VR, stereolithography
• Broadcast media: digital radio and television, electronic news, magazines and books
• Toys and games: CD or online games, online gambling
3.5 Science and the environment
• Modelling and simulation: digital experimentation, demographic and environmental simulation
• Visualization: mapping
• Data search, collection, processing and analysis
• Forecasting
• Data logging
3.6 Politics and government
• Political process: voting and elections, lobbying, open government and free movement of information
• Government administration: record keeping, tax collection, policy implementation
• Legislation: policy development, enactment, enforcement and analysis
• Police: DNA data collection, video surveillance
• Military: cyberwarfare, smart weapons development, espionage
• Rebel and terrorist use of IT
Working in pairs, you will select one of these topics and start creating your digital log of resources to help you achieve the learning objectives. Please remember that the focus of the subject is to acquire mastery of the topics outline but, more importantly, to analyze ethical and social implications of these topics on individuals and society.
Specifically, your initial assignment involves:
1) Choose one of the topics listed above.
2) Without exploring any web sites write one paragraph summarizing your current knowledge of the unit, including one sentence explanations of the sub topics listed if you know what they refer to.
3) Write a second paragraph with a preliminary analysis of the general social and ethical implications of the topics included within the unit.
4) Write at least five questions related to what else you expect to learn about the topics listed and their social and ethical implications.
You are expected to complete this assignment before the end of the lesson, and to submit it to itgs.sass@gmail.com
Friday, September 4, 2009
Areas of Impact: Computers in Education
One of the areas of impact that we will be studying within the syllabus is Education.
Today we will introduce the topic and briefly discuss some of the social implications of the technological advances in Education.
The following is the list of topics for the unit as stated by IB:
• Telelearning: isolated and remote areas; use in hospitals, prisons, retirement homes
• Modification of hardware and software for special needs: voice recognition software, text-to-speech, special input and output devices, Internet resources
• Software in the classroom: science experiments, social studies modelling and simulation, instructional tools and media, computer-aided instruction, computer-aided learning
• School library systems: catalogues, security systems, online research • Hardware in the classroom: laptops, notebooks, teleconferencing
• Software in school administration: record keeping, scheduling, Intranets, public information
• Training, tutorials, simulators
Your assignment this time will consist in the production of a short video based freely on one of these topics. The video should be entirely based on evidence gathered at the school, interviews and/or other filming done at school and should address the implications of the chosen topic based on research to be performed at school.
Steps:
- Supporting web based research, sequence and overall plan for the video (to be submitted at the end of today’s lesson)
- Script and plan of interviews (to be submitted by the end of Wednesday) -
- Video in digital format (to be submitted by Friday, September 18th)
Today we will introduce the topic and briefly discuss some of the social implications of the technological advances in Education.
The following is the list of topics for the unit as stated by IB:
• Telelearning: isolated and remote areas; use in hospitals, prisons, retirement homes
• Modification of hardware and software for special needs: voice recognition software, text-to-speech, special input and output devices, Internet resources
• Software in the classroom: science experiments, social studies modelling and simulation, instructional tools and media, computer-aided instruction, computer-aided learning
• School library systems: catalogues, security systems, online research • Hardware in the classroom: laptops, notebooks, teleconferencing
• Software in school administration: record keeping, scheduling, Intranets, public information
• Training, tutorials, simulators
Your assignment this time will consist in the production of a short video based freely on one of these topics. The video should be entirely based on evidence gathered at the school, interviews and/or other filming done at school and should address the implications of the chosen topic based on research to be performed at school.
Steps:
- Supporting web based research, sequence and overall plan for the video (to be submitted at the end of today’s lesson)
- Script and plan of interviews (to be submitted by the end of Wednesday) -
- Video in digital format (to be submitted by Friday, September 18th)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Creating your own blog entry
Our next step is to research web sites and find resources that cover the topics listed in the previous entry related to Tutorials and Wizards.
Your assignment will entail:
- Creating a blog entry similar to the ones that I have posted in the past for other units, with an introduction and comments relative to the resources found, highlighting why you think they are relevant.
- Design an assignment that will allow students in the class to learn and deepen their understanding on the topics chosen. Both these tasks must be completed by Friday (we will not work on this on Friday) and emailed to itgs.sass@gmail.com You will be assessed on the relevancy and quality of the resources found, the related explanations, and the originality and usefulness of the assignment proposed.
Your assignment will entail:
- Creating a blog entry similar to the ones that I have posted in the past for other units, with an introduction and comments relative to the resources found, highlighting why you think they are relevant.
- Design an assignment that will allow students in the class to learn and deepen their understanding on the topics chosen. Both these tasks must be completed by Friday (we will not work on this on Friday) and emailed to itgs.sass@gmail.com You will be assessed on the relevancy and quality of the resources found, the related explanations, and the originality and usefulness of the assignment proposed.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tutorials and Wizards
Our next topic is tutorials, wizards and how the apply to training.
The objective is to try to understand how the use of technology affects the way people learn, both in the academic environment (schools, universities) as well as in job training.
Throughout this unit we will be covering the following issues:
- Social and ethical issues
- Study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training and wizards. These may include:
• the balance in responsibility between an individual and an organization for training
• the need for IT companies to consider global and cultural diversity when preparing training and tutorial software
• the requirement of organizations to provide training when implementing change.
Related technological concepts include:
• key terms—tutorial software, training software, wizards and assistants, help menu and help features,“Read Me” files
• using wizards, assistants and online assistants in the design and creation of a product, for example, desktop-published documents, slideshows, web sites.
We will start discussing the topics by watching two videos that reflect on how education has changed:
Our first activity for this topic will be the discussion of some of the implications of the two videos.
The objective is to try to understand how the use of technology affects the way people learn, both in the academic environment (schools, universities) as well as in job training.
Throughout this unit we will be covering the following issues:
- Social and ethical issues
- Study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training and wizards. These may include:
• the balance in responsibility between an individual and an organization for training
• the need for IT companies to consider global and cultural diversity when preparing training and tutorial software
• the requirement of organizations to provide training when implementing change.
Related technological concepts include:
• key terms—tutorial software, training software, wizards and assistants, help menu and help features,“Read Me” files
• using wizards, assistants and online assistants in the design and creation of a product, for example, desktop-published documents, slideshows, web sites.
We will start discussing the topics by watching two videos that reflect on how education has changed:
Our first activity for this topic will be the discussion of some of the implications of the two videos.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
AI Evaluation
Answer all questions. In the case of multiple choice questions, justify each answer briefly. Send answers to itgs.sass@gmail.com, and please remember not to leave teh room until you have checked that I have received your test.
- What is the Uncanny Valley?
a. A valley that has uncanny consequences.
b. Revulsion towards robots that look human.
c. Theory that makes up the main idea of AI.
d. Random revulsion towards robots. - Can a robot be conscious of its own existence? How would that be achieved or simulated?
- Explain how an AI bot is programmed to engage in a conversation.
- A robot uses _______ , and ________to react to humans.
a. Voice recognition, Face recognition, Responses
b. Emotion recognition, Motion sensors, Previous knowledge
c. Motion sensors, Word interpretation, Emotion recognition.
d. Word interpretation, Motion sensors, Autonomous movement - Give examples of applications of fuzzy logic and heuristic algorithms, explaining for each case why they are required.
- What are the most important characteristics of expert systems. Give one example, and explain in detail why the application chosen is an expert system.
- Will robots’ intelligence surpass that of humans? Discuss. Use technical terms and data to support your answer.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Analyzing simulations
Creating a simulation is a very complex endeavour, and one that requires a team of analysts developing a model.
We will access the Forio web site, which allows users to create simulations. You will seelect teh free option an create a user account. Browse some of the existing simulations and select the option to Copy the simulation to your own account.
Once this is done, the system will allow you to browse the model, graphs and other elements that constitute the simulation.
After analyzing a couple of these simulations, please answer the following questions
1. Explain how Forio allows you to build a simulation. What are these simulations based on?
2. What would you change if you had to modify the user interface for the simulation?
3. How would you alter the underlying mathematical model?
4. How would you change the simulation output?
Please mail your answers to itgs.sass@gmail.com
We will access the Forio web site, which allows users to create simulations. You will seelect teh free option an create a user account. Browse some of the existing simulations and select the option to Copy the simulation to your own account.
Once this is done, the system will allow you to browse the model, graphs and other elements that constitute the simulation.
After analyzing a couple of these simulations, please answer the following questions
1. Explain how Forio allows you to build a simulation. What are these simulations based on?
2. What would you change if you had to modify the user interface for the simulation?
3. How would you alter the underlying mathematical model?
4. How would you change the simulation output?
Please mail your answers to itgs.sass@gmail.com
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Evaluating Siumulations
Before we set out to do a simulation of our own, it is a good idea to see practical examples of applications of simulations and evaluate their effectiveness and implications. Some common fields that have been subjected to modeling and simulation are:
- Weather forecasting
- Stock Exchange
- Genetics and evolution
- Flight simulators used for training pilots
Working in pairs, your assigned task will be to choose one of these fields and answer the following questions:
Find web sites or direct references to computer simulations within the chosen field.
How complex is the underlying model and on what theory/equations is it based?
To what extent are the above simulations being used for real-life or research/training purposes and why?
Based on the above, what is the reliability and effectiveness of the model and related simulation? (This is the most important question!)
You will be working on this assignment during the second part of the lesson today and the first block on Friday. You should be ready to submit the assignment on Friday.
- Weather forecasting
- Stock Exchange
- Genetics and evolution
- Flight simulators used for training pilots
Working in pairs, your assigned task will be to choose one of these fields and answer the following questions:
Find web sites or direct references to computer simulations within the chosen field.
How complex is the underlying model and on what theory/equations is it based?
To what extent are the above simulations being used for real-life or research/training purposes and why?
Based on the above, what is the reliability and effectiveness of the model and related simulation? (This is the most important question!)
You will be working on this assignment during the second part of the lesson today and the first block on Friday. You should be ready to submit the assignment on Friday.
Simulations and Modeling
The next topic that we will be covering involves computer simulations and modeling. The unit will focus on the effectiveness, usefulness, limitations, and (of course!) the social and ethical impact of the increased use of simulations.
We will initially discuss the basics of computer simulations by reading the article on What is Modeling and Simulation from the University of Central Florida.
Some other simple but very complete resources that can serve as reference for the topic are Simulation Models and Analysis, the What is Simulation? tutorial at Simulism as well as the presentation on Introduction to Simulation and Modeling of Queueing Systems. Another important resource is a list of applications of computer simulations that can be found on Table 1(Page 2) of Growing Importance of Modelling and Simulation: Professional and Ethical Implications.
The following video shows some common applications of computer-based simulations:
Towards the end of our lesson today, we will be exploring a tantalizing possibility by reading the New York Times article entitled Our Lives, Controlled From Some Guy’s Couch.
We will initially discuss the basics of computer simulations by reading the article on What is Modeling and Simulation from the University of Central Florida.
Some other simple but very complete resources that can serve as reference for the topic are Simulation Models and Analysis, the What is Simulation? tutorial at Simulism as well as the presentation on Introduction to Simulation and Modeling of Queueing Systems. Another important resource is a list of applications of computer simulations that can be found on Table 1(Page 2) of Growing Importance of Modelling and Simulation: Professional and Ethical Implications.
The following video shows some common applications of computer-based simulations:
Towards the end of our lesson today, we will be exploring a tantalizing possibility by reading the New York Times article entitled Our Lives, Controlled From Some Guy’s Couch.
Friday, August 14, 2009
AI / Expert Systems Recap
Today, we will recap what we have learned on Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems. Working in pairs, the goal is to develop an open book assessment instrument (test) by using the Test Designer site.
The test must include a total of no less than eight multiple choice, short answer and essay questions, and cover the following keywords and topics:
- AI, Turing test, machine learning, natural language, pattern recognition, expert system, knowledge base, inference engine, heuristics, fuzzy logic, knowledge engineer.
- Roboethics, implications of the evolution of robots and their relations with humans.
- Development of AI engines, construction of a knowledge base.
The assignment consists of the questions themselves and the writing of model correct answers for all of the questions. You will be graded based on
- Coverage of all topics included.
- How well the questions lend themselves to an open book environment and stimulate analysis and learning of the above topics.
The tests, together with their answers, must be submitted to itgs.sass@gmail.com before the end of the lesson today.
The test must include a total of no less than eight multiple choice, short answer and essay questions, and cover the following keywords and topics:
- AI, Turing test, machine learning, natural language, pattern recognition, expert system, knowledge base, inference engine, heuristics, fuzzy logic, knowledge engineer.
- Roboethics, implications of the evolution of robots and their relations with humans.
- Development of AI engines, construction of a knowledge base.
The assignment consists of the questions themselves and the writing of model correct answers for all of the questions. You will be graded based on
- Coverage of all topics included.
- How well the questions lend themselves to an open book environment and stimulate analysis and learning of the above topics.
The tests, together with their answers, must be submitted to itgs.sass@gmail.com before the end of the lesson today.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Creating your own SASS bot
It is time now to put in practice some of the principles of Artificial Intelligence.
The objective of this activity is to create a chat bot that features some of the characteristics of a member of our community.
We will go to The Personality Forge and learn how to create a bot by building predefined phrases at the Language Center. Then it will be time to give life to a new bot.
The objective of this activity is to create a chat bot that features some of the characteristics of a member of our community.
We will go to The Personality Forge and learn how to create a bot by building predefined phrases at the Language Center. Then it will be time to give life to a new bot.
- Form groups of two students each.
- Create an account for the group.
- Come to my desk to get a personality assignment.
- Work on creating a profile for the bot, that is, a series of stetements that define the personality of the bot based on the characteristics of the person assigned. Send it in a Word file to itgs.sass@gmail.com before the end of the lesson.
- Work on your bot during all of next week. You will be assessed on how well the bot responds to the characteristics assigned and how you have incorporated the features available with the AI engine.
- I will check your bot as from the end of next class.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
A logical next step in the study of Robotics and its ethical and social implications is to focus on the software that makes robots acquire quasi human capabilities. The software that runs robots, as well as other modern technology applications, is based on Artificial Intelligence.
As a primer, we will refer to “What is Artificial Intelligence?” by Stanford University Professor of Computer Science Dr. John McCarthy, one of the pioneers of AI.
We will also be referring briefly to the first Chapter in the book “Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence”, by Robert S. Engelmore and Edward Feigenbaum.
We will also watch an old, but very clear video that provides an adequate introduction to the concept of AI: The Age of Intelligent Machines: The Film
by Raymond Kurzweil
Another short clip illustrates the concept of the Uncanny Valley and its relation to evolution of AI.
Finally, so that you can get some first person interaction with AI bots, we will transfer to The Personality Forge, where you will be chatting with an AI program and try to catch it into betraying itself to be a robot!
As a primer, we will refer to “What is Artificial Intelligence?” by Stanford University Professor of Computer Science Dr. John McCarthy, one of the pioneers of AI.
We will also be referring briefly to the first Chapter in the book “Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence”, by Robert S. Engelmore and Edward Feigenbaum.
We will also watch an old, but very clear video that provides an adequate introduction to the concept of AI: The Age of Intelligent Machines: The Film
by Raymond Kurzweil
Another short clip illustrates the concept of the Uncanny Valley and its relation to evolution of AI.
Finally, so that you can get some first person interaction with AI bots, we will transfer to The Personality Forge, where you will be chatting with an AI program and try to catch it into betraying itself to be a robot!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Roboethics
Following up on our discussion on Roboethics and what we have learned on the evolution of robots, your assignment is to design a PowerPoint presentation that addresses one of the following statements:
- Robots that create the illusion of feelings and self awareness should be banned because humans become too attached to them.
- Human intelligence will improve by creating robots that extend human capabilities.
- In the near future, man’s best friend will inevitably be a robot.
You can work in groups of 3. Please follow the following directions regarding the completion of your assignment:
- Presentations should include a cover page and not more than five other pages.
- Do not include long texts, rather bullet points and images and / or videos to support your statements.
- Include references that you have used to complete the presentation.
- Robots that create the illusion of feelings and self awareness should be banned because humans become too attached to them.
- Human intelligence will improve by creating robots that extend human capabilities.
- In the near future, man’s best friend will inevitably be a robot.
You can work in groups of 3. Please follow the following directions regarding the completion of your assignment:
- Presentations should include a cover page and not more than five other pages.
- Do not include long texts, rather bullet points and images and / or videos to support your statements.
- Include references that you have used to complete the presentation.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Roboethics
After our first approach to the subject, we will be analyzing the ethical and social implications associated with the development and evolution of robotics.
Our first step will be to watch two short videos from Georgia Tech University that focus on the evolution of robots:
- Will Robots Replace Humans?
- The Evolution of Robots
Subsequently, we will analyze some of the issues associated with the emerging field of study Roboethics through the following YouTube video:
We will then read Seed Magazine´s very interesting article on The Rise of Roboethics.
And finally, we will be going back to the Tech Museum of Innovation to look at Ethics and Robotics in the 21st Century.
Our first step will be to watch two short videos from Georgia Tech University that focus on the evolution of robots:
- Will Robots Replace Humans?
- The Evolution of Robots
Subsequently, we will analyze some of the issues associated with the emerging field of study Roboethics through the following YouTube video:
We will then read Seed Magazine´s very interesting article on The Rise of Roboethics.
And finally, we will be going back to the Tech Museum of Innovation to look at Ethics and Robotics in the 21st Century.
Robotics
Our next topic will be Robotics, and our goal is to analyze the various applications on robotics in modern society as well as the ethical and social implications of a more widespread use of robotic technology.
We will be initially using the Tech Museum’s Robotics: Sensing, Thinking, Acting page as the main source to learn about this very important technological development.
We will be initially using the Tech Museum’s Robotics: Sensing, Thinking, Acting page as the main source to learn about this very important technological development.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Cryptography Assignment 2
Finish the previous assignment on cryptography and submit it.
Then choose one of the following topics and prepare a Powerpoint presentation on:
Then choose one of the following topics and prepare a Powerpoint presentation on:
- Encryption in commercial transactions as a way to prevent hackers from stealing credit card and banking account information.
- Identity theft and the need to encrypt personal data.
- Available online hard disk encryption servioces and the needs of individuals to protect their data.
In all cases, presentations should cover the technical aspects involved and the impact on individuals.
Remember to use the design criteria for Powerpoint presentations that we have discussed before, in terms of images, abundance of text, clarity of reading.
The assignment shoudl be finished by the end of the lesson on Friday.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Cryptography assignment
Solve completely the mysteries at the DECRYPT game.
Then answer the following questions:
1) Explain the steps you took to arrive to the final solution.
2) Which method would you think is most effective for cryptography and why?
3) What common mistakes are usually made and that lead to the decryption of protected information?
4) What conclusions could you draw from playing this game with regards to cryptography? Answers must be submitted to itgs.sass@gmail.com by the end of the lesson today without fail.
Then answer the following questions:
1) Explain the steps you took to arrive to the final solution.
2) Which method would you think is most effective for cryptography and why?
3) What common mistakes are usually made and that lead to the decryption of protected information?
4) What conclusions could you draw from playing this game with regards to cryptography? Answers must be submitted to itgs.sass@gmail.com by the end of the lesson today without fail.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Data Security and Encryption
After learning about hacking and how it compromises data security, we will learn about the next step in protecting data, by means of encryption. The very ancient and often used in technique of cryptography involves scrambling messages in such a way that only the parties within the communication or, in our case, a computer algorithm and users know how to decode them effectively.
We will first learn the basics on cryptography from the Encryption Tutorial. Another simple source is What is Cryptography? at WiseGeek.
Subsequently, we will try our skills at decrypting through the CRYPTOCOM Game.
We will first learn the basics on cryptography from the Encryption Tutorial. Another simple source is What is Cryptography? at WiseGeek.
Subsequently, we will try our skills at decrypting through the CRYPTOCOM Game.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Learning about Hacking
In order to learn more about hacking, we will play SlaveHack, a custom made web-based game that teaches hacking techniques through a virtual platform.
During this first lesson, you need to do the following:
- Working in pairs, you must create an account. The user name must be made up of the surnames of both members of the groups exclusively. Send me an email (itgs.sass@gmail.com) with confirmation of the names in the group and the name of the accpount in Slavehack.
- Complete the tutorial. You can access the tutorial after logging in from Forum / Manuals / Beginner's Guide to Slavehack. Please follow the step by step guide to complete the tutorial.
- Start the development of your hacking log. In it, you will answer certain questions and keep a detailed record of your operations.
- As an initial entry to your log, you will answer the following questions referred to what you have carried out during the tutorial:
o What software tools have been used to achieve the break-ins and what was their purpose?
o Which essential operation needed to be performed every time you enter an unauthorized site and why?
- After completing the tutorial, you will be “free” to start hacking other computers in the ITGS group. The objective of the game is to create slaves and gain access to other computers, but do not interfere with virtual computers from other users not belonging to our class. You need to keep a detailed log of all the operations you perform as you progress in the game.
During this first lesson, you need to do the following:
- Working in pairs, you must create an account. The user name must be made up of the surnames of both members of the groups exclusively. Send me an email (itgs.sass@gmail.com) with confirmation of the names in the group and the name of the accpount in Slavehack.
- Complete the tutorial. You can access the tutorial after logging in from Forum / Manuals / Beginner's Guide to Slavehack. Please follow the step by step guide to complete the tutorial.
- Start the development of your hacking log. In it, you will answer certain questions and keep a detailed record of your operations.
- As an initial entry to your log, you will answer the following questions referred to what you have carried out during the tutorial:
o What software tools have been used to achieve the break-ins and what was their purpose?
o Which essential operation needed to be performed every time you enter an unauthorized site and why?
- After completing the tutorial, you will be “free” to start hacking other computers in the ITGS group. The objective of the game is to create slaves and gain access to other computers, but do not interfere with virtual computers from other users not belonging to our class. You need to keep a detailed log of all the operations you perform as you progress in the game.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Hacking
After studying networks and the various ways in which businesses and organizations share valuable information, we will analyze the subculture of hacking, its potential threats and implications for individuals and societies.
We will start by watching the following video on the History of Hacking, produced by Discovery Channel:
After studying networks and the various ways in which businesses and organizations share valuable information, we will analyze the subculture of hacking, its potential threats and implications for individuals and societies.
We will start by watching the following video on the History of Hacking, produced by Discovery Channel:
We will then read an article on the 15 Greatest Hacking Exploits.
After this, we will access the SlaveHack web site. This site features a completely safe and virtual environment that allows you to learn about hacking by participating in an online game that teaches you some of the techniques that hackers use to break into computers.
We will then read an article on the 15 Greatest Hacking Exploits.
After this, we will access the SlaveHack web site. This site features a completely safe and virtual environment that allows you to learn about hacking by participating in an online game that teaches you some of the techniques that hackers use to break into computers.
We will start by watching the following video on the History of Hacking, produced by Discovery Channel:
After studying networks and the various ways in which businesses and organizations share valuable information, we will analyze the subculture of hacking, its potential threats and implications for individuals and societies.
We will start by watching the following video on the History of Hacking, produced by Discovery Channel:
We will then read an article on the 15 Greatest Hacking Exploits.
After this, we will access the SlaveHack web site. This site features a completely safe and virtual environment that allows you to learn about hacking by participating in an online game that teaches you some of the techniques that hackers use to break into computers.
We will then read an article on the 15 Greatest Hacking Exploits.
After this, we will access the SlaveHack web site. This site features a completely safe and virtual environment that allows you to learn about hacking by participating in an online game that teaches you some of the techniques that hackers use to break into computers.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Networks, Biometrics, Teleworking, Operating Systems
PLEASE READ THE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY AND ANSWER STRICTLY WHAT IS ASKED. NO POINTS WILL BE GIVEN FOR OFF-TOPIC ANSWERS OR DEFINITIONS.
1- Why is ergonomic design considered to be important in today’s workplace? (10 points)
2- For what applications would you use biometrics over passwords? (10 points)
3- How does a non-multitasking operating system simulate multitasking? (10 points)
4- Explain what criteria you would use to select whether to use hubs, switches or routers in a network. (10 points)
5- For what activities would you recommend teleworking? What can be some of the problems associated with teleworking? (10 points)
6- A shoe store wants to setup its IT operation. They own a shop where they sell shoes to the public, and at the shop they have 5 point of sale (POS) computers that use a common printer for the printing of invoices. The manager of the store has his own computer and printer that needs to be networked to all the others. All computers in the store access the Internet though a cablemodem. The store needs to be connected to the firm’s central office and warehouse. At the central office, the administration has 4 computers with their own file server and printer, and they are also connected to 3 computers in the warehouse that are used for stock control and that have their own printer. All computers at the central office and warehouse are connected to the Internet.Using WebLan Designer, draw up the design of this network and briefly justify the decisions and choices made. (20 points)
When you finish, please submit your assignment to itgs.sass@gmail.com Make sure that I have received your work before you leave the room.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
E-commerce
Our next topic in the sequence is E-Commerce. We are all somewhat familiar and have some first-hand experience on E-Commerce, however, we need to analyze some of the technical and theoretical background related to its development and evolution.
We will start by attending a short lecture on E-Commerce from the online MBA program at Mystamford:
Two web sites that provide general information on e-commerce are:
We will start by attending a short lecture on E-Commerce from the online MBA program at Mystamford:
Two web sites that provide general information on e-commerce are:
- Basic Guide to E-Commerce
- Business Link Guide to E-Commerce
Another article from Business Link is interesting to alert users about the Risks of E-Commerce.
ASSIGNMENT
Our assignment for the day, to be covered in class, consists in answering the following multiple-choice questionnaire:
In pairs, research the answers to each question until you score all right answers. When you have done so, check your answers with me since I will be asking you a few oral questions on the topic. DO NOT LEAVE THE CLASS WITHOUT ME TICKING YOU OFF THE LIST FOR HAVING COMPLETED THE ASSIGNMENT
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Evaluation Topics
This is a very important assignment, which will be done in class.
A fundamental learning outcome of this course, that intends to mirror a real-life scenario, is to help us to develop skills in going through extensive contents and determining what is relevant.
Your task today, to be done in groups of three members, is to come up with the list of relevant topics that we will be evaluating next week, covering Biometrics, Teleworking and Ergonomics, as well as Operating Systems, Data and Information and Analog and Digital Data.
The suggested procedure is:
Divide up the topics amongst the three members of the group, go through the entries in the blog and check the websites that we have seen in class. Skim through the contents in these sites and, referencing the assignments and what was discussed in class, jot down those topics that we made emphasis on.
Also, submit a suggested list of possible ways in which you might be evaluated, taking into account that you will be able to use the Internet, notes and/or any other resources.
The evaluation will take place next Friday, please submit the assignment before the end of teh lesson to itgs.sass@gmail.com, and before Wednesday you will receive my comments on the list, as well as the corrected assignment on network design.
A fundamental learning outcome of this course, that intends to mirror a real-life scenario, is to help us to develop skills in going through extensive contents and determining what is relevant.
Your task today, to be done in groups of three members, is to come up with the list of relevant topics that we will be evaluating next week, covering Biometrics, Teleworking and Ergonomics, as well as Operating Systems, Data and Information and Analog and Digital Data.
The suggested procedure is:
Divide up the topics amongst the three members of the group, go through the entries in the blog and check the websites that we have seen in class. Skim through the contents in these sites and, referencing the assignments and what was discussed in class, jot down those topics that we made emphasis on.
Also, submit a suggested list of possible ways in which you might be evaluated, taking into account that you will be able to use the Internet, notes and/or any other resources.
The evaluation will take place next Friday, please submit the assignment before the end of teh lesson to itgs.sass@gmail.com, and before Wednesday you will receive my comments on the list, as well as the corrected assignment on network design.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Network Design
This assignment should be done in pairs utilizing the Wired Lan Modelling feature at the WebLan Designer. Images resulting from the modeling process can be copied and imported into any drawing program, that can be used to add on the lines and labels needed.
A brief recap of switches, hubs and routers can be found at Routers, Switches and Hubs, and a lengthier and more complete one at http://www2.edc.org/cope/networkprimer/primch5.pdf.
Bear in mind, when making your design decisions, the costs of all components involved, remember that routers are more expensive than switches and that these are more expensive than hubs. Also include, whenever necessary, proxy servers and firewalls. The assignment should be completed today within the lesson, so you should not leave the room without checking with me that I have received them.
1) A school has two small campuses that operate at different physical locations, 10 km apart. The North campus has a computer lab with 9 workstations and a printer that are connected via a Token Ring Network, and 4 administrative computers and two printers that are networked to each other. A file server and colour printer are accessed by all computers in this campus, which are also connected to the Internet by means of a dedicated cablemodem. The South campus has two computer labs with 6 and 8 computers respectively, plus 5 other computers that are used for teaching and administrative purposes. There is one file server and network printer that must be accessed by all computers in the network. The North Campus will access the Internet via a dedicated cablemodem. Both campuses must be linked.
Draw a detailed diagram of how the network is set up and configured, and write down a brief rationale that explains your network design.
2) A multinational company has branches in Argentina and the US. The Argentina branch has 8 networked computers that are used to handle customer requests and post-sale service, whereas the US office deals with sales and production through 12 computers. Each branch has two network printers and a file server, and they must be connected to each other. Design a network that satisfies the requirements and explain which hardware and/or software solutions you need to adopt.
A brief recap of switches, hubs and routers can be found at Routers, Switches and Hubs, and a lengthier and more complete one at http://www2.edc.org/cope/networkprimer/primch5.pdf.
Bear in mind, when making your design decisions, the costs of all components involved, remember that routers are more expensive than switches and that these are more expensive than hubs. Also include, whenever necessary, proxy servers and firewalls. The assignment should be completed today within the lesson, so you should not leave the room without checking with me that I have received them.
1) A school has two small campuses that operate at different physical locations, 10 km apart. The North campus has a computer lab with 9 workstations and a printer that are connected via a Token Ring Network, and 4 administrative computers and two printers that are networked to each other. A file server and colour printer are accessed by all computers in this campus, which are also connected to the Internet by means of a dedicated cablemodem. The South campus has two computer labs with 6 and 8 computers respectively, plus 5 other computers that are used for teaching and administrative purposes. There is one file server and network printer that must be accessed by all computers in the network. The North Campus will access the Internet via a dedicated cablemodem. Both campuses must be linked.
Draw a detailed diagram of how the network is set up and configured, and write down a brief rationale that explains your network design.
2) A multinational company has branches in Argentina and the US. The Argentina branch has 8 networked computers that are used to handle customer requests and post-sale service, whereas the US office deals with sales and production through 12 computers. Each branch has two network printers and a file server, and they must be connected to each other. Design a network that satisfies the requirements and explain which hardware and/or software solutions you need to adopt.
Friday, April 24, 2009
More on networks
Today we will be working again on networks. Initially, we will be revising some of the concepts we learned on Wednesday by means of the Ethernet Tutorial at TechNick. Once we go through this tutorial and we learn more about network toplogies and how to improve speed, our objective will be to try to answer the Multiple Choice Quiz within the WebLan Designer Project.
You need to research and find the answers to questions 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,19,21,22.
You need to research and find the answers to questions 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,19,21,22.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Networking
The next topic that we will be dealing with is networks. We will be analyzing the fundamentals of networks, different topologies and other technical concepts as a first step towards discussing the implications of networks on society and individuals.
We will start, as an introduction, by watching the following animation that depicts graphically how Internet works:
Then we will cover the basics and fundamentals of Networking through How Stuff Works.
How Ethernet Works
We will start, as an introduction, by watching the following animation that depicts graphically how Internet works:
Then we will cover the basics and fundamentals of Networking through How Stuff Works.
How Ethernet Works
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Presentation
We have covered several technical topics lately, and this assignment will focus on discussing some of the implications on individuals and societies of the their technological applications.
Working in groups of 3 students, you will develop a PowerPoint presentation that addresses one of the following topics/statements:
- Users are forced into buying expensive computers in order to sustain operating systems that do not give extended functionality. Open source operating systems would not require a constant upgrading.
- Most organizations or firms do not adequately address the issue of ergonomics and as such millions of dollars are lost every year as a consequence of repetitive stress injuries.
- In the future, most people will work from home and many important social interactions will be lost, as well as the ability to function as a team.
- Passwords are an unsafe and inadequate method to gain data access. Biometric recognition will be the standard in the near future, since affordable and accurate biometric recognition methods are now available.
Each presentation must address the above issues including external links, at least two multimedia elements (videos) linked from the presentation, and arrive at a conclusion with respect to the statement presented. You must email your finished presentation to itgs.sass@gmail.com before Wednesday, April 22nd.
During the first lesson, the plan for the presentation must be drawn up and approved. You will not actually start working on the presentation but rather identify how you will tackle it as well as finding the links and resources that you plan to include.
Working in groups of 3 students, you will develop a PowerPoint presentation that addresses one of the following topics/statements:
- Users are forced into buying expensive computers in order to sustain operating systems that do not give extended functionality. Open source operating systems would not require a constant upgrading.
- Most organizations or firms do not adequately address the issue of ergonomics and as such millions of dollars are lost every year as a consequence of repetitive stress injuries.
- In the future, most people will work from home and many important social interactions will be lost, as well as the ability to function as a team.
- Passwords are an unsafe and inadequate method to gain data access. Biometric recognition will be the standard in the near future, since affordable and accurate biometric recognition methods are now available.
Each presentation must address the above issues including external links, at least two multimedia elements (videos) linked from the presentation, and arrive at a conclusion with respect to the statement presented. You must email your finished presentation to itgs.sass@gmail.com before Wednesday, April 22nd.
During the first lesson, the plan for the presentation must be drawn up and approved. You will not actually start working on the presentation but rather identify how you will tackle it as well as finding the links and resources that you plan to include.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Teleworking - Biometrics - Ergonomics
During the next few classes, we will be discussing some general issues related to technology use and access, as well as their implications.
Ergonomics: is the application of scientific information concerning objects, systems and environment for human use (definition adopted by the International Ergonomics Association in 2007). However, the field of Ergonomics is mostly associated with the design of hardware in such a way that it prevents commonly known repetitive stress injuries RSI. Healthy Computing is a web site that contains interesting and easily readable information on Ergonomics as applied to computer software.
Teleworking: Globalization and recent changes and technological advances have made it possible for an increasing number of people to be able to work from home. Managing Strategies For Telework - The Virtual Workforce is an article that provides a good summary of the advantages and disadvantages of working from home.
Password Protection – Biometrics: Any organization that possesses valuable information needs to put into effect some sort of validation process that ensures that only authorized users can gain access to relevant information. There are many different authentication methods, from the very simple and straightforward Passwords) to more complex ones based on biometrics. We will watch the following two videos to jumpstart our discussion:
Ergonomics: is the application of scientific information concerning objects, systems and environment for human use (definition adopted by the International Ergonomics Association in 2007). However, the field of Ergonomics is mostly associated with the design of hardware in such a way that it prevents commonly known repetitive stress injuries RSI. Healthy Computing is a web site that contains interesting and easily readable information on Ergonomics as applied to computer software.
Teleworking: Globalization and recent changes and technological advances have made it possible for an increasing number of people to be able to work from home. Managing Strategies For Telework - The Virtual Workforce is an article that provides a good summary of the advantages and disadvantages of working from home.
Password Protection – Biometrics: Any organization that possesses valuable information needs to put into effect some sort of validation process that ensures that only authorized users can gain access to relevant information. There are many different authentication methods, from the very simple and straightforward Passwords) to more complex ones based on biometrics. We will watch the following two videos to jumpstart our discussion:
Friday, April 3, 2009
Assessment 1
Answer all questions, save them to a Word file, name it with your surname and submit it to itgs.sass@gmail.com DO NOT LEAVE THE LAB UNTIL YOU HAVE CHECKED THAT I RECEIVED THE FILE.
The questions have been written so that you are able to analyze and respond by demonstrating your mastery of the topics. PLEASE DO NOT COPY FROM WEB SITES.
1- A student at our computer lab is typing in the address www.yahoo.com. Explain in detail the internal process that takes place from that moment until the student gets the page loaded on the screen.
2- What criteria would you use to validate a web site?
3- A friend of yours wants to create a new search engine. Explain to him what he would need to do, including advice on how to make his search engine efficient in retrieving results.
4- What criteria are used to rate a search engine?
5- Can search engines be manipulated to individual or an organization’s advantage? How is that done?
6- What are search engine designers trying to achieve in terms of future capabilities of search engines?
The questions have been written so that you are able to analyze and respond by demonstrating your mastery of the topics. PLEASE DO NOT COPY FROM WEB SITES.
1- A student at our computer lab is typing in the address www.yahoo.com. Explain in detail the internal process that takes place from that moment until the student gets the page loaded on the screen.
2- What criteria would you use to validate a web site?
3- A friend of yours wants to create a new search engine. Explain to him what he would need to do, including advice on how to make his search engine efficient in retrieving results.
4- What criteria are used to rate a search engine?
5- Can search engines be manipulated to individual or an organization’s advantage? How is that done?
6- What are search engine designers trying to achieve in terms of future capabilities of search engines?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Some technical concepts
During this subsequent unit we will cover some technical topics that we need to cover so as to afterwards be able to discuss and analyze the implications of computer systems on individuals and societies.
We will approach this unit by first reading about these issues and then working on a series of assignments that will let us derive and infer their implications based on a sounder technical base.
Analog and digital data: How Analog and Digital Recording Works, from HowStuffWorks, an interesting tutorial on analog and digital recording that covers well the difference between analog and digital data. If you Google “analog and digital data” you will come across many reliable sources that will yield information on the differences between both types of data.
Difference between data and information: Again, a very clear distinction can be made between data, that is, recorded numbers, readings, etc. which in themselves are meaningless as opposed to information which can be derived from the processing and analysis of that data, in our context through computer software in a process known as data processing. There are abundant sources on this topic, a well-summarized and concise reference can be found at Understanding the Difference Between Data and Information.
Operating Systems: After watching the following introductory video:
We will once more be referring to HowStuffWorks for a general introduction on How Operating Systems Work. It provides a good and thorough introduction to this very important concept.
We will approach this unit by first reading about these issues and then working on a series of assignments that will let us derive and infer their implications based on a sounder technical base.
Analog and digital data: How Analog and Digital Recording Works, from HowStuffWorks, an interesting tutorial on analog and digital recording that covers well the difference between analog and digital data. If you Google “analog and digital data” you will come across many reliable sources that will yield information on the differences between both types of data.
Difference between data and information: Again, a very clear distinction can be made between data, that is, recorded numbers, readings, etc. which in themselves are meaningless as opposed to information which can be derived from the processing and analysis of that data, in our context through computer software in a process known as data processing. There are abundant sources on this topic, a well-summarized and concise reference can be found at Understanding the Difference Between Data and Information.
Operating Systems: After watching the following introductory video:
We will once more be referring to HowStuffWorks for a general introduction on How Operating Systems Work. It provides a good and thorough introduction to this very important concept.
Recap for Evaluation
During this first part of our course, we have studied search engines, their underlying mechanism, characteristics and some of the potential implications on individuals and society of their manipulation.
The topics that we have covered include:
• Basic knowledge of the Internet, servers and clients, protocols, data packets, IP, DNS.
• The nature of search engines, their four main characteristics, indexing algorithms, what makes a search engine better than others.
• Validating sources.
• A brief glimpse into the nature of search engine algorithms. Search Engine Optimization. Pagerank. Google bombing.
• How search engines can be manipulated and their potential effects on individuals and society.
• User constructed search engine queries, search engine design criteria, tendencies, differences between novice and advanced users.
WARNING: I will not be doing this in successive units, since one of the learning objectives of this course is to be able to distinguish relevant and non-relevant information as well as developing the ability to sort out data that is not necessarily in written form.
The topics that we have covered include:
• Basic knowledge of the Internet, servers and clients, protocols, data packets, IP, DNS.
• The nature of search engines, their four main characteristics, indexing algorithms, what makes a search engine better than others.
• Validating sources.
• A brief glimpse into the nature of search engine algorithms. Search Engine Optimization. Pagerank. Google bombing.
• How search engines can be manipulated and their potential effects on individuals and society.
• User constructed search engine queries, search engine design criteria, tendencies, differences between novice and advanced users.
WARNING: I will not be doing this in successive units, since one of the learning objectives of this course is to be able to distinguish relevant and non-relevant information as well as developing the ability to sort out data that is not necessarily in written form.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Constructing queries
Our last lecture focused on how search engines study user habits and characteristics when designing their web searches.
Suppose you had to write a paper for your Biology class on possibilities for life existing on other planets. Working in pairs (once again, different from the previous two groups), your task is to identify four good sources to help you in the assignment.
Your assignment should include:
- A description of how you constructed/refined your successive queries.
- An analysis of why/how the search engine responded to your search terms, relevancy of the sites returned, a comparison of the efficiency of each query.
- The URLs of the sources.
- If you were the instructor of the class and had to give advice to your students on performing the search, without mentioning specific web sites, what would you tell them on how to build the query?
Assignments should be emailed to mailto:itgs.sass@gmail.com before Friday, March 27th.
User experiences
The following video provides interesting insight on search engine queries and their implications. The speaker is Dr. David Rose, from Yahoo! Search, and it will serve as a basis for our next assignment.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Search engine rankings
During the video that we watched, several key issues related to the inner workings of web search engines are discussed, as well as how web engines process their indexes.
We will use this assignment to try to visualize in a practical way how search engines, in this case Google, have such a powerful influence in how businesses and even individuals fare in society.
Answer the following questions in pairs, which have to be different from the groups you formed for the first assignment, and email them to itgs.sass@gmail.com before the end of the lesson on Wednesday, March 18th.
1) Suppose you want to find out about alternate energy and its applications, so perform a search query on electric cars on Google and one other web search engine and answer the following questions:
a. Compare the two search engines on the four criteria outlined in the video (Length, depth, frequency, types of files indexed)
b. Analyze the results from the first page and explain the reasons for the first four sites to be ranked on each engine.
c. What can you conclude about each search engine’s ranking algorithms?
2) Explain what Pagerank and SEO are and briefly outline how web site owners can utilize strategies to rank higher on search engines.
3) Conduct the following searches on Google:
- Arabian Gulf
- Talentless hack
- Miserable failure
and, with regards to the above searches, explain what “Google bombing” is as well as its potential implications for individuals and organizations.
We will use this assignment to try to visualize in a practical way how search engines, in this case Google, have such a powerful influence in how businesses and even individuals fare in society.
Answer the following questions in pairs, which have to be different from the groups you formed for the first assignment, and email them to itgs.sass@gmail.com before the end of the lesson on Wednesday, March 18th.
1) Suppose you want to find out about alternate energy and its applications, so perform a search query on electric cars on Google and one other web search engine and answer the following questions:
a. Compare the two search engines on the four criteria outlined in the video (Length, depth, frequency, types of files indexed)
b. Analyze the results from the first page and explain the reasons for the first four sites to be ranked on each engine.
c. What can you conclude about each search engine’s ranking algorithms?
2) Explain what Pagerank and SEO are and briefly outline how web site owners can utilize strategies to rank higher on search engines.
3) Conduct the following searches on Google:
- Arabian Gulf
- Talentless hack
- Miserable failure
and, with regards to the above searches, explain what “Google bombing” is as well as its potential implications for individuals and organizations.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Our first topic for analysis and discussion is how search engines work. Search engines have become an essential component of everyday life and their influence is undoubtedly far reaching.
We will learn about the topic by watching the following video from a lecture by Dr. Marti Hearst at the University of California at Berkeley.
There is plenty of information available on the inner workings of search engines. Two such links include: - The Animated Internet: How Search Engines Work - How Internet Search Engines Work at howstuffworks.
We will learn about the topic by watching the following video from a lecture by Dr. Marti Hearst at the University of California at Berkeley.
There is plenty of information available on the inner workings of search engines. Two such links include: - The Animated Internet: How Search Engines Work - How Internet Search Engines Work at howstuffworks.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Assignment: validating statements
Take two statements from the Terra 2050 Videos and, using web search engines, try to assess their validity.
In order to do this, you must write a short document citing the sources used and the reasons why you arrive at a certain conclusion.
All assignments should include:
- Statement.
- Annotated links with a short discussion on how they tend to prove or disprove the statement.
- A brief analysis of the validity of each source.
- A conclusion that sums up the above.
The assignment must be done in pairs, and submitted to itgs.sass@gmail.com before the end of the lesson today. Do not leave the classroom until you have verified with me that your assignment has arrived in my mailbox.
Criteria for grading include:
- Clarity of presentation, including summarization techniques.
- Quality and depth of the analysis.
- Use of valid sources.
In order to do this, you must write a short document citing the sources used and the reasons why you arrive at a certain conclusion.
All assignments should include:
- Statement.
- Annotated links with a short discussion on how they tend to prove or disprove the statement.
- A brief analysis of the validity of each source.
- A conclusion that sums up the above.
The assignment must be done in pairs, and submitted to itgs.sass@gmail.com before the end of the lesson today. Do not leave the classroom until you have verified with me that your assignment has arrived in my mailbox.
Criteria for grading include:
- Clarity of presentation, including summarization techniques.
- Quality and depth of the analysis.
- Use of valid sources.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Introductory Class
Our first class consists of a brief presentation of the course syllabus and components followed by a general discussion.
The link to the course syllabus is:
This Power Point presentation, in PDF format, was developed by the Fleming-Ruffner Magnet Center in Roanoke, Virginia.
General Discussion
The second part of our lesson is a general discussion on the effects of technology on society, which is largely the main topic of the course. We will be watching in class three short videos which can be accessed in YouTube:
We will utilize these videos to try to illustrate the dynamics of our course, assignments, and general procedures.
The link to the course syllabus is:
This Power Point presentation, in PDF format, was developed by the Fleming-Ruffner Magnet Center in Roanoke, Virginia.
General Discussion
The second part of our lesson is a general discussion on the effects of technology on society, which is largely the main topic of the course. We will be watching in class three short videos which can be accessed in YouTube:
We will utilize these videos to try to illustrate the dynamics of our course, assignments, and general procedures.
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