Software used: This is a simple statement saying what software you are going to use:
To solve the problem I will use a database and the one I am going to use is Microsoft Excel
Use Methods of Collecting Information
This section is about collecting information from the potential users of the system. There are 3 marks available for this section
Potential users are the people who will be using the system that you are creating.
What information do I need from them?
The potential user will need to be asked questions to do with the new system. The questions need to cover three main areas:
- What information is stored?
- What searches are done on the data?
- What output (reports/letters) are required?
What information is stored?
You need to find out the exact data that is stored by the potential user. For example, in a second hand car showroom, it would be the make, model, number of doors, colour, mileage, engine size, price, etc.
What searches/calculations are done on the data?
You need to find out what happens to the data that is collected. For example, in a second hand car showroom the searches might be – find cars under a certain price and mileage, to find blue ford cars, and so on.
What output (reports/letters) are required?
This is a list of the “output” requirements – what does the potential user need to get out of the system. For example, in a second hand car showroom the outputs might be a list of all cars in stock, or answers to customer queries about certain makes or models or specific accessories like Alloys or Central Locking
Collecting the Information
There is more than one method of collecting information from the potential users. You need to look at three different methods of collecting information. For each method you need to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each method. You need to end up making a decision as to which one you are going to use.
The main methods that you have of collecting information are:
- Interview
- Questionnaire
- Observation
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages – an interview requires time, a questionnaire might not be truthful, with observation you might not get to see what you need to see.
Use this template in the writing frame document to help you.
Once you have filled in the advantages and disadvantages of each method you must write a paragraph about the one that you are going to use giving the reasons for your choice. This may be a repetition of the advantages.
Use the document Researching Your Project to help you do a survey of three car sales staff at your chosen garage.
Identify the inputs, outputs and processing required
There are 3 marks available for this section. The marks are for describing the inputs, outputs and processing required by the current system – not the new system and suggesting a system specification to solve the problem
What are inputs, outputs and processing?
Inputs
These are anything that is put into the system. Inputs are most likely to be pieces of information. For example, with a second hand car dealership, the inputs will be all the information about a car.
Outputs
These are what comes out of the system – it could be letters, reports, graphs, etc. The outputs will be specific information. For example, in the second hand car dealership, one of the outputs will be information for customers about specific vehicles they are interested in.
Processing
This is what happens – actions within the system. For example, searching to find a vehicle costing less than £5000 would be – go to the filing cabinet find the all the record cards. Start with the first record and go through each record individually finding all those that cost less than £5000. Take them out of the records, photocopy the details and then put them back in their correct order in the filing cabinet The processing is searching and sorting
System Specification
For the final marks in this section you need to look at system specifications.
A systems specification is a list of hardware and software that you will use to solve the problem. You do not need to mention specific details (such as software names) – general types of software is all that is required.
The hardware specification needs to consider:
- Processor
- RAM
- Hard Disk Capacity
- Monitor Size
- Printer
- Internet connection(?)
- Network connection (?)
- Graphics
- Sound
- Addition – scanner, graphics tablet, etc.
The software specification is about listing different types of programs that could be used. For example, I need to use the search facility in the database but I could sort data in a spreadsheet or a word document
Design
The design is worth 6 marks. This is the section where you produce designs for three parts of the new system – the data structures and the user interface and specify some actual hardware and software to use.
The design is broken down into 4 sections.
- Produce designs for the data structure
- Produce designs for the user interface
- Produce software and hardware requirements
Produce designs for the data structure
The data structure is how the data used in the system is to be stored. For a database this is the design of the tables that hold the data
The database design needs to include the following:
-
Field Name: A name that identifies the data entered.
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Type: The type of character that will be entered into the field - Text (string), Integer, Boolean, Choice, Autonumber, Real, etc.
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Validation rules: How you will stop unrealistic information being entered – range, type, length, etc.
You need to show 3 alternative designs to gain the marks in this section. This should be done by hand with only the best design being used to implement your database.
Produce designs for the user interface
The user interface is a screen or form where the potential user interacts with the computer system. In a database it is the form they use to enter data.
You need to design the screen/form/letter – a hand drawn design is the best thing to do. The design should show what fonts and font sizes as well as any colours used
Again you need to design 3 alternatives.
Produce software and hardware requirements
This is almost a repetition of what you have done for the analysis section: Identify the inputs, outputs and processing required, with a little more detail being added.
You need to copy and paste what you have written for the earlier section and make sure that it appears twice – and then add some more detail to it here.
One difference is that whereas before you were talking about the software in general terms – word processor, database, etc, this time you can mention brand names – Word, Access, etc.
The other difference is the amount of software – you need to consider the operating system and any other software – compression software, e-mail etc.
You need to come up with three hardware specifications and three different software packages that you could use.
Implementation
The implementation is worth 7 marks. This is the section where you create the database.
The implementation is broken down into 3 sections:
- Implement their data structure
- Implement their form and output formats
- Use features of software appropriately
Implement their Data Structure
You need to produce a guide, which anyone can follow, detailing how you created the data structure. The idea of the guide is that someone who can use the computer can follow the guide and recreate the database.
The guide should contain text and screenshots of the creation.
Implement their Input and Output Formats
You need to produce a guide, which anyone can follow, detailing how you created the user screens (input). The idea of the guide is that someone who can use the computer can follow the guide and recreate the database/spreadsheet etc.
The guide should contain text and screenshots of the creation of the forms and the input screens.
You also need to identify any changes that you made to your Data Table structure such as Coding or abbreviating field names or validation rules added.
Use Features of Software Appropriately
This is a section that does not need you to write about it separately from the rest of your project.
This does not mean that you can just ignore it! The marks for this section are found by your teacher looking through the rest of your project. If they cannot find the evidence then you will not get the marks.
They will be looking for sorting and searching and graphing which must happen as part of the testing of your database.
Testing
The testing section is worth 6 marks. This is the section where you provide evidence that what you have created in the previous section actually works.
The implementation is broken down into two sections:
- Describe their testing
- Describe their results
Ideally the two testing sections should be done together as a single unit rather than as two separate parts. Although the two are separated below, at the bottom of this section there is an indication of how you can put the two together.
Describe their Testing/Results Together
It is possible to put the two testing sections together and to look at the as a single task.
Use the Test Plan in the VDrive as a guide and complete at least 8 tests of your data. This should include a sort, 5 searches and 2 validation rules tests.
Evaluation
This is the final section. There are 3 marks for the evaluation.
At the beginning of the project you set a problem. This is the point where you go back and see what you have done to solve the problem.
You need to list the problem and the user requirements (what you need to do to solve the problem) and against each one write a description of whether you have completed it or not and give some evidence (screenshots) to show that you have done it.
In the design section, you designed the data structure and user interface. You need to compare what you designed with what you created and write a paragraph saying if you achieved what you designed. Some screenshots may help.
In addition for the final marks you describe what your system could not do and what you could do to put it right.
Total marks available 31.
Project Work: OCR ICT GCSE Page:
