GNVQ intermediate and advanced key skills in information technology

24 Jan 2000

Frank Pettitt, Elaine Evans

None

Attendance continued to be satisfactory although some students had been off sick.

Some second year students felt "they knew it all" and did not have to attend key skills. However, EE felt that their work evidence did not justify this attitude and often-unpunctual attendance.

The EDEXCEL key skills books had now arrived and FP would be filling in the books for the work the second year students did in 1998-9 as this was felt to be more appropriate.

Some students would still benefit from learning support, especially in terms of application of number and writing but they did not attend this.

Staff experience: both members of staff present at the meeting had extensive experience stretching back many years in teaching IT to often poorly motivated students.

Learning material: both members of staff had built up considerable learning material resources as a result of their many years teaching this type e course

It was logistically difficult to liase with other members of key skills teaching because of impossibility of setting a mutually convenient meeting time and because of the fact that these members were teaching on different sites anyway (Charlton, Plumstead, and Burrage Grove)

The students had no complaints abut the course and appeared pleased with the way this part of the key skills GNVQ program was proceeding. They did, however, regularly experience problems with the legacy system at Charlton. In particular, they had difficulty in switching from Windows 95/98 as used in the library to Windows 3.11 as used in room 101 (although they were repeatedly told to save the word files in the old format if working in the library computers. Also the lack of an Internet connection at Charlton was felt to be a real disadvantage.

Use of filing cabinet to hold learning material in room 101. This had not yet been carried out.