PC Passport in IT progression

1.  PC Passport in IT progression Eric Forrester Irene Cunningham Kirsten Craig Lewis MacLean Bishopbriggs Academy

2. Our origins Bishopbriggs High School Thomas Muir High School Bishopbriggs Academy 2006

3. Our origins Bishopbriggs High School Thomas Muir High School No ICT course in S1 or S2 Standard Grade Computing Studies Higher • ICT course in S2 in rota with Bus Ed and Technical • Access 3/Intermediate 1 course over S3 – S4 • Standard Grade Computing Studies • Intermediate 2 Computing in S5 • PC Passport Intermediate in S5 • Higher Computing • Advanced Higher

4. Progression Pathways Bishopbriggs Academy Common S1/2 course taught by Bus Ed and Computing Standard Grade Computing Studies Higher Advanced Higher • Access 3 leading to Intermediate 1 • Intermediate 2 • Higher • PC Passport: Intermediate

5. Progression Pathways Bishopbriggs Academy PC Passport: Beginners Standard Grade Computing Studies Higher Advanced Higher • Access 3 leading to Intermediate 1 • Intermediate 2 • Higher • PC Passport: Intermediate

6. PC Passport: Beginners • Delivered the original PC Passport: Beginners course in 2006/7 to S1/2 • 1 period per week in S1/2 by Business Education and Computing staff. • SQA published the ‘refreshed’ specifications mid 2007 • East Dunbarton Council set up a working group to develop materials for refreshed course.

7. Working Group • Remit – To develop a full range of teaching and learning materials for the refreshed PC Passport awards • Members drawn from Computing and Business Education departments of: • Bishopbriggs Academy • Boclair Academy • Kirkintilloch High School • St Ninian’s High School

8. Working Group • Initial work was on the Beginners award – specifically aimed at the S1/2 pupils • Pupil work books • Teacher materials –lesson plans, presentations, checklists • Practical exercises • Pupil log books • Interactive revision exercises using Content Generator • ‘Fling the teacher’, Penalty shoot out’, ‘Hoop shoot’, ‘Fencing’, ‘Grade or no Grade’ and ‘Walk the Plank’ • Our Probationer has added ‘IT Bingo’ and ‘Battleships’

9. Beginners’ Award in Practice • 120 hour course, but believed we could complete it in 80 hours over S1 and S2. • Unfortunately you don’t get 80 hours over S1 and S2! - If you are lucky you have just 60 hours available for teaching! • As a result we now only deliver the Introduction to IT Systems and Introduction to IT Software unitsin S1 and S2.

10. Beginners’ Award in Practice • Delivering a course 1 period per week makes it very long and drawn out. • However the interactive revision exercises have helped keep the course going. • We are hoping that the reduced course will not take up all of the time in S1 and S2 and we will have time left to explore other topics.

11. Beginners’ Award in Practice • Assessment: • Introduction to IT Systems • One multi-choice test • One practical task – We could not complete the original practical task because of restrictions on the Authority’s networks – Had to obtain ‘SQA Prior Verification’ for a modified assessment that we can run. • Introduction to IT Software • One multi-choice test • One practical task with 5 elements – at one period per week this can take a very long time to complete!

12. Beginners’ Award in Practice • Current S2 are now finishing the first full cycle of the course. • Consequences: • Most pupils now have good skills in Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Graphics and Managing the Operating System. • They have completed so much of the Standard Grade Computing Studies course that we are no longer going to offer it in S3/4! • We are now offering Intermediate 2 Computing instead to provide a better progression path for the ‘Credit’ pupils.

13. Progression Pathways 2009 - Bishopbriggs Academy PC Passport: Beginners Intermediate 2 Computing Higher Advanced Higher • Access 3 leading to Intermediate 1 • Intermediate 2 • Higher • PC Passport: Intermediate

14. Questions? • Is PC Passport: Beginners a good choice for an S1/2 course? • Does it meet the needs of the pupils? • Can pupils progress from it to other Computing and Business Education courses? • Is it suitable for the pupils who require additional support? • Is it suitable for ‘gifted’ pupils?

15. Working Group • In 2008 the Working Group moved on to develop materials for the Intermediate award • (One member is developing materials for Advanced award) • Materials aimed at S5/6

16. Intermediate Award in Practice • Course members: • Pupils with Intermediate1, Foundation and General Computing and Administration • Pupils who have not taken a Computing or Business Education course before but want/need to learn Computing skills • Pupils who have ‘dropped out’ of Higher Computing • Timetable fillers

17. Intermediate Award in Practice • Timetabled for 6 periods per week allowing ample time to complete the 3 ½ units that make up the course. • Taught in the order: • Word Processing and Presenting Information • Spreadsheets and Databases • IT Systems • Internet and On-line Communications

18. Intermediate Award in Practice • Assessment – Multi-choice test plus: • WP and Presenting Information – Two related practical tasks • DB and Spreadsheet – Two related practical tasks (Make sure you save a copy after every step in DB task – otherwise it cannot be completed!) • IT Systems – One information gathering task • Internet and On-line Communications – Investigation of 3 communications methods and one practical task using one of these methods

19. Personal Perspectives • Kirsten and Lewis • Our previous experience • Why we chose the course • What we have got out of the course • Our future?

20. Intermediate Award in Practice • Course will take a year or two for its value to be recognised by the pupils, employers and the school. • There is a demand for the Advanced level – Its inclusion would complete our progression pathways - but as yet the numbers are too small for the school to add it to the timetable

21. What Next? • Is there a place for PC Passport in the S1 – S3 Curriculum for Excellence? • Possibly - with the removal of the formal assessment for certification and with extensions such as animation • Is there a place for PC Passport from S4 – S6? • Probably – as PC Passport was written to meet the needs of the workplace – not the needs of the school.