IGCSE ICT

This course is no longer offered.

The text we used was IGCSE ICT by G. Brown and D. Watson (Hodder, 2nd edtion), paper versions are available in class. Paper version of the first edition and the older text, ICT for GCSE by T. Roderick and G. Rushbrook (OUP) can be borrowed on request.

Syllabuses: the 2018 syllabus.
A model ICT folder to go in your OneDrive can be found in topic 11.
Vocabulary list: IGCSE ICT glossary.

Hardware and software, the main components of computer systems, operatingsystems, types of computer and the impact of emerging technologies

Input devices and their uses, direct data entry and associated devices and output devices and their uses

The different storage devices, their associated media and uses, and their advantages and disadvantages.

Why connect computers? What are the benefits and risks? Network devices (routers, hubs and switches), adresses, types (wi-fi, blluetooth, LAN, WAN, intranet, extranet, internet), security and privacy. How to set up a network.

How is ICT changing us and our world? The effects of ICT on employment and working patterns, and of microprocessor-controlled devices in the home.

The range of ICT applications in everyday life and their impact: traditional communication, publicity and corporate image, interactive communication, data handling, finance and banking, school management, libraries, booking systems, medicine, retail, measurement, control, manufacturing and modelling. Batch processing, online processing and real-time processing. Expert systems.

How ICT systems are developed and improved: analysis, design, development, testing, implementation, documentation and evaluation.

Physical safety risks with ICT equipment, safety online and security of data.

Understanding and meeting the needs of your audience, and the legal, moral, ethical and cultural aspects of computer use.

Communicating with other ICT users using email and effective use of the internet.

Computers store data in different file types for different purposes. Some can be opened by most programs, some only by specific ones, and some formats are designed to reduce file sizes using file compression.

Like file management, manipulating images will be very important in your practical work, especially with word processing, presentations and web pages. In this topic, you will practise resizing, cropping, rotating and adjusting their colour and brightness.

Positioning objects on your page or slide is important in word processing, DTP and presentations. This topic looks at how your can do this with tables, headers and footers.

The importance of maintaining consistency of style across your organization's documents, slideshows and web sites.

Whatever program you handle data in, you may be asked to present them as a chart. Which type do you choose and how can you adapt it?

Creating and editing the contents, appearance and layout of documents using a word processing application.

Interrogating, manipulating and presenting data using a database application.

Creating, manipulating, testing, interrogating and presenting data using a spreadsheet model.

Creating web pages using some HTML, Dreamweaver, external stylesheets, tables, hyperlinks and images.