What will you learn?

Throughout the course you will study the following units:

• Online World
  How do websites work? How do emails reach your computer? How does the use of computer applications affect your daily life? This unit provides an introduction to themodern online world. Starting with your own  experiences, you will extend your knowledge of online services and investigate the technology and software that supports them. You will learn more about a range of services including email, online data storage, collaborative software, search engines and blogging.
• Technology Systems
  Technology systems are involved in many of the objects we use every day, from a laptop computer and routers relaying internet traffic, to logging in to a social networking site. This unit provides a first look at how the main building blocks of technology systems work.
  You will explore the common hardware components of technology systems, such as a touch screen or a printer, and the internal building blocks of a computer like the processor, buses and memory. The unit also covers the purpose of networks, which allow different devices within a technology system to communicate.
• Digital Portfolio
  Digital portfolios can be viewed by anyone with a computer and an internet browser. You will learn how to create a digital portfolio that includes a series of web pages with links to content that you have created. You will learn how to make use of multimedia assets such as images, sound and video to make your portfolio appealing and engaging.
• Create Digital Graphics
  In this unit you will investigate a range of applications and features of existing graphic products and consider their audience and purpose. You will be able to apply some of what you discover to your own digital graphic products.
  You will design, create and test graphic products in a similar way to how it is done in industry and be introduced to the technology and techniques used by professionals. You will need to think about the creative aspects of the product as well as the technical (both vector-editing and photo-editing). Once finished, you will review the products, having obtained feedback from others, and evaluate possible improvements.
• Website Development
  With the internet being central to how most organisations and individuals communicate and do business, the creation and maintenance of websites is an important job role. There is a strong demand in the job market for web developers with appropriate technical and creative skills.
  You will investigate the features and uses of websites by exploring what they are and how their integrated components and applications interact with each other.
  You will also learn how to design, develop and test a website for a brief. Once this is completed you will review your website, having obtained feedback from others.
• Computer Networks
  In this unit, you will come to understand the features and uses of computer networks by exploring what networks are, as well as the different types of network and how they affect user experience. You will investigate issues such as reliability (frequency of network failure and performance) and how quickly data are transferred across the network under different conditions. You will be able to apply some of your findings to
  your own computer network. You will also learn about the different hardware and software devices needed for networking, and how these can be combined to make a computer network. You will also put your knowledge and skills into practice by designing, developing and testing your own computer network for a brief. Once completed, you will review your network against the brief and obtain feedback
  from the client and from others, and evaluate possible improvements.