1. Level 2 IT Users Qualification – Unit 1 Improving Productivity JACK GOODING

2. I can describe the purpose of using IT in my work I used ICT to complete my coursework because it is a professional way to do my work. I used pictures in my presentation and newsletter to make them relate to what is being talked about. If I had not used ICT in my work then the pictures would have been harder to use because it might make own work look less professional. Getting them from the internet using a Google was better because it helped me find good quality pictures. I included a Youtube video in my presentation because it relates to what is being talked about. Without ICT, adding this video would have been impossible and would have made my work look less professional. My newsletter included articles which were not written by me but came from searching online and using Google. I used ICT to complete a Google search to find articles about new gaming consoles. My business card, letter and newsletter were made using publisher. These helped me in my work because I could use templates. My presentation included a range of additional ICT tools which saved time or sounds. These enhanced my work because they made it easier and more professional. If I had completed my work without a computer then I couldn’t have checked my work because most software has spellcheck I was able to use it to check my work for me. If I had not used ICT for any of this work it would have less professional and taken longer.

3. I can describe the methods, skills and resources needed to complete my tasks successfully In order to complete my tasks successfully I had to know how to make the software work. Each piece of software is something different and this meant that I had to learn lots of new things. In my presentation I had to know how to and design it myself then I had to add text and pictures. I thought about the design and organised my slides so they looked very professional. I used a main menu which included using a wide range of hyperlinks to get to different slides and it’s easier to access. Using these made my presentation interactive and also made it high quality and professional. I also improved by including a range of advanced features such as animations and transitions and picture and borders. These made the presentation look more professional. Publisher enabled me to use a range of amazing methods to create my products. It enabled me to choose a design and colour scheme before starting my project so that I could then choose a template which helped me create my own products. Templates were useful to me because they enabled me to keep the design consistent whilst adding all of my own information. Using these saved me lots of time and effort but meant my work looked really professional. For most of my work I needed pictures and I found these by copy right free. I had to change the settings on Google when looking for my pictures so that they were labelled for reuse. I also had to store them in a source and store table so I could proove that I was following copyright law and not pretending the pictures belonged to me. I also had to reference the websites of articles and video’s I used in my work so that I could follow copyright law again.

4. I can describe factors that might affect the task There are many factors which could have affected me from completing the tasks set. The first factor is to make sure that I have access to the computers to be able to complete the work. Without a computer I wouldn’t have access to the tools I needed and so wouldn’t be able to complete tasks properly. The computer or software could be slow and this could affect the task because I might not have the things needed to complete the task. I used the internet a lot in my work so if there had been problems with the internet such as no internet or sites being blocked then this could have prevented me from getting pictures or text by using the search tools on my browser. Copyright could have been something else which might have affected the task because I had to use only images that are available and sometimes the pictures I wanted to use weren’t available because of copyright. Finally, the biggest factor which could have affected the task is me. If I couldn’t use the software then I wouldn’t have been able to complete my work.

5. I can describe how the purpose and outcomes have been met by the chosen IT systems and tools I created my presentation using PowerPoint and my business card, letter and newsletter using Publisher. I chose PowerPoint to create my presentation because it had everything. Firstly, it included the ability to add pictures and copy text from the internet. Writing directly onto the computer made it easy because it was all wrote for you. Getting pictures straight from Google was easy because there where quick and easy to find and find. PowerPoint was good for a presentation because it has a wide range of backgrounds text and fonts for the words features which made it easy and fast. Publisher also had a wide range of professional features but most of these were to do with the range of designs available. By choosing a design and colour scheme I was able to use a template which did most of the hard things. This meant I could focus on making a professional logo and finding useful articles. Publisher also enabled me to save my work as a PDF. This was useful because it meant it was quick and easy.

6. I can describe any legal or local guidelines or constraints that apply to the task or activity I completed my coursework at school which meant that I worked from my own account. It is important that my account is protected so that I cant lose any work. I also completed my work in school which meant that I had to follow school policy when using the computer. This policy included using the computers properly and using appropriate web sits. Some software the school has in free but some software has been blocked which means it needs a licence. Software licences are all different, some can restrict how many people can access it and others can cant do some things. If you don’t buy a licence then you are breaking law. Copyright was very important in my coursework because I wanted to use pictures and text without making them myself. I followed copyright law by using a source and store table which showed lots of information about the asset I had found online such as the URL and other things of information. I found pictures using a copyright free Google image search to make sure that the maker is happy to share there work.

7. I can describe whether the IT tools selected were appropriate for the task and purpose A lot of the tools I used in my coursework were appropriate for the task and purpose because they saved me time. For my presentation unit I was able to make a master slide so that all my slides could be the same in design, layout and colours which made my work look professional. I was able to use hyperlinks too. This made the main menu and individual slides more professional because they where interactive. I was able to add videos, pictures and text so that the actual presentation was nice to look at and this made the presentation suitable for my audience. Presentation software allowed me to choose from a range of animations and transitions. While these made my work look more professional, I was not able to develop my own styles. Desktop publishing software enabled me to create such as a letterhead, business card and newsletter by choosing a colour scheme which looked similar. The tools in desktop publishing software included allowing me to write my articles in in sections and this made my work look more news format. Desktop publishing software also allowed me to save my files as PDF so that anyone could see them. Finally, online tools such as vista print helped me to make a logo in a efficient and easy way. Overall, the tools I used were appropriate for the activity because saved me time when creating products.

8. I can assess the strengths and weaknesses in my final work When completing my presentation I thought that my contents page was professional because my it made my work was good and more interactive. I also thought that my work was effective because I used a wide range of tools well such as transitions and animations. I felt my main weakness was linking the video because it wouldn’t work at first but also that my writing could have improved because it could have been longer and more interesting. When completing my business card, letter and newsletter I thought that my business card was one of my strengths and while this was a preexisting software feature, I was able to make it to the size or lengths that I wanted. I thought my newsletter was the best of all three publications because it was descriptive and included lots of interesting articles about gaming and technology. I thought that I could improve my letter by adding some content to it so it looked like a real letter.

9. I can describe ways to make further improvements to my work I could have made further improvements to my presentation if I had considered different software such as keynote. If I had used keynote instead then I could have made something unique and a bit different from everyone else’s. Many of the features of presentation software are the same but most presentations are made using Powerpoint that people know what to expect. I used Powerpoint because I knew how to use it but looking back my work could have been unique if I had been able to find more. I could have improved my newsletter if I had been able to find more tools to help me. I was happy with the finished newsletter but felt that there was room to make it longer.

10. I can review the benefits and drawbacks of IT tools and systems used in terms of productivity and efficiency There were many factors which affected me in terms of productivity and efficiency but the one I noticed the most was trying to learn to do something I had not done before. Some of the tools in PowerPoint and Publisher were tools I had not used in a long time which meant that I lost time having to find out how to use them. An example was that some of the designs in publisher were not ready for me to use so I had to spend extra time making sure the one you wanted was there that you liked you could get for all 3 publications. As I had to abide by copyright, I lost time when creating my newsletter as I had to. I could have been more productive if I had not copied twice but this was something that hade to do. Each lesson I had to get into a computer and sometimes this searches didn’t work. During some lessons google was broken and this affected me because had to be patient and wait.

11. I can describe ways to improve productivity and efficiency There are different ways I could have been more productive and efficient in my coursework. The first is if I had tried harder and worked more quickly throughout. There were many lessons where I did not get as much as I would of liked done and if I had of been more focused then I could have been more productive. Sometimes, when looking at what to do next, I took a lot more time as I had to make sure I knew what to do. Some of the features within Publisher were not working. This meant that I had to find out how to work them until I was as ready as I wanted to be. Throughout the project I kept my files together which made me more efficient as I was able to find them easier I also only wrote the contact details for my company once then copied so that I could be more productive with my time. The use of designs helped me as it only had to be done once which made me more productive because I wanted to finish.