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Moderator’s Commentary
GCE in Applied ICT
OCR Advanced Subsidiary GCE in Applied ICT: H115/H315 Candidate A: Unit G040: Using ICT to communicate

© OCR 2011

Contents
Contents Introduction Moderator’s Commentary: Candidate A G040: Using ICT to communicate G040 – Assessment Evidence Grid 2 3 4 8

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Introduction
This exemplar material serves as a general guide. It provides the following benefits to a teacher:   gives teachers an appreciation of the type of work that can be produced for this unit shows how the mark scheme has been applied by a senior assessor.

It is important to make the point that the teacher support materials play a secondary role to the specification itself. The specification is the document on which assessment is based and specifies what content and skills need to be covered in delivering the course. At all times, therefore, this teacher support should be read in conjunction with the specification. If clarification on a particular point is sought then that clarification should be found in the specification itself.

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Moderator’s Commentary: Candidate A G040: Using ICT to communicate
Total mark for portfolio: 43 (Max. 50) This portfolio illustrates the work of a candidate who has described, evaluated and compared leaflets and letters (bills) from three different energy companies and then created six different communications for a computing company, which the candidate has made up, called Cloud Computing. The communications created are: a letter, an advertisement, an invoice, a presentation, a website and a booklet on methods of communication. The inclusion of a website and a presentation means that the candidate has met the banner requirement that the communications would be communicated by different methods. All six of the communications have been drafted and evaluated and there is some planning for most. The work is well structured, with each task clearly defined, making it easy to follow and assess. The pages have been numbered electronically within tasks and the whole portfolio has been page numbered by hand, although not all of these numbers are visible on the scanned copy.

Task a
This task appears on the first 50 pages of the portfolio. The candidate has described the purpose and layout of each document and evaluated each separately before comparing the similar documents. This has lead to some duplication that could have been avoided if the candidate had discussed all three similar documents together from the start. The approach taken has meant that the candidate has ‘run out of steam’ somewhat, with less detail being included for later documents than those discussed earlier in the report. The candidate has also included additional material that is not necessary for this task. This includes the layout drawings for each document and the use of the Flesch-Kincaid readability tests. However, the candidate has described the layout and purpose of each document in reasonable detail, good and bad points of both writing and presentation style have been discussed and improvements suggested. The discussion of writing style is particularly detailed, especially in relation to the first few documents and there is some critical analysis, as the candidate has explained why items are good or bad. The comparison that begins on page 37 of the report includes an evaluation of how well the documents meet their purpose and the improvements suggested for each document have been repeated. Page 42 of the report includes some discussion of the house style used by each company. The report is well structured and includes few spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Overall there is sufficient evidence for a mark in mark band 3 but improvements have not been explained in relation to the purpose of each document, as required by this mark band, so the lower mark has been awarded. Mark Band: 3 Mark: 6 (Max. 7)

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Task b (i)
The candidate has clearly identified what they will do in task b as a whole and what they will do in each individual task, including mind maps in most instances. Whilst this may help the candidate to organise their work, it does not contribute anything to the assessment of this task. Similarly, whilst researching similar communications to those the candidate will produce is a good teaching and learning strategy, candidates should only include a summary of their findings and the aspects they will incorporate. It is not necessary or advisable to include copies of these communications. For all but the letter, there is a table headed plan (eg pg A18 of Strand B Advert) but these have been completed at the end of the task and relate to the time taken, rather than the content and layout of the communication. The candidate has created a plan for most communications (pg 64 (pg 10 of Strand B), pg 91 (pg A9 of Strand B Advert), pg B5 of Strand B Invoice, pg 182 (pg A6 of Strand G Webpage), and pg H4 of Booklet/Handbook) but this is not detailed and there is no plan for the presentation. For a mark in mark band 3, all documents need to be planned in detail. Detailed planning should include both the layout and content. When planning layout, as well as the position of the different elements, candidates need to indicate the fonts and font sizes to be used, the colours to be used for background, text, lines and other elements, and possibly the approximate size of images and text boxes. For the highest marks, the plans should enable someone else to create the communication as the candidate envisaged. There is good annotation of the draft copies of the letter, advert and invoice but more limited annotation of the remaining communications, although strengths, weaknesses and improvements have been considered for each draft of the presentation, website and booklet (eg pg. P13 and P15 of Strand F Staff Presentation). There is a list of sources for each communication (eg pg 102 (pg A19 of Strand B Advert)) that includes the URL of the web page used, what information was found and where it was used but there are no dates to indicate when the candidate accessed the information or any other information such as the author or organisation responsible for the website or the date it was last updated (if available) as required by mark band 3. On balance, the top mark in mark band 2 is best fit for the evidence presented. To reach mark band 3, the candidate would need to ensure that there is detailed planning of all six communications, following the guidance given above. Additional detail would also need to be added to the bibliographies as indicated in the previous paragraph and annotation of the latter communications needs to match the detail of the first few. Mark Band: 2 Mark: 7 (Max. 10)

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Task b (ii)
There is excellent evidence to show how the candidate has located, adapted and combined information. Pages 7 to 9 of Strand B (pgs 61-63) show how the logo was developed for the letter and there are similar examples for other communications. The step-by-step description is not necessary. It would have been sufficient to include the original image and its source plus the final amended image. However, this needs to be shown for all located and amended information, as in this case, not just for one or two items. The other aspect of this task is the quality of the final communications. Mark band 3 requires that all six are of a professional standard. That is certainly true in this case. A consistent style has been achieved across all six communications and these have been written accurately and in a professional manner. The presentation has a little too much text on some of the slides if it is to be projected but the navigation bar suggests that it is intended to be used by individuals on a computer screen. It is not difficult to envisage that any of these communications could be used by an organisation with little or no amendment. Maximum marks can be fully justified for this task. Mark Band: 3 Mark: 10 (Max. 10)

Task b (iii)
This task assesses the range of techniques and media used and how they improve the impact of the communications. Mark band 3 requires candidates to use a range of different software facilities to automate aspects of their communications. For the highest marks it would be expected that such facilities would be used wherever it is appropriate. There is clear evidence that the candidate has used a range of techniques and media, including videos in both the presentation and the website, and these clearly improve the impact of the communications – see the final advert on page 96, for example. However, the evidence could have been improved if the teacher had added a signed and dated comment in the margin to indicate the suitability of the videos and that they worked as intended. Pages 20 to 22 of Strand B show that a letter template has been created and saved as such, although some empty macro buttons could have been used as placeholders rather than just plain text. Likewise, page B13 of Strand B invoice shows that an invoice template has also been created and saved, although this does have the items and prices in, which should not be there, formulas have not been used to calculate totals or VAT and the section headed Automation on pages B13 and B14 suggests that data has simply been copied and pasted from a spreadsheet, rather than using a mail merge facility. Page P9 of Strand F Staff Presentation shows that a master slide was created for the presentation, while page 187 (A11 of Strand G Webpage) shows that css was used for the webpage. Finally, page 210 (H13 of Booklet/Handbook) shows that mirrored master pages were used for the booklet. An automated facility has been used in each communication where it is appropriate but the automation of the invoice has not been used correctly. There is ample evidence for mark band 3 but, for maximum marks, the automation of the invoice would need to be applied correctly. Mark Band: 3 Mark: 9 (Max. 10)

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Task b (iv)
The candidate has included a table after each draft that identifies its strengths and weaknesses and suggests improvements – see pages 15 and 16 of Strand B, for example. This fulfils the requirement for ongoing evaluation for mark band 3. In addition, at the end of each task the candidate has discussed the problems encountered, evaluated the software used and suggested things that they would do differently in the future, fulfilling the requirement to include an analysis of their experiences while creating communications and suggest how they might approach a similar task in future. However, there is no similar analysis of their experiences while comparing documents, preventing the award of maximum marks. An evaluation at the end of the unit to sum up the candidate’s experiences whilst evaluating and creating communications, focusing on the skills used and experience gained might have provided better evidence than including a separate analysis for each communication. Mark Band: 3 Mark: 6 (Max. 7)

Task b (v)
There has been some misunderstanding of the requirements of this task. The candidate has focussed on the technologies, rather than methods of communication, as the task requires. There is ample technical detail in the descriptions of the technologies but very little description of communication methods or their advantages and disadvantages. However, the candidate has clearly indicated which methods of communication are supported by each technology and good and bad aspects of a range of methods are given on the back page of the booklet (final page of portfolio). On balance, the technical detail and the number of communication methods included suggests that the lower mark in mark band 3 is best fit, although this is somewhat border line. To achieve maximum marks, candidates need to ensure that they complete the task as outlined in the banner and the mark band descriptors. They should focus on at least six methods of communication, describing in detail how each is used and the advantages and disadvantages of each. They should then explain at least one technology that supports each communication method in the level of detail shown in this portfolio, clearly explaining how the technology supports the communication method. Mark Band: 3 Mark: 5 (Max. 6) Total mark for portfolio: 43 (Max. 50)

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G040 – Assessment Evidence Grid
Unit G040 Using ICT to communicate What candidates need to do: Evidence needs to include: a: [AO2] a report comparing two types of business document from each of three organisations [7]; b: 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 needs to be the different methods of communicating information and the technologies that support them, to include: i [AO3] information sources, plans and annotated draft copies of documents/communications to show their development to meet their purpose [10]; ii [AO1] final versions of documents/communications that meet their purpose [10]; iii [AO1] appropriate use of a range of software tools and techniques to achieve the desired impact [10]; iv [AO4] an evaluation of the documents/communications produced and the candidate’s performance in completing the task [7]; v [AO2] explanations of the technologies that support different methods of communication [6]. How the candidate will be assessed:
Task Assessment Objective

Mark Band 1
The candidate describes the layout and purpose of each of the six collected documents; the candidate compares similar items, identifying good and bad points about the writing and/or presentation styles of each; the candidate makes some comment on their suitability for purpose, use of house style and/or how they could be improved; the report may contain errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar; [0 1 2 3] The candidate produces outline plans for most of their communications and shows, by presenting annotated draft copies, that candidates have checked the accuracy of the layout and content of their work, and proofread it to ensure that information is placed in appropriate positions and the content is correct and meaningful; the candidate lists their information sources;

Mark Band 2
The candidate describes in detail the layout and purpose of each of the six collected documents; the candidate compares similar items, accurately identifying good and bad points about the writing and presentation styles of each; the candidate comments on their suitability for purpose, use of house style and how they could be improved; the report will contain few spelling, punctuation and grammar errors; [4 5] The candidate produces plans for all of their communications, some of which are detailed, and shows, by presenting annotated draft copies, that they have checked the accuracy of the layout and content of their work, and proof-read it to ensure that information is placed in appropriate positions and the content is correct and meaningful; annotations show how the candidate developed each communication to achieve a consistent style and organised a variety of different types of information in a coherent and easy-to-read way; the candidate lists all their information sources appropriately; [4 5 6 7]

Mark Band 3
The candidate describes in detail the layout and purpose of each of the six collected documents; the candidate provides a critical analysis of the documents, including comparison of the writing and presentation styles of similar items; their suitability for purpose and use of house style; the candidate explains how each could be improved in relation to its purpose; the report will be consistently well structured and there will be few, if any, spelling, punctuation and grammar errors. [6 7] The candidate produces detailed plans for all of their communications and show, by presenting annotated draft copies, that they have checked the accuracy of the layout and content of their work, and proof-read it to ensure that information is placed in appropriate positions and the content is correct and meaningful; the candidate’s annotations show in detail how they developed each communication to achieve a consistent style, made good use of standard formats and organised a variety of different types of information in a coherent and easy-to-read way, the candidate lists all their information sources in a detailed bibliography. [8 9 10]

Mark Awarded

a

AO2

6/7

b(i)

AO3

[0 1 2 3]

7/10

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Unit G040 Using ICT to communicate (continued)
Task Assessment Objective

Mark Band 1

Mark Band 2

Mark Band 3

Mark Awarded

b(ii)

AO1

The candidate creates communications that are clear, easy to understand, at a level that suits the intended recipient, use a suitable style and, where appropriate, common standards for layout; candidates locate and use existing information, combining it with information candidates have created; [0 1 2 3 4] The candidate uses a range of software tools and techniques such as: text styles, page layout and paragraph formatting, combining text, graphics (photographs, clip art, line drawings, graphs and charts), tables, borders, shading, sound and video clips, to suit the purpose of each communication and improve its impact;

The candidate shows how they have located, used and adapted existing information, combining it with information candidates have created to create coherent, easy-to-read communications of mailable quality; [5 6 7]

The candidate shows how they have located, adapted and combined information to create six consistently professional standard communications that are well-designed, coherent and easy to read.

b(iii)

AO1

b(iv)

AO4

[0 1 2 3] The candidate comments on the effectiveness of their communications and suggests improvements; The candidate comments on their actions and role in solving the problem;

[8 9 10] The candidate shows appropriate use of a The candidate shows effective use of a wide range of software tools and techniques range of software tools and techniques including: text styles, page layout and including: text styles, page layout and paragraph formatting, combining formatted paragraph formatting, combining formatted text, text, graphics (photographs, clip art, line graphics (photographs, clip art, line drawings, drawings, graphs and charts), tables, graphs and charts), tables, borders, shading, borders, shading, sound and video clips, to sound and video clips, to suit the purpose of suit the purpose of each communication each communication and demonstrably and improve its impact, showing improve its impact, showing effective skills in appropriate use of software to automate the appropriate use of a range of different aspects of their communications, such as software facilities to automate aspects of their creating templates for standard layouts; communications. [4 5 6 7] [8 9 10] The candidate clearly identifies good and The candidate shows that they identified not so good features of their strengths and weaknesses in their initial drafts communications, suggesting ways they and explain how candidates refined them to could be improved; meet the purpose more closely; The candidate includes an analysis of their candidates include an analysis of their experiences while comparing and creating experiences while comparing and creating communications in order to improve their communications and use this to suggest how own performance; they might approach a similar task in future. [3 4] [5 6 7] The candidate describes, in detail, at least The candidate describes, in detail, at least six six methods used to communicate methods of communicating information, information and describes the technologies explaining how each is used and explaining the that support each; technologies used to support each. [3 4] [5 6] Total mark awarded:

10/10

9/10

b(v)

AO2

[0 1 2] The candidate describes at least four methods used to communicate information and briefly describes the technologies that support each; [0 1 2]

6/7

5/6 43/50

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