Monday 06 February 2012
GCSE Information and Communication Technology

Computers are widely used in all aspects of government, business, industry, education, leisure and the home. In this increasingly technological age, a study of Information and Communication Technology and particularly how computers are used in the solution of a variety of problems, is not only valuable to you as students, but also essential for your future career. GCSE ICT is concerned with studying the underlying principles of problem solving using computers and the principle trends of current computer usage.
 


The GCSE IT course is suitable for all students who are well motivated and enjoy IT, as the coursework required is a major commitment. Students are required to have access outside school to a Pentium level PC running Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista, printer and Microsoft Office 2000 or a later version.
 
THE COURSE
 
In this course you will investigate and study Information Technology in a variety of applied contexts; home, school, recreation, community, business and industry. In these contexts, you are given opportunities to acquire competence, capability and critical skills through creation, implementation, use and evaluation of a range of information systems.
 
Your work is assessed in two ways
 
1. Through an external examination carrying 40% of the total marks
2. Using coursework carrying 60% of the total marks
 
THE EXAM 40%
 
You will sit the external exam in the month of May or June in Year 11. Throughout the course you will work from textbooks for about one third of your lesson time, covering various aspects of IT Theory, to make sure that you are fully prepared for the exam. Working well in the coursework will also help you a lot with the theory for the exam. You will be regularly given theory homework from the textbook, so by the time you sit the exam you will be well prepared.
 
THE COURSEWORK
 
This is the most important aspect of the course. The coursework is in two parts:
 
1. An assignment set by the Examination Board (AQA) 30%
 
The AQA Set Assignment is sent to schools at the start of the course, and consists of a description of a situation where the appropriate use of IT will solve some given problems. You will be required to produce a report which will demonstrate your ability to analyse a problem, and so identify requirements, and make appropriate use of IT in providing solutions which you will then design, implement, test and evaluate.
 
2. A project that you will identify and solve 30%
 
For this project the Exam Board require you to submit a report on an investigation into a problem and the implementation of its solution. The problem should be of a realistic nature and you take on the role of a System Analyst.
 
The coursework allows you to experience an appropriate variety of roles relevant to Information Technology: user, designer, maker, manager and client. We will spend about two thirds of your lesson time on your coursework, and as IT is a practical subject, most of this time will be spent with you working at a computer. You will also be expected to continue and develop related ongoing tasks at home.