btec it 1) research topics pick one of the following …btec it 1) research topics – pick one of...
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BTEC IT
1) Research Topics – Pick one of the following complete it & email me
These questions require you to use your technical knowledge in context. You will need to do some research to
extend your knowledge and provide relevant examples (look at the books, films and TV shows later on in this
document). Reference any sources that you use to help you – there is a guide to referencing at the bottom of the
page.
a. Create a timeline showing the history of Information Technology (IT) & Computing, including any key
discoveries or inventions. Extend you timeline to show how you think IT might develop over the next 50
years. This is a good place to start - https://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/
b. Compare the Xbox ONE, PS4 Pro and PC as gaming platforms. You must use as much technical detail as
possible and reference any evidence presented. You may also wish to discuss the future upgrades to Xbox
(Series X) and Play Station (PS5). Choose how you will present your ideas.
c. Discuss the benefits and limitations of Virtual Reality
a. In business contexts, such as medicine
b. As a gaming tool
c. As an extension to social media
d. As a tool for education
d. Design the next piece of mobile/wearable technology, annotating how it will function and explain the
function and purpose of any components used.
e. There have been many recent high-profile cyber-attacks across the world (Easyjet earlier this week is just
one) and some commentators have said that “we now rely too much on technology”.
Write an essay explaining how far you agree with this statement, including descriptions of threats to IT
systems and ways to reduce vulnerabilities.
f. Find a recent news story on one of the following topics:
A legal issue in IT/Computing, such as a breach of the Data Protection Act
An ethical issue in IT/Computing, such as the development of AI
An environmental issue in IT/Computing, such as the disposal of waste equipment
A technical development in IT, such as the Internet of Things
Summarise the story, explaining any technical content for a student in year 10.
Explain how the story affects you as a student of IT.
A guide to the Harvard referencing style can be found here:
https://www2.le.ac.uk/library/help/referencing/author-date
There are also many free tools online to help you create references. Make sure that you reference each source
carefully and try to use a range of sources, including books and magazines, rather than just websites.
mailto:[email protected]://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/https://www2.le.ac.uk/library/help/referencing/author-date
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2) Book Recommendations – submit a review of one of the following books –
In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives
(Hardcover) by Steven Levy
Written with full cooperation from top management, including cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, this is
the inside story behind Google, the most successful and most admired technology company of our time, told
by one of our best technology writers.
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital
Revolution by Walter Isaacson
The computer and the internet are among the most important innovations of our era, but few people know
who created them. They were not conjured up in a garret or garage by solo inventors suitable to be singled
out on magazine covers or put into a pantheon with Edison, Bell, and Morse. Instead, most of the innovations
of the digital age were done collaboratively.
The Glass Cage: How Our Computers Are Changing
Us by Nicholas Carr
In The Glass Cage, best-selling author Nicholas Carr digs behind the headlines about factory robots and
selfdriving cars, wearable computers and digitized medicine, as he explores the hidden costs of granting
software dominion over our work and our leisure. Even as they bring ease to our lives, these programs are
stealing something essential from us.
Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and
Think by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Kenneth Cukier
A revelatory exploration of the hottest trend in technology and the dramatic impact it will have on the
economy, science, and society at large. Which paint colour is most likely to tell you that a used car is in good
shape? How can officials identify the most dangerous New York City manholes before they explode?
mailto:[email protected]
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3) Online videos to watch
• How Machines Learn by CGP Grey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9OHn5ZF4Uo
• Forget Wi-Fi. Meet the new Li-Fi Internet by Harald Haas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHWIZsIBj3Q
• The Internet of Things by Jordan Duffy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzy84Vb_Gxk
Pick one of the videos & write a report describing the technology, it advantages, disadvantages, how far
have you seen the implementation of the technology into society and final if you think it will become
embedded into society in the future.
Submit to [email protected]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzy84Vb_Gxkmailto:[email protected]
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4) BTEC IT Films to watch
The Imitation Game The Social Network
Steve Jobs Die Hard 4.0
Wall-e Minority Report
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5) BTEC IT TV shows to watch
Silicon Valley An American comedy television series. The series focuses on five young men who found a start-up
company in Silicon Valley, and parodies Silicon Valley culture. Available via Amazon or Youtube
BBC click A comprehensive guide to all the latest gadgets, websites, games and computer industry news. Available
via BBC iPlayer
Black Mirror Black Mirror is a British dystopian science fiction anthology television series. It examines modern
society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies. Available via
Netflix, YouTube or Amazon Prime
Any issues or problems please ask me via – [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]