Assessment

To achieve a pass grade, learners must achieve the pass criteria listed in the assessment and grading criteria grid.

The document types are listed in the unit content, and for at least one example of each learners must explain the structure and purpose in order to achieve P1. Evidence could be via verbal or online presentation, using examples of documents, which may be annotated, or as part of a wider assignment as suggested in the programme of suggested assignments table.

For P2, learners must describe the features of applications which make them suitable for presenting and communicating information. The features and different categories of applications are given in the unit content. Evidence can again come from many sources and can be combined easily with the evidence for P1.

P3 and P4 should be considered together. For P3, learners should create examples of each document type and present in a format appropriate for assessment (hard copy, screenshots). Note, document types may be combined short formal, extended informal. The defined audience need may be identified by the tutor or negotiated with learners, but the focus, for P4, should be on the appropriate use of the tools and techniques identified in the unit content to create documents suitable to meet the identified audience need.

M1, M2 and D1 can be combined with these criteria.

It is expected that, to achieve P5, learners will review and check documents produced in terms of the unit content. Suitable evidence of this could be, for example, the use of logs or checklists completed during document production, ‘before’ and ‘after’ printouts, and screenshots recording the use of tools to improve quality such as spelling and grammar checking facilities.

To achieve a merit grade, learners must achieve all the pass and merit grade criteria.

M1 requires learners to create a document template, not use an existing template, for a given requirement. This should be taken into account when setting the assignment tasks and user needs.

To achieve M2, advanced formatting tools and techniques available in the software application packages used must be shown to enhance the presentation of information. To evidence this, learners should show that the use of these tools and techniques can improve the presentation of information in a existing document (perhaps produced as evidence for P3).

For M3, learners must gather user feedback on at least one document and show that they have adjusted the document in response to that feedback. Evidence should include copies of the user feedback as well as before and after examples of the document.

To achieve a distinction grade, learners must achieve all the pass and merit criteria and the distinction criteria.

For D1, learners should used appropriate language (formal/informal, spellchecked etc) and layout (standard document layout, use of space etc) in all their documents.

For D2, learners must produce a complex document, which includes text, graphics and number. This should involve importing information from other packages.

Evidence for D3 may follow naturally from the production of a complex document for D2 or from a different complex document, using annotated printouts showing where and why particular tools and techniques were chosen to enhance communication.