Assessors handbook - Bronze INGOT 2 assessment criteria
Assessor's guide to interpreting the criteria
General Information
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This is an Entry Level 2 qualification also known as Bronze INGOT 2.
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The definition of an entry level qualification is to recognize basic knowledge and skills and the ability to apply learning in everyday situations under direct guidance or supervision. Learning at this level involves building basic knowledge and skills and is not geared towards specific occupations.
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The criteria are designed to help promote numeracy, literacy and social skills as well as ICT capability.
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Bronze 2 is designed as a starting point for the general population who have had little or no experience of ICT irrespective of their age.
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The specification for the Entry Level 2 certificate provides an outcome framework for assessment and is not intended to dictate any particular context for learning.
Requirements
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Must be assessed by a trained Bronze Assessor or higher
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Assessors must at a minimum record assessment judgements as entries in the on-line mark book on the INGOTs.org certification site.
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It is expected that there will be routine evidence of work used for judging assessment outcomes in the candidates' records of their day to day work.
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Different approaches to learning will be required in order to match differing needs, for example, the needs of children will be different from the needs of adults. Younger children different from older children.
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Completing the criteria for Bronze 2 entitles the candidate to the Award of the Entry Level 2 certificate in Open Systems and Office Applications. In general, the candidate should demonstrate that criteria of the type "I work with due regard for safety" are sustained over time.
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We expect at least 15 hours of guided study to be under-taken before the certificate is awarded for those new to computers but discretion can be used to take account of prior learning where this is sensible in individual cases. In terms of making the award, what matters is outcomes.
Optional general certificates
There is an optional general certificate for Bronze 2 which can be awarded by the assessor, using their discretion, as an added motivator. This increases the number of rewards that the assessor can provide to act as positive motivators. The general certificates can be printed at any time on any paper and there is no additional charge for them.
Assessment Method
Assessors can use the criteria to determine levels of prior learning through dialog with the candidate, direct observation and any other appropriate and relevant evidence. They can score each of the criteria 0,1 or 2. A zero indicates no observed capability. A one indicates some capability but some help still required. A two indicates self-sufficient capability. When the great majority of criteria are assessed as a two, the assessor uses the web site mark book to request the Awarding Body set tasks. These tasks are used to verify the criteria matching recorded by the assessor. They are completed under controlled conditions.
Details of the basis of the Award
The process of criteria matching takes place such that all of the criteria have at least a "1" entered in the on-line mark book. The aim is for the candidate to achieve a "2", indicating self-sufficiency, in each of the criteria. There are 48 criteria altogether. If each is assigned a 2 for self-sufficient capability, the total score is 96. Candidates should achieve at least a 1 on all criteria and 90 of the 96 possible marks before being given the set tasks under controlled conditions. This ensures that candidates are properly prepared for any formal testing and are unlikely to fail to achieve the 8 marks required out of 12 for a pass. This is part of the motivation strategy of the INGOTs. The on-line mark book will inform the assessor when there are sufficient marks to request the tasks. They do this by clicking on a “Request Awards" button sending a message to the Account Manager who will E-mail the tasks to the Assessor. There are three tasks, one word processing, one drawing and one presenting. In general these should be carried out using the software the candidate normally uses. The Assessor prints the task instructions from the e-mail giving due regard to security and provides the instructions to the candidates who must attempt them under controlled conditions. This means they do any particular task in one sitting without communicating with anyone other than the assessor. Assessors may read the task to the candidate to ensure they are clear about what needs to be done but they should not provide any information that aids the candidate in the actions required by the marking specification. When completed the assessor marks the task against the mark specification provided by the Awarding Body and enters the mark in the on-line mark book. The system will use the information to determine whether the candidate should be awarded a certificate. If the candidate fails to achieve sufficient marks they can be re-assessed as often as necessary until they demonstrate the appropriate competence.
Expansion of the assessment criteria for the Entry Level 2 (Bronze) INGOT 2
Share the criteria with the candidates and take opportunities to improve literacy. Contributing to social and economic understanding through clarifying their meaning by application in appropriate contexts. It is perfectly reasonable to re-write the criteria for candidates in more accessible language as long as the final assessment is against the criteria as written here, in the handbook supported by the expansion to define the level of expectation.
The broad aim is to ensure that the candidate can log onto a network and start using applications. This is assessed by direct criteria matching by the assessor.
If the machine is simply connected to the Internet, it is sufficient to switch on the machine choose a web browser or other application and make contact with the service provider's server. Since the aim of this criterion is to be sure that the user can start up their system and use it, and there will be variation in the set up and log on procedures at different sites, assessors should use their judgment to decide whether the candidate can self-sufficiently get to the applications on a local area network or access information on a wide area network. They should be able to do a simple analysis of the requirements of task, taking into account the information they need eg a correctly spelled password, and the ways they will use it. Common problems include mistyping passwords. In such cases the candidate should realize the issues involved and overcome them self-sufficiently. If the system is at fault ie the password given to the candidate is not in the system, the candidate should not be penalized but should be given the opportunity to demonstrate the skill when everything is working as it should. Candidates need to appreciate the need for password security.
I can send and receive messages by E-mail
For Bronze INGOT it is sufficient for the candidate to be able to send and receive text based E-mails knowing how to get the mail client to run, go to their inbox and read mail, compose a new E-mail and reply to an incoming E-mail. At this stage they do not have to deal with attachments but an introduction will help them in the preparation for the Silver INGOT at Level 1.
I understand that E-mail attachments can be a security risk.
While they do not need to have operational skills with regard to attachments they should know that attachments are one of the chief vehicles for infecting Windows computers with viruses. Therefore, if in any doubt they should summons system help on receipt of an E-mail with an attachment that is from any source they are uncertain about.
I can use a web address to log onto a web site for a particular purpose.
They need to be able to do this in response to a specific need e.g. Find out from the web page www.mapquest.co.uk the location of a particular post code. At the simplest level candidates should be able to do a simple analysis of the requirements of the task, taking into account the information they need, launch the browser, enter a web address, browse a web page and select links without help. Searching the Wikipedia on-line encyclopedia for a topic of interest is a recommended activity.
The broad aim is to ensure that the candidate can work co-operatively and with a positive attitude to work. This is assessed by direct criteria matching by the assessor.
I can ask for help when I need it
Expect an improving balance between exploring and problem solving themselves and asking others for help.
I can help others when they need it
Encourage candidates to provide help to others without being asked but also to be aware when their offers of help might be seen as annoying in some circumstances. They need to be sensitive to others
I can work quietly and not disturb other people
Provide an incentive for candidates to work self-sufficiently when appropriate and to be aware that the same actions can be helpful or a distraction depending on the circumstances
I can concentrate for extended periods and listen to instructions without interrupting
Candidates should demonstrate increasing ability to concentrate and work with focus. They should not need more than occasional reminders to stay on task and to listen carefully to simple sets of instructions, before carrying them out accurately
I work with due regard for safety by ensuring seating and lighting are appropriate and avoiding hazards
Candidates should show awareness of the need to work safely and to adopt good seating position and to ensure lighting is appropriate
I can help other people set their own personal targets and goals
Candidates should on at least some occasions work with their peers to discuss their progress and agree with them realistic goals that are demanding but attainable. They should be encouraging and helpful and any criticism should be supported with help or realistic possibilities for solving problems
I accept help from others in setting my own personal targets and goals
Candidates should work with a range of people including eg their peers, assessors, mentors and parents. They should demonstrate that they are willing to accept help in planning their work, setting targets and supporting their learning in general
The aim is to instil basic good practice and habits in those just embarking on the use of a word processor or perhaps in some cases to eradicate bad habits. The assessor should use the criteria to assess the candidates' capabilities in the context of their general work in order to judge their readiness to take the Awarding Body specified tasks. The set tasks will reflect these criteria and the candidate should be confident of passing since the assessor will have checked capability against the criteria before they take on the tasks.
I can use the word processor to start a new text document
To meet this criterion, the candidate should demonstrate the facility to start a new document by going to file and selecting new
I type at the keyboard with both hands
This criterion is not intended to insist on polished touch-typing but to ensure candidates are seated appropriately and uses the keyboard reasonably efficiently. If some candidates are touch-typists so much the better. If touch-typing skills are important in your environment, there are other qualifications that can be used to certify these. Check typing accuracy and make amendments appropriately.
I understand auto-wrap at the end of each line and pressing the enter key to start a new paragraph
Ensure that the candidate knows the difference between lines ending with a "carriage" return pressing ENTER and those ending on the screen just due to the machine wrapping text at the right hand side of the page. Changing font size in a prepared piece of text is a good way of showing the implications of these issues on layout. In addition, it is a good idea to say at the same time that other aspects of layout conventions are important for the same reason. Try and instill at an early stage that layout should be compromised as little as possible by style changes.
I can use center, left and right align and the tab keys for layout using pre-defined settings
This is fairly self-explanatory, but again use the opportunity to reinforce the reasons why these techniques are important in preserving layout when editing text and changing styles. Remember “Thou shalt not use the space bar except to separate words in body text and you can't go too far wrong. For the Bronze INGOT 2 using the pre-defined settings is sufficient. In the higher levels, candidates will be expected to be able to adjust ruler settings and edit the styles themselves.
I use the SHIFT key and Caps Lock appropriately
Its quite common for beginners to use the caps lock to switch between upper and lower case for, say, the start of a sentence. Ensure that they use two hands holding down the shift key and pressing and releasing the appropriate key to type a capital letter. The Caps Lock should be used rarely, only when there is some extensive text all in capitals.
I can use the mouse to position the cursor with precision
Ensure that the candidate can control the mouse to move the cursor anywhere on the screen, make appropriate selections and begin simple editing.
I can apply simple pre-defined styles such as a heading, a bullet point list, bold, italic and underline
Candidates should use pre-defined styles for headings and sub-headings. A good convention is to use a serifed font for body text and a sans serif font for headings and side titles. Try and avoid candidates using local effects such as bold and underline as its better to get them into the habit of using styles from the start.
I can adjust the view of the document between different scales using zoom
This is just so that they appreciate that other views exist and can be useful when using say landscape or a different sized monitor.
I can use the spell checker appropriately.
Ensure the software is set up with the appropriate language dictionary for the locality, candidates should appreciate that there are limitations to spell checkers such as the inability to spot a word that is correctly spelled but has a different meaning e.g. there, their; bare, bear. Also beware of automatically changing words without carefully checking the implications for meaning. Its easy for the spell checker to substitute a word with completely different meaning for a mis-spelling if the user isn't paying full attention. Some systems have grammar checkers that might pick this up but some of the grammar checking can be confusing to beginners. Spell check should always be carried out before printing.
I can highlight, cut, paste and copy text within the same document using the menu system, keyboard short cuts and drag and drop
Ensure that the candidate can move blocks of text around and is very familiar with highlighting text by dragging the mouse, CTRL C, CTRL X and CTRL V for copying cutting and pasting text. Also highlight, drag and drop.
Ensure the candidate is familiar with print preview to check work before printing and that they check that the correct printer is selected before printing. If on a network make sure that they are aware and take action to prevent multiple prints (common through lack of patience).
I can save work and then close down the system and retrieve work
Ensure that the candidate is confident to save work regularly and knows that its better to do so to avoid loss of substantial amounts of work. Make sure that they can save files to different directories and that they can log out and shut down their machine properly and have some idea about where their files are located on the system. If on a network ensure that they are aware of the security risks in leaving themselves logged in and moving away from the machine.
I can use "save as" to save files in appropriate formats for transfer to people who are using different software
For this criterion, they need to be able to transfer a file to a different word processor. Since OpenOffice.org is free, it is recommended that users of MS Office simply install this alongside MS Office. An alternative is to use Google Docs web based word processor. This is recommended as more and more applications are moving to the web and it is important for candidates to be ready for this change. If your site does not have access to MS Office, get the candidate to use save as from OpenOffice.org Writer to save as a MS Word .doc file and help them to E-mail it as an attachment to someone known to have MS Word. Confirmation from that person that they can open the file is evidence of success. At the time of writing the MS .doc format is extremely popular but MS is moving to a new XML format and the OpenOffice.org format is the ISO standard for documents. Both of these formats are fundamentally different from the Word .doc files. Therefore, it will be practically useful for candidates to have experience of transferring to a different format. You may help the candidate with any attachment procedures as this is not required for a Bronze INGOT 2. The candidates need to begin to appreciate that standard and open data formats are important in the free transfer of information and that they should not automatically assume people have ready access to expensive applications no matter how popular. When file formats are free and open and the applications for editing the files are free, it is far more reasonable to expect other people to be able to access your information.
I can use the skills above to write a simple document such as a letter and save it in more than one format
The candidate should be able to use the skills to type a formal letter and other simple text based documents and save them in more than one format in case they are transferring to someone using a different application. Candidates should keep examples of their work in their user directory in case evidence is required for internal or external moderation.
The aim is to instill basic good practice and habits in illustrating work. The assessor should use the criteria to assess the candidates' capabilities in the context of general work in order to judge their readiness to take the Awarding Body specified tasks. The set tasks will reflect the criteria. If you do not have a suitable drawing program, Inkscape or OpenOffice.org Draw are both free and generate files in open formats. (Download from www.openoffice.org or www.inkscape.org) Any other drawing software can be used as long as the criteria can be matched but use an application targeted on the task rather than drawing tools in a word processor or DTP package. Although these are probably sufficient for the type of diagram required here, we want candidates to appreciate that the best tools for the job are freely available and are much more capable as tasks increase in complexity. Please submit all work in open formats, either Open Document graphics (.odg) or Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) if at all possible. If your drawing software does not support open vector formats, evidence can be provided as a png or jpg by using export from your drawing software or screen capture, Please contact our Account Manager if in doubt. Note that bitmap editors like paintbrush are not suitable for this work.
I can use a drawing program to start a new drawing
Ensure that the candidate can start the software and arrive at a blank page with drawing tools ready to start.
I can switch on a grid to use for guidance
Ensure that the concept of a grid that provides distances to help draw with a degree of precision is clearly understood. For the Bronze INGOT, there is no requirement to alter units and grid spacing.
I can draw lines and arrows to label diagrams
Use clip art or other prepared artwork to enable the candidate to add appropriate labels and arrows.
I can create text boxes for labels
Candidates should realize that text boxes provide a means of treating items of text as objects, with the ability to drag them to a variety of screen positions.
I can change font sizes and styles
The candidate should be able to change the font and its size but needs to be aware that mixing different fonts and font sizes, particularly on a single page, can look very unattractive. Consistency is important.
I can choose drawing tools to create simple shapes such as square, rectangle, circle and ellipse changing their fill styles and colours.
Better to introduce drawing shapes as part of a meaningful task, such as to draw an object or diagram that requires the use of different shapes. Ensure they know how to vary parameters such as the fill color, outline color and contour thickness.
I can move, re-size and alter the shape of drawing objects
Ensure candidates can select drawing objects and use the grab handles on vertices to alter sizes and shapes.
I can zoom in and out to improve the precision with which objects are positioned
The use of zoom to draw with precision gets round limits in motor control with the mouse. Ensure candidates realize that a gap that does not show up on the screen might well appear glaringly obvious when printed because the printer will be higher resolution than the screen. Get candidates to use Zoom and the grid lock and unlock functions to line up joints with precision. Show them that they can often use this to support drawing with more precision than they could by hand.
Ensure the candidate understands that they should check that the correct printer is selected before printing. If on a network make sure that they are aware and take action to prevent multiple prints (common through lack of patience).
I can save work and then close down the system and get work back
Self-explanatory. See Word processing and use this as an additional verification of capability.
I can export work to software using a different file format
Candidates should understand that there are many file formats for graphics but two are fundamental, bitmaps and compressed variants of these such as jpg, Gif etc and vectors such as wmf and svg. For drawings of the type we are dealing with they should use vector graphics not bitmap editors. Candidates should successfully transfer a graphic between different systems e.g. an OpenOffice.org drawing saved as a WMF file and then inserted into a Word document.
I can change line widths and colours
Self-explanatory, just use the tools provided in the software.
I can use the above skills to draw a useful diagram or illustration. e.g. a diagram to guide people to the place where they live, or a plan of the layout of my bedroom and furniture
Ensure that the candidate can draw simple diagrams to illustrate their work. They will need to have analyzed the task and taken into account the information they will need and the way they will use it in preparation for taking the Awarding Body set task under controlled conditions. They should keep examples in their user area in case evidence from them is required for quality assurance.
Typically this will be done with MS Powerpoint, Star Office Impress, OpenOffice.org Impress or Google Docs Presentations. OpenOffice and Star Office can both import and export Powerpoint files. These applications are very similar in the way they operate and while it would be useful to show candidates Google Presenter, it currently lacks some features that might be needed to satisfy the criteria and so should not be relied on solely. If you do have more than one application show the candidates how to transfer documents between them to reinforce ideas of interoperability. The aim of the presentation section is to ensure that candidates can put together simple presentations. Once they demonstrate competence against the criteria in general work the Assessor should provide the candidate with the Awarding Body set task to be performed under controlled conditions.
I can use a presentation program to start a new presentation
Ensure that the candidate can start the software and arrive at a blank slide with text and drawing tools ready to start.
I can save a presentation and open an existing presentation
Ensure that the candidate is self-sufficient in basic file handling as for word processing and drawing.
I can change the background and foreground colours to make slides clear and easy to read
Contrasting backgrounds are essential to legibility. Get candidates to develop discriminating attitudes to the use of colour and style and that often simplicity is the best solution
I can use templates in a presentation package to put together a series of slides with a consistent format
Ensure that the candidate appreciates that there are several slide templates to choose from and that a good choice can save repetitive work defining the layout of each slide.
I can adjust text attributes such as font style and size when designing a presentation
This should be intuitive to anyone who has been taught some word processing.
I can use drawing tools consistent with the requirements for the drawing criteria in the design of slides
Refer to the drawing criteria for further guidance.
I can import pictures and diagrams to illustrate a presentation
This is very similar to importing pictures into a word processor or drawing program. Use the opportunity for further reinforcement of the concept that file formats should be open when possible to allow the free interchange of information. e.g. if a file format is a secret it makes it very difficult to write software that can handle that format.
I can use effects to make consistent but interesting transitions between slides
Candidates should be able to use effects for transitions between slides and should be aware of the need for consistency. They should be able to use effects to animate text and illustrations to present a sequential argument of related facts. They should be able to switch sound effects on and off and alter the order in which text and other objects appear on a slide.
I knows that using sound effects can be distracting and irritating to the audience when making a presentation
Just because its there does not mean it has to be used. Ensure that the candidate appreciates the need to take into account the effect on the audience and that simple is often best.
I can use effects to introduce ideas in a structured and simple way to make a simple presentation
All candidates should have put together a simple presentation using the techniques learned so that they can tackle the Awarding Body set task. They will need to have analyzed the task and taken into account the information they will need and the way they will use it. They should keep their presentation work in their user directory in case it is needed for quality assurance or moderation.
Specimen Awarding Body tasks and mark schemes
Criteria matching
There are 48 criteria. If each is assigned a 2 for self-sufficient capability, the total score is 96. Candidates should achieve at least a 1 on all criteria and 90 of the 96 possible marks before being given the set tasks under controlled conditions.
Task 1 - 12 marks
Word processing
Open a new document (1 mark)
Make a title “About me" center it and apply a heading style. (3 marks)
Make a bullet point list of 5 things about you eg your age, height, eye color, hair color, favorite food. (3 marks)
Enter the following text using two hands and the shift key appropriately.
London is the capital city of England. If I had £2, I would like to buy a drink & cake, (I like cakes) (3 marks)
Highlight copy and paste the whole of the text you have created to make an identical copy below it. (1 mark)
Save your file as an rtf file with the name given to you by your assessor (1 mark).
Task 2 - 12 marks
Drawing
Open a new drawing document (1 mark)
Switch on the grid for guidance and use it to guide you in drawing the picture of a house below.
Switching on the grid (1 mark)
Text labels and arrows (2 marks)
Drawing recognizable as a basic house (1 mark)
Shapes filled with color (1 mark)
Draw a circle similar to the one next to the picture of the house. (1 mark)
Draw a line so that it touches the circle's edge as shown (1 mark)
Zoom to 4 times the normal display size (400%) and if there is a gap between the circle and the line move the line to touch the circle. (2 marks)
Zoom back to normal size and save the file in the drawing format of your software using the file name given by your assessor. (1 mark)
Export the drawing as a .jpg file using the file name given by your assessor. (1 mark)
The shapes should be colored but the exact colors are not important. The diagram does not have to be exactly the same but should show a simple house with walls doors, windows and roof with two parts labeled with arrows as shown.
Task 3 - 12 marks
Presentation
Open the presentation provided called "Teaching the 2 times table". (1 mark)
Choose a suitable background color other than white for each slide so that text can be read and graphics can be seen (1 mark)
On the first slide make a title "Teaching the 2 times table" in a sans serif font at 48 point and centered (1 mark)
Import the picture provided called 2times.jpg and position it under the heading to make a title page (1 mark)
Insert a new slide (1 mark)
On the new slide enter the following lines:
1 x 2 =
2 x 2 =
3 x 2 =
4 x 2 =
5 x 2 =
Adjust the text size to 40 pt. (2 marks - 1 mark for the text, 1 for correct font size)
Use effects to provide a dissolve transition for presenting each slide when the presentation is run (1 mark)
Use effects so that the numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 appear to the right of the = sign when the mouse is clicked. The numbers should be colored red and at 40 pt (3 marks)
1 mark for all numbers, 1 mark for effect working on at least 1, 1 mark for numbers having correct size color and position.
Save the file with the name provided by your assessor. (1 mark)
Aggregating marks
The Awarding Body set tasks each provide 12 marks. Candidates must achieve 8 marks or more on each task to pass. Assessors should use criteria matching to ensure that candidates have demonstrated the ability to apply learning in everyday situations under direct guidance or supervision. Candidates should not take the set tasks until they have demonstrated this capability against the criteria and so failure to meet the standards in the tasks should be rare. Assessors must keep their assessment records for discussion with their Account Manager prior to certification. The Awarding Body set tasks are essentially an external validation of the assessor's judgements against the criteria.
Moderation/verification
The general non-accredited certificates can be awarded at the discretion of the assessor by matching the criteria and using their own verification methods. There is no additional cost to using these certificates.
For the accredited certificates, assessors will discuss provision of moderation/verification evidence with their Account Manager prior to certification and should be prepared to provide evidence from up to 20 candidates chosen by the Awarding Body depending on the size of the cohort. The files should be named with the level, candidate's name, and year. e.g. EL2_Fred_Bloggs__07. The Center/Academy should keep these samples in electronic format for their own training purposes and monitoring of standards over time. The Learning Machine might also ask for additional occasional samples from individual candidates' course work. Centers should keep candidates' work in their user areas to monitor their own internal standards over time. Candidates are free to set up accounts on the INGOT community site and upload their work to form an e-portfolio (this is a more formalized part of the Silver INGOT.) There is no need to print anything, all files can be kept in digital formats and transferred by E-mail. In cases where the Awarding Body moderators disagree with the judgements of the assessor, additional evidence will be called for before authorization is given to print certificates.
