Unit No. 8260005 Continuation Session 1995-96
-SQA-SCOTTISH QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE MODULE: UNIT SPECIFICATION
GENERAL INFORMATION
-Module Number- / 8260005 / -Session- 1995-96-Superclass- / AY
-Title- / THE INTERNET 1
------
-DESCRIPTION-
GENERAL COMPETENCE FOR UNIT: Using the Internet to send electronic mail, transfer files and access on-line information services.
OUTCOMES
1.describe the facilities provided by the Internet;
2.use the Internet to send and receive electronic mail;
3.use the Internet to transfer files;
4.access information stored on the Internet;
5.outline the use made of the Internet in various environments.
CREDIT VALUE:1 NC Credit
ACCESS STATEMENT: No previous qualifications or experience are required to access this unit.
------
For further information contact: Committee and Administration Unit, SQA, Hanover House, 24 Douglas Street, Glasgow G2 7NQ.
Additional copies of this unit may be purchased from SQA (Sales and Despatch section). At the time of publication, the cost is £1.50 (minimum order £5.00).
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE MODULE; UNIT SPECIFICATION
STATEMENT OF STANDARDS
UNIT NUMBER:8260005
UNIT TITLE:THE INTERNET 1
Acceptable performance in this unit will be the satisfactory achievement of the standards set out in this part of the specification. All sections of the statement of standards are mandatory and cannot be altered without reference to SQA.
OUTCOME
1.DESCRIBE THE FACILITIES PROVIDED BY THE INTERNET
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
(a)Description is complete.
(b)Description is clear and concise.
(c)Description is technically accurate.
RANGE STATEMENT
Facilities: electronic mail; file transfer; information services (including the World Wide Web).
EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS
Written or oral evidence that the candidate can describe the facilities provided by the Internet.
OUTCOME
2.USE THE INTERNET TO SEND AND RECEIVE ELECTRONIC MAIL
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
(a)Composition of Internet addresses is understood.
(b)Mailing facilities are used efficiently and in accordance with supplier’s instructions.
(c)Messages are concise, informative and written in an appropriate style.
(d)Received messages are opened and acted upon timeously.
(e)Messages are stored in a filing system to facilitate their rapid location and retrieval.
RANGE STATEMENT
The range for this outcome is fully expressed within the performance criteria.
EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS
Oral or written evidence that the candidate understands the structure of Internet address as detailed in performance criterion (a).
Evidence of actual performance to show that the candidate can send at least two messages and receive at least one message as detailed in performance criteria (b) to (e). The evidence will be in the form of an observation checklist together with a hard copy of each message.
OUTCOME
3.USE THE INTERNET TO TRANSFER FILES
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
(a)Host computer is identified and a connection is made to permit file transfer.
(b)Use of file transfer program is efficient and in accordance with supplier’s instructions.
(c)Interaction with host system is efficient and effective.
(d)File is transferred without loss of information.
(e)Common file formats are accurately recognised.
RANGE STATEMENT
File formats: text; data; binary; compressed; audio; video.
EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS
Evidence of actual performance to show that the candidate can transfer at least one file from a host system to a local system as detailed in Performance Criteria (a) to (d). The evidence will be in the form of an observation checklist.
Oral or written evidence that the candidate can recognise file formats across all classes in the range as detailed in Performance Criterion (e).
OUTCOME
4.ACCESS INFORMATION STORED ON THE INTERNET
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
(a)Use of hardware and software permits connection to Internet service provider.
(b)Use of hardware and software minimises on-line charges.
(c)Use navigation aids is efficient and effective in locating and accessing information.
(d)Use of hardware and software permits the local storage of the information.
(e)Recognition of factors that affect speed of access is accurate.
RANGE STATEMENT
The range for this outcome is fully expressed within the performance criteria.
EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS
Evidence of performance to show that the candidate can access and download at least one page of information as detailed in Performance Criteria (a) to (d). This will be in the form of an observation checklist together with a hard copy of the information.
Written or oral evidence that the candidate can recognise the factors that affect speed of access as detailed in Performance Criterion (e).
OUTCOME
5.OUTLINE THE USE MADE OF THE INTERNET IN VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
(a)Identification of uses is accurate.
(b)Identified uses are related to specific contexts.
(c)identified uses are related to Internet facilities.
(d)Limitations are accurately identified.
RANGE STATEMENT
Contexts: personal (including leisure); professional; commercial.
Facilities: electronic mail; file transfer; information services.
EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS
Written or oral evidence of the candidate’s knowledge and understanding of the use made of the Internet as detailed in Performance Criteria (a) to (d) for all classes in the range. This will be in the form of an extended report detailing the use made of the Internet for at least one example of each context (personal, professional and commercial) for all the prescribed facilities (e-mail, file transfer and information services).
ASSESSMENT
In order to achieve this unit, candidates are required to present sufficient evidence that they have met all the performance criteria for each outcome within the range specified. Details of these requirements are given for each outcome. The assessment instruments used should follow the general guidance offered by the SQA assessment model and an integrative approach to assessment is encouraged. (See references at the end of support notes).
Accurate records should be made of the assessment instruments used showing how evidence is generated for each outcome and giving marking schemes and/or checklists, etc. Records of candidates’ achievements should be kept. These records will be available for external verification.
SPECIAL NEEDS
In certain cases, modified outcomes and range statements can be proposed for certification. See references at end of support notes.
Copyright SQA 1995
Please note that this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes provided that:
(i)no profit is derived from the reproduction;
(ii)if reproduced in part, the source is acknowledged.
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE MODULE: UNIT SPECIFICATION
SUPPORT NOTES
UNIT NUMBER:8260005
UNIT TITLE:INTERNET 1
SUPPORT NOTES: This part of the unit specification is offered as guidance. None of the sections of the support notes is mandatory.
NOTIONAL DESIGN LENGTH: SQA allocates a notional design length to a unit on the basis of time estimated for achievement of the stated standards by a candidate whose starting point is as described in the access statement. The notional design length for this unit is 40 hours. The use of notional design length for programme design and timetabling is advisory only.
PURPOSE This module may be taken as a free-standing module in a wide variety of programmes. It is suitable for candidates undertaking a wide range of National Certificate awards.
SQA publishes summaries of NC units for easy reference, publicity purposes, centre handbooks, etc. The summary statement for this unit is as follows:
This unit has been designed to provide basic skills in using the facilities provided by the Internet including electronic mail, file transfer and access to information services (such as the World Wide Web). It also provides an opportunity to discuss the uses made of the Internet in a wide variety of contexts. No previous experience of computers is assumed.
CONTENT/CONTEXT Corresponding to Outcomes 1-5:
This module serves as a basic introduction to the facilities provided by the Internet. As such, the treatment of each Outcome should be light, consistent with the prescribed performance criteria and range statements. It is not required that each student has individual access to the Internet although centres should provide students with various opportunities to access the Internet throughout the life of this module. It is anticipated that tutors/trainers will demonstrate Internet facilities to groups of students to minimize access time and costs. It should be noted, however, that assessment activities must be undertaken on an individual basis. Many contemporary programs (such as mailers and browsers) can be used off-line; for example, web browsers can load pages stored on a local disk or network thereby reducing on-line charges.
1.Given that this module is the first in a series of modules relating to the Internet, this Outcome provides a basic introduction to the facilities provided by the Internet. The facilities have been grouped under three headings - electronic mail (e-mail), file transfer and information services. Within each of these classes the precise details of the facilities available tend to change over time; for example, at the time of writing on-line shopping and electronic commerce are being explored. It is not required that candidates gain a detailed knowledge of any one facility - the focus for teaching should be the breadth of facilities together with the underlying principles. So, for example, when describing the information stored on the WWW candidates should gain an appreciation for the breadth of information available rather than detailed knowledge of any one source. This Outcome also provides an opportunity to discuss the historical development of on-line services in general and the Internet in particular.
2.This Outcome involves the student in sending and receiving electronic mail and follows on from the theoretical discussion of e-mail in Outcome 1. In addition to the practical skills involved in sending and receiving e-mail, students should also be exposed to the etiquette and conventions that are part of an on-line dialogue. Students are also required to be familiar with the Internet addressing conventions ie. domain name and mailbox/username conventions. In particular, the major classes of domain name (such as ‘co’ and ‘ac’) should be discussed. There is an opportunity to extend the scope of this Outcome by discussing the technical aspects of e-mail over the Internet and the pros and cons of different e-mail programs.
3.This Outcome focuses on transferring files over the Internet. This will involve transferring a file from a host system to a local system using one of the standard file transfer programs (such as FTP or RCP). Students should be exposed to the variety of file formats found on the Internet - such as text (e.g. ASCII), binary (e.g. EXE) data (e.g. GIF). There is scope within this Outcome, with suitably motivated students, to extend learning by discussing data communications protocols and the principles of data compression.
4.The critical aspect of this Outcome is that the student gains an appreciation for the range of information available in the Internet. The two most common sources of structured information are the World Wide Web (WWW) and Internet newsgroups. It is not appropriate to focus on any one information provider or type of information. Note that it is required that the information is captured to local medium (normally a local disk) so the browsing software must be capable of doing this.
Students should also be aware of the factors that affect the speed of information transfer such as bandwidth, modem speed, server capabilities, etc.
Mature students may also wish to discuss the issues of personal liberty and censorship with regard to the availability of pornographic or violent material on the Internet.
5.This descriptive Outcome involves the student in gaining an appreciation of the potential uses of the Internet in a variety of contexts. For example, the personal use of e-mail might include its potential to sustain a dialogue with geographically remote individuals with common interests; the commercial uses of FTP might include the distribution of software through this medium; the professional uses of the WWW might include the access to specialist information relating to specific occupations. Once again, the key aspect of this Outcome is the breadth of facilities provided by the Internet rather than the in-depth treatment of any one facility. This Outcome compliments Outcomes 2, 3 and 4 by allowing the student to stand back from the practical aspects to consider how these can be applied on a individual or group basis.
APPROACHES TO GENERATING EVIDENCE A candidate-centred, resource-based learning approach is recommended. During the work of the module, candidates should have several opportunities to develop their practical skills and should be assessed at appropriate points. Terminology should be presented in context throughout the module. Where the candidate is unsuccessful in achieving an outcome, provision should be made for remediation and re-assessment.
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES Centres may use the instruments of assessment which are considered to be most appropriate. Examples of instruments of assessment which could be used are as follows:
Outcome 1Structured questions on the facilities provided by the Internet.
The extent of response may be short (for example, 60-100 words for each facility).
Outcome 2Restricted response questions on the structure of an Internet address.
Practical assignment involving the candidate in sending and receiving e-mail over the Internet. It is recommended that this is carried out at various points throughout the life of the module to make the assessment activity more natural (for example, when the candidate actually receives incoming mail rather than a contrived situation).
Outcome 3Practical exercise involving the candidate in downloading a specific file. Candidate activity will have to be individually observed and an observation checklist completed for each candidate.
Short response questions on the range of common file types available over the Internet.
Outcome 4Practical exercise requiring the candidate to access an information service. It is recommended that his is done in a natural context by allowing the candidate to choose the information to access rather than prescribing specific information. Candidates should be observed accessing the requisite information and an observation checklist completed for each candidate.
Short answer questions on the factors which affect speed of access to information services.
Outcome 5Extended response question on the uses made of the Internet in a variety of contexts. The extent of candidate response could be in the region of 400-600 words.
Candidates may also have access to reference material while completing this task.
EXEMPLARS The following examples illustrate candidate responses to Outcome 1. For the purposes of exemplification the question and answer are in written form. However, this outcome is well suited to oral presentation and response. A written question paper should be tightly structured to guide the candidate. The main facilities provided by the Internet can be used as sub-headings to focus the candidate’s attention and structure his/her response. In the following examples the candidate’s response is enclosed in quotation marks.
Question: Describe the facilities provided by the Internet under the following headings.
Information services.
“The World Wide Web is an information service which is wide ranging. Anyone can access it if they have the right equipment. Information is available on lots of different things such as medical issues and art. The WWW is a network of centres which are linked together using computers. You can move from one page to the other by hyper links. Information is sent using a telephone line and can be expensive to use. The WWW is attractive and includes graphics, colours and moving pictures as well as sound. However sending messages via the Web means anyone can access your material”.
Commentary on sample response: This response is acceptable since it encompasses the key concepts of open access, inter-connected computer systems, breadth of materials and hypertext links. In the case of the World Wide Web some mention of multi-media is also required.
Electronic mail
“Electronic mail is the most useful part of the Internet. It’s usually the first thing that people use when they start out. Internet mail allows you to send and receive messages using a mailing program such as Microsoft Exchange. Everyone with an Internet account has an e-mail address such as ‘’. The ‘@’ sign tells you that it’s an Internet e-mail address. The first bit is your mailbox. The last bit is called your domain name. As well as sending messages you can attach text to your e-mail message. You can also send pictures if you code the graphic before you send it. E-mail is very useful and more and more people are using it now”.
Commentary on sample response: This is a good response. The candidate clearly understands the nature of Internet e-mail and its wide-spread use. S/he has consistently related his/her answer to the internet and avoided the fundamental error of providing generic description of e-mail systems.
File transfer
“You can transfer files using the Internet. You just click on a button and tell the computer to transfer a file. It’s very easy. You can transfer different kinds of files such as operating systems and games. Using the Internet to transfer files is much better than using the Post Office this is called snail-mail) because you can pick the phone up and listen to the file being transferred.”
Commentary on sample response: This response is not acceptable. It lacks technical detail and accuracy. An acceptable response would include some details about files types, file transfer protocols and different ways of transferring files over the Internet.
PROGRESSION This module contributes towards the National Certificate Information Technology at Level II. it is also the first in a series of modules relating to the Internet and progression to the next module - The Internet 2 - is recommended.
RECOGNITION Many SQA NC units are recognised for entry/recruitment purposes. For up-to-date information see the SQA guide ‘Recognised Groupings of National Certificate Modules’.
REFERENCES
1.Guide to unit writing.
2.For a fuller discussion on assessment issues, please refer to SQA’s Guide to Assessment.
3.Procedures for special needs statements are set out in SQA’s guide ‘Students’ with Special Needs’.
4.Information for centres on SQA’s operating procedures is contained in SQA’s Guide to Procedures.
5.For details of other SQA publications, please consult SQA’s publications list.
An exemplar assessment pack for this unit is available from SQA. Please call our Sales and Despatch section on 0141 242 2168 to check availability and costs. Quote product code B054.
Copyright SQA 1995
Please note that this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes provided that:
(i)no profit is derived from the reproduction;
(ii)if reproduced in part, the source is acknowledged.
1