Unit2Topic3

Unit 1

Unit 2

3. People & ICT Systems

Key Concepts	Content and Amplification
ICT systems are designed for and used by people. ICT systems are commissioned for a purpose
1. Characteristics of users	Different users have differing requirements dependent upon: • experience • physical characteristics • environment of use • task to be undertaken • age.
2. How users interact with ICT systems	Students should be able to discuss the need for effective dialogue between humans and machines. Appropriate interface design to provide effective communication for users. The need for the provision of appropriate help and support for users of ICT systems. The benefits and limitations of different types of user interfaces.
3. Working in ICT	Students should be aware of the many different jobs available to ICT professionals. The personal qualities and general characteristics necessary for an ICT professional to work effectively within the industry. The characteristics of an effective ICT team.

1. Characteristics of users. Users of ICT systems can be categorised into certain different characteristics. Certain ICT systems are not suitable for all the different types of people who will use ICT. Most people will fall into more than one category. It is important that the manufacturers of computer hardware and software tailor the resources that they are producing to match the customer who will have to use this system. A user of an ICT system is a person who will use the system designed by the manufacturer on a day to day basis. This may be working for an organisation, or using ICT for pleasure. In many cases the user will be trained to use the features of the hardware and the software, but the manufacturer still has to make the system as user friendly as possible. (The better the system works the higher the sales would likely to be).

Some characteristics that people have:

experience, this could be of a particular software or a particular system to general computing experience,
environment, this is where the system would be used, mostly in an office, but work can be done at home using a PC, it could be while travellingon a train or it could be outside using laptops or PDA's etc,
type of task, does it require lots of keyed data entry, does it require automatic data entry, does it require data handling, does it require access to high speed Internet access, does it require it to be portable and used at inside and outside locations, does it require to be able to access files from a network or be used for videoconferencing,
physical characteristics, computers can be used in many ways by people but are adaptable to be used by people with a wide range of physical disabilities. People with specific needs are just as likely to use computers at work and at home as anyone else, and computers can be adapted at the data entry stage and the information output stage for use. In particular people with sensory impairment and physical disabilities can access a variety of devices and software programs not just for working but to enhance their lives.
age, people have access to and can use a computer from 2 year of age to 102 years of age and more. A system designed for a pre-school age user will be different from a student taking A Levels; which will be different from a programmer from a software manufacturer; which will be different from a pensioner taking a course on Italian. Each of these people mentioned will have different needs, they will have different experiences, and will be doing different tasks. An older person will probably use a computer system for leisure as they will be retired from work, they will have more time to use it, and will use it in differing ways. Some examples: learning new things, taking on-line courses, keeping in touch with family, making new friends, investigating and booking holidays, purchasing books and music etc.

2. How users interact with ICT systems. For ICT systems to work properly there needs to be an effective dialogue between the user and the computer. The most common way that is used now is by way of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The user interacts with the computer by using a mouse to point to and select (click) icons to navigate to the documents that they use. People who use the computer need to have an efficient way of being able to tell the computer what to do and be able to understand the results of the request, or to be able to identify what the problem is and how to solve it. The better the interface is between the user and the computer will determine how easy the computer is to use and how productive an information work can be.

There are many different computerised devices and not all of these would use the same interface, for example:

illustrators would use a graphics pad or a freehand pen,
digital tv users would use an alphanumeric pad,
mobile 'phone users would use an alphanumeric pad,
washing machine users would use buttons and dials,
games users would use a symbol button pad,
railway ticket buyers would use a touch screen icon control,
data entry workers would use a keyboard,

Common devices allowing interaction with computer technology.

The results of these interactions may be displayed on a monitor, or on paper or by sound, or by video; in some cases a combination of these would be suitable interaction from the computerised device.

Check the Human Computer Interface slides!

The Graphical User Interface (WIMP) contains the following features:

Windows
Icons
Menus
Pointers
(desktop)
(drag and drop)
(taskbars)

There are other types of interface.

Before GUI's were introduced in the early 1990's people had to interact with the computer by typing in instructions. To access the required document people had to type in the file path as well as the name of the document. Any mistake would lead to an error message and the line typed in again. This was known as "Command Line Interface".

A "Natural Language Interface" is one where people can interact with a computer using the same instructions they would use when interacting with another human. These can be written (typed) or spoken. The computer is 'trained' to understand the spoken word through a microphone, and can give the results back as words spoken through the loudspeaker.

The need for the provision of appropriate help and support for users of ICT systems. People who use ICT need to get started at some point. Not everybody has the appropriate skills and experience therefore there is a need for help.

There are various methods of providing people with the appropriate training for their work and leisure needs.

manual - this is usually a comprehensive document detailling all aspects of the software, it comes with a getting started section, but most of the document is only appropriate for an advanced used who has problems with advanced features,
on-line help - this is usually the 'Help' on the main menu, this is usually comprehensive but it may contain a search facility to assist a novice in finding out the answer to a problem. Another form of on-screen help is a small program known as a 'wizard' wich anticipates questions and offers a list of possible questions and answers associated with the task the user is doing. Sometimes these 'wizards' are activated when the user makes an error. The computer will respond with a dialog box explaining the error and the 'wizard' will appear.
training - either within the organisation or on a training course. Many organisations use software programs that are non-generic and therefore need to train their staff. (Generic: software that can be bought from a retail outlet and is in general use).Training may in the form of:
- an expert instructing a group of students (or one to one) on how to use the software;
- paper-based instructions as hand outs to individuals;
- interactive multimedia training provided by the manufacturer's web-site or by CD ROM;
- on-line tutorials that guide the learners through the essential parts of the tasks;
help desk - this is where the user cannot procede with the task, either due to an error or just not being able to find out through any other means available. Manufacturer's provide a help-desk where users of their software can call and ask personalised questions to an expert. When an organisation buys software from a manufacturer there may be a contract that the organisation pay for which includes the services of a help desk to ensure that they never have any problems that cannot be solved. Individuals who purchase software for personal use may also be able to access a help-desk but these are usually only available through premium rate calls.
ask a friend - this is probably how most people find out how to use a piece of software or complete a difficult task.

Check the User Support slides!

3. Working in ICT. There are many different jobs available to ICT professionals. Some of the main roles are:

software engineer,
network administrator,
software developer,
systems security,
project manager,
systems analyst,
web-designer,
hardware maintenance technician,
it trainer,
help-desk operative.

There are many other jobs which require a high degree of ICT technical expertise.

The personal qualities and general characteristics necessary for an ICT professional to work effectively within the industry are quite different to their technical ability A technical skill is learnt specifically to do a particular job/task. A computer programmer has had to learn how to program using for example C++; that is his technical skill. A personal skill is that which the person already has and can use whatever job they do. For example this programmer may have excellent written communication skills and can read instructions and act upon them, and write brilliant reports which detail and explain everything. This skill is transferable to any other job that requires a person to follow instructions and to write clear detailed reports.

Example of some personal skills are:

Leadership,
Team working,
Flexibility,
Communication,
Creative,
Problem solving,
Listening,
Work under pressure.

For each profession as listed above there will be a list of technical skills needed, and a list of non-technical person skills needed.

IT Job descriptions and requirements!

The characteristics of an effective ICT team. An ICT project often involves a team leader who builds a team of IT professionals together to achieve a given task, whether it is the creation of a database to handle all of the organisations data to creating a secure environment for the organisation's network of computers. The ideal team would include a mixture of skills, people who are experts in different areas; for example: programmers, analysts, engineers, mathematicians, communicators, etc.

A project team can be built up of human resources within one organization, or it can consist of members from many different organizations. A cross-functional team has members from multiple organizations and this is a recommended thing to do. The team is formed by people that know very well what they are doing and headed by a project manager who is responsible for the successful outcome of the project. His job is very important because he must also form and educate team members and teach them how to do what is needed when they don't know. The most important tasks that the project team has are:

Understanding the work to be completed
Planning out the assigned activities in more detail if needed
Completing the assigned work within the budget, timeline and quality expectations
Informing the project manager of issues, scope changes, risk and quality concerns (budget and time risks)
Proactively communicating status and managing expectations

Project Management Software

Project Management Objectives:

To coordinate the various interrelated processes of the project.
To ensure that the project includes all the work required, to complete the project successfully.
To ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget.
To ensure that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.
To ensure the most effective use of the people involved with the project.
To promote effective communication between the projects team members and key stakeholders.
To ensure that project risks are identified, analyzed, and responded.

Check the IT Professional slides!

Advantages of using teams to complete projects:

the more people assigned, the faster the completion,
people working together will be able to help each other with ideas and methods and with motivation,
people with different skills will be used where different expertise is required,
a team will be able to produce much better results than an individual can,
people working together can support each other and cover illness etc.

Disadvantages of using teams to complete projects:

a team will need a leader who can put together the best people he can get for the task,
some people find it hard to work in a team and work better alone,
team members are dependent on each other keeping on task, on time, good quality, if one person is not pulling their weight, or if someone has disagreements with another, then other team members will have to work harder to keep the project from over-running,
a team will need time to meet regularly to discuss progress and difficulties, including re-assigning some poeple.

The Team Leader:

A team leader is chosen by management to lead the group of people who will form the team. They may only be selected for a particular type of project due to their own specialist skills. A team leader will need the appropriate specialist skills as well as the personal skills to ensure the team is well motivated and produces the results that management require.
A good team leader will have most of these skills:
- Leadership skills - give the team members confidence, motivating the team;
- Technical skills - an very good overall knowledge of what the team is doing, and the requirements of the project, including using IT skills in managing the project;
- Managerial skills - allocating the team to do the tasks best suited to individuals, being able to communicate with effectively with IT staff and non IT staff, and with senior managers as well as the team;
- Experience - keeping to a budget, keeping to a time limit, dealing with personal problems.

Homework:

Read text book: p p 138-145.

Question 1 & 2 & 3: p146

Activity 1: p146

Activities:

Use the Learning Gateway for the self marking test!

Slides: Human/Computer Interface

Slides: User Support

Document: IT Jobs

Slides: The IT Professional