Glossary


 * ICT Terminology **

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//Bandwidth// - The amount of data that can be sent from one computer to another through a particular connection in a certain amount of time, e.g. via a computer to the Internet and vice versa. The more bandwidth available, the faster you are able to access information.

//Bitmap// - A computer graphic or image composed of thousands of individual dots or pixels, each pixel being stored as a number. The image is displayed by specifying the colour of each pixel. Bit-mapped graphics can be imported into other applications, e.g. a word-processor, but they cannot be edited within these applications. When bit-mapped graphics are resized they usually suffer a loss of sharpness, whereas vector graphics can be resized without such loss.

//Bluetooth// - Bluetooth is a technical industry standard for radio technology which facilitates the transmission of signals over short distances (up to around 10 metres) between telephones, computers and other devices without the use of wires. For example, a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone can communicate with a desktop computer for the purpose of synchronising data, such as an appointments diary.

//Broadband// - A general term used to describe a high-speed connection to the Internet. Connection speed is usually measured in [|Kbps] (kilobits per second) and [|Mbps] (megabits per second). Typically, a home user will have a broadband connection using an ADSL telephone line running at 2Mbps to 8Mbps. Educational institutions ideally need a symmetric connection of at least 8Mbps to ensure smooth trouble-free connections to the Internet when large numbers of students are accessing the Internet all at once.

//Browser// - A software package installed on the hard disk of your computer that enables you to access and to navigate the [|World Wide Web] - to "surf the Web" in colloquial terms.

//Cache// - The cache contains information stored by a Web [|Browser] on your hard disk, so that you don't have to download the same material repeatedly from a remote computer. Browsers keep copies of all the Web pages that you view so that the pages can be redisplayed quickly when you go back to them. The cache is normally stored under Windows in a folder called Temporary Internet Files. This folder can become enormous over time and can cause your hard disk to become overloaded and then your computer may lock up. The cache needs to be emptied at regular intervals - which you can do manually or using utility software such as Window Washer. You can set the maximum size of the Temporary Internet Files folder, using the Tools menu in your browser.

//Data// - Strictly speaking the plural of "datum", but now usually considered as a collective noun in the singular, with the plural form "data items" or "items of data". Data is information in a form which can be processed by a computer. It is usually distinguished from a computer program, which is a set of instructions that a computer carries out. Data can be text or sets of figures on which a computer program operates.

//Firewall// - A firewall is a software package that sits between your computer and your Internet connection, keeping an eye on the traffic going to and fro. If anything suspicious appears, such as an unauthorised attempt from a remote computer to write information to your hard disk or to send information from your computer to a remote computer, it will block it and warn you. Firewalls have become essential these days because of the frequent attempts being made by hackers to grab confidential information from computers all around the world, e.g. your bank or credit card details, which may be stored in a file somewhere on your computer. Any computer is vulnerable while it is connected to the Internet. The author of this paragraph writes from personal experience: two attempts have been made by hackers to grab passwords from his computer. Both attempts were fortunately spotted by his Internet Service Provider and blocked, so no damage was done. If you access the Internet via a computer in a public or commercial organisation your ICT services department has almost certainly installed a firewall, but if you access the Internet via your personal computer then you should make sure that you install your own firewall. In addition you should install an anti-virus package.

//Formatting// - The process of preparing a writeable disk for use. Formatting creates a structure on the disk which enables it to hold data.

//Interactive Whiteboard (IWB)// - Often abbreviated to IWB. A touch-sensitive projection screen that allows the teacher to control a computer directly by touching the screen, i.e. the whiteboard, rather than using a [|Keyboard] or [|Mouse]. A [|Data Projector] has to be connected to the teacher's computer in order to project the image onto the interactive whiteboard and special software has to be installed on the computer in order for the whiteboard to become active and sensitive to touch - which may require the use of an "electronic pen" or it may work in reaction to one's finger or hand. See [|Section 1.3.4, Module 1.2] for further information and an illustration of an interactive whiteboard. 

﻿//Memory Stick// - A small electronic card, also known as a memory card, which is inserted into a [|Digital Camera] or [|Camcorder] for storing photographs or movie files that can then uploaded to a computer.