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GCE APPLIED ICT

OCR UNIT 1

Using ICT to Communicate

StudentWorkbook

OCR GCE Applied ICT UNIT 1: Student Workbook

We live in the Information Age. We are continuously being bombarded with information in many different forms.

In this unit you will learn about the technologies and methods used to communicate information. You will also learn how you can create documents that communicate effectively.

This is a mandatory AS unit. It provides the basis for all the other units.

For your portfolio of evidence you are required to produce:

A report comparing two types of business document from each of three organisations.

Six original communications for different purposes that demonstrate a range of writing and presentation styles and that would be communicated by different methods.

The subject of one of your communications needs to be the different methods of communicating information and the technologies that support them.

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The Information Age

Methods of communicating information

Use a table to create a summary of the advantages and the disadvantages of the following methods of communicating information:

Paper-based methods Screen-based methods SMS and MMS Radio Television Telephone Email The World Wide Web RSS feeds Blogs Podcasts Virtual learning environments Real time information systems

Mobile phone services

The Telecoms Advice website (www.telecomsadvice.org.uk) gives information on mobile phones and provides links to the suppliers of mobile phone services.

Your task is to make use of this and other websites to produce an information sheet on 3G mobile phones. You should include information on the capabilities of the technology and how it can benefit both individual and businesses users.

PDA research

PDA's are a rapidly evolving mobile computing technology. Your task is to investigate the range of PDA's currently on the market and to produce an information sheet describing their capabilities and uses. You should illustrate your information sheet with appropriate pictures.


http://www.telecomsadvice.org.uk/


Technical terms

Explain the meaning of the following technical terms:

3G Blu-ray Broadband

CD-R CD-ROM CD-RW

DAB Digital TV DVD

GPRS Internet ISDN

Local Area Network mp3 MPEG

Netbook Notebook Computer Multimedia

PDA Peripheral Device Touch Screen

Wide Area Network Wi-Fi



Communication of Information

Writing for a purpose

1. Read the Plain English Online Guide "How to write in plain English" (www.plainenglish.co.uk/files/howto.pdf)

2. Show that you are able to write documents for a range of purposes by producing the following documents.

Directions to your house.

A letter to a business requesting more information and an application form for a job you have seen advertised in your local newspaper.

A short review for a broadsheet newspaper of a TV programme or film that you have recently seen.

For each document that you have produced, explain how you have made appropriate use of language to meet the needs of your readers.

Communicating effectively

Your task is to find examples of the following types of document.

A newspaper advertisement for second-hand goods An agenda for a meeting The minutes of a meeting An email you have received from a commercial organisation

You may find it easier to find suitable documents if you work in a small group of 2 or 3.

You should rewrite each of the documents so that they communicate information more effectively. You could try using shorter sentences and simpler words. You could change words for more appropriate ones.

Document structure

You can work in a small group of 2 or 3 for this task.

Find an example of a document that meets each of the purposes listed in the worksheet on the next page of this workbook. Share your documents with the



rest of your group and complete the worksheet to produce a summary of the documents.



Document purpose

Description of document

Intended audience

How the writing style & document structure meet

the document purpose

Attracting

attention

Setting out

facts clearly



Document purpose


Intended audience

How the writing style & document structure meet

the document purpose

Writing to

impress

Collecting

information





Document purpose


Intended audience

How the writing style & document structure meet the document purpose

Explaining

technical

information

Summarising

information



Accuracy and Readability

1. What types of words may not be in the main dictionary of Microsoft Word? Give two examples of each type of word that you have identified that do not appear in the main dictionary of Microsoft Word.

2. Use an online dictionary to find the meaning of the following words: accuracy document language presentation style

3. Describe the types of mistakes that can be corrected using grammar checking software.

4. Use the standard proof-reading symbols to annotate the changes that need to be made to the proof reading task on the next page of this workbook.

5. You have checked the readability of a report you have written for this course and found that it has a Flesch Reading Ease Score of 40. Explain what is meant by the Flesch Reading Age Score and if your document is suitable for its intended audience.

6. You have written an article on the latest developments in mobile phone technology for a magazine that is read by young teenagers. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade for the article is 11. Explain what is meant by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade and if your document is suitable for its intended audience.



Proof reading task:

Advice for computer users

Adjust your chair and monitor or VDU) until you find the most comfortable working

position. as a rough guide your forearms should be almost horizontal and and

your eyes should be about the same height as the top of yourmonitor.

Make sure that you have enough space for any documents you are using.

Arrange your desk and monitor to avoid any glare from the sun or artificial

lighting.Adjust curtains or blinds as necessary

Make sure that there is space under your desk, table or workstaion so that you

can move your legs.Avoid excess pressure from the edge of your seat on the

back of your legs and knees.

Leave space on your desk in front of your keyboard so their is space to rest your

hands when not typing.

Dont grip your mouse to tightly. Rest your fingers lightly the buttons do not press

them to hard

Make sure that the surface of your monitor screen is clean. Adjust the brightness

and conttrast to suit the conditions in the room.

Don’t sit in the same position for long periods of time. Make sure that you have

taken a break from usingthe screen. Many short brakes are better than few long

breaks.



Styles of Presentation

Creating an effective page layout

1. Explain the meaning of the following terms:

Margin

Header

Footer

Widow

Orphan

Gutter margin

2. Find an example of a document that makes use of either a header or footer. Annotate the document by highlighting each item of information placed in the header or footer. Explain why the author of the document has chosen to use the header or footer.

Creating suitable textual styles

Write a definition for each of the following terms:

Serif font Sans serif font

Subscript

Superscript

Paragraphs

1. Describe the appearance of justified text.

2. When and why may you choose to have central, vertical alignment of text?

3. Why is hyphenation used with justified text?

4. What is the purpose of the tab key?



5. What type of tab should be used to format the price of meals on a menu?

6. What is the purpose of creating a bulleted list?

7. What is the name given to each box in a table?

8. Use the AutoFormat Table feature in Word to create a league table for a

sports competition involving six teams.



Features for developing special presentation styles

1. Explain the meaning of the term 'watermark'. Why may a watermark be used on a document?

2. Why would you choose to use a text box?

3. Explain the meaning of the terms 'footnote' and 'endnote'.

4. Identify software features in Microsoft Word that can be used to automate the production of a long document.

Creating a slide show

Your task is to experiment with different presentation styles by producing aslide show to give information about your GCE ICT course. The slide show isto be used at an open evening for prospective students and their parents atyour school or college.

The slide show must meet the following design brief:

The slide show should give information on: The units covered The method of assessment Accessing the elearning materials used to deliver the course Reasons for choosing the course Career opportunities for those who successfully complete the course

The slide show should include: Suitable clipart Digital photographs showing students at work on the course Photographs from the Internet showing ICT being used in the world of

work A pie chart showing the proportion of tested and portfolio assessments

Before you start work on your slide show you should plan your slides by producing a storyboard.



How Organisations Present Information

1. On the next page of this workbook you will find a letter from Stourgrove Travel. Annotate the letter to identify the position of key items of information.

2. Find an example of a document that has been created by a business. Annotate the document to identify the position of the key items of information.

3. When you work on your assessment for this unit you will be creating documents that demonstrate a range of writing and presentation styles. A collection of stimulus materials will help you with this work. Your task is to collect at least 8 documents that have been produced by organisations for a range of different purposes.

4. Select three of the documents you have collected. For each document:

Describe its purpose, content and layout Evaluate good and bad points about the writing and presentation

style Comment on the suitability for purpose Suggest how it could be improved

5. Collect three examples of different documents that have been produced by the same organisation.

Write a short report to describe how the documents have been designed to help project the identity or the organisation.



STOURGROVE TRAVEL47 High Street, Stourgrove, B132 2ED

Miss Kate Kelvin1 The LarchStourgroveB131 6TQ

14th June 2008

Dear Miss Kelvin

Re: Your holiday booking

Please find enclosed your itinerary and tickets for your forthcoming holiday. Would you please check the details carefully and contact me at the earliest possible opportunity if you think that any aspect of your holiday booking is incorrect.

We sometimes find that our customers arrive at the airport without a valid passport. We advise that all members of your travel group check that the expiry dates on their passports cover the full duration of the holiday.

Wishing you an enjoyable and relaxing break.

Yours sincerely

Nicola YoungTravel Sales Executive

Enc: ItineraryTravel ticketsHotel voucher

ABTA Member, for your protection.


ST


Your portfolio of evidence

Introduction

For your portfolio of evidence you are required to produce:

A report comparing two types of business document from each of three organisations.

Six original communications for different purposes that demonstrate a range of writing and presentation styles and that would be communicated by different methods.

The subject of one of your communications needs to be the different methods of communicating information and the technologies that support them.

Self-assessment reviews

The self-assessment review show you what you need to be able to do to achieve different grades. When you started working on this unit you should have assessed your skills, knowledge and understanding of ‘Using ICT to Communicate’ by completing the 'Start of Unit' column.

When you think you have finished your portfolio tasks you should complete the 'End of Unit' column. It will help you to identify any further work that needs to be completed to achieve your target grade.

You should also number each page of evidence in your portfolio and record the location of your evidence in the 'Page Number(s)' column.

Planning and deadlines

If you are to achieve your target grade, it is important that you plan your work and meet deadlines. If you leave work until the last moment before a deadline it is likely to be rushed, lack detail and omit key items from the assessment grading criteria.

The calendar, diary and planner tools will help you to plan and meet your deadlines.



Reviewing documents

You are required to produce a report that compares two types of business document from each of three organisations.

There are 7 marks available for this task.

You should:

Identify two different types of business document. Ask your teacher or tutor if your chosen document types are suitable

for this task. Collect three examples of each document from different

organisations. Write your report.

To achieve high marks for this task you must:

Describe in detail the layout and purpose of each of the six collected documents.

Provide a critical analysis of the documents, including comparison of the writing and presentation styles of similar items.

Provide a critical analysis of their suitability for purpose and use of house style.

Explain how each document could be improved in relation to its purpose.

Produce a report that is consistently well structured with few, if any, spelling, punctuation and grammar errors.



Use this prompt sheet when you are describing the presentation styles used in a document.

Page Layout:

Paper Size Page Orientation MarginGutter Margin Header FooterWidow Orphan

Textual Style:

Font Serif Font Sans Serif FontPoint Size Bold ItalicUnderline Heading SubscriptSuperscript Text Orientation On-screen Animation

Paragraph Format:

Horizontal Alignment Left RightCentred Justified Line SpacingHyphenation Tabulation IndentParagraph Spacing Numbered Paragraphs Bullet PointsTable Vertical Alignment

Special Styles:

Text Colour Watermark ShadingBorder Line Page BorderText Box Contents Page IndexAppendix Bibliography FootnoteEndnote

Graphics:

Auto Shape Line ArrowDrawing WordArt ClipArtPicture Shadow 3D ShapeGraph Chart Caption

Position:

Name Contact Details LogoDate Reference Sign OffSignature



Creating documents

You must produce six original communications.

The communications should:

Be for different purposes. Demonstrate a range of writing and presentation styles.

Be communicated by different methods.

Out of the six communications:

One must be about the different methods of communicating information and the technologies that support them.

One could be a report or other major document from another unit in this ICT course.

The remaining documents could be;

Either

Documents of your own choice.

Or

Communications from the Leisure Survey Task



A communication about the different methods of communicating information and the technologies that support them

You can achieve up to 6 marks by describing, in detail, at least six methods of communicating information, explaining how each is used and explaining the technologies used to support each.

Planning and development work

You should include in your work:

A bibliography to show your sources of information. Plans and annotated draft copies of your

documents/communications to show their development to meet their purpose.

There are 10 marks available for this work.

To achieve high marks you must:

List all your information sources in a detailed bibliography. Produce detailed plans for all of your communications. Make good use of standard formats. Organise a variety of different types of information in a coherent and

easy to read way. Show, by presenting annotated draft copies, that;

you have checked the accuracy of the layout and content of your work ,

made good use of standard formats, you have proof read your work to ensure that information is

placed in appropriate positions and that the content is correct and meaningful,

you have developed each communication to a achieve a consistent style.



Final versions of the documents

Your portfolio of evidence should include final versions of your documents/communications that meet their intended purpose.


To achieve high marks you show how how have located, adapted and combined information to create six consistently professional standard communications that are well designed, coherent and easy to read.

Using a range of software tools and techniques

Your work should make appropriate use of a range of software tools and techniques to achieve the desired impact in your communications.


To achieve high marks you must:

Show effective use of a range of a wide range of software tools and techniques including; text styles, page layout and paragraph formatting, combining formatted text, graphics (photographs, clipart, line drawings, graphs and charts), tables, borders, shading, sound and video clips to suit the purpose of each communication and demonstrably improve its impact.

Show effective skills in the appropriate use of a range of different software facilities to automate aspects of your communications.



Evaluating your documents and your performance

You are required to produce an evaluation of:

The six documents/communications you have created. Your performance in completing the task.

There are 7 marks available for this task.

To achieve high marks for you must:

Identify the strengths and weaknesses in the initial drafts of your communications.

Identify how you have refined your communications to meet their purpose more closely.

Produce an analysis of your experiences while comparing and creating publications and suggest how you might approach a similar task in future.



Leisure Survey Task

Scenario:

Your local council is concerned that there are insufficient leisure facilities and leisure opportunities available in your area for young people in the 16 to 19 age group. You have been commissioned to survey how young people spend their leisure time and the new opportunities they would like to have made available.

You have been asked to report the results of your survey to a meeting of local councillors and community leaders. A computer and digital projector will be available at the meeting. The meeting will make recommendations for improving the facilities and opportunities available to young people.

You have also been commissioned to produce a what's on guide for your area.

Preparation:

To help you with the style of writing, presentation styles and layouts used in standard documents you should collect examples of the following.

Forms and questionnaires Business letters

Agenda for meetings

What’s on guides



What you need to do:

1. You need to produce a questionnaire to survey how young people spend their leisure time and the new facilities and opportunities they would like to see made available.

You should ask a representative selection of people in the target age group to complete your questionnaire.

You will need to analyse the responses to your questions and use your findings to create a presentation for the meeting.

2. You have been asked to call a meeting to report the results of your survey. Local councillors and community leaders are to be invited to attend the meeting.

A computer and digital projector will be available in the meeting room. You will present your findings to the meeting with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation. The presentation should make use of graphs and charts and appropriate pictures. Your slides will need to make appropriate use of language and presentation styles and have a pleasing mix of page layout, text and graphics.

When you have given your presentation, the audience will be able to ask you questions. The meeting will then discuss your findings and make recommendations for improving the leisure facilities and opportunities available to young people.

You need to produce:

The letter of invitation to the meeting An agenda for the meeting

The PowerPoint presentation

3. You need to produce a what’s on guide for your local area. The target audience for your guide is young people in the 16 to 19 age group.

You will need to decide on the page layout for the guide. It could be printed on A4 and folded to produce a leaflet or it could be an A5 booklet.

The guide will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your skills in using graphics to improve a presentation.
