Glossary

abstraction

a process of reducing complexity to formulate generalised fundamental ideas or concepts removed from specific details or situation, e.g. the idea that a cricket ball is a sphere in the same way that a soccer ball is, or the concept that data can be organised in records made up of fields irrespective of whether the data are numbers, text, images or something else;

abstraction involves hiding details of an idea, problem or solution that are not relevant to focus on a manageable number of aspects.

accurate

precise and exact; to the point; consistent with or exactly conforming to a truth, standard, rule, model, convention or known facts; free from error or defect; meticulous; correct in all details.

adept

very/highly skilled or proficient at something; expert.

adequate

satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity equal to the requirement or occasion.

algorithm

step-by-step procedures required to solve a problem, e.g. to find the largest number in a list of positive numbers

• note the first number as the largest

• look through the remaining numbers in turn, and if a number is larger than the number found in the first step, note it as the largest

• repeat this process until complete; the last noted number is the largest in the list;

an algorithm may be described in many ways; pseudocode is often useful in visualising an algorithm

analyse

dissect to ascertain and examine constituent parts and/or their relationships; break down or examine in order to identify the essential elements, features, components or structure; determine the logic and reasonableness of information;

examine or consider something in order to explain and interpret it, for the purpose of finding meaning or relationships and identifying patterns, similarities and differences.

annotated

made or furnished critical or explanatory notes, or comments to a picture, drawing, sketch or diagram.

app

a software application with a very specific or narrow purpose designed to run on mobile devices (such as smartphones or tablets), through a web browser or on a personal computer;

the feature set of an application is limited when compared with a full-featured desktop application for a similar purpose, e.g. a photoediting application has a smaller set of features than an industrystandard photographic suite.

appropriate

acceptable; suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, circumstance, context, etc.

aspect

a particular part of a feature of something; a facet, phase or part of a whole.

assignment

a basic construct of an algorithm used to store the value of an expression into a variable.

astute

showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people; of keen discernment.

audience

an individual or group for whom the response is designed and delivered.

Australian Privacy Principles

the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), which are contained in schedule 1 of the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act), outline how most Australian and Norfolk Island Government agencies, all private sector and not-for-profit organisations with an annual turnover of more than $3 million, all private health service providers and some small businesses (collectively called ‘APP entities’) must handle, use and manage personal information (Australian Government 2013).

binary

two states or permissible values to represent data, such as ON and OFF positions of a light switch or transistors in a computer silicon chip that can be in either the electrical state of ON or OFF;

binary data are typically represented as a series of single digits referred to as binary digits (or bits) due to each taking on the value of either 0 or 1.

branching

making a decision between two or more actions depending on sets of conditions and the data provided, e.g. in testing whether a light works.

characteristics

a set of distinguishing aspects (including attributes and behaviours) of an object, material, living thing, system or event;

in Digital Solutions, e.g. the characteristics of a stored digital graphic may be the colour depth (maximum number of colours represented), the resolution (number of pixels per area, or height and width) and the compression used.

coding

translating programming logic into code, i.e. the implementation of a solution using tools, techniques and best practices.

coherent

having a natural or due agreement of parts; connected; consistent; logical, orderly; well-structured and makes sense; rational, with parts that are harmonious; having an internally consistent relation of parts.

communicate

convey knowledge and/or understandings to others; make known; transmit.

competent

having suitable or sufficient skills, knowledge, experience, etc. for some purpose; adequate but not exceptional; capable; suitable or sufficient for the purpose;

having the necessary ability, knowledge or skill to do something successfully; efficient and capable (of a person); acceptable and satisfactory, though not outstanding.

components

parts (made of two or more elements) that make up a whole object or system and perform specific functions, e.g. a digital solution usually includes three components: data, system/user interface and text-based source code that may be interpreted or compiled.

compression

a process of encoding information using fewer bits, i.e. 0 or 1, than an original representation, to reduce file size, typically using mathematical formulas to remove repeated data, combine related data or simplify data, e.g. a line segment can be represented by the position of the end points instead of every dot on it;

common examples include:

• .zip files, which can contain one or more files or folders that have been compressed.

• .jpg files in digital photography are produced by processing complete (lossless) data from a camera’s sensor through compressing (looking for redundant/unnecessary data) into a smaller file size

• .mp3 files for audio, which compress an original audio source to reduce the file size significantly but still sound like an exact copy of the original

computational thinking

a problem-solving method that involves various techniques and strategies that can be implemented by digital systems; techniques and strategies may include organising data logically, breaking down problems into parts, defining abstract concepts, and designing and using algorithms, patterns and models.

condition

a logical expression that evaluates to true or false; a pre-condition is a statement or set of statements that describes a condition or conditions that should be true when a specific operation is called; a post-condition is a statement or set of statements that describes a condition or conditions that should be true when the operation has completed its task.

considered

formed after careful and deliberate thought.

constraints

limitations or restrictions that must be considered and accommodated when defining a problem, e.g. teacher-specified limitations, available time, physical realities, legalities.

content

the things that are held or included in something, includes context,concepts, principles, processes, purpose and scenarios.

context

the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood.

control systems

a device or set of devices to manage, command, direct or regulate the behaviour of other devices or systems; a mechanical, optical or electronic system that is used to maintain a desired output.

criteria

characteristics by which something is evaluated or appraised; the teacher or client (prescribed) or students (self-determined) develop criteria, e.g. specific needs, identified purpose, impacts quality or effectiveness of solution.

critical

involving skilful judgment as to truth, merit, etc.; involving the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment; expressing or involving an analysis of the merits and faults of a work of literature, music, or art; incorporating a detailed and scholarly analysis and commentary (of a text); rationally appraising for logical consistency and merit.

data

in Digital Solutions, discrete representation of information using number codes; data may include characters (e.g. alphabetic letters, numbers and symbols), images, sounds and/or instructions that, when represented by number codes, can be manipulated, stored and communicated by digital systems, e.g. characters may be represented using ASCII code or images may be represented by a bitmap of numbers representing each ‘dot’ or pixel.

database

a collection of data organised by records and fields that can be easily stored, accessed, managed and updated; each discrete piece of data to be stored is represented by a field (e.g. song title, song artist or bank account number, date of transaction) and values in the fields that are associated with an entity (e.g. a song, a bank transaction) are a record; interaction with a database usually takes place through a user interface designed specifically for the structure and use of the stored data

data collection

describes the numerical, categorical and textual facts measured, collected, e.g. from data loggers or harvested from local councils, Australian Bureau of Statistics or other websites, or calculated as the basis for creating information and its binary representation in digital systems.

data flow diagrams

visual representations describing the flow of data through a system

data validation

in computer science, ensuring that data inserted into an application satisfies defined formats and other input criteria.

decomposition

to separate a complex problem into parts to allow a problem to be more easily understood, e.g. to create an interactive story, one can decompose the problem to a list of characters and their characteristics (e.g. clothing), the actions of the characters, the backdrops and the sequence of scenes with reference to which characters, actions and backdrops are involved in each scene; decomposition may be represented in diagrams.

deconstructing

a process of dismantling or pulling apart a product or system to systematically identify and analyse components and their relationships.

describe

give an account (written or spoken) of a situation, event, pattern or process, or of the characteristics or features of something.

design thinking

use of strategies for understanding design problems, visualising and generating creative ideas, and analysing and evaluating those ideas that best meet the criteria for success; students use both convergent and divergent thinking skills; divergent thinking supports creativity and the generation of a range of ideas, and convergent thinking supports the selection and generation of a preferred solution

desk checking

a method used by a human to check the logic of a computer program’s algorithm to reduce the likelihood of errors occurring; this may be done on paper, using a diagram or mentally trying a sample of typical inputs to see what the outputs would be; e.g. to desk check a branching statement IF age >65 THEN "retire" ELSE "keep working", the values for age of 64, 65 and 66 could be tried to show that 64 and 65 would result in "keep working" and 66 in "retire" so that it could be decided if the statement worked as intended.

determine

establish, conclude or ascertain after consideration, observation, investigation or calculation; decide or come to a resolution.

develop

elaborate, expand or enlarge in detail; add detail and fullness to; cause to become more complex or intricate

digital games

interactive digital solutions that can be used for entertainment purposes.

digital information

the nature and forms of information stored digitally, and processes that transform digital data into information for various purposes and meanings, including structures, properties, features and conventions of particular forms of digital information and appropriate methods of storage, transmission and presentation of each form.

digital technologies

any technology controlled using digital instructions, including computer hardware and software, digital media and media devices, digital toys and accessories, and contemporary and emerging communication technologies; these technologies are based on instructions given, using binary (0 or 1) code, that invariably mean one or more processors are present to respond to these instructions; computers, smartphones, digital cameras, printers and robots are all examples of digital technologies.

discerning

discriminating; showing intellectual perception; showing good judgment; making thoughtful and astute choices; selected for value or relevance.

discriminating

differentiating; distinctive; perceiving differences or distinctions with nicety; possessing discrimination; perceptive and judicious; making judgments about quality; having or showing refined taste or good judgment.

document

support (e.g. an assertion, claim, statement) with evidence (e.g. decisive information, written references, citations).

effective

successful in producing the intended, desired or expected result; meeting the assigned purpose.

efficient

working in a well-organised and competent way; maximum productivity with minimal expenditure of effort; acting or producing effectively with a minimum of waste, expense or unnecessary effort.

elements

constituent parts of a more complex whole; a fundamental, essential or irreducible part of a composite entity; two or more elements make a component.

encryption

a process in cryptography of encoding (converting) data, using mathematical formulas, into a form that only an intended recipient can decode, often including a personal digital signature, e.g. when connecting to an online banking or shopping website, typically on login, a secure communication is set up based on encryption provided at the website, and this will be represented by a https://URL and a lock symbol on the user’s internet browser.

essential

absolutely necessary; indispensable; of critical importance for achieving something.

evaluate

make an appraisal by weighing up or assessing strengths, implications and limitations; make judgments about ideas, works, solutions or methods in relation to selected criteria; examine and determine the merit, value or significance of something, based on criteria.

explore

look into both closely and broadly; scrutinise; inquire into or discuss something in detail.

feasible

capable of being achieved, accomplished or put into effect; reasonable enough to be believed or accepted; probable; likely.

features

prominent or conspicuous elements, components or characteristics of a structured whole.

fluent

spoken or written with ease; able to speak or write smoothly, easily or readily; articulate; eloquent;

in artistic performance, characteristic of a highly developed and excellently controlled technique; polished; flowing smoothly, easily and effortlessly.

fundamental

forming a necessary base or core; of central importance; affecting or relating to the essential nature of something; part of a foundation or basis.

generate

produce; create; bring into existence.

ideas

thoughts, notions or suggestions as to a possible course of action.

identify

distinguish; locate, recognise and name; establish or indicate who or what someone or something is; provide an answer from a number of possibilities; recognise and state a distinguishing factor or feature.

IF

a conditional decision statement used to control the flow of a program (see branching); the structure of an IF statement evaluates an expression (e.g. hour < 12) and performs a specified code block only if the condition is true; e.g.:

IF hour < 12:
    PRINT ("Good morning!")

Here, the program would only print the words ‘Good morning!’ if the hour of the day is less than 12

impacts

describes analysing and predicting the extent to which personal, social and economic needs are met through existing and emerging digital technologies; appreciating the transformative potential of digital technologies in people’s lives. It also involves consideration of the relationship between information systems and society and in particular the ethical and legal obligations of individuals and organisations regarding ownership, privacy of data and information.

implementation

the automation of an algorithm, typically by using appropriate software or writing a computer program.

inconsistent

lacking agreement, as one thing with another, or two or more things in relation to each other; at variance; not consistent; not in keeping; not in accordance; incompatible; incongruous.

information

knowledge, evidence.

intelligent systems

include hardware components with sensing and actuating technology and solutions that focus on automated systems designed for a user experience;

these technologies allow students to explore how computational processes respond to given inputs (e.g. environmental information such as light or sound) to produce specified outputs; feedback occurs through tight loops, allowing for trial-and-error investigations.

interactions

reciprocal action or exchange or influence between humans or the environment and digital or information systems, especially relating to user interfaces, this encompasses communication and collaboration facilitated by digital systems.

interactive

a form of digital prototype that allows the two-way flow of information between a computer and user.

interactive media

generate visual or auditory outputs based on user input or enhance the productivity of the user; projects include computer-generated simulations, digital games, learning objects and productivity applications

Internet of Things

the Internet of Things vision is for a world full of networked physical objects; the Internet of Things is concerned with equipping objects with internet accessible identification and data sharing capabilities; ideally, these objects are augmented with sensing, processing and network capabilities, providing them with the ability to make sense of their local situation and interact within a given context.

iteration

a repetition of a process or set of instructions in computer programming where each repeated cycle builds on a previous (see REPEAT statement); typically this uses a FOR loop command with a counter such as the example below to add the numbers from 1 to 9;

FOR number = 1 to 9;
    sum = sum + number

iterative

recursive; revisiting earlier parts of a process to further clarify meaning or refine ideas and solutions.

justified

sound reasons or evidence are provided to support an argument, statement or conclusion.

keys

unique identifiers in a relational database used to ensure that a record in a table can be uniquely identified by one or a combination of fields within a table; three common types are:

• primary: a relational database has only one primary key; it is a unique identifier for each record used to help establish relationships with other tables, e.g. licence number, phone number, student ID

• secondary: a table may have more than one choice for the primary key; only one is chosen as the primary key; those not chosen are known as secondary keys, e.g. if student ID is chosen as the primary key, other choices including licence number and phone number are secondary keys

• foreign: a primary key from one table that appears as a field in another where the first table has a relationship to the second, e.g. if table A has a primary key X that linked to table B where X was a field in B, then X would be a foreign key in B.

logical

rational and valid; internally consistent; reasonable; reasoning in accordance with the principles/rules of logic or formal argument; characterised by or capable of clear, sound reasoning; (of an action, decision etc.) expected or sensible under the circumstances.

low-fidelity prototype

used throughout the problem-solving process to quickly and simply move ideas and concepts from abstract to reality to clarify understanding and inform further exploration and development; a simple, non-functional three-dimensional, digital interactive or digital sequential representation using basic processes, materials or software that may be unrelated to how a final solution is produced, e.g. stop-motion animation of a mobile application rather than a coded solution or clay models of a handheld item to confirm the application of ergonomic data about a user’s grip;algorithms to represent coding and sketches to represent user interface.

make decisions

select from available options; weigh up positives and negatives of each option and consider all the alternatives to arrive at a position.

methodical

performed, disposed or acting in a systematic way; orderly; characterised by method or order; performed or carried out systematically.

mind map

a purposeful diagram used to visually organise information; allows the abstract relationships between ideas to be explored and refined; visual representations may include images, words and parts of words; usually a central idea or concept is placed in the middle and associated ideas arranged around it.

mobile applications

types of software applications that use hardware functionality and run on a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer; often provide users with similar services to those accessed on desktop computers.

models

physical or digital representations of an idea or design concept that describe, simplify, clarify or provide an explanation of an idea or design concept.

modularisation

a concept used for reducing the complexity of a system; this system (e.g. IT application) is deconstructed into more or less independent units or modules; the modules should be able to exist independently from each other, but the system as a whole can only function as an integrated structure.

normal form

a defined standard structure for relational databases; the forms are progressive, meaning that to qualify for third normal form a table must first satisfy the rules for second normal form, and second normal form must adhere to those for first normal form; the first three normal forms are:

• first normal form — the information is stored in a relational table, each column contains atomic values, and there are not repeating groups of columns

• second normal form — the table is in first normal form and all the columns depend on the table’s primary key

• third normal form — the table is in second normal form and all of its columns are not transitively dependent on the primary key.

normalisation

the process of ensuring that a database conforms to a set of normal forms. Its primary purpose is to remove redundancies that create threats to data integrity such as update anomalies. It also plays a role in making querying more efficient.

output

a result of something (physical or virtual) such as power, energy, action, material or information produced by a person, machine or a system.

partial

not total or general; existing only in part; attempted, but incomplete.

peripheral devices

digital components that can be connected to a digital system but are not essential to the system, e.g. printer, scanner, digital camera.

platforms

computer operating systems.

principles

specific types of generalisations that deal with relationships; a proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behaviour or for a chain of reasoning.

problem-solving process

consists of subject specific problem-solving processes (explore, develop, generate and evaluate) used to iteratively find solutions to difficult or complex problems or situations.

procedural text-based language

a type of computer programming language that specifies a series of well-structured steps and procedures within its programming context to compose a program; it contains a systematic order of statements, functions and commands to complete a computational task or program; text-based refers to languages whose primary input and output are based on text rather than graphics or sound; this excludes GUI and non-procedural languages.

processes

a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular result.

productivity applications

simple programs that run on a standard desktop computing platform to increase the productivity of the user.

programming

the process of writing computer programs; creating the logic and making decisions to resolve problems.

programming tools

software programs or scripts used to assist a programmer to create, debug, maintain, develop or model software; this includes coded and graphical user interface components.

propose

put forward (e.g. a point of view, idea, argument, suggestion) for consideration or action.

protocols

a set of generally accepted standards or ‘rules’ that govern relationships and interactions between and within information systems.

prototype

a trial solution to test an idea to inform further development; demonstrates the interaction of the components of a product, service or environment; its purpose is to identify if and how well a solution functions and can be tested by stakeholders.

pseudocode

a type of descriptive algorithm that is a mixture of everyday language and programming languages.

purposeful

having an intended or desired result; having a useful purpose; determined; resolute; full of meaning; significant; intentional.

reasonable

endowed with reason; having sound judgment; fair and sensible; based on good sense; average; appropriate; moderate.

reasoned

logical and sound; based on logic or good sense; logically thought out and presented with justification; guided by reason; well-grounded; considered.

recognise

identify or recall particular features of information from knowledge; identify that an item, characteristic or quality exists; perceive as existing or true; be aware of or acknowledge.

recommendation

a suggestion or proposal as to the best course of action.

refine

to make partial or minor changes to something in order to improve it; modify in relation to selected criteria.

related

associated with or linked to

relational schema

the definition of a table, that is, the table’s name, column headings and type of data in each column.

relevant

bearing upon or connected with the matter at hand; to the purpose; applicable and pertinent; having a direct bearing on.

requirements

necessary conditions identified from stakeholders’ needs or wants; used to inform criteria against which to evaluate.

REST

the underlying architectural principle of the web, where requesting systems (clients, browsers) and servers can interact in complex ways without the client knowing anything beforehand about the server and the resources it hosts using a uniform and predefined set of stateless operations; this is a way of providing interoperability between computer systems on the internet; an API that adheres to the principles of REST does not require the client to know anything about the structure of the API; the server provides whatever information the client needs to interact with the service.

robotics

a branch of engineering that involves the conception, design, manufacture and operation of robots; this field overlaps with electronics, computer science, artificial intelligence, mechatronics, nanotechnology and bioengineering.

rudimentary

relating to rudiments or first principles; elementary; undeveloped; involving or limited to basic principles; relating to an immature, undeveloped or basic form.

select

choose in preference to another or others; pick out.

SELECT

a statement in structured query language (SQL) that retrieves information from a database; the structure of a SELECT statement provides for optional clauses that allow for the filtering, grouping and sorting of data on retrieval; a simple SELECT statement may look like the following:

SELECT * FROM People; 

where the resulting set would be all of the records in the People table;

following is an example of a more complicated SELECT statement:

SELECT * FROM People WHERE gender="m";

this uses the optional WHERE clause to retrieve only the males (that is, that have a gender of “m”) from the database table.

selection

a basic construct of an algorithm indicating the next instruction to be executed depends on a ‘condition’; a condition is defined for these purposes as a logical expression that evaluates to true or false.

sequence

place in a continuous or connected series; arrange in a particular order.

simple

easy to understand, deal with and use; not complex or complicated; plain; not elaborate or artificial;

may concern a single or basic aspect; involving few elements, components or steps.

sketches

drawings or paintings in simple form, giving essential features but not necessarily with detail or accuracy;

in Mathematics, represent by means of a diagram or graph; the sketch should give a general idea of the required shape or relationship and should include features;

in Technologies, a two-dimensional informal visualisation method completed freehand, often instantly capturing an idea for later use and therefore lacking in presentation quality; sketches are usually produced manually, using pencil, ink and paper, but may be software-assisted.

solution (digital)

the end result of applying a problem-solving process to a problem that can be solved digitally; it usually includes three components: data, system/user interface and text-based source code that may be interpreted or compiled; in a digital solution the interface triggers the execution of code.

specification

the process of defining and communicating a problem precisely and clearly; e.g. explaining the need to direct a robot to move in a particular way; an algorithm is a precise description of the steps and decisions needed to solve a problem.

structure

an ordered assembly of elements, components and features that form an organised pattern or system.

structured data

information with a high degree of organisation, thus allowing seamless inclusion in a relational database and is readily searchable by simple, straightforward search engine algorithms or other search operations.

structured query language (SQL)

specialist programming language used to manage data and access data in relational database management systems.

suitable

appropriate; fitting; conforming or agreeing in nature, condition or action.

superficial

concerned with or comprehending only what is on the surface or obvious; shallow; not profound, thorough, deep or complete;

existing or occurring at or on the surface; cursory; lacking depth of character or understanding; apparent and sometimes trivial.

symbolise

represent or identify by a symbol or symbols.

syntax

the structure of statements in a computer language

synthesise

combine different parts or elements (e.g. information, ideas, components) into a whole, in order to create new understanding.

system

a group of interacting objects, materials or processes that form an integrated whole; systems can be open or closed; a system has properties and/or functions that can be described differently from its component parts; systems can be identified as four types:

• natural systems, e.g. an ecosystem including plants and animals

• designed physical systems, e.g. buildings, road networks, aircraft, airports

• designed abstract systems, e.g. mathematic equations, computer algorithms

• human activity systems, e.g. a team task, flight crew, human–machine interface

systems thinking

a holistic approach to the identification and solving of problems, where parts and components of a system, their interactions and interrelationships are analysed individually to see how they influence the functioning of the whole system; this approach enables students to understand systems and work with complexity, uncertainty and risk;

systems thinking also involves understanding the interdependence between systems and how a change or output from one system can affect another, and how this affects larger systems such as the economy and society.

technical feasibility

the process of proving that the concept is technically possible; the aim of a technical feasibility study is to confirm that the prototype or solution will perform as intended and to verify that there are no barriers in generating these;

it should communicate the technical aspects of the development process, e.g. algorithms, selection and justification of development tools, sketches and diagrams of the user interface, user experience and other requirements for development.

technical proposal

a multimodal presentation to communicate the strengths, limitations, implications, and technical specifications and feasibility of a proposed digital solution; may be for a live or virtual audience

or

a document that lists and defines the technical specifications of a contract or project, includes three sections, identification — a brief statement which identifies the real-world related need for developing the digital solution and relevant background information, interactions — specifies information relating to interactions between humans and or the environment, and information systems, this may include proto-personas, and component specifications — specifications relating to data, user interface/experience and code.

technologies

materials, data, systems, components, tools and equipment used to create solutions for identified needs and opportunities, and the knowledge, understanding and skills used by people involved in the selection and use of these.

technology

the development of products, services and environments, using various types of knowledge, including computational, design, systems, social, ethical, economic, environmental, legal and sustainability knowledge to meet human needs and wants; ‘the know-how and creative process that may use tools, systems and resources to solve problems and enhance control over the natural and man-made environment in an endeavour to improve the human condition’

test

take measures to check the quality, performance or reliability of something

unclear

not clear or distinct; not easy to understand; obscure.

useability principles

principles used to improve the user experience, including

• accessibility: ability to be used by many different people, even people with disabilities

• effectiveness: ability of users to use the system to do the work they need to do, includes reliability

• safety: ability for users to make errors and recover from the mistake

• utility: ability of the system to provide all the functionality that users need

• learnability: how easy a system is to learn

use

operate or put into effect; apply knowledge or rules to put theory into practice

user experience

those aspects that affect how an end user interacts with digital systems such as visual, interface and navigation design, user needs, and functional and content requirements; this is determined by improving the solution’s useability based on the useability principles of accessibility, effectiveness, safety, utility and learnability.

user interface

characteristics of the boundary between users and a computer system, or the manner in which users interact with computer hardware or software;

• in software, this usually comprises fields for text and number entry, mouse pointers, buttons and other graphical elements;

• in hardware, sensors, switches, dials and light-emitting diodes (LEDs)

provide information about the interactions between a user and a machine, a machine and another machine or a machine and the environment.

vague

not definite in statement or meaning; not explicit or precise; not definitely fixed, determined or known; of uncertain, indefinite or unclear character or meaning; not clear in thought or understanding;

couched in general or indefinite terms; not definitely or precisely expressed; deficient in details or particulars;thinking or communicating in an unfocused or imprecise way.

variable

adjective

apt or liable to vary or change; changeable; inconsistent; (readily) susceptible or capable of variation; fluctuating; uncertain;

noun

in mathematics, a symbol, or the quantity it signifies, that may represent any one of a given set of numbers and other objects.

virtual

representation of an object in a digital form.

visual communication

The elements form the basic components of visual communication; they are acted upon by principles that are ways of arranging or organising the elements; principles are something that can be repeatedly and dependably done with elements to produce some sort of visual effect.

wearable technologies

electronic devices able to be worn on the body as a purposeful fashion accessory or part of material used in clothing. A major feature of these devices is their ability to connect to the internet, allowing data to be exchanged between the device and a network.

web applications

client–server software applications in which the client–user interface runs in a web browser, e.g. webmail, online retail sales etc.