IB Digital Society SL flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Bit

A binary digit, either 0 or 1, and the smallest unit of digital data. With n bits a system can represent 2^n distinct values.

Byte

A group of eight bits, able to represent 256 distinct values. Bytes are the standard unit for measuring storage capacity and file size.

Abstraction

Hiding implementation detail behind a simpler interface so that users and other systems can operate a component without knowing how it works internally.

Protocol

An agreed set of rules governing how data is formatted, addressed, transmitted and acknowledged between devices on a network, enabling interoperable communication.

Latency

The time delay between sending a request and receiving a response, measured in milliseconds. It is distinct from bandwidth, which describes capacity rather than delay.

Throughput

The rate of successful data transfer actually achieved in practice. It is always below theoretical bandwidth because of protocol overheads, congestion and transmission errors.

Lossy compression

A reduction method that permanently discards detail to shrink file size, as in JPEG or MP3. Repeated re-encoding progressively degrades quality.

Encryption

Converting readable plaintext into ciphertext using a key so that only authorised parties can read it, protecting confidentiality of data in transit and at rest.

Symmetric encryption

A method where one shared key both encrypts and decrypts data. It is fast and suited to bulk data, but distributing the key securely is the weak point.

Public key cryptography

An asymmetric method using a public key to encrypt or verify and a private key to decrypt or sign, solving key distribution without prior shared secrets.

Redundancy

Duplicating components, data or network paths so that the failure of one does not stop the system, supporting availability at the cost of extra resources.

Digital divide

The gap between people with effective access to digital technology and the skills to use it, and those without. It has access, usage and outcome levels.

Data minimisation

A data protection principle requiring organisations to collect and retain only personal data that is necessary for a stated and legitimate purpose.

Informed consent

Agreement to data processing given freely by a competent person who understands the purpose, risks and alternatives, and who can withdraw it.

Surveillance capitalism

A business model that profits from collecting and analysing behavioural data to predict and influence people's actions, often without meaningful consent.

Misinformation

False or inaccurate information spread without intent to deceive, typically by people who believe it to be true and share it in good faith.

Echo chamber

A social environment where users mostly encounter opinions matching their own, reinforced by homophily and group polarisation within a community.

Filter bubble

Algorithmic personalisation that narrows exposure to opposing views by ranking content according to predicted engagement and the user's past behaviour.

Net neutrality

The principle that internet service providers treat all traffic equally, without blocking, throttling or selling prioritised delivery of particular content or services.

Digital citizenship

The norms and practices of responsible, safe and ethical participation in online communities, covering rights, respect, literacy and legal awareness.

E-waste

Discarded electronic equipment, a fast-growing waste stream containing valuable metals and hazardous substances, frequently exported to informal recycling sectors.

Algorithmic bias

Systematic unfairness in automated outputs caused by biased training data, poor proxy variables or design choices, often amplifying existing social discrimination.

Disruptive innovation

An innovation that begins in low-end or underserved markets with a simpler, cheaper offering and then improves until it displaces established competitors.

Minimum viable product

The smallest version of a product that lets a team test its riskiest assumption with real users and collect evidence cheaply before further investment.

Design thinking

A human-centred, iterative problem-solving approach cycling through empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test, revisiting stages as new evidence emerges.

Prototype

A simplified model of a product built to test a specific assumption. Its fidelity should match the question being asked rather than the final design.

Diffusion of innovations

Rogers' model of adoption over time across innovators, early adopters, early and late majority and laggards, producing a characteristic S-curve.

Lock-in

A situation where high switching costs, such as data, skills, integrations or contracts, keep users on a platform even when better alternatives exist.

Feasibility study

An assessment of whether a proposed solution is viable technically, economically, legally, ethically and operationally before committed development begins.

Usability test

Observation of representative users attempting realistic tasks, revealing where they struggle. Small samples typically expose most major usability problems.

Incremental innovation

Small improvements to an existing product or process that raise performance or lower cost without changing the underlying business model.

Agile development

An iterative approach delivering software in short increments with continuous user feedback, valuing working software over comprehensive documentation written upfront.