Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level

* 1 0 0 6 2 5 0 4 5 8 *

APPLIED INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 9713/11

Paper 1 May/June 2015
1 hour 15 minutes
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
No Additional Materials are required.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in blue or black pen.
Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid.
You may use a pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.

Answer all questions.

The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each of each question or part question.

The businesses described in this paper are entirely fictitious.

This document consists of 13 printed pages and 3 blank pages.

DC (LEG/FD) 101217/3
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Scenario 1
Questions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

XYA is a company in a developing country that buys and sells steel. They employ a number of sales
staff to phone potential customers in order to sell their steel.

They are seeking to save costs and have asked a number of their sales staff to work from home.
Temperatures are fairly low in the winter so sales staff tend to have central heating systems in their
homes.

Regular staff meetings are planned to take place using phone conferencing which the manager
Ibrahim will organise.

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1 Tick the four statements which are benefits to the company of workers working from home.

Benefit

Workers will not have to work as hard as if they were in an office
It is easier to get all the workers together for meetings and briefings
It would be easier for managers to supervise workers
Not so much money would have to be spent on the company’s utility bills V
There would be no distractions for workers preventing them from working
Lower costs as company can rent smaller offices V
The workforce would probably be happier so there would be improved
motivation to work and increased productivity V
It would be easier to sell steel
The cost to the company of the phone calls would be cheaper as home
phone charges are lower
More staff would be retained so money would not have to be spent on V
training new staff
[4]

2 Tick the four statements which are benefits to the company of using staff to make phone sales
rather than advertising on a website.

Benefit


You can reach a larger audience by phone than by using a website

Running a website is cheaper than paying telephone operators

They can be sure all targeted customers are reached as not everybody will see V
the website

Phone calls always result in a successful sale

They can contact customers whose internet speed is so slow they may not V
be able to use the website

They will know accurately how many sales they have made V
You cannot get immediate feedback from your potential customers

Customers would never buy steel using a website

Websites can have video and photographs

It is more personal so it might be easier to persuade customers to purchase V

steel
[4]

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3 Describe how a microprocessor makes use of the data from a temperature sensor to control a
central heating system.

Compares temperature from sensor to the pre-set value

If sensor temperature is higher/lower than pre-set value microprocessor sends a
signal… …to the actuator
If lower, microprocessor/actuator switches heater on
If higher, then microprocessor/actuator switches heater off

4 Each sales person would need a PC and a monitor. They will need additional hardware and
software to allow them to work from home.

(a) Name, and describe the use of, three additional items of hardware. Each use must be different.

1 A router/modem to connect to the internet

2. A fax machine to fax phone orders to main office

3 A landline phone to communicate with manager/main office/customers

(b) Name, and describe the use of, three items of software. Each use must be different.

1 Word processor to type up orders

2 Database software to edit customer details
3 CTI software to communicate with customers

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5 Ibrahim is considering introducing video conferencing to replace phone

conferencing. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of doing this.

Advantages
You can see the facial expressions/body language of other participants
Disadvantages
More expensive to buy hardware/software

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Scenario 2
Questions 6 and 7

A geography teacher wants to use computers to help students improve their learning and help with
her lesson preparation.

Computers will be used by other teachers in their teaching.

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6 Describe the use of each of the following types of software that the geography teacher would use
to prepare materials for her lessons. Each use must be different.

Spreadsheet – prepare population statistics

Web browser – look up resources for worksheets/students to use

DTP – produce worksheets
Image editing - software to edit maps

7 Discuss the benefits and drawbacks to teachers and students of using computers in lessons to
aid teaching and learning.

Benefits
ICT make lessons more interesting/entertaining
ICT make lessons more varied
Internet allows students to investigate ideas
Internet allows students to carry out research
Neatness of students work makes it easier for teacher to

Drawbacks
Takes a lot of time to prepare ICT materials
Can be difficult to ensure all students are on task if no monitoring software is available
More resources are available so students might make inefficient use of these
More difficult to co-ordinate activities
Plagiarism can cause teachers’ problems

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Scenario 3
Questions 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

RockICT has decided to combine its staff records. It currently has separate computerised personal
and payroll details of all its staff.

The payroll system runs using all the data on a weekly basis. Workers are paid according to how
many hours they work in a week. On the new system human resources staff will need to be able to
access records quickly.

Joanne, a systems analyst, has collected a large amount of information about the existing system.
The information will be analysed before the system is designed.

RockICT requires its workers to have a duty of fidelity. It also has to follow government data protection
rules when storing data about its workers.

RockICT has hired Arty, an art and design company to produce CD covers for the albums its
musicians produce.

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8 (a) Give three items of information, not related to their pay, that will need to be stored on the
master file about each member of RockICT staff.

1 Contact details i.e. phone/address

2 Holiday entitlement

3 Social security/national insurance number

Label the components of the following systems flowchart to show how the master file is
updated.

Old master file

Transaction
file

Update

process

. Reports New
Master file

[4]

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9 (a) Describe in detail two ways that Joanne will use a data flow diagram to identify suitable
hardware for the new system.

1 Look at the terminators and flow arrows in the DFD which show the volume of input
data …which leads to decisions on appropriate input devices

2 Look at the terminators and flow arrows out of the system which indicate the quantity/
format of the output/required output…
…which leads to decisions on appropriate output devices

Describe how Joanne will identify the user and system requirements for the new system.

Using collected information/results of observation to see exactly what job each worker
is doing
Joanne will have interviewed payroll workers/manager to find their requirements
Will use the DFD to come to a conclusion about the user/system requirements
From user requirements she will produce a requirements specification…
…list of the features of the system that is required

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10 (a) Describe what is meant by the indexed sequential method of storing data.
Give reasons why it would be suitable in this scenario.
Indicate which storage medium would be most appropriate to use.

Table of indexes is stored

The index will allow for direct access…
…needed when accessing individual worker records quickly
The records will be held sequentially to allow for serial access…
…used to process all records one after the other
Suitable because payroll will process all records one after the other

(b) Joanne will need to design the file structure of the new system.
Describe six steps involved in designing the file structure, without referring to the indexed
sequential method of storing data.

1 Type of database is chosen (flat file/relational)

2 If it is going to be a relational database, number of
tables is decided upon
3 A key field to identify each record is chosen
4 Relationships are designed/Entity Relationship
Diagrams are designed
5 Appropriate field names are chosen…

6 Field data type is selected such as text, number, Boolean, appropriate

to field contents
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11 (a) Explain what is meant by duty of fidelity.

Employee must be loyal to their employer….

…for as long as they are employed by the company
Must not tell rival companies about their work
Employee is free to use skills and knowledge acquired from company after they leave them

(b) Describe four rules which would be included in data protection legislation.

1. Kept secure
2. Fairly and lawfully processed
3. Processed for limited purposes
4. Adequate, relevant and not excessive]

(c) Apart from following data protection rules and having a duty of fidelity, explain the
responsibilities of the company and its workers with regard to the privacy of payroll data.

1. Payroll workers must not share any payroll data with

anybody/outside the organisation/other employees.
2. Payroll workers should sign a confidentiality agreement/have a
duty of confidence
3. Information about an individual should not be passed to
another organisation without permission of the individual
4. Information should be anonymised where possible

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12 Arty use graphics software to change images that have been imported into the software.

(a) Name and describe two input devices which are used to import images for use in the CD
covers.

1. Scanner
Used to import hard copy images/photographs

2. Digital camera
Used to download photographs stored on the camera

Name and describe four features of the graphics software used when changing the images.
1 Cropping – removing a portion of the image
(b)

2 Rotating – turning the image through an angle

3 Flipping – getting a mirror image

4 Filling – filling a shape with colour]

(c) Describe two sources of images which would accompany the software when bought.

a. Clip art library/gallery

b. Photograph library/gallery

(d) The printing of the CD covers is now computer controlled. Describe two effects this had on
the workers who used to be involved in the printing process.

1. Increase in unemployment of print workers

2. Re-training of print workers

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© UCLES 2015 9713/11/M/J/15