CA3 Emerging Issues | Core Revision Guide

Spec checklist

Rate each point. Be honest: 'Secure' means you could answer an exam question on it now without notes.

3.1.1	Explain how reliance on digital systems affects organisational culture: communication, productivity and availability expectations, staff monitoring, working practices, automation and AI
3.1.1	Explain how reliance on digital systems affects society: jobs, skills, decision making, privacy, behaviour, social networks, online services, isolation, access to information, generative AI, globalisation
3.1.2	Explain the importance of digital inclusion: technology, connectivity, bias in datasets, codes of best practice, public sector accessibility regulations
3.1.3	Explain how age, skills, internal/external audience, culture and additional needs affect use and inclusivity
3.1.4	Give the benefits of professional development
3.2.1	Explain the impact of storage demand, quantum computing, IoT and edge computing, AI, extended reality, open source, blockchain, environmental issues and autonomous machines
3.2.2	Make judgements about the impact of digital and emerging technologies on organisations, society and individuals

3.1.1 Impact on organisational culture

Organisational culture is the way people in an organisation work, communicate and behave. Increased reliance on digital systems has changed it in five ways named in the spec.

Change	What has happened	Positives	Negatives
Communication methods	Face-to-face meetings have been joined or replaced by email, instant messaging (Teams, Slack) and video calls.	Fast; works across sites and time zones; written record; fewer travel costs.	Messages misread without tone or body language; email overload; 'always on' culture; harder to build relationships.
Productivity and availability expectations	Staff are expected to respond quickly and be reachable outside normal hours via phones and laptops.	Problems solved faster; customers served 24/7.	Stress and burnout; blurred work–life boundaries. (Some countries have 'right to disconnect' rules.)
Staff monitoring	Software can log keystrokes, websites visited, emails, location and active time.	Protects data security; evidence for disputes; spot training needs.	Feels like lack of trust; lowers morale; privacy concerns; must be lawful and proportionate under data protection law.
New working practices	Remote, hybrid and in-office working, enabled by cloud services, VPNs and video calling.	Wider recruitment pool; less commuting; lower office costs; flexibility.	Isolation; harder to supervise and train new staff; security risk of home networks; unequal home set-ups.
Automation including AI	Chatbots handle customer queries; software processes invoices; AI screens CVs and summarises documents.	Faster, cheaper, available 24/7; staff freed for complex work.	Job losses or role changes; errors at scale; bias; customers frustrated by lack of a human.

✎ WORKED EXAMPLE: APPLYING TO A CONTEXT

Scenario: a Leeds-based insurance company moves its call centre staff to hybrid working.
Point: staff no longer commute every day. Linked: this saves them time and money, which may improve staff retention.
Counterpoint: new staff miss out on learning by listening to experienced colleagues. Linked: this could lengthen training and increase mistakes on claims.
Notice that each point names the context (call centre, claims, commute) rather than speaking generally.

Hybrid working: Splitting working time between the office and home.
Automation: Using technology to carry out tasks without human involvement.

3.1.1 Impact on society

Impact	Explanation and examples
Loss of jobs	Automation replaces routine roles: self-service checkouts, warehouse robots, automated phone lines, AI-generated content. Hits manual and administrative roles hardest.
Shift in skill requirements	Demand grows for digital skills (data analysis, cyber security, software development). Workers need retraining; education must keep up.
Reduction in human decision making and loss of empathy	Algorithms decide loan approvals, insurance prices, job shortlists. Decisions can be fast and consistent but may miss individual circumstances and be hard to challenge.
Privacy: digital footprint and surveillance	Everything people do online can be recorded and used for advertising or profiling. CCTV, facial recognition and phone tracking increase surveillance by governments and companies.
Changing behaviours	Less face-to-face interaction can reduce social skills. People build a digital identity that may differ from real life, and posts can affect future job prospects.
Access to wider social networks	Personal: keep in touch with friends and family worldwide; find communities. Professional: LinkedIn, online portfolios (e.g. GitHub), networking and job hunting.
Access to online services	Government (tax, Universal Credit, NHS app), commercial (banking, shopping) and entertainment (streaming, gaming). Convenient and available 24/7, but excludes people who cannot get online.
Potential isolation	People can be left out because they lack skills, equipment or connectivity, or resist change. As bank branches and offices close, those offline lose access.
Improved access to information	Professional: research, training, documentation. Personal: health information, learning, news. Risk: misinformation spreads just as fast.
Increased use of AI including generative AI	Text (chatbots), images, video and audio can be created in seconds. Benefits: productivity, creativity, accessibility. Risks: deepfakes, misinformation, plagiarism, copyright disputes, job impact.
Globalisation: access to global media	News and entertainment from anywhere in the world. Wider perspectives and markets, but also dominance of a few global platforms and exposure to content from outside UK regulation.

★ EXAM TIP

These are double-edged. For almost every impact you should be able to give a positive and a negative. For example, online services are convenient for most but isolate people without connectivity.

? QUICK CHECK

Give two ways generative AI could affect a graphic design agency, one positive and one negative.
Explain why closing a bank branch and moving services online might increase isolation in a rural village.

Digital footprint: The trail of data a person leaves online: posts, searches, purchases, location history. Can be active (things you share) or passive (data collected about you).
Surveillance: Monitoring people's behaviour or communications, by governments, employers or companies.
Digital identity: The information that represents a person online: accounts, profiles, usernames, reputation.
Globalisation: The increasing connection of economies, cultures and media across the world.

3.1.2 Digital inclusion

Digital inclusion means making sure everyone has fair access to digital services. If a service is only available online, anyone who cannot use it is shut out of something they may need, such as a GP appointment or benefits claim.

Factor	What it means	How organisations can help
Suitable technologies (hardware and software)	People need a device that can run the service and software that works with it.	Design for low-spec phones and older browsers; offer device lending (e.g. libraries); support assistive tech such as screen readers.
Connectivity	People need reliable, affordable internet. Rural areas may have poor broadband or mobile signal.	Make pages lightweight; allow offline use; provide public Wi-Fi; offer alternative channels (phone, in person).
Checking for bias within datasets	If training data under-represents a group, the system may work badly for them, e.g. facial recognition less accurate for darker skin tones.	Audit datasets; test with diverse users; monitor outcomes by group; keep humans involved in important decisions.
Conforming to codes of best practice	Following recognised guidance such as WCAG and the GOV.UK Service Standard.	Build accessibility into design from the start; test with real users including disabled users.
Public sector accessibility regulations	The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018.	See below.

Public sector bodies' website and mobile applications accessibility regulations

Purpose: to make sure public sector websites and apps (councils, NHS, schools, colleges, government departments) can be used by as many people as possible, including disabled people.

Key features:

Websites and apps must meet the WCAG accessibility standard (level AA).
They must publish an accessibility statement: how accessible the service is, which parts are not, and how users can report problems or request content in another format.
They must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust (the four WCAG principles).
Compliance is monitored by the Government Digital Service; enforcement is through equality law.

WCAG principle	Meaning	Example
Perceivable	Users can see or hear the content	Alt text on images; captions on videos; good colour contrast
Operable	Users can navigate and use it	Works with a keyboard only; no time limits that cannot be extended
Understandable	Content and controls make sense	Plain language; clear error messages on forms; consistent navigation
Robust	Works with different technologies	Valid code that works with screen readers and different browsers

? TRY IT

Try using this page with only your keyboard: Tab to move, Enter to press buttons. Which WCAG principle are you testing?

Digital divide: The gap between people who have access to digital technology and the skills to use it, and those who do not.
Digital inclusion: Making sure everyone can access and use digital services, whatever their circumstances.
Accessibility: Designing systems so that people with disabilities or additional needs can use them.
WCAG: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: the international standard for accessible web content, built on four principles (perceivable, operable, understandable, robust).
Bias (in datasets): When training data does not fairly represent all groups, so a system's outputs disadvantage some people.

3.1.3 End user characteristics and inclusivity

Characteristic	Effect on use	Design response
Age	Older users may have less digital confidence, poorer eyesight or reduced dexterity. Children need age-appropriate content and protection.	Larger text options, simple navigation, clear instructions; age-appropriate design and parental controls.
Digital skills	Low digital skills mean users struggle with complex interfaces, passwords and jargon.	Step-by-step guidance, help pages, familiar layouts, assisted digital support.
Literacy skills	Users with low literacy or for whom English is an additional language struggle with long or technical text.	Plain English, icons with labels, translations, audio options.
Internal / external audience	Internal users (staff) can be trained and use specialist systems. External users (public, customers) get no training and vary widely.	Internal: training, more complex features allowed. External: must be intuitive and accessible to everyone.
Cultural issues, including bias	Symbols, colours, names, date formats and images can mean different things in different cultures. Systems can be biased, e.g. a form that rejects names with apostrophes or hyphens.	Localisation; test with diverse users; avoid assumptions about names, addresses and gender.
Additional needs: accessibility	Visual (blindness, low vision, colour blindness), hearing, motor (limited hand movement), cognitive (dyslexia, memory) needs.	Screen reader support, captions, keyboard navigation, don't rely on colour alone, clear layout, adjustable timing.

✗ COMMON MISTAKE

Don't just list characteristics. The marks come from explaining the effect on the user and linking it to the system in the question: 'An NHS repeat prescription app used by elderly patients should offer large text, because many users will have reduced eyesight and may otherwise order the wrong medication.'

3.1.4 Benefits of professional development

Benefit	Explanation
Increased industry and sector competence	Technology changes fast. Training, certifications (e.g. cloud or security certifications) and CPD keep skills current, so work is higher quality.
Increased employability and employment security	Up-to-date skills make you more attractive to employers and harder to replace; supports promotion and pay rises.
Access to and adherence to industry standards	Professional bodies (BCS, IAP, CIISec) share standards and codes of conduct; keeping up means your work meets current standards and legal requirements.

Continuing professional development (CPD): Ongoing learning to keep skills and knowledge up to date throughout a career.

3.2.1 Emerging technologies

For each technology, know what it is, give examples, and explain its impact on organisations, individuals and society, both positive and negative.

Storage media: increased demand for storage

More data than ever is created: 4K video, IoT sensors, cloud backups, AI training data, social media.
Organisations: higher costs for storage and data centres; need data management and retention policies (link to data protection: don't keep data longer than needed).
Society: data centres use large amounts of electricity and water for cooling.
Response: higher-capacity SSDs and HDDs, cloud storage, compression, archiving cold data to cheaper storage such as tape.

Processing technologies: quantum computing

Uses qubits, which can be in a combination of 0 and 1 at once (superposition), so certain calculations can be done far faster than on conventional computers.
Potential uses: drug discovery and chemistry simulation, optimising logistics routes, financial modelling, weather and climate modelling.
Risk: could break current public-key encryption (e.g. RSA), threatening online banking and secure communication. Organisations are preparing 'post-quantum' encryption.
Currently very expensive, needs extreme cooling, error-prone, and available only to large organisations and via the cloud.

Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing

Context	Examples	Impacts
Industrial	Sensors on factory machines; predictive maintenance; tracking stock in warehouses	Less downtime, lower costs, real-time data; but security risk if devices are hacked, and job changes
Smart city	Smart traffic lights, air quality sensors, smart parking, bins that report when full	Less congestion and pollution, efficient services; but surveillance and privacy concerns, high cost
Domestic	Smart speakers, thermostats, doorbells, fridges, health trackers	Convenience, energy savings, independent living for elderly; but weak default passwords, data collection, reliance on manufacturer support

Edge computing processes data on or near the device instead of sending everything to the cloud. Benefits: faster response (lower latency), important for self-driving cars and factory safety systems; less bandwidth used; data can stay local for privacy. Drawbacks: more devices to secure and maintain; less processing power than a data centre.

Artificial intelligence: generative AI and machine learning

	Machine learning	Generative AI
What it is	Systems learn patterns from data to make predictions or decisions.	Systems that create new text, images, video, audio or code from a prompt.
Examples	Spam filters, fraud detection, Netflix recommendations, medical image analysis	Chatbots, image generators, code assistants, AI voice and video
Benefits	Spots patterns humans miss; automates decisions at scale; personalisation	Speeds up writing, design and coding; accessible to non-experts; summarises information
Risks	Biased training data leads to unfair decisions; hard to explain how decisions are made	Confident but wrong output ('hallucinations'); deepfakes; copyright questions; data privacy if confidential data is entered; job impact in creative roles

Extended reality: augmented and virtual reality

	Augmented reality (AR)	Virtual reality (VR)
What it is	Overlays digital content on the real world through a phone, tablet or glasses.	Replaces the real world with a fully digital environment through a headset.
Examples	IKEA Place furniture preview; maintenance instructions overlaid on machinery; Snapchat filters; Pokémon GO	Flight and surgical training simulators; virtual property tours; gaming; health and safety training
Benefits	Information in context; fewer errors in maintenance; try before you buy	Safe training for dangerous situations; remote collaboration; immersive learning
Drawbacks	Distraction and safety risk; privacy of cameras always on	Motion sickness; expensive headsets; isolation; not suitable for all users

Open source software

Examples: Linux, Firefox, LibreOffice, Python, VLC, WordPress.
Benefits: free to use; code can be checked and modified; large communities fix bugs quickly; avoids lock-in to one vendor.
Drawbacks: no guaranteed support; quality and documentation vary; projects can be abandoned; vulnerabilities in widely used open source libraries can affect thousands of organisations at once; licences have conditions (some require you to share your changes).

Blockchain

A decentralised ledger: copies are held by many computers, and each block is cryptographically linked to the previous one, so records cannot be secretly changed.
Uses: cryptocurrency (Bitcoin), supply chain tracking (proving where food or diamonds came from), smart contracts, digital certificates.
Benefits: transparency; tamper resistance; no single point of failure; no need for a trusted middleman.
Drawbacks: some blockchains use huge amounts of energy; slow compared with a normal database; data cannot be deleted (conflicts with the right to erasure); cryptocurrency linked to scams and price volatility.

Environmental impact

Issue	Explanation	Mitigation
Consumption of rare metals	Devices contain metals such as cobalt, lithium and neodymium. Mining damages environments and can involve poor working conditions.	Longer device lifespans, repair, refurbishment, recycling metals
Energy to produce electronic systems	Manufacturing chips and devices uses large amounts of energy and water. Most of a phone's lifetime carbon footprint comes from making it.	Buy fewer, longer-lasting devices; renewable energy in factories and data centres
Environmental impact of disposal	E-waste contains toxic substances (lead, mercury) that leak into soil and water if sent to landfill or exported and dumped.	WEEE recycling; secure, certified disposal; take-back schemes

Autonomous machines

	Self-driving cars	Robotic assembly lines
Benefits	Could reduce accidents caused by human error; mobility for people who cannot drive; efficient traffic flow	Work 24/7; consistent quality; do dangerous or repetitive work; lower long-term cost
Drawbacks	Who is liable in a crash? Ethical choices in unavoidable accidents; hacking risk; job losses for drivers; sensor failure in bad weather	Job losses; high setup cost; breakdowns stop production; need skilled maintenance staff

Quantum computing: Computing that uses qubits, which can represent 0 and 1 at the same time, to solve certain problems far faster than conventional computers.
Internet of Things (IoT): Everyday physical devices with sensors and network connections that collect and share data.
Edge computing: Processing data close to where it is created (on or near the device) rather than sending it all to a central cloud server.
Artificial intelligence (AI): Computer systems that perform tasks that normally need human intelligence, such as recognising speech or making predictions.
Machine learning: A type of AI where a system learns patterns from data and improves its predictions without being explicitly programmed for each case.
Generative AI: AI that creates new content (text, images, video, audio) from a prompt, based on patterns learned from training data.
Extended reality (XR): Umbrella term for augmented reality and virtual reality.
Augmented reality (AR): Digital content overlaid on a live view of the real world.
Virtual reality (VR): A fully computer-generated environment that replaces the user's view of the real world.
Open source software: Software whose source code is published so anyone can view, modify and distribute it under its licence.
Blockchain: A shared, decentralised ledger of records (blocks) linked using cryptography, so past records cannot be changed without detection.
Rare earth metals: Elements such as neodymium used in electronics; mining them causes environmental damage and supplies are limited.
E-waste: Discarded electrical and electronic equipment.
Autonomous machine: A machine that performs tasks and makes decisions without direct human control, e.g. a self-driving car.

3.2.2 Making judgements about impact

Extended questions ask you to weigh up the impact of a technology on organisations, society and individuals in a given scenario. Use this structure:

Identify the technology and who is affected in the scenario.
Positive impacts, each with a linked explanation tied to the context.
Negative impacts, each with a linked explanation tied to the context.
Interrelationships: how one impact leads to another. For example, IoT sensors create more data, which increases storage demand, which raises energy use.
Judgement (for evaluate questions): which side is stronger, and under what conditions? 'The benefits outweigh the drawbacks provided that...'

✎ WORKED EXAMPLE: A SUPERMARKET INTRODUCING AI-POWERED SELF-CHECKOUTS WITH AGE ESTIMATION

Organisation: fewer staff needed on tills, so lower costs; but up-front cost, and staff still needed to help when machines fail.
Customers: faster checkout for many; but older customers or those with low digital skills may find it harder, a digital inclusion issue.
Society: fewer entry-level jobs; shift towards technical roles maintaining machines.
Bias: age estimation trained on unrepresentative data could misjudge some ethnic groups, leading to unfair refusals.
Interrelationship: if customers are wrongly refused, the store gets reputational damage, which links to business risk (CA5).
Judgement: worthwhile for a large store if staffed tills remain and the AI is tested for bias, because this keeps the cost savings without excluding customers.

Knowledge organiser

ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

Email, chat, video calls
Always-available expectations
Staff monitoring
Remote / hybrid working
Automation and AI

SOCIETY

Job losses and new skills
Less human decision making
Privacy: digital footprint, surveillance
Changing behaviour and digital identity
Access to services vs isolation

MORE ON SOCIETY

Wider social and professional networks
Better access to information, but misinformation
Generative AI: text, images, video, audio
Globalisation: global media

DIGITAL INCLUSION

Suitable hardware and software
Connectivity
Check datasets for bias
Codes of best practice
Public sector accessibility regulations: WCAG AA + accessibility statement

END USER CHARACTERISTICS

Age
Digital and literacy skills
Internal vs external audience
Culture and bias
Accessibility needs

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Industry competence
Employability and job security
Knowledge of industry standards

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Storage demand; quantum computing
IoT and edge computing
Generative AI; machine learning
AR and VR
Open source; blockchain; autonomous machines

ENVIRONMENT

Rare metals mined for devices
Energy used in manufacturing
E-waste disposal
Fix: longer use, repair, recycling

Flashcards

Every Quick recall definition on this page. Click the card to flip it; use the arrow keys to move.

Quiz me

Random questions on CA3 from the course question bank. Pick a topic or question type, answer in your head or on paper, then check. Your score is saved on this device.

Exam-style questions

Allow about 75 minutes.

State two changes in communication methods caused by increased reliance on digital systems in the workplace.

Any two: more email instead of letters or face-to-face; video calls instead of in-person meetings; instant messaging/chat tools; collaboration platforms (e.g. Teams). One mark each.

Explain one benefit and one drawback of staff monitoring software for a call centre.

Benefit (1) with linked explanation (1), e.g. calls can be reviewed (1) so managers can identify training needs and improve customer service (1).
Drawback (1) with linked explanation (1), e.g. staff may feel distrusted (1) which can lower morale and increase staff turnover (1).
Accept: protecting data security; evidence in complaints; privacy concerns; stress.

Define the term 'digital footprint'.

The trail of data a person leaves through their online activity (1).

Describe the purpose of the public sector bodies' websites and mobile applications accessibility regulations.

To make sure public sector websites and apps are accessible to as many people as possible, including disabled people (1).
By requiring them to meet accessibility standards (WCAG AA) and publish an accessibility statement (1).

A council is redesigning its online form for reporting missed bin collections. Explain how two end user characteristics should affect the design.

Characteristic (1) + linked design effect (1), twice. E.g.:
Age: older residents may have poorer eyesight (1) so text should be resizable and high-contrast (1).
Literacy/language: some residents may have low literacy (1) so use plain English and clear icons with labels (1).
Additional needs: blind users use screen readers (1) so form fields need proper labels (1).
Digital skills: low skills (1) so keep the form short with step-by-step guidance (1).

Explain what is meant by edge computing and why it is used in self-driving cars.

Processing data on or near the device where it is generated rather than in a central cloud (1).
Self-driving cars must react in milliseconds (1).
Sending data to the cloud and waiting for a response would add latency, which could cause an accident / connection may drop (1).

Give two benefits to a software developer of continuing professional development.

Any two: keeps skills up to date with new technologies; improves employability/job security; supports promotion; awareness of and adherence to industry standards; increased competence.

Explain why checking for bias in datasets is important when a bank uses machine learning to approve loans.

If historical data reflects past discrimination or under-represents some groups (1)…
…the model will learn those patterns and unfairly reject applicants from those groups (1)…
…which could breach equality law / damage the bank's reputation / exclude customers (1).

Explain two environmental impacts of a company replacing all staff laptops every two years.

Impact (1) + explanation (1), twice. E.g.:
Uses rare metals (1); mining them damages environments and supplies are limited (1).
Energy used to manufacture new laptops (1) increases the company's carbon footprint (1).
Old laptops become e-waste (1); toxic materials can pollute if not recycled properly (1).

A small charity is deciding whether to use open source software instead of paid software. Explain one benefit and one drawback.

Benefit (1) + explanation (1): free, so budget can go to the charity's services (1).
Drawback (1) + explanation (1): no guaranteed support, so if something breaks a volunteer may not be able to fix it, disrupting work (1).
Accept other valid points: community support, customisable, compatibility issues, staff unfamiliar with it.

A marketing agency is considering using generative AI to produce social media content for clients. Discuss the impact on the agency, its staff and its clients.

Indicative content:

Agency: produce content faster and cheaper; take on more clients; compete on price. But risk of inaccurate or off-brand content; copyright uncertainty over AI output; reputational damage if poor quality content is published.
Staff: routine writing reduced, freeing time for strategy and creativity; new skills needed (prompting, editing AI output). But fear of job losses; junior roles may disappear, reducing training routes.
Clients: lower costs and faster turnaround. But may not want AI content; concerns about confidential product information being entered into AI tools; need for transparency.
Society: more AI content online; misinformation risk.
Discuss: no conclusion required, but balanced consideration of both sides needed for Level 3.

A city council plans to install IoT sensors on street lights to monitor traffic, air quality and pedestrian numbers. Evaluate the impact of this plan on the council and residents.

◆ SUPPORT: SENTENCE STARTERS

One benefit for the agency would be ... because ...
However, staff might ... which could lead to ...
Clients may be concerned that ...
The sensors would allow the council to ... This means that ...
On the other hand, residents may worry about ...
Overall, I think ... because ...