BTEC Level 3 Courses.

We offer single and double award BTEC Level 3 in Information and Creative Technology. Both of these are new two year courses and will provide our students with good qualifications to allow them to enter further study at University or enter the world of work.

Overview of BTEC Level 3 in Information and Creative Technology

The units being studied in the Single Award are:

Unit 1 Information Technology Systems

This unit is externally assessed through a written examination set and marked by Pearson.

The examination is two hours in length. Learners will be assessed on their understanding of

computer systems and the implications of their use in personal and professional situations.

Unit 2 Creating Systems to manage Information

This unit is externally assessed through a task set and marked by Pearson.

The set task will be completed under supervised conditions for 10 hours in a one-week period set by Pearson, which can be arranged over a number of sessions.

The set task will assess learners’ ability to design, create, test and evaluate a relational database system to manage information.

Unit 3 Using Social Media in Business

This unit is internally assessed and students will explore the impact of social media on the ways in which businesses promote their products and services. Students will also develop and implement a plan to use social media in a business to meet the user’s requirements.

Unit 6 Website Development

This unit is externally assessed. Students will review existing websites – commenting on their overall design and effectiveness. Scripting languages will be used such as Hypertext

Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript® and a simple text editor, or rapid application development tools. Students will reflect on the website design and functionality using a testing and review process. This unit will help students understand the principles of website development and they will design a website to meet client requirements.

The additional units being studied in the Double Award course are:

Unit 4 Programming

This unit is internally assessed. You will learn about computational thinking skills and the principles of designing and developing computer programs. You will apply computational thinking skills to design, develop, test, refine and review computer programs for a given range of purposes. By developing your analytical, problem-solving and programming skills, this unit will help you to progress to higher education or to employment as a software developer.

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Unit 5 Data Modelling

This unit is internally assessed, and you will investigate the fundamentals of the decision-making process. You will find out how using data modelling provides the computational ability to compare consequences and determine a preferred course of action. You will develop the skills and techniques necessary to create complex spreadsheets in order to produce accurate information that informs decision making. You will examine a scenario and then design, develop and test a spreadsheet; you will review your spreadsheet and make refinements based on user feedback, providing an evaluation of the effectiveness of the alternatives produced. The skills developed in this unit are useful for progression to computing or business-related higher education courses and for use in decision making in the workplace.

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Unit 9 Project Management

This unit is internally assessed. You will investigate the principles of project management and different project management methodologies, as used in the IT industry. You will deliver an IT project using at least one project management methodology and complete the five main stages of a project. You will initiate the project by researching a problem and using your creative skills to generate a range of solutions, undertaking a feasibility study to select an appropriate solution and outline the requirements of the project. You will undertake the planning, execution, and monitoring and control stages of the project, either through simulation or by undertaking a major project as part of your BTEC course, which could

involve the integration of several units. You will close the project by reflecting on the success of the project outcome and your personal performance. The analytical and problem-solving skills and knowledge you gain in this unit will prepare you for entry to higher education to study a range of degrees. The unit will help you when entering an IT apprenticeship or the workplace, for example working alongside a project manager.

Unit 11 Cyber security Incident Management

This unit is externally assessed. You will examine the many different types of cyber security attacks, the vulnerabilities that exist in networked systems and the techniques that can be used to defend an organisation’s networked systems. You will investigate the techniques used to assess risks and ways of planning to deal with the results of a cyber security incident and recover systems following an incident. You will examine scenarios, carry out risk assessments and prepare protection plans before protecting networked systems. You will also examine evidence from cyber security incidents and relevant security documentation, using the evidence to make recommendations for improvement. To complete the assessment tasks within this unit, you will need to draw on your learning from across your programme.