Year 10 · ICT · Spring 1 · Effects of IT and ICT applications; databases

ICT applications, part 1

TheoryPresent ▶

What this lesson covers

6.2 Computer modelling

Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417 · Topic 6: ICT applications · Paper 1

6.6 Banking applications

Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417 · Topic 6: ICT applications · Paper 1

6.7 Computers in medicine

Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417 · Topic 6: ICT applications · Paper 1

You will learn to

Explain what a computer model is and what 'what if' means.
Describe how ATMs, electronic funds transfer and card payments work.
Describe what patient records hold, and how 3D printers are used in medicine.
Answer past-paper 'describe' questions on ICT applications.

Success criteria

I can give two advantages and one disadvantage of using a model to forecast the weather.
I can list the checks the bank's computer makes when I use an ATM.
I can describe two uses of 3D printing in medicine.

The syllabus points for these sections

Explain what a computer model is and what "what if" means.
Describe models for personal finance, bridge and building design, flood water management, traffic management and weather forecasting.
Give advantages and disadvantages of using computer models.
Describe how an ATM is used and what the bank's computer checks.
Explain electronic funds transfer (EFT).
Describe credit and debit card transactions, including chip and PIN.
Describe how cheques are cleared.
Give advantages and disadvantages of internet banking.
Describe what is stored in patient records and pharmacy records and why.
Describe how 3D printers are used in medicine: prosthetics, tissue engineering, artificial blood vessels, medical tools and tailor-made medicines.

Key words

Say each word, then read what it means. Every one is in the glossary too.

Computer model: A program that uses rules and formulas to act like a real system.
What if: Changing a model's inputs to see what would happen.
ATM: Automated teller machine: a cash machine.
EFT: Electronic funds transfer: moving money between accounts electronically.
Cheque clearing: The process that moves money from the payer's bank to the payee's bank.
Expert system: Software that copies the knowledge and decisions of a human expert.
Rules base: The IF … THEN rules in an expert system.

The explanation

Read it here, or open the study page below to go one step at a time with things to try.

6.2 Computer modelling

What a computer model is

A computer model is a program, often a spreadsheet, that uses rules and formulas to act like a real system.

You change the inputs and the model calculates what would happen. This is called asking "what if?" questions.

Change the inputs in the model below. It models the cost of a school trip. Try 51 students and watch one extra coach turn a profit into a loss.

e.g.Example

Personal finance model: 1000 euros saved at 3% interest a year. Year 1: 1000 × 1.03 = 1030.00 Year 2: 1030.00 × 1.03 = 1060.90 Year 5: 1159.27 What if the rate is 5%? Year 5 becomes 1276.28. The saver sees the effect at once, without waiting five years.

There is something to try for this step in the IGCSE library.

Uses of computer models

Each model uses data, formulas and rules to predict what will happen.

Use	What is modelled	Why a model helps
Personal finance	Income, spending, savings, loans, interest	Plan a budget; see if a loan is affordable before signing
Bridge and building design	Loads, wind, earthquakes, materials	Find weak points and test designs safely before anything is built
Flood water management	Rainfall, river levels, tides, ground type	Predict which streets will flood; test where to build barriers; plan evacuations
Traffic management	Number of cars, traffic light timings, new roads	Test new light timings or a new roundabout without causing real jams
Weather forecasting	Temperature, air pressure, wind, humidity readings from sensors and satellites	Predict weather days ahead; warn about storms; uses supercomputers because of the huge amount of data

Advantages and disadvantages of models

A model is not reality. It is a simplified version, so its results are predictions, not facts.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Cheaper than building the real thing or a physical prototype	Only as good as the data and rules used; wrong data gives wrong results
Safer: dangerous situations (floods, earthquakes, crashes) can be tested with no risk	Real life has factors the model may leave out, so predictions can be wrong
Faster: years can be simulated in seconds	Complex models are expensive to build and need experts
Many "what if" scenarios can be tried and compared	People may trust the output too much without checking

!Watch out

"It is safer" needs a reason: "safer because engineers can test an earthquake on the bridge without putting anyone in danger."

6.6 Banking applications

Automated teller machines (ATMs)

An ATM (cash machine) lets customers take out cash, check their balance, change their PIN, pay bills and print a mini statement without going into a bank.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Cash available 24 hours a day, in many places	Shoulder surfing and card cloning (skimmers) are risks
No queues inside the bank; quicker	Fees when using another bank's ATM
Can use cards abroad	Daily withdrawal limit; machine can run out of cash or break

e.g.Example

Withdrawing 50 euros: 1. Customer inserts card. The chip is read. 2. Customer types their PIN. It is checked against the PIN on the chip. 3. Customer chooses "withdraw cash" and types 50. 4. The bank's computer checks the account has enough money and is not over the daily limit. 5. If yes, cash is dispensed and the account is debited by 50. 6. Card is returned before the cash, so it is not left behind.

Electronic funds transfer and card payments

Electronic funds transfer (EFT) moves money from one bank account to another electronically. No cash or paper changes hands. Employers pay salaries this way.

A debit card takes money straight from the customer's bank account. A credit card borrows money from the card company, which the customer pays back later, often with interest.

Card payments use chip and PIN, or contactless for small amounts. The card details are sent securely to the bank, which approves or declines.

	Debit card	Credit card
Whose money	Customer's own money, taken at once	Borrowed from the card company, paid back later
Advantage	Cannot spend money you do not have, so no debt	Spread payments; extra protection if goods do not arrive
Disadvantage	Less protection for online purchases	High interest if not paid back in full; easy to build up debt

Cheques and how they are cleared

A cheque is a paper instruction from an account holder telling their bank to pay a named person a sum of money. They are rarely used now, but are still in the syllabus.

Clearing is the process that moves the money from the payer's bank to the payee's bank. Today, in many countries, banks scan the cheque and send an image instead of the paper.

e.g.Example

Clearing a cheque (image clearing): 1. Payee pays the cheque into their bank (B), in a branch or by photographing it in the bank's app. 2. Bank B scans the cheque. The account number, sort code and cheque number are read automatically. 3. The image and data are sent to a central clearing centre. 4. The clearing centre sends them to the payer's bank (A). 5. Bank A checks the cheque is valid, the signature, and that there is enough money. 6. If yes, bank A debits the payer's account and sends a payment message back. 7. Bank B credits the payee's account, usually by the next working day.

!Watch out

Describe the steps in order and name both banks. Examiners give one mark per correct step.

Internet banking

Internet banking lets customers manage their account through a website or app: check balances, transfer money, pay bills and set up payments.

Logging in usually needs two-factor authentication, such as a password plus a code from a token or the bank's app.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Available 24/7 from anywhere, no travel to a branch	Risk of hacking, phishing and fake bank websites
Saves time and travel costs; useful for people with disabilities	Needs internet access, a device and some skill
Easy to see transactions and spot fraud early	Less personal contact; branches close, which affects older people
Easier to compare and manage accounts	Easy to make mistakes, e.g. paying the wrong account number

6.7 Computers in medicine

Patient and pharmacy records

Hospitals and health centres keep patient records in a database. Fields include patient ID, name, date of birth, address, blood group, allergies, current medication and medical history.

Any doctor can see the record quickly, even in another hospital. Allergies are flagged, which prevents dangerous mistakes.

Pharmacy records store prescriptions. The system checks for harmful drug interactions (two medicines that are dangerous together), prints labels with the dose, and manages stock.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Records found instantly; no lost paper files	Hackers could steal sensitive data
Can be shared between hospitals and specialists	System failure means staff cannot see records
Automatic warnings for allergies and drug interactions	Data entry errors could lead to wrong treatment
Easier to read than handwriting	Staff need training; systems are expensive

?Why?

Medical data is sensitive personal data. It must be kept secure with passwords, access levels and encryption, and only shown to people who need it.

3D printing in medicine

A 3D printer builds an object layer by layer from a computer design. Scans of the patient (such as MRI or CT) give the exact size and shape.

Use	How 3D printing helps
Prosthetics	Artificial limbs are made to fit one patient exactly, much more cheaply and quickly than before. Children can get new ones as they grow.
Tissue engineering	Bio-printers print layers of living cells to make tissue such as skin or cartilage, for repairs and for testing drugs.
Artificial blood vessels	Tubes of cells and gel are printed to replace damaged blood vessels.
Medical tools and equipment	Surgical tools and guides are printed to fit one patient's operation; models of organs let surgeons practise first.
Design of tailor-made medicines	Tablets are printed with the exact dose for one patient, or with layers that release the drug at set times.

e.g.Example

A child loses a hand in an accident. A scan of the other hand is mirrored on a computer. A plastic prosthetic hand is printed overnight for a fraction of the cost of a traditional one.

Study it

Open the study page and go one step at a time.

ICT topic 5

Check yourself

One question at a time. The reason shows after each answer.

Saved on this device.

ICT applications, part 1

What this lesson covers

You will learn to

Success criteria

Key words

The explanation

What a computer model is

Uses of computer models

Advantages and disadvantages of models

Automated teller machines (ATMs)

Electronic funds transfer and card payments

Cheques and how they are cleared

Internet banking

Patient and pharmacy records

3D printing in medicine

Study it

The effects of using IT

ICT applications

Databases

Graphs and charts

Data, spreadsheets and AI

Digital life, law and ethics

Check yourself