IT AS-Levels

In this post:

1. Data processing and information
2. Hardware and software
3. Monitoring and control
4. Algorithms and flowcharts
5. eSecurity
6. The digital divide
7. Expert systems
8. Spreadsheets
9. Modeling
10. Database and file concepts
11. Sound and video editing

See also:

• Making friends with ICT & CAT Theory
• Acronyms & abbreviations you should know

1. Data Processing and information

There are a number of practical approaches to this theory, such as looking at implementations of validation and verification in Excel and Access to match the Checking the accuracy of data module.

• Encryption
• Checking the accuracy of data

2. Hardware and software

• Hardware
  • Input devices
  • Output devices
  • Processing
  • Storage
• Software
  • Operating systems
  • User Interfaces

3. Monitoring and control

• IoT

4. Algorithms and flowcharts

My approach to this section of work, which is covered theoretically in the textbook, is to use Turtle Academy and Scratch to take the final step to implement the planning as a working program.

• Algorithms, Pseudo-code & Flowcharts

5. eSecurity

• Social Engineering
• Malware

6. The digital divide

• The Digital Divide

7. Expert systems

• AI

8. Spreadsheets

There is no shortage of Excel help here at stylus!

• A list of functions you need to know can be found here: Excel functions you need to know for IGCSE & AS.
• There are loads of Excel tutorials complete with files to download and step-by-step instructions.

Data for all practical assessments is provided in CSV file format. You must be adept at working with CSV files in Excel and remember to save your CSV as XLSX, or lose all your work!

9. Modeling

10. Database and file concepts

Data for all practical assessments is provided in CSV file format. You must be adept at importing CSV files in Access! See the post Importing data into Access.

Whilst the practical aspect of the databasing is done using Access, it is more than worth it to play around with another database if possible. You could easily set up MySQL Installer on Windows and play with MySQL Workbench which will give you a deeper understanding of tables, queries, relationships and ERD‘s.

• Theory
  • The Primary Key in a database table
  • Referential Integrity
  • Entity Relationship Diagrams for databases
• Tables
  • Changing field properties during import into Access
  • Access database tables
  • The Primary Key in a database table
  • Creating & using a lookup table in Access
  • Creating a Validation rule in Access
  • Creating a Record Validation Rule in Access
  • Creating an Input Mask in Access
• Forms
  • Creating Access forms
  • Modifying Access Form Controls
• Queries
  • A simple SELECT query in Access
  • Calculated field in an Access query
  • Being more selective in an Access query
  • A parameterised query in Access
  • Querying multiple tables in Access
  • Creating TOTALS in Access queries
• Reports
  • Creating an Access report
  • Calculations in an Access Report
  • Adding fields to an existing report
  • Grouping and sorting in an Access report

11. Sound and video editing

Sound editing using Audacity.

• Audacity basics
• Record & Edit sound in Audacity
• Removing parts of an audio track with Audacity
• Join tracks end-to-end in Audacity
• Change the Tempo of an audio track with Audacity

Video editing using ClipChamp.

• Clipchamp basics
• Screen recording with Clipchamp