Course: Computers in Education (0855) Semester: Autumn, 2019.

Question#1: Discuss main function of the following:

a) Control unit
b) Primary storage
Answer:
a) Control Unit:
A control unit (CU) handles all processor control signals. It directs all input and output flow,
fetches code for instructions from microprograms and directs other units and models by providing
control and timing signals. A CU component is considered the processor brain because it issues
orders to just about everything and ensures correct instruction execution.
A control unit coordinates how data moves around a CPU. The control unit (CU) is a
component of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) that directs operation of the processor.
It tells the computer's memory, arithmetic/logic unit and input and output devices how to respond
to a program's instructions.
Main functions of control unit are as follows:
➢ It is responsible for controlling the transfer of data and instructions among other units of a
computer.
➢ It manages and coordinates all the units of the computer.
➢ It obtains the instructions from the memory, interprets them, and directs the operation of
the computer.
➢ It communicates with Input/output devices for transfer of data or results from storage.
➢ Fetches and decodes instructions from microprograms.
➢ Responsible for correct instruction execution between a processor's many sub-units.
➢ Control unit converts received information into sequence of control signals, and transfer to
computer processor.
➢ It controls data flow inside the computer processor.
➢ It does not process or store data.

a) Primary Storage:
A primary storage device is any storage device or component that can store nonvolatile data in
computers, servers and other computing devices. It is used to hold/store data and applications
temporarily or for a shorter period of time while the computer is running.
Primary storage is also known as main storage, main memory or internal memory. RAM (random
access memory) and cache are both examples of a primary storage device.
Random Access Memory (RAM):
➢ The RAM is where instructions, values are stored at runtime
➢ The RAM can be accessed a lot faster than secondary storage
➢ All information is lost when the power is turned off (volatile)
➢ Allows storage and random access of the data
➢ Each program instruction & piece of data in the RAM has a unique address
Read Only Memory (ROM):
➢ Cannot be written to easily or at all (often times once only, then never again)
➢ In modern PCs usually used for firmware in CPU, Graphics card, hard disks, etc.
➢ Many ROM modules are replaced with Flash modules nowadays (ex. BIOS, firmware
modules) to allow easier updating
➢ In devices like keyboards, etc. which aren’t designed for firmware updates ROM might
still be used
➢ Stores code for interrupter

Question#2: What are different input devices of a computer? Discuss utility of

each in detail.
Answer:
Input Devices of Computer:
An input device is any hardware device that sends data to a computer, allowing you to interact
with and control it. The picture shows a Logitech trackball mouse, which is an example of an input
device.
The most commonly used or primary input devices on a computer are the keyboard and mouse.
However, there are dozens of other devices that can also be used to input data into the computer.
Following are some of the important input devices which are used in a computer:
1. Keyboard
2. Mouse
3. Touchpad
4. Scanner
5. Digital Camera
6. Microphone
7. Joystick
8. Graphic Tablet
9. Touch Screen
10. Webcam
Now I discussing here the utility of each input device in detail.

1. Keyboard:
Keyboards are the most common type of input device. Before keyboards, interaction with
computers was generally carried out using punch cards and paper tape. Most English language
keyboards use the QWERTY layout for the alphabetic keys, surrounded by number, symbol,
function, and other key types. By pressing the relevant keys, the user feeds data and instructions
to the computer.

Figure 1: Keyboard

2. Mouse:
The mouse interacts with a computer through process known as "point and click". Essentially,
when the user moves the mouse on the mouse pad, the pointer moves in a corresponding
direction on the monitor screen. The concept of a computer mouse has its roots in the trackball,
a related pointing device that was invented in 1946, which used a "roller ball" to control the
pointer. Most modern computer mice have two buttons for clicking, and a wheel in the middle
for scrolling up and down web pages.

Figure 2: Mouse
3. Touchpad:
Also known as a trackpad, a touchpad is a common substitute for a computer mouse.
Essentially a specialized surface that can detect the movement of the user's finger and use that
information to direct a pointer and control a computer. Touchpads were first introduced for
laptops in the 1990's, and it's now rare to find a laptop without one.

Figure 3: Touchpad of a laptop

4. Scanner:
The word "scanner" can be used in a number of different ways in the computer world, but here
I am using it to mean a desktop image scanner. Essentially, it's an input device that uses optical
technology to transfer images (or sometimes text) into a computer, where the signal is
converted into a digital image. The digital image can then be edited, emailed, or printed.

Figure 4: Scanner
5. Digital Camera:
Digital cameras can be used to capture photographs and videos independently. Later, the files
can be transferred to the computer, either by connecting the camera directly with a cable,
removing the memory card and slotting it into the computer, or through other transfer methods
such as Bluetooth. Once the photos are on the computer, they can be edited, emailed, or printed.

Figure 5: Digital camera

6. Microphone:
A microphone captures audio and send it to the computer, where the audio is converted to a
digital format. Once the audio has been digitized, it can be played back, copied, edited,
uploaded, or emailed. Microphones can be used to record audio, or to relay sounds live as part
of a video chat, or audio stream.

Figure 6: Microphone

7. Joystick:
Joysticks are commonly used as a way of controlling computer video games (as well as having
a host of other uses, such as controlling jet planes and construction machinery). Essentially,
the joystick is a stick that pivots on a base and sends its angle or direction to the computer.
There is also often a trigger, as well as one or more buttons that can be pressed too.

Figure 7: Joystick
8. Graphic Tablet:
Also known as digitizers, graphic tablets are input devices used for converting hand-drawn
artwork into digital images. The user draws with a stylus on a special flat surface, as if they
were drawing on a piece of paper. The drawing appears on the computer screen and can be
saved, edited, or printed. Instead of just scanning finished drawings into the computer using a
scanner, the graphic tablet offers greater control and versatility for artists.

Figure 8: Graphic tablet

9. Touch Screen:
Many devices nowadays use a touch screen rather than a mouse as a way for users to point,
drag, or select options on a screen. As the name suggests, a touch screen is a touch sensitive
screen which reacts to fingers moving across it. Touch screens are particularly common with
portable devices, such as tablets, palmtops, laptops, and smartphones.

Figure 9: Touch screen

10. Webcam:
Webcams are different from digital cameras in that firstly, they cannot operate independently
from a computer, and secondly, they have no inbuilt memory. Although webcams can capture
photographs and videos, more often they are used to live stream videos.

Figure 10: webcam

Question#3: Define application software and system software. Also discuss
the high-level language.
Answer:
Definition of Application Software:
Application software is a type of computer program that performs a specific personal,
educational, and business function. Each program is designed to assist the user with a particular
process, which may be related to productivity, creativity, and/or communication.
Application software, or simply applications, are often called productivity programs or end-
user programs because they enable the user to complete tasks, such as creating documents,
spreadsheets, databases and publications, doing online research, sending email, designing
graphics, running businesses, and even playing games! Application software is specific to the
task it is designed for and can be as simple as a calculator application or as complex as a word
processing application. When you begin creating a document, the word processing software
has already set the margins, font style and size, and the line spacing for you. But you can
change these settings, and you have many more formatting options available. For example, the
word processor application makes it easy to add color, headings, and pictures or delete, copy,
move, and change the document's appearance to suit your needs.
Few application software are:
• MS Word, WordPad and Notepad
• Internet browsers like Firefox, Safari, and Chrome
• Microsoft Power Point, Keynotes
• Auto CAD
• MySQL, Oracle, MS Access
• Apple Numbers, Microsoft Excel

Definition of System Software:

System Software (a type of computer program) provides a platform to run computer’s hardware
and computer application to utilize system resources and solve their computation problem. It
is written in a low-level language, like assembly language so it can easily interact with
hardware with basic level. It controls working of peripheral devices. System software act as a
scheduler for the execution of the processes and arrange the sequence according to their priority
and I/O devices requirement and creation of the process. The best-known example of system
software is the operating system (OS). It responsible for manages all the other programs on a
computer.
Examples of system software include operating systems like macOS, Linux OS and Microsoft
Windows, computational science software, game engines, industrial automation, and software
as a service application.
 High Level Language (HLL):
A high-level language is any programming language that enables development of a program
in a much more user-friendly programming context and is generally independent of the
computer's hardware architecture.
A high-level language has a higher level of abstraction from the computer, and focuses more
on the programming logic rather than the underlying hardware components such as memory
addressing and register utilization.
A high-level language (HLL) is a programming language such as C, FORTRAN, or Pascal that
enables a programmer to write programs that are more or less independent of a particular type
of computer. Such languages are considered high-level because they are closer to human
languages and further from machine languages.

Advantages of High-Level Language:

• Easier to modify as it uses English like statements
• Easier/faster to write code as it uses English like statements

Question#4: What do you understand by compiler and interpreter? What is the

difference between compiler and interpreter? Also discuss the advantage and
disadvantage of each.
Answer:
Definition of Compiler:
A compiler is a computer program that transforms code written in a high-level programming
language into the machine code. It is a program which translates the human-readable code to a
language a computer processor understands (binary 1 and 0 bits). The computer processes the
machine code to perform the corresponding tasks.
A compiler should comply with the syntax rule of that programming language in which it is
written. However, the compiler is only a program and cannot fix errors found in that program. So,
if you make a mistake, you need to make changes in the syntax of your program. Otherwise, it will
not compile.

Definition of interpreter:
An interpreter is a computer program, which coverts each high-level program statement into the
machine code. This includes source code, pre-compiled code, and scripts. Both compiler and
interpreters do the same job which is converting higher level programming language to machine
code. However, a compiler will convert the code into machine code (create an exe) before program
run. Interpreters convert code into machine code when the program is run.
Difference between Compiler and Interpreter:
Let’s look at major differences between Compiler and Interpreter.
1. The compiler takes a program as a whole and translates it, but interpreter translates a
program statement by statement.
2. Intermediate code or target code is generated in case of a compiler. As against interpreter
doesn’t create intermediate code.
3. A compiler is comparatively faster than Interpreter as the compiler take the whole program
at one go whereas interpreters compile each line of code after the other.
4. The compiler requires more memory than interpreter because of the generation of object
code.
5. Compiler presents all errors concurrently, and it’s difficult to detect the errors in contrast
interpreter display errors of each statement one by one, and it’s easier to detect errors.
6. In compiler when an error occurs in the program, it stops its translation and after removing
error whole program is translated again. On the contrary, when an error takes place in the
interpreter, it prevents its translation and after removing the error, translation resumes.
7. In a compiler, the process requires two steps in which firstly source code is translated to
target program then executed. While in Interpreter It’s a one-step process in which Source
code is compiled and executed at the same time.
8. The compiler is used in programming languages like C, C++, C#, Scala, etc. On the other
Interpreter is employed in languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, etc.
 Advantage and Disadvantage of Compiler and Interpreter:
Advantage of Compiler:
The program code is already translated into machine code. Thus, its code execution time is
less.
Disadvantage of Compiler:
You can't change the program without going back to the source code.
Advantage of Interpreter:
Interpreters are easier to use, especially for beginners.
Disadvantage of Interpreter:
Interpreted programs can run on computers that have the corresponding interpreter.

Question#5: Critically examine the utility of CAI in education.

Answer:
Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI):
The term Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) describes digital systems that are designed to assist
in the learning process, specifically those that can be tailored to the needs of the individual student.
When originally defined, CAI described systems comprised of discrete hardware and software,
tailored to different teaching methodologies and focused upon a curriculum core (reading,
language arts, math). Current use of this term embraces a range of instructional solutions, from
courseware applications to district-wide, web-based integrated learning systems.
Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is an interactive instructional technique whereby a computer
is used to present the instructional material and monitor the learning that takes place.
CAI uses a combination of text, graphics, sound and video in enhancing the learning process. The
computer has many purposes in the classroom, and it can be utilized to help a student in all areas
of the curriculum.
CAI refers to the use of the computer as a tool to facilitate and improve instruction. CAI programs
use tutorials, drill and practice, simulation, and problem-solving approaches to present topics, and
they test the student's understanding.
Typical CAI provides:
✓ Text or multimedia content
✓ Multiple-choice questions
✓ Immediate feedback
✓ Notes on incorrect responses
✓ Summarizes students' performance
✓ Exercises for practice
✓ Worksheets and tests.

Types of Computer Assisted Instruction:

1. Drill-and-practice: Drill and practice provide opportunities or students to repeatedly practice
the skills that have previously been presented and that further practice is necessary for mastery.
2. Tutorial: Tutorial activity includes both the presentation of information and its extension into
different forms of work, including drill and practice, games and simulation.
3. Games: Game software often creates a contest to achieve the highest score and either beat others
or beat the computer.
4. Simulation: Simulation software can provide an approximation of reality that does not require
the expense of real life or its risks.
5. Discovery: Discovery approach provides a large database of information specific to a course or
content area and challenges the learner to analyze, compare, infer and evaluate based on their
explorations of the data.
6. Problem Solving: This approach helps children develop specific problem-solving skills and
strategies.

Advantages of CAI:
✓ One-to-one interaction
✓ Great motivator
✓ Freedom to experiment with different options
✓ Instantaneous response/immediate feedback to the answers elicited
✓ Self-pacing - allow students to proceed at their own pace
✓ Helps teacher can devote more time to individual students
✓ Privacy helps the shy and slow learner to learns
✓ Individual attention
✓ Learn more and more rapidly
✓ Multimedia helps to understand difficult concepts through multi-sensory approach
✓ Self-directed learning – students can decide when, where, and what to learn