Key Stage 4 Subject content
Pearson BTEC Level 1/2 Award in Digital Information Technology
The BTEC Level 1/2 Award in Digital Information Technology is a 2 year course which pupils select as an option at the end of KS3. Pupils will complete the qualification over 150 hours of Total Qualification Time with 120 hours of Guided Learning Hours.
Pupils have the opportunity to study Digital Information Technology at sufficient depth to allow them to progress to higher levels of study or to a professional career.
Pupils will be taught to:
- Develop their capability, creativity and knowledge in digital media and information technology
- Develop and apply their analytic, problem-solving, design, and computational thinking skills Understand how changes in technology affect safety, including new ways to protect their online privacy and identity, and how to identify and report a range of concerns.
- Undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users
- Create, re-use, revise and re-purpose digital artefacts for a given audience, with attention to trustworthiness, design and usability
- Understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct and know how to report concerns.
What is taught in Digital Information Technology?
The Tech Award gives learners the opportunity to develop sector-specific applied knowledge and skills through realistic vocational contexts. The main focus is on four areas of equal importance, which cover the:
- Development of key skills that prove your aptitude in digital information technology, such as project planning, designing and creating user interfaces and dashboards as a way to present and interpret data
- Process that underpins effective ways of working in digital information technology, such as project planning, the iterative design process, cyber security, virtual teams, legal and ethical codes of conduct
- Attitudes that are considered most important in digital information technology, including personal management and communication
- Knowledge that underpins effective use of skills, process and attitudes in the sector such as how different user interfaces meet user needs, how organisations collect and use data to make decisions, virtual workplaces, cyber security and legal and ethical issues.
This Tech Award complements the learning in GCSE programmes such as GCSE Computer Science. It is an introduction to the application of project planning techniques to plan, design and develop a user interface, how to collect, present and interpret data and the use of digital systems.
There are 3 Components which pupils have to study and complete. The required knowledge of the 3 Components can be found on the specification here.
The Components are as follows:
Pearson BTEC Level 1/ Level 2 Tech Award in Digital Information Technology
|
Component number
|
Component title
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GLH
|
Level
|
How assessed
|
1
|
Exploring User Interface Design Principles and Project Planning Techniques
|
36
|
1/2
|
Internal
|
2
|
Collecting, Presenting and Interpreting Data
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36
|
1/2
|
Internal
|
3
|
Effective Digital Working Practices
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48
|
1/2
|
External Synoptic
|
Learners are required to complete and achieve all the three components in the qualification.
As well as the above, pupils will complete some formative assessments for mid-year and mock exams in Year 10 and 11. These will either be PSA practice tasks or past exam papers.