GCSE ICT
Students will be studying for the OCR Nationals in ICT which is a suite of level 2 vocational qualifications designed around the practical use of ICT software. All the units are designed to stimulate creativity and develop real-world, practical skills in the use of a variety of ICT tools.
In this school we are offering 2 of these qualifications, known as the National First Award in ICT (equivalent to 1 GCSE exam) and the National Award in ICT (equivalent to 2 GCSE exams) both of which take 2 years to complete. Students may choose which of these options they prefer.
There are a number of units available and the information below shows the provisional selection currently available in this school:
Single GCSE
Unit 1 (Compulsory) - ICT skills for business including mind-mapping, graphics, wordprocessing, DTP, email, spreadsheets, databases & presentations
Unit 23 - Design, create and test a video clip
Double GCSE
Unit 1 (Compulsory) - ICT skills for business includingmind-mapping, graphics, wordprocessing, DTP, email, spreadsheets,databases and presentations
Unit 4 - Design and produce Multimedia products
Unit 22 - Creating sound using ICT
Unit 23 - Design, create and test a video clip
At the beginning of the course students will be shown how to select and then apply the most appropriate software tools to the problem to be solved. They are expected to be able to work independently under the direction of the teacher and complete tasks within deadlines. Although there is no essential requirement to have access to a computer at home, everyone will be expected to work in their own time on researching information and completing tasks, but arrangements will be made for access to the school’s ICT resources outside normal school hours if required.
Entry Requirements
Students should have a willingness to try and learn new ICT skills and techniques and not be afraid to try these out when solving new problems on a computer. They should be self motivated to ensure that the practical tasks are completed on time.
Method of Assessment
This examination is unique in that students do not sit an external written exam, but instead produce portfolios of work which are school assessed then moderated by the OCR Exam Board. For each unit of study students are given a Scenario which describes in outline the problem they have to solve and tasks they need to complete in solving this problem. Students must apply their knowledge, skills and techniques in using software tools on the computer and all the units are designed to support their independent learning. They will prepare an e-portfolio which is a digital collection of all their solutions to the tasks together with evidence of the ICT skills they have demonstrated and it is this e-portfolio which is submitted for assessment.
Each of the units in both courses are graded as Pass (GCSE grade C), Merit (GCSE grade B) or Distinction (GCSE Grade A/A*) and the final grade is determined by the level of success demonstrated in meeting the assessment objectives within the units of study.
Future opportunities
This is a new qualification which has quickly become popular with schools around the country because it is seen to prepare students for both the real world of work and further/higher education. It is well accepted by everyone that in today’s world we all need a good level of ICT capability to succeed. Students could go on to study a level 3 qualification in ICT or simply use their new ICT skills and techniques in helping them towards success in their further studies or in the workplace.
Further Information
Within this course students will work individually on their own network workstation to prepare the solutions to the tasks. However, although there will be occasions when they will need to share constructive advice with other students in order to review each others’ work.
