8 Part B: Evidencing your IT skills This Part requires you to present a portfolio of your work to demonstrate that you have used and integrated your IT skills within your study or work activities to achieve the standard required. For example, you might include learning about new software for a particular task, using databases and other resources more effectively in searching for information, setting up and using different ways of communicating and sharing information, setting up and using computer-based models to predict, expla
5 Effective use of information technology The purpose of this unit is for you to create a portfolio of your work to represent you as an effective user of information technology (IT) within your study or work activities. This will involve using criteria to help you select examples of your work that clearly show you can use and improve your IT skills. However, by far the most important aim is that you can use this assessment process to support your learning and improve your performance overall. Using information technology skills
8.2 Extended written communication Your example needs to show you can: communicate relevant information with accuracy, e.g. use a spell check/dictionary, cite references correctly, proofread so that there are minimal errors and the meaning is clear, and use a form, structure and style that suits the purpose, e.g. making use of specialist vocabulary where appropriate; respond to contributions from others to improve the overall quality, e.g. discussions, feedback comment
7.4 Evaluating your strategy and assessing your work Present an evaluation that includes a summary of how effective your strategy has been in helping you use and improve your communication skills, giving details of: Those factors that worked well to help you improve and those that have worked less well. Which factors had the greatest effect on your achievement of what you set out to do? A judgement of your own progress and performance in those skills you set out to improve, including an
4 Structure of the assessment units This key skills assessment unit does not have specific questions with word limits and no statements indicating you include, say, an essay or a report. Instead, as you tackle the unit you need to ask yourself ‘Which pieces of work show my skills and capabilities to best advantage?’ When you have identified and selected evidence of your skills, you must then relate this evidence directly to the criteria. This method of building a portfolio is based not on providing right or wrong answ
3 Key skills assessment units This section gives advice and guidance to help you compile and present a portfolio of selected work. You are strongly advised to read through this section so that you have an idea of what is expected. The key skills assessment units provide an opportunity for you to integrate your development of key skills with your work or study. You may choose to concentrate on skills that you need to develop and improve for your job, for a new course, or personally to help you keep abreast of new dev
1 Information and communication This Key Skills Assessment Unit offers an opportunity for you to select and prepare work that demonstrates your key skills in the area of communication. This unit provides you with advice and information on how to go about presenting your key skills work as a portfolio. In presenting work that demonstrates your key skills you are taking the initiative to show that you can develop and improve a particular set of skills, and are able to use your skills more generally in your studie
Acknowledgements All materials included in this unit are derived from content originated at the Open University. 1. Join the 200,000 students currently studying with The Open University.
9.2.1 Local colleges and schools The local newspaper or your local library are your sources of reference here. Nowadays, most schools and colleges have evening or daytime courses that are open to adult learners. Many of them will have an advice point, so that you can telephone or drop in to discuss what you are looking for. Many will have an open learning centre where self-assessment tests and open learning materials are available.
8 Technical glossary This glossary is intended to provide a basic explanation of how a number of common mathematical terms are used. Definitions can be very slippery and confusing and at worst can replace one difficult term with a large number of other puzzling concepts. Therefore, where an easy definition is available it is provided here, where this has not been possible an example is used. If you require more detailed or complete definitions, you should refer to one of the very good mathematical dictionaries th
7.3 Frequency tables So far you have looked at small sets of data, which are relatively easy to analyse. Naturally, this is not always the case and you need to consider how to work with a larger set of data. Data set B shows 30 TMA scores recorded by a tutor in the order that the scripts were marked. Data set B: 7.1 Introduction Charts, graphs and tables are all very helpful ways of representing a set of data. However, they are not the only ways of passing on information about data. This section looks at how you can analyse a set of data to summarise the given information as briefly and simply as possible. Essentially, there are two features of a set of data that enable summarising: the average and the spread. This section starts by looking at what is meant by ‘average’. If you have already studied OpenL 5.2.2 Continuous variables Not all numbers are discrete. Consider the following measurements: times to run a marathon temperatures recorded at intervals during a day weight of each bunch of grapes sold at a supermarket yesterday. Time, temperature and weight are all examples of numerical data, but there is not a restricted set of values that they can take. Whereas you can have 2 or 3 children in a family but not 2.5, with tempe 5.1.3 When is a bar chart not a good format to use? A bar chart is not the best way to show the link or mathematical relationship between two sets of data, for this you would use a line graph. 6.2 A different way of writing A word processor allows you to type text directly into your computer. You can then edit the content using functions such as delete, cut, copy and paste, and undo.
Because this is possible, you may begin to work in a different way. Instead of planning and drafting your work by hand, you can type in notes and ideas, develop them into paragraphs, and then move the paragraphs around to form a coherent essay or report. When you're checking whether your work is in a sensi 7.2 Reorganizing notes The technique of re-reading completed notes and supplementing them with comments and queries is a useful way of processing ideas. Another way of processing ideas is to reorganize notes around a set of questions or thematic headings. This is particularly useful for those notes that you will be drawing upon for planning and writing assignments. They can be reworked and key concepts and ideas can thus be applied to different types of questions and issues. 2.3 Towards a theory of parallel processing When people are asked to guess about masked material, they are commonly able to provide some information, but it often lacks detail. For example, if participants in a Sperling-type experiment have recalled three letters, but are pressed for more, then they can often provide one or two. However, they generally do not know information such as whereabouts in the display the letters occurred, or what colour they were. These, of course, are exactly the kinds of detail that can be used to select it 2.6 Environmental explanations of dyslexia? ‘Environment’ is often used to refer to only social or non-biological influences. However, it actually also refers to the biological, cognitive and behavioural environments that we may be exposed to. If you refer back to Frith's framework (see Figure 2) you will remember that the environment can be h 2.1.2 Disability Any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. Introduction This unit provides access to Teach Global, where you will find a set of courses and resources aimed at supporting teachers who wish to extend their teaching of the global dimension through all aspects of school life.
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