Example 2
This picture is not relevant to my story as it shows a little girl climbing a tree. My story is about a boy.
The key difference between Key skill 2 and Key skill 15 is your reasons for choosing the information/picture. If you do not give reasons you cannot get Key Skill 15, only Key Skill 2!
Remember that you must include one of the pictures you found as a result of searching the internet. You must include a non IT source and an IT source. You must also include what you found as a result of the searches for Key Skill 14.
4. Developing Information to Present to the Children
Key Skill 4
Explore information
- On paper, you need to draw up 2 different designs of what the pages are going to look like. These can be rough drawings only.
Key Skill 3, 5 and 8
3: Enter and bring in information using formats that help development
5: Develop information in the form of text, images and numbers
8: Develop the presentation to meet your purpose
- To get these mark points you need to provide evidence that you have copied and pasted text and imported clipart images.
- You need to print out a page of the presentation with just the text. Then format the text (change the font style and the font size) and reprint. Then add a picture and reprint. Make sure that the picture is one of you IT sources.
- You might reformat a picture by cropping it or rotating it.
- You must include numbers somewhere on the page – this could be page numbers, page counter, statistics or, for the back page, the price of the book or cinema entry in different currencies
- Make sure that you have a printout of each stage – it must show a before and after shot of what you have done.
Key Skill 16 and 18
16: Enter and bring together information using formats that help development
18: Develop information in the form of text, images and numbers
These key skills are very similar to Key skills 3, 5 and 8, however, for 3, 5, and 8 you have been working with images and text that came from the ICT sources. For these Key skills – 16 and 18 you will be working with text and images that you found as a result of searching. This is a very important difference.
- The other main difference is the amount of annotation that you need. For key skills 3, 5 and 8 it was minimal but to get Key skills 16 and 18 (Level 2 key skills) you need to do a lot more annotation as detailed below.
- To get these mark points you need to provide evidence that you have copied and pasted text and imported images.
- You need to print out a page of the presentation with just the text. Then format the text (change the font style and the font size) and reprint. Then add a picture and reprint. Make sure that the picture is one that has been found on the internet as a result of your searches.
- You might reformat a picture by cropping it or rotating it – make sure you say why you have done this – relate it back to the purpose of the book.
- You must include number on the page – this could be page numbers, page counter, statistics or, for the back page, the price of the book or cinema entry in different currencies
- Make sure that you have a printout of each stage – it must show a before and after shot of what you have done.
- At each stage, annotate your work to show what you have done. You also need to say why and how what you have done makes the presentation more suitable for the chosen audience (the purpose of the presentation).
Key Skill 22
Develop the presentation to suit your purpose and types of information including text, images and numbers
Show how you have used tables or tabs or other format tools to improve the presentation of part of your presentation
Example Include a before screenshot with numbers/text/graphics not aligned and an after screenshot with them aligned up. Remember to annotate the printouts saying why you have aligned them.
Key Skill 19
Derive new information
- To get this mark point you need to search for a piece of text from the internet and simplify it, making sure you then include it on a page of your book
For example, if you are doing a poster campaign for a film, you need to search the internet for film – give a screenshot of the search. You need to printout a information on the film and then simplify it.
Example 1
A critic for the Sunday times wrote… (www.sundaytimes.co.uk/filmscrit/Bond
The film starts as it means to go on. It opens with some incredible stunt work and special effects. The pace is fast and leaves the viewer breathless as the locations change across the world in an instant. The acting is of better quality than usually found in Bond films with…
Show how you have simplified it (give a printout of the original and then a printout of yours) and where it has been used in your presentation.
This can be simplified in the book to:
The film is very well acted with lots of special effects and good stunts.
5. Presenting Information
Key Skill 6
Use appropriate layouts for presenting different types of information, including text, images and numbers
- This mark is for using an appropriate layout which includes text, graphics and numbers. You need to show that you have developed suitable layouts for two different documents. You must annotate on the layouts why they are appropriate for the purpose.
The layouts must be sensible and set out in a way that is appropriate to the purpose.
Consider that your presentation can be broken down into at least two or preferably three sections.
These will be
a front cover, home page or introduction
the main body of your presentation
a back cover,
The layout on these pages will be different.
-
You need to say why the layout for the front cover is appropriate for the front cover and not the back and why what you have done on the back cover is appropriate for the back cover and not the front for example
Key Skill 20
Select and use appropriate layouts for presenting combined information
- You must demonstrate that you have used appropriate layouts such as sensible margins on the page and sensible gaps around the pictures, subheadings with borders for images and use of appropriately sized tables, different fonts for page numbers and the combination of text and borders for the back and front cover.
- You will have to write about you layout showing that this was a deliberate approach on your part rather than just an accident.
- There is one major difference between this Key Skill and Key Skill 6. Because the reference this time is to combined information, you must write about those layouts which include combined information i.e. not just purely text or a graphic on its own but those layouts which have both of them (a border around the text is a graphic).
- Give a screenshot of a page and write about all the features on the page and why they have a particular format. Remember to include:
- Font Size
- Font Style
- Margins size (left, right, front and back)
- Gap between picture and text
- Alignment of picture and text
Key Skill 7
Present information in a consistent way
- This mark is awarded for consistency of presentation of the book. This means that every page in the presentation needs to have the text, images and layout the same (excluding the front and back covers). For example, the font on each page could be the same size and the font itself could be the same.
- You need to write a statement and give examples to show consistency.
Key Skill 21
Present information in a consistent way
- This mark is awarded for consistency of presentation of the write-up. This means that in the write-up, the headings, the text, fonts, fonts style etc need to be the same.
- You need to write a statement and give examples to show consistency.
Use this template and your write-up will be presented consistently
Key Skill 9
Make sure your work is accurate and clear
- Print out a page from your document with spelling mistakes. Get a friend to write all over it what the mistakes are, correct it and print it out again.
Key Skill 10
Save information so it can be found easily
- You need to make sure that you have used appropriate folder names and document names. You need to use screenshots of the directories you have created and used.
- Make sure you have a directory structure similar to:
GCSE ICT Work
Coursework
Project 1A
With all the documents relating to Project 1a stored in the correct sub directory.
- Make sure all the filenames are appropriate.
Key Skill 23
Ensure your work is accurate and clear and is saved appropriately
You need to have achieved Key Skills 9 and 10. In addition your teacher needs to have verified that the work is both accurate and clear. This means they need to have supplied a written statement saying that the work is accurate. They cannot do this is there are any mistakes so check the work clearly.
6. Advantages and Disadvantages of using ICT for this task
Key Skill 11
Demonstrate knowledge of how IT can help you in your work and be able to compare your use of IT with other methods
- You need to write about how IT helped you to produce your presentation. This might include spell-check making sure that the words were spelt correctly, or the use of cut and paste to move objects around the page to try out different layouts.
- The second part of this Key Skill needs you to write about how else you might have done this presentation. You need to compare creating computer generated presentation with another method – maybe using a pen and pencil.
Key Skill 24
The advantages and disadvantages of using IT
- You need to list at least two advantages and two disadvantage of using IT to write the story.
Example
You might have used a pen and paper. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a pen and paper to write the story against using a computer?
- You must make sure that you have covered both the advantages and the disadvantages.
Example
Disadvantages might include cost of hardware software and peripherals or time spent learning how to use the programs needed to search, find and use information
7. The Importance of Copyright and Confidentiality
Key Skill 25
When it is necessary to observe copyright or confidentiality
- You need to write a few lines about copyright – what it is and how it affects you and the pictures you have found on the internet and CD/Clipart. You can present screen shots from the site showing copyright information or copies of emails sent and receiving permission to use graphics, text and photographs
- You can write about confidentiality – what it is and how it does/does not affect you. You could refer to the lack of personal information and the fact that the Data Protection Act (1998) does not affect you.
Example
You have not used pictures of yourself or other young people which could identify them
8. Error Handling and Virus Protection
Key Skill 26
How to identify errors and their causes
- You will need to show, using screenshots, of errors and how to solve them. This can show the use of the office assistant, or searching for a web page that returns a not known error. It could be a picture of the spell check – identifying a spelling error.
Key Skill 27
How to minimise risks from viruses
- You will need to provide a description of how to avoid getting viruses from floppy disks or from Internet downloads, including the purpose and use of virus checkers and how they prevent and remove a virus.
- A couple of paragraphs are all that is required.
9. Health and Safety Matters
Key Skill 12
Work safely and take care of equipment, avoid losing information and know how to get help when dealing with errors
You will need to write a paragraph about:
- Taking care of equipment e.g. storage of disks:
You must not put your disks near a magnet as this will delete the content, not throwing them around
- Avoiding loss of information e.g. use of AutoSave or backup.
Saving information onto disks as well as the account at school
- Obtaining help e.g. on-line help, telephone support or teacher assistance.
I could not work out how to adjust the margins so I used the online help (screenshots here……)
You need to show (through screenshots) that you have backed up your files.
Key Skill 28
How to work safely and minimise health risks
- You need to write a short paragraph about two health and two safety risks involved in using computers.
- You may write about the use of anti-glare screens and taking a break from using the computer to rest your eyes or wrists. You may write about repetitive strain injuries from not having the correct keyboard and backache from not having the correct chair. Think about the rules in your computer room - not drinking in a computer room, trailing cables or bags in the aisle.
Mark Grid
Use this section to tick off each mark as you think you achieve it. Remember you will need to get the Level 1 skill mark before you can collect the Level 2 mark
GCSE ICT Project 1A
Name: Gualm Mahmood
Candidate No. 9234
Centre No: 15223 Page: