Course Topics

 

 

Introduction to modern information technologies

  • Digital computing: hardware, software, and peopleware
  • Networking and communication systems: wired, wireless, and optical
  • Data storage technologies: personal, institutional, and ubiquitous
  • Internet and the web: technologies, services, and applications
    • Such as cloud computing and social networking
  • How IT change our lifestyle and the society

 

Basic skills and applications of information technologies

  • Efficient, effective and green operation of a computer
  • Using selected application software: spreadsheet; covering skills such as using functions and formula, charting, data analysis, data retrieval, etc.
  • Using mobile digital services, web-based services, and online collaborative tools
    • E.g., personal information management (PIM) software, online questionnaire, online spreadsheet, etc.
  • Techniques in using productivity and automation tools, e.g. commands and scripts, simple programming for repeated and automatic tasks

 

Information literacy

  • Information sources: identification, characteristics, and their evaluation
  • Effective search strategies and skills
  • Information usage: evaluation and proper citation
  • Advanced search skills for different information sources

 

Information security

  • Information system security issues and measures by case studies
  • Using IT services in a secure manner
    • E.g., Using virtual private network (VPN), secure browsing, securing Wi-Fi connections, using security suite software, configuring personal firewall, junk mail filtering and sorting
  • Protection of personal sensitive data
    • E.g., How to use encryption and password-protection while transferring data and using mobile data storage devices
  • Information security policies and practices

 

Ethics in IT and relevant Hong Kong legislations

  • Ethical and cultural issues in using and handling digital information
  • Intellectual properties
  • Freedom of expression and netiquette
  • Relevant Hong Kong legislations