ICT

Pearson BTEC Level 3 Information Technology

Overview

Information technology (IT) involves the use of computers in industry, commerce, the arts and elsewhere. IT includes aspects of IT systems architecture, human factors, project management and the general ability to use computers. Increasingly businesses are implementing IT strategies to manage and process data, both to support many business processes and to deliver new opportunities. The UK is one of the leading digital nations in the world, and its economy has the highest percentage of GDP involved in the digital economy of all European nations. The digital economy refers to both the digital access of goods and services and the use of digital technology to help businesses. Research by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) showed that the digital economy is larger than conventional estimates show, with almost 270,000 actively digital companies in the UK, or 14.4 per cent of all companies, and 11 per cent of all jobs. Ongoing developments in the sector include the Government Digital Inclusion strategy to increase SME (small- and medium-sized enterprise) transactions online, with the aim of reaching 1.6 million businesses by the end of 2018.

Who is this qualification for?

The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Information Technology is intended to be an Applied General qualification and is equivalent in size to 3 A levels. It is designed for students who are interested in a two-year, full-time study programme that will meet the entry requirements entry for a course in information technology or computer-related study that supports progression to higher education. No prior study of the sector is needed, but students should normally have a range of achievement at level 2, in GCSEs or equivalent qualifications.

What does the qualification cover?

The content of this qualification has been developed in consultation with academics to ensure that it supports progression to higher education. In addition, employers and professional bodies have been involved and consulted, in order to confirm its relevance to current industry practice used in IT and related occupational disciplines. The qualification provides the knowledge, understanding and skills that will prepare students for further study or training. Students study the relationship between hardware and software, managing and communicating information and data, and the principles of designing and developing digital technologies and processes to support organisations across three mandatory units and 15 optional units as shown in the plan below. The mandatory units are labeled (M) and the optional units are labeled (O):

Units taught in Year 12

Communication technology (O)
Organisational Systems Security (O)
Digital graphics (O)
Digital graphics for interactive media (O)
Communication and employability skills for IT (M)
Project planning with IT (O)
IT systems troubleshooting and repair (O)
Mathematics for IT practitioners (O)
Web server scripting (O)

Units taught in Year 13

Computer Systems (M)
Information Systems (M)
Software design and development (O)
Object Oriented Programming (O)
IT Technical Support (O)
Computer Systems Architecture (O)
Networked Systems Security (O)
3D Modelling (O)
Human Computer Interaction (O)

How are they assessed:

All units are internally assessed through assignments in form of tasks and activities that emphasise the practical application of the assessment criteria. All assessment for the BTEC qualifications in this specification is criterion referenced, based on the achievement of specified learning outcomes. Each unit within the qualification has specified assessment and grading criteria which are to be used for grading purposes. A summative unit grade can be awarded at pass, merit or distinction:

To achieve a ‘pass’ a learner must have satisfied all the pass assessment criteria
To achieve a ‘merit’ a learner must additionally have satisfied all the merit grading criteria
To achieve a ‘distinction’ a learner must additionally have satisfied all the distinction grading criteria.
Learners who complete the unit but who do not meet all the pass criteria are graded ‘unclassified’.

Grading domains

The grading criteria are developed in relation to grading domains which are exemplified by a number of indicative characteristics at the level of the qualification. There are four BTEC grading domains:

Application of knowledge and understanding
Development of practical and technical skills
Personal development for occupational roles
Application of generic skills.

Key features of the BTEC IT qualification:

The BTEC qualifications in this specification have been developed in the IT sector to:

give education and training for IT employees
give IT employees opportunities to achieve a nationally recognised level 3 vocationally-specific qualification
give full-time learners the opportunity to enter employment in the IT sector or to progress to vocational qualifications such as the Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in Computing and Systems Development
give learners the opportunity to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal skills and attributes essential for successful performance in working life.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in IT

Qualification credit value: a minimum of 180 credits.
Minimum credit to be achieved at, or above, the level of the qualification: 135 credits.
Mandatory unit credit: 30 credits.
Optional unit credit: 150 credits
no more than 40 optional specialist credits
no more than 60 optional vendor credits.
A maximum of 40 optional credits can come from other level 3 BTEC units in this Qualification Suite.

Will the qualification support progression to further learning, if so, what to?

In addition to the content outlined above, the requirements of the qualification will mean that students develop some of the transferable and higher-order skills that are highly regarded by higher education and employers. A significant portion of recruitment for specialists in information technology is at graduate level and this qualification is designed to support progression to higher education ahead of employment.

The course is designed to be studied over two years and carries UCAS tariff points. It fully meets entry requirements for progression to a degree course in information technology and related areas, including:

BSc (Hons) Business Information and Technology
BSc (Hons) in Digital Technology Solutions
BSc (Hons) in Computer Games Technology
BSc (Hons) in Creative Technology
BSc (Hons) in Information Technology Management for Business
BSc in Computing Forensics
BSc in Computer Networks Security.

Students are advised to always check the entry requirements for degree programmes at specific higher education providers.

ICT