Grade 12 ICT Syllabus Sri Lanka – Lessons, Notes and Study Resources

The Grade 12 ICT syllabus in Sri Lanka introduces students to important Information and Communication Technology concepts for the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination. Students can improve their knowledge by studying each lesson, practising questions and revising regularly.

Main Topics in the Grade 12 ICT Syllabus

The Grade 12 A/L ICT syllabus includes six main units:

Concepts of ICT: Data, information and the impact of ICT on society.
Introduction to Computers: Computer hardware, architecture and memory.
Data Representation: Number systems, binary arithmetic and character representation.
Fundamentals of Digital Circuits: Logic gates, Boolean algebra and digital circuits.
Computer Operating Systems: Operating system functions and resource management.
Data Communication and Networking: Network types, communication methods and network technologies.
Systems analysis and design: methodology indeveloping information systems

Explores the basic concepts of ICT together with its role and applicability in today’s knowledge based society

1.1 Investigates the basic building blocks of information and their characteristics

Life cycle of data
o Data creation
o Management
o Removal of obsolete data
Data vs. Information
Definition of information
Characteristics of valuable information: timeliness, accuracy, presented within the context, enhanced understandability and less uncertainty
The need to handle large volumes and other complexities of data – Introduction

1.2 Investigates the need of technology to create, disseminate and manage data and information

Applicability of information in day to day life
o Decision making
o Policy making
o Predictions
o Planning, scheduling and monitoring
Drawbacks of manual methods in manipulating data and information
o Inconsistency and duplication in data, room for errors, human errors and delay in processing
o Lack of sharing information and reduced customer services
Infeasibility of applying manual methods where they can be harmful to humans
Emergence of ICT era
o Use of IT to overcome the drawbacks of manual methods of data manipulation
Usage of information in various domains
Availability of technologies related to information retrieval and sharing
Development of computer networks, the Internet and WWW
Development of mobile communication, mobile computing and cloud computing

1.3 Formulates an abstract model of information creation and evaluates its compliance with ICT

Abstract model of information creation
o Input, process, output
o Its appropriateness to Computer and ICT

1.4 Selects and classifies the basic components of a computer system

Hardware
o Classification of hardware components
Software
o Classification of software
Human Operators
o Need of human operators in information systems

1.5 Analyses the activities of data processing

Steps in data processing:
o Data gathering
o Data validation
o Data processing
o Data output
o Data storage
Data gathering methods
o Manual methods
o Semi-automated and automated methods
Tools – (OMR, OCR, MICR, card/tape readers, magnetic strip readers, bar code readers, sensors and loggers)
Data validation methods
o Data type check
o Presence check
o Range check
Modes of data input
o Direct and remote
o Online and offline
Data processing
o Batch and real time
Output methods
o Direct presentation to the user
o Storing for further processing
Storage methods
Local and remote storage (cloud)
Short and long term storage

1.6 Investigates the application of ICT in different domains

Application of ICT in:
o Education
o Healthcare
o Agriculture
o Business and finance
o Engineering
o Tourism
o Media and journalism
o Law enforcement

1.7 Evaluates the impact of ICT in the society

Benefits caused by ICT
o Social benefits
o Economic benefits
Issues caused by ICT
o Social
o Economical
o Environmental
o Ethical
o Legal
o Privacy
o Digital divide
Confidentiality
Stealing / Phishing
Piracy
Copyright / intellectual property laws
Plagiarism
Licensed / unlicensed software

2: Explores the evolution of computing devices, so as to be able to describe and compare the performance of modern computers

2.1 Elicits the significant changes occurred in the computers from generation to generation with more emphasis on the evolution of processors

History of computing
o Early calculating aids
mechanical
electromechanical
o Electronic age of computing
Generation of computers
o 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and future
Different types of classifications
o Technology
analog, digital
o Purpose
special /general
o Size
super, mainframe, mini, micro (mobile devices –smart phones, tablet devices and phablets)

2.2 Explores the functionality of a computer in relation to the hardware and their interfaces

Major hardware components
o Input devices: keyboard entry and direct entry (keyboard, pointing devices, touch pad, remote control, touch screen, magnetic strip reader, barcode reader, smart card reader, scanner, digital camera, microphone, sensors, graphic tablets, MICR, OMR and OCR readers, videocamera, digitizer, web cam)
Advantages of direct entry input devices over keyboard entry input devices
Output devices and their features (CRT monitor, TFT monitor, LED monitor, dot matrix printer, inkjet printer, laser printer, 3D printer, graph plotter, speakers)
CPU and its compatibility with motherboard
Storage devices( fixed internal hard disk, portable external hard disk, magnetic tape, Optical discs(CD Rom/DVD Rom, CD-R/DVD-R, CD-RW/ DVD-RW, DVDRAM, Blu-Ray) flash memory card, mini disk)
Parallel and grid computing

2.3 Explores the VonNeumann Architecture

Von-Neumann Architecture
o Stored program control concept
o Components (input, output, memory, Processor control unit and processing ALU unit)
Fetch-execute cycle
Central processing unit (CPU)
o Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU)
o Control unit (CU)
o Memory (Registers)
o Data and control bus
o Multi-core processors

2.4 Examines PC memory system to identify different types of memory and their main characteristics

Memory hierarchy
o Need of memory hierarchy
o Comparison criteria
Physical size / density of data
Access method
Access time (elapsed time/delay)
Capacity
Cost
Volatile memory and their characteristics
o Registers
o Types of cache memory
o Main memory – RAM
o Types of RAM
SRAM, DRAM, SDRAM
Non-volatile memory and their characteristics
o Types of ROMs
PROM, EPROM and EEPROM
o Secondary storage
magnetic, optical and flash memory

3: Investigates how instructions and data are represented in computers and exploit them in arithmetic and logic operations

3.1 Analyses how numbers are represented in computers

Need for instruction and data representation in digital devices
Methods of instruction and data representation in computers
o Representation of data in two states (0,1)
Number systems used in computing
o Binary, octal, hexadecimal
o Conversion between number systems
Representation of decimal numbers (signed and unsigned)
o Signed integer representations
Signed magnitude
One’s complement
Two’s Complement

3.2 Analyses how characters are represented in computers

Methods of character representation
o BCD
o EBCDIC
o ASCII
o Unicode

3.3 Uses basic arithmetic and logic operations on binary numbers

Binary arithmetic operations – (integers only)
o Addition, subtraction
Logical operations
o Bitwise logical operations

4: Uses logic gates to design basic digital circuits and devices

4.1 Analyzes basic digital logic gates in terms of their unique functionalities

Digital logic gates and truth tables
o Basic logic gates
NOT, AND, OR, and XOR
o Combinational gates
NAND, NOR, and XNOR
o Universal gates
NAND, NOR

4.2 Simplifies logic expressions using laws of Boolean algebra and Karnaugh map

Two state logic and Boolean Algebra
Postulates (Axioms)
Laws/theorems
o Commutative, associative
Distributive
o Identity, redundancy
o De Morgan’s
Standard logical expressions
o Sum of products and product of sums
o Transform SOP into POS and vice versa
Simplify logic expressions using
o Boolean theorems
o Karnaugh map

4.3 Designs simple digital circuits using logic gates

Truth tables and logic expressions for their designs (up to three inputs)
Digital circuit design

4.4 Explores how combinational Logic circuits are used in CPU and sequential circuits in physical memory

Building blocks of CPU
o Half adder
o Full adder
Storing bits in digital circuits
o Feedback loop
o Flip-flops

5 : Uses operating systems to manage the functionality of computers

5.1 Defines the term computer operating system (OS) and investigates its need in computer systems

Introduction to computer operating system
Evolution of OS
Main functions of an operating system
o Providing interfaces
o Process management
o Resource management
o Security and protection
Classification of operating systems
o Single user – single task
o Single user – multi task
o Multi user – multi task
o Multi-threading
o Real time
o Time sharing systems

5.2 Explores how an operating system manages directories/folders and files in computers

File types
o Need for file types (.exe, .jpg .txt, etc)
Directory and file organization
o File hierarchy
o File systems – FAT etc
File security
o Passwords and access privileges
File storage management
o Storage allocation
Contiguous allocation
Linked allocation
Indexed allocation
Defragmentation
Maintenance of secondary storage
o Need and outcome of disk formatting

5.3 Explores how an operating system manages processes in computers

Definition of process
Interrupts and interrupts handling
Process management
Process states
Process Transitions
Process control block
Context switching
Process schedulers

5.4 Explores how an operating system manages the resources

Memory management
o Memory Management Unit (MMU)
o Physical Memory
o Virtual memory
Input and output device management
o Device drivers
o Spooling

6: Explores the data communication and computer networking technologies toshare information effectively

6.1 Explores signals and their properties

Signal Types
o Digital
o Analog
Properties
o Amplitude
o Frequency
o Wave length
o Phase
Propagation speed in a media

6.2 Explores signal transmission media

Wires – Guided media (Twisted pair, coaxial cable, Fiber optics etc.)
Free space – Unguided media
Properties
o Latency
o Bandwidth
o Noise
o Attenuation
o Distortion
Simple topology: point-to-point connection

6.3 Investigates how digital data is encoded using signal elements

Agreeing on signal elements to represent data (a protocol)
o Two simple elements – two voltage levels (amplitudes)
o Other possibilities (briefly)
Frequency
Phase
o Changing speed of signal elements
o Need for synchronization
Timing/Clocks
Manchester encoding
o Handling errors
Example: Parity

6.4 Explores the use of Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to connect two remote devices

Public Switched Telephone Network
o Providing a circuit between two points that can carry analog voice
Modulation, Demodulation and Modems
o Encoding data using analog signal elements
Connecting two devices using Modems

6.5 Investigates how the problem of connecting multiple devices into a network is addressed

All-to-all connections are impractical
A solution: Bus Topology
o Simple
o Problem: Controlling access to the
bus (media)
Other topologies
o Star
o Ring
o Mesh
Simplifying wiring
o Hubs
o Switches

6.6 Explores the role of Media Access Control (MAC) protocol

Local Area Network (LAN)
Identifying devices
o Addresses – MAC addresses
Frames
Orderly access to the media
o Very simple protocol as an example – ALOHA
o Improvements from ALOHA to Ethernet
Broadcasting and Uni -casting messages

6.7 Explores how the multiple networks are interconnected to form the Internet

A device to connect two or more networks – gateway
Need for globally unique uniform addressing independent of MAC addresses and LAN technology
o IPv4 addresses
o Assigning IPs to networks
Sub-netting
Subnet masks
CIDR notation
Private IP addresses
DHCP
o Scarcity of IPv4 addresses and IPv6 as a solution(an overview)
Finding the path to the destination
o Routing and routers
o Packet switching
Best effort delivery

6.8 Explores the role of transport protocols in the Internet

Delivering data from an application process to another application process
o Multiple applications at a host identified by an IP
Multiplexing – multiple end points at the same IP
o Ports and port numbers
o UDP
Properties
Applications
o TCP
Properties
Applications

6.9 Explores some applications on the Internet

Domain Name System (DNS)
o IP addresses are hard to remember
o Human friendly names
o Hierarchical name space
o Each domain is responsible for managing the names under it
o Top level domains
HTTP
Client Server model

6.10 Investigates the role of reference models to describe the network architecture

TCP/IP model
o Application
o Transport
o Internet
o Host to network
OSI model
o Application
o Presentation
o Session
o Transport
o Network
o Data link
o Physical

6.11 Investigates the security aspects of the communication and protection of devices connected to the Internet

Encryption and digital signature – basic idea
o Public Key
o Private Key
o Signing
Threats
o Viruses
o Trojans
o Malware
o Phishing
Protection
o Firewalls
o Antivirus software
o Education/ better awareness/ good practices

6.12 Explores the role of ISPs and technologies used for connecting Home Networks to the Internet

ISPs
Connecting to ISP
o Modems
o DSL/ADSL
A home LAN that uses private IPs
o Network Address Translation /Proxies

7: Explores the systems concept and uses systems analysis and design methodology indeveloping information systems

7.1 Explores Characteristics of Systems

System concept
Classification of systems
o Open and closed systems
o Natural and manmade systems
o Living and physical systems

7.2 Compares and contrasts different types of manmade systems in terms of their objectives and functionality

Information systems
o Office Automation Systems (OAS)
o Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)
o Management Information Systems (MIS)
o Decisions Support Systems (DSS)
o Executive Support Systems (ESS)
o Geographical information systems (GIS)
o Knowledge Management Systems (KMS)
o Content Management Systems (CMS)
o Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPS)
o Smart systems

7.3 Explores different information system development models and methods

System development Lifecycle models
o Waterfall
o Spiral
o Agile
o Prototyping
Rapid Application Development (RAD)
System development methodologies
o Structured
o Object Oriented

7.4 Examines the Structured System Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM)

Introduction to SSADM
Stages of the system development life cycle

7.5 Investigates the need for a new information system and its feasibility

Preliminary investigation
o Identification of the problems in the current system
o Suggest alternative solutions
o Prioritizing information systems needs
Feasibility study
o Technical feasibility
o Economic feasibility
o Operational feasibility
o Organizational feasibility

7.6 Uses different methods to analyze the current system

Requirement analysis
o Functional requirements
o Non – functional requirements
Analytical Tools
o Business Activity Modeling
Business activity model
o Data Flow Modeling (DFM)
Data Flow Diagrams (DFD)
Elementary processes and Elementary Process Descriptions (EPD)
Document flow diagram
o Logical Data Modeling (LDM)
Logical Data Structure (LDS)
Business System Options (BSO)

7.7 Designs the proposed system

Logical design tools
o Logical Data flow modeling
Logical Data flow diagrams for proposed system
Elementary processes and elementary process description
User Interface design
o Logical Data modeling
Logical data structure for the proposed system
o Physical design of database
Table and record specifications
Data dictionary
Database design

7.8 Develops and tests the proposed system

Program development
Database development
Testing
o Test cases
o White box testing
o Black box testing
o Unit testing
o Integrated testing
o System testing
o Acceptance testing

7.9 Deploys the developed system

Deployment methods
o Parallel
o Direct
o Pilot
o Phase
Hardware/Software installation, data migration and user training
Review, support and maintenance

7.10 Describes system implementation with off-the-shelf packaged systems

Advantages and disadvantages of using off- the-shelf packages
Identification of package capabilities, work flows etc.
Business process gap analysis
Business process mapping
Business process reengineering