Introduction/course overview

This a new and exciting 2-year program (first exam is in June 2020) being offered. It seeks to introduce students to the digital sector which will ensure they gain important knowledge, understanding and skills that are foundations for working in the area. It includes many of the skills that are used by professionals on a day to day basis, such as project planning, designing and creating user interfaces along with keeping data secure. It will allow the learner to learn about virtual workplaces, cyber security and legal issues, with the opportunity to apply these in realistic scenarios

Click here for the BTEC Tech Award in Digital Information Technology Purpose Statement

The relevance of the subject

The digital sector is a major source of employment in the UK, with 1.46 million people working in digital companies and around 45,000 digital jobs advertised at any one time. Digital skills span all industries; almost all jobs in the UK today require employees to have a good level of digital literacy. The UK has positioned itself to be the ‘digital capital of Europe’ as it continues to invest billions every year in digital skills and commerce.

Year 9/10 KS4 curriculum

The curriculum consists of 3 components that learners are required to complete within a suggested time frame. The components are as follow:

Component 3 is the exam component which learners are required to sit in either February or May. The externally-assessed component is marked and awarded on a continuum using grading descriptors set at Level 1 Pass, Level 2 Pass and Level 2 Distinction. The outcome is reported at six grade points from Level 1 Pass to Level 2 Distinction. Learners will also receive a point score. The qualification is graded over seven grades from Level 1 Pass to Level 2 Distinction*. Learners must achieve all components at Level 1 Pass or above in order to be awarded a qualification.

Assessment

The qualification consists of three components that give learners the opportunity to develop broad knowledge and understanding of the digital sector and specialist skills and techniques in project planning, designing user interfaces and manipulating and interpreting data at Levels 1 and 2.

Internal assessment

Components 1 and 2 are assessed through internal assessment. Internal assessment for these components have been designed to relate to achievement of application of the conceptual underpinning for the sector through realistic tasks and activities. This style of assessment promotes deep learning through ensuring the connection between knowledge and practice. The components focus on:

• the development of core knowledge and understanding of different types of user interfaces, how user interface design principles are used to meet the needs of different users, and how organisations collect, manipulate and interpret data to draw conclusions and make decisions

• the development and application of skills such as project planning, iterative design of a user interface, using data manipulation tools to create a dashboard, interpreting and drawing conclusions from data

• reflective practice through the development of skills and techniques that allow learners to respond to feedback on their design for a user interface and to identify areas for improvement.

Synoptic external assessment

Component 3 builds directly on Components 1 and 2 and enables learning to be brought together and applied to realistic contexts.

Component 3: Effective Digital Working Practices, requires learners to analyse and interpret information in relation to different scenarios and to draw on knowledge, understanding and skills such as the project planning process, interface design, collection and use of data, when making recommendations on working practices related to design, project organisation, cyber security and legal and ethical issues.