Communication media and mobile communication Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology revision
Not started
Learn it
In plain words
There are many ways to get a message to an audience: on paper, on a screen, in sound and pictures, or straight to the phone in someone's pocket. Each suits a different audience and purpose.
6 things to know
- Newsletters and posters are printed. They reach people who are not online and can be kept, but they cost money to print and cannot be changed once printed.
- A website can be seen anywhere in the world, can be updated at any time, and can include sound, video and links. Its audience needs a device and an internet connection.
- A multimedia presentation combines text, images, sound, video and animation. It holds an audience's attention, but needs a computer and a projector or screen.
- Media streaming plays audio or video over the internet as it arrives, with no need to download the whole file first. It needs a fast connection, or the playback pauses to buffer.
- ePublications are digital versions of books, magazines and newspapers. They are available at once, can be searched and can be carried in large numbers on one device.
- Mobile devices are used for SMS messaging, which is short text sent over the phone network; phone calls; Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which carries calls over the internet cheaply or for free; video calls; and accessing the internet.
Worked example
A youth club wants to tell local residents, many of them elderly, about a summer fair. Which medium is suitable, and why?
- Many of the audience may not use the internet, so a website alone would miss them.
- A poster in local shops, or a newsletter delivered to homes, reaches them without any technology.
Tips and tricks
- Choose the medium for the audience. Who are they, and do they have the technology?
- VoIP sends voice over the internet. Its quality depends on the connection, but calls can be free.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Communication media and mobile communication: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Which is an advantage of a website over a printed newsletter?
A printed newsletter cannot be changed.
What is VoIP?
Calls can be very cheap or free.
What is needed to stream video without pauses?
A slow connection causes buffering.
Which is a feature of an ePublication?
Many can be held on one device.
What is SMS used for?
It uses the phone network, so no internet connection is needed.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
2 questions, 4 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Communication media and mobile communication
Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology 0417 · 4 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Give two advantages of publishing a school magazine on a website instead of printing it.[2]
Show answerHide answer
It can be updated at any time. There are no printing costs. (Also: it can include video and sound, and can be seen anywhere.)
Describe what is meant by media streaming.[2]
Show answerHide answer
Audio or video is played over the internet as the data arrives. The whole file does not have to be downloaded first.
Answers: Communication media and mobile communication
- 1. It can be updated at any time. There are no printing costs. (Also: it can include video and sound, and can be seen anywhere.)
- 2. Audio or video is played over the internet as the data arrives. The whole file does not have to be downloaded first.