BCIS Easy Study Guide Modules 1-4

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering terms, acronyms, and definitions across BCIS Modules 1 to 4.

Integrated circuits

1960s technology that helped computers become smaller and more capable.

Microprocessor

Introduced in 1971; processor/CPU on a chip.

VR

A computer-generated 3D environment you feel like you are inside.

AR

Adds digital information to the real world.

NLP

Lets computers interpret human language or spoken commands.

ADA

Workplace accessibility/accommodations for people with disabilities.

IDEA

Educational support and accessibility for students with disabilities.

Screen reader

Reads what is on the screen aloud.

Alt text

Text description of an image for accessibility.

Green computing

Reducing energy use and environmental waste from technology.

LMS

Online system for classes, assignments, grades, and course materials.

CAM

Computer-Aided Manufacturing; computers help manufacture products.

Algorithm

A set of instructions used to perform a task.

Cobots

Collaborative robots that work with humans.

Sentiment analysis

AI checks whether comments/reviews are positive, negative, or neutral.

Prompt engineering

Giving AI instructions in a way that gets the response you want.

RLHF

Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback; human feedback helps improve AI.

Internet

Worldwide network connecting computers and devices.

Webpage

One page on the web.

Website

A collection of related webpages.

Browser

App used to display webpages.

Hyperlink

Clickable text or image that takes you to another resource.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator - the address of a web resource.

Web server

Computer that stores and delivers webpages.

IP address

Number that identifies a computer/device on a network.

Cache (Web)

Stores previously accessed webpage information so it can load faster.

IETF

Develops Internet standards.

W3C

Develops standards for the Web.

B2C

Business sells to a consumer.

B2B

Business provides goods/services to another business.

C2C

One consumer sells to another consumer.

TLS

Encrypts/protects data being transmitted.

Information literacy

Finding, evaluating, using, and communicating information.

Crawler / spider

Search-engine software that finds webpages.

Index

Search engine's organized database of terms/pages.

Query

The search terms you enter.

CARS Checklist

Evaluation framework covering Credibility (trustworthy source), Accuracy (correct information), Reasonableness (fair/sensible), and Support (evidence/sources).

CPU

The processor; performs computer instructions.

RAM

Temporary/volatile memory used by open apps and data.

ROM

Nonvolatile memory that keeps contents without power.

Cache (Hardware)

Fast temporary storage for frequently used data/instructions.

Virtual memory

Storage space temporarily used when RAM is low.

Input device

Sends data/instructions INTO the computer.

Output device

Sends processed information OUT to the user.

Plotter

Printer used for large professional drawings such as blueprints.

SSD

Storage with no moving parts; fast and durable.

Hard drive

Long-term storage for files/programs.

System software

Software that runs/manages the computer; includes the OS and utilities.

Operating system (OS)

Manages the computer/device and lets you interact with it.

GUI

Graphical User Interface - icons, menus, buttons, windows, etc.

Utility

Tool used for computer maintenance/management.

Linux

Open-source operating system.

Windows / macOS

Closed-source operating systems in the course material.

Kernel

Core of the operating system; manages memory, programs, and resources.

Bootstrap program

Startup program that checks hardware during boot.

Swap file

Storage area used for virtual memory.

Paging

Moving data between RAM and storage.

Thrashing

Too much paging, causing the computer to slow down.

Buffer

Temporary waiting area for data.

Spooling

Placing data in a buffer while it waits, such as a print job.

Task Manager

Shows running apps/processes and resource/RAM usage.

Clipboard

Temporary storage for items you cut or copy until you paste them.

File Explorer

Windows file-management tool.

Finder

macOS file-management tool.

Save

Keeps the same file name/location.

Save As

Save with a new name or new location.

Modified date

Shows when a file was last changed; useful for finding the newest version.

Compress / zip

Reduces file size.

Extract / unzip

Opens/restores compressed file contents.

Recycle Bin / Trash

Holds deleted files before permanent deletion.

Shortcut

Link to a file/folder/app; does not move the actual item.