Year 10 ICT
Brief summary of the syllabus:
All pupils will continue to follow a course leading to the OCR GCSE in ICT Specification B (1095). They will be expected to demonstrate ability in several areas of ICT including:
- 5.1 Core knowledge underpinning the use of ICT
- 5.2 Practical skills and understanding relating to the use of ICT applications
- 5.3 Functionality and purpose
- 5.4 Problem solving using ICT
- 5.5 Applications of ICT and their effects
What skills/attributes are being developed and examined?
Students develop theoretical knowledge and understanding by examining the general principles of information- processing in given situations and abstracting general principles from given examples. They identify a range of needs and opportunities, carry out systematic analysis, and design and evaluate effective ways of using ICT. Students use complex lines of enquiry to find and select information, using a wide range of resources.
Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the range and scope of information processing and communication applications and of the techniques and systems, including the software and hardware sub-systems needed to support them. They will use ICT terms and definitions appropriately and will be able to contrast and compare related ideas.
Students will use ICT to share, exchange and present work, demonstrating a clear sense of audience and purpose. They will discuss methods of detecting the loss or corruption of information and describe steps, which can minimise the likelihood of the abuse of personal information and reflect critically on their use of ICT and show understanding of the effects of its use in the wider world.
The skills and attributes will be examined through coursework and external examination, see Table 1:
| Year | Assessment Item | Weight |
|---|
| 10 | Coursework (5.3, 5.4, 5.5) | 60% |
|---|
| ICT B: Paper 1H (5.1, 5.2) - Key Skills Level 2 | 40% |
What can parents expect to see in class work generally and in homework specifically?
Class work and homework will contain a variety of approaches, ranging from short 'question and answer'; practical problem- solving and investigation, to extended pieces of work involving research and presentation of work using the computer for a particular audience.
What can parents do to help at this stage in this subject?
- Discuss the coursework project with your son. The pupil should be able to explain what he is trying to achieve, how he intends to do so and in what timescale. Ensure that he is keeping to the schedule by reviewing his progress in some detail. Read through the coursework document. Check with your son that he has completed each task by asking him to identify each item in the work.
- Ensure that examination preparation is well planned. The pupil should prepare revision notes from the textbook and his own class notes on each of the topics for the tests.
- Check your son's ICT file and ensure that it is well ordered and tidy.
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Setting and Course Schedule:
Pupils will study one double lesson each fortnight throughout Year 10. They will begin the year by starting the coursework. In the First half of the Summer Tterm pupils will prepare for the examination, which they will sit in the public examination block in May. They will then continue working on their coursework, which will be finalised for certification by the end of the year. Pupils will receive the GCSE ICT certificate with the rest of their GCSE certificates at the end of Year 11.
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Tests in ICT:
During the scheduled blocks it is envisaged that your son will have the opportunity to undertake examination practice tests drawn from past OCR papers and covering the entire breadth of the syllabus. These tests may be used to judge each boy's commitment to his revision. Tests will include elements to test their aptitude for ICT and Computing at A-Level.
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Revision:
Students will be expected to complete revision summaries for each of the chapters in the textbook and make use of other sources of information to clarify any weak areas they have identified. They will be expected to make use of relevant revision websites and end-of-chapter and section questions from the textbook.
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Pupil Target Setting:
Feedback from tests, examinations and homework highlight areas of the curriculum from which a boy can determine for himself those areas in which he is confident and those in which he is weak. Pupils are encouraged to formulate action plans which concentrate upon improving the weaker areas.
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Upper bBand gGrade dDescriptor:
Candidates show a good knowledge and understanding of the range and scope of information- processing and communication applications and of the techniques and systems, including the software and hardware sub-systems, needed to support them. They use ICT terms and definitions appropriately and are able to contrast and compare related ideas.
Candidates apply principles of information- processing to given situations and abstract principles from given examples. They identify a range of needs and opportunities, carry out systematic analysis, and design and evaluate effective ways of using ICT systems. Candidates evaluate information sources, software packages and computer models, analysing the situations for which they were developed and assessing their efficiency, appropriateness and ease of use.
Candidates use complex lines of enquiry to find and select information, using a wide range of sources. They explore, develop and interpret information to carry out a range of tasks and produce effective working solutions to a range of problems, including designing and implementing systems for others to use.
Candidates show efficiency and economy in developing, testing and refining sets of instructions to automate processes and to make things happen, including responding to external events. They use and develop computer models to investigate and test hypotheses.
Candidates use ICT to share, exchange and present work, demonstrating a clear sense of audience and purpose. They discuss methods of detecting the loss or corruption of information and describe the steps that can minimise the likelihood of abuse of personal information, and reflect critically on their use of ICT, showing understanding of the effects of its use in the wider world.
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POST - GCSE:
The GCSE ICT provides students with a good opportunity to demonstrate that they have developed the necessary skills in ICT and have the dedication to study the subject in the Sixth Form. It also provides students with a further opportunity to show an aptitude for Computing which is available in the Sixth Form as an AS/A2 course. The tables below set out the criteria by which the department bases its recommendation and acceptance of students for A -Level:
Applied ICT
| Criteria | Method of Assessment |
|---|
| Demonstrated ability to complete coursework to a high standard and to deadlines. | Profile comments' indicating the pupil produces coursework of a high standard. |
| Genuine interest in the use of ICT | Profile for ICT and interview by Head of Sixth Form. |
Computing
| Criteria | Method of Assessment |
|---|
| Mathematical logical thinking, problem- solving skills. Written and verbal communication skills. | Recommendation for Mathematics or Physics at A-Level or profile comments indicating excellent problem- solving and logical thinking skills.
Computing aptitude test results. |
| Genuine interest in Computing | Profile for ICT and interview by Head of Sixth Form. |
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