T171 ECA - Index page

T171, You, Your Computer and the Net is a course run by the Open University (OU). This course is taught entirely online utilising the Internet, World Wide Web and the OU FirstClass email and conferencing system. This course is different in that there is no formal exam however there is an End of Course Assessment (ECA), representing the examinable component of the course. This site is my submission for the ECA.

Part 1 - Contents

Conference contribution - This page looks at the use of Netiquette in computer conferencing and contains an e-mail exchange that addresses some of these principals and demonstrates both good and bad use.

Group working - T171 incorporates group work within its structure and this section gives an overview of this. It also examines the advantages and disadvantages of working as a group using computer conferencing, illustrated by my experiences during the course.

Module 2 exercise - This page contains Exercise 4 in which I was required to construct a concept diagram for the start of the PC industry.

Module 3 exercise - This page contains Exercise 1 in which I was required to write a review of two websites.

Reflection

This section looks at the work I did for TMA01 and how it assessed the material for the course. It outlines the mistakes I made and discusses how I used the tutor's feedback to good effect in subsequent assignments. Is also suggests how I might have improved on my performance by doing things differently.

Module 1 aimed to teach the practical skills of using computers thus raising the students confidence level, it also taught the learning skills required by further education.

Module 2 tells the story of the PC from its development, architecture, the computer industry and its impact on our daily lives.

Module 3 tells the story of the Internet, from the earliest days of APRANET through to the takeoff of the World Wide Web.

Part 2 - Contents

Module 2 was primarily about the development of the PC and how it has become part of our lives at home and at work. In module 2 there were many personalities, events and technologies that bought us the PC as we know it today.

I have chosen to discuss WYSIWYG from module 2 on this page. In my opinion its role has been crucial in attracting the masses to PC use.

The Internet, was once only a man's dream of computers interconnected, throughout the world, sharing information. The converging technologies that made it possible such as packet-switching and TCP/IP were the combined efforts of scientists and engineers.

I have chosen to discuss the TCP/IP protocol from module 3 on this page. TCP/IP is the backbone Internet communication its development has led to the Internet as we know it today.

This discussion page assess the similarities and differences between WYSIWYG and TCP/IP. It then goes on to discuss possible future developments and uses of the two technologies.

 

ECA pages written and produced by ADBH 2 Oct 2001