Research Skills Guide

An overview and 6 step guide [similar to the Systems Life Cycle Model] leading the student through the initial analysis, sourcing & gathering information, designing the solution, implementing it and evaluating the result.

Internet Research Form

A simple form to guide students through each web search they complete. They are encouraged to consider mutiple search engines such as www.dogpile.com , www.search.com and www.vivisimo.com

Library Research Form

Almost identical to the internet form except that students are asked to search the library database and record the Dewey Decimal no before noting useful books and content they can use.

People Research Form

This form encourages students to think of questions they might ask of a knowledge expert and can be used as an exercise about making up questionnaires and how to word sets of questions for maximum effect and return of information.

Researching the Internet

We all know that many students don't use the Internet effectively.

This four page resource guides students in research techniques that will make their time online more productive.

Web page evalutation checklist

This is an excellent checklist whic could be used with students to encourage them to evaluate the websites they are using.

All too often our students don't question what they are seeing online and this is a skill which we need to help them develop.

Core rules of netiquette

This is a superb resources which draws attention to how people should behave and interact when using the Internet.

It would be well worth the time going through this document with all students.

Systems Life Cycle

A well written Powerpoint which introduces the theoretical aspects of the Systems Life Cycle and incorporates visual markers for each part of the cycle to broaden its appeal as a learning tool.

Data Flow Diagrams

Another superb presentation which helps to explain this often difficult to grasp topic. It should help 6th form students understand and be able to construct a simple Level 1 DFD diagram

Using algorithms as a problem solving tool

This is a full unit of work on how to develop Algorithms and use them as a problem solving tool within project assignments. This can be used as an independent unit of study by students or as a teacher led unit of work.

RDBMS

This presentation should be used over an entire unit to introduce all the facets involved in conceptualising, designing and implementing a relational databse.

Although it gives a very clear introduction to difficult concepts such as normalisation, other resources should be used in conjunction with this resource to give students as much practical experience as possible.

If and when students are producing a solution to a database problem in a piece of coursework, this presentation along with the ones on the Systems Life Cycle and DFD's work very well with each other to give the students all the tools they need to document a project correctly and ensure that they have included all that is expected of them.

The topic of Computer Systems covers both Hardware and Software issues. In order for students to successfully understand how ICT is used throughout society they must first have a good grasp of how computer systems function.
These resources can be used as a complete introduction to any ICT course at GCSE or GCE level.

Although they are fairly in depth they can be made available for students to revisit at any time throughout their course to review the materials and assist in the understanding of the concepts of Computing systems and how they relate to the application of ICT within society. The Software presentation has links to question sets at the end of every major section.

Introduction to Hardware

This is a comprehensive powerpoint presentation on Hardware that students could take at their own pace (60 slides)

Introduction to software

This is a comprehensive powerpoint presentation on Software that students could take at their own pace (63 slides) plus links to a set of exercises at the end

Hardware exercise

High level languages

Input - Processing - Output

OS Specialist Functions

Processing Review

Special Functions

The Filing System

The Operating System

Working with and storing Binary

Coursework advice document

This coursework advice document provides a lot of information, support and advice that students would find extremely useful

Coursework literary advice document

This is a very useful exercise to give students to test their levels of literacy and to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the sections within a project; where and when they should be considered and what types of information are required if they are to be documented fully.

Having been given a homework assignment of reading through the Coursework Guidelines document and understanding what is involved, this exercise makes for a good introduction to a lesson to test their ability to undertake such a task.

Ritchie has developed a complete set of exemplar materials for GCSE. They are of a very high standard and should help to give you some ideas for things to try with your students.

Although these materials were developed specifically with GCSE students in mind, they have sufficient depth to ably support students at AS and A2 level who need advice regarding the required content of reports, ideas about how to layout a report or indeed structure one.

If you let your students view these materials, it is essential that they are reminded that plagiarism is not tolerated by Exam Boards and they should not attempt to replicate any of the materials therein, word for word.

Athough project guidelines have been listed within Section 2 of each of the examplar projects, students will benefit greatly if they use these exemplars in conjunction with the coursework advice document published above. Indeed using these documents together should supply the student with sufficient support to document an excellent coursework report.

GCSE ICT Spreadsheet Exemplar Coursework Documentation

GCSE ICT Exemplar Spreadsheet Model

Exemplar presentation coursework (pdf)

Options Night Brochure (pdf)

Options Night Brochure (pub)

Options Night Brochure (black and white pdf)

Options Night Presentation (PPS)

Options Night Presentation (pdf)