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Silver Unit 7 - Word processing software

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Overview

This is the ability to use a software application designed for the creation, editing and production of largely text-based documents. This unit is about the skills and knowledge required by an IT User to use a range of basic word processing software tools and techniques to produce appropriate, straightforward or routine documents. Any aspect that is unfamiliar will require support and advice from others.

Word processing tools and techniques will described as ‘basic’ because:
 
the software tools and functions will be predetermined or commonly used; and
the techniques needed for text entry, manipulation and outputting will be straightforward or routine
 
Word processing tools and techniques will described as ‘basic’ because:
 
the software tools and functions will be predetermined or commonly used; and
the techniques needed for text entry, manipulation and outputting will be straightforward or routine.Word processing tools and techniques will described as ‘basic’ because:
Word processing tools and techniques will described as ‘basic’ because:
  • the software tools and functions will be predetermined or commonly used; and
  • the techniques needed for text entry, manipulation and outputting will be straightforward or routine.
Example of contex: Using editing tools to produce published pages for displaying on the internet or printing such as a description of some aspects of their work.

Activities supporting the assessment of this award

Assessor's guide to interpreting the criteria

General Information

QCF general description for Level 1 qualifications

  • Achievement at QCF level 1 (EQF Level 2) reflects the ability to use relevant knowledge, skills and procedures to complete routine tasks. It includes responsibility for completing tasks and procedures subject to direction or guidance.

  • Use knowledge of facts, procedures and ideas to complete well-defined, routine tasks. Be aware of information relevant to
    the area of study or work

  • Complete well-defined routine tasks. Use relevant skills and procedures. Select and use relevant information. Identify whether actions have been effective.

  • Take responsibility for completing tasks and procedures subject to direction or guidance as needed

Requirements

  • Standards must be confirmed by a trained Silver Level Assessor or higher

  • Assessors must at a minimum record assessment judgements as entries in the on-line mark book on the INGOTs.org Markbook Site.

  • Routine evidence of work used for judging assessment outcomes in the candidates' records of their day to day work will be available from their e-portfolios and on-line work. Assessors should ensure that relevant web pages are available to their account manager on request by supply of the URL.

  • When the candidate provides evidence of matching all the criteria to the specification subject to the guidance below, the assessor can request the award using the link on the certification site. The Account Manager will request a random sample of evidence from candidates' work that verifies the assessor's judgement.

  • When the Account Manager is satisfied that the evidence is sufficient to safely make an award, the candidate's success will be confirmed and the unit certificate will be printable from the web site.

  • This unit should take an average level 1 learner 30 hours of work to complete.

Assessment Method

Assessors can  score each of the criteria L, S, H. N indicates no evidence and is the default starting position. L indicates some capability but secure capability has not yet been achieved and some help is still required. S indicates that the candidate can match the criterion to its required specification. H indicates performance that goes beyond the expected in at least some aspects. Candidates are required to achieve at least S on all the criteria to achieve the unit.

Expansion of the assessment criteria

1. The candidate will enter, edit and combine text and other information accurately within word processing documents

1.1 I can identify what types of information are needed in documents

Candidates should show that they can identify particular types of information, e.g. from a provided list or from search results, for documents relevant to their work.

Evidence: from documents produced by candidates and or centre devised tests/tasks
 
Additional information and guidance
Types of information might include text or graphic sources, information that is free to use (relate to licensing and copyright) information that supports a particular view or perspective, information that counters a particular argument or claim.  There should be some spread and variation across several documents in work submitted for evidence.

 1.2 I can identify what templates are available and when to use them

Best practise is for the candidate to submit at least 3 documents that use different page layout templates they identified as appropriate for their particular work
 
Evidence: candidate files and or centre devised tests/tasks
 
Additional information and guidance
Templates should be fit for the purpose used. eg multi-columns for a news article, A4 portrait letterhead for a letter, Landscape for a planning table. Generally templates will be simple and readily available and assessors can provide guidance in their actual implementation. 

1.3 I can use keyboard or other input method to enter or insert text and other information

Candidates should type using both hands, using keys appropriately.
 
Evidence: Assessor observations and candidate documents.
 
Additional information and guidance
There is no requirement for touch typing but candidates should sit with good posture and use both hands at the keyboard. They should use the SHIFT key for capital letter, NOT Caps lock. They should only use the spacebar to separate words. All other layout should be with centre, tab keys etc. At this level it is enough to be able to use preset tabs and guidance will be required in keeping with the general description of QCF level 1 qualifications. They should appreciate that using spaces to format risks destroying the format if, for example font sizes are changed. 

1.4 I can combine information of different types or from different sources into a document

Candidates should demonstrate that they can enter appropriate information into a pre-structured documents accurately.
 
Evidence: Documents and/or centre devised test or task
 
Additional information
Types of information should cover text, numbers, images and other graphic elements. Sources should include internet documents, printed material, other word processing documents generally confined to simple and compatible data formats. 
 

1.5 I can enter information into existing tables, forms and templates

Candidates should demonstrate that they can enter appropriate information accurately into tables forms and templates provided in documents.
 
Evidence: Documents and/or centre devised test or task
 
Additional information
Information should be entered that is appropriate to the structures. Candidates should be encouraged to question the efficiency of providing information in Word Processing documents that would be more appropriately collected in a database. Quite often lack of database skills result in the use of word processing documents to collect information that would be far more efficiently collected using a web form. 

1.6 I can use editing tools to amend document content

Candidates should show proficiency in simple operations such as select, copy, cut, paste, undo, redo, drag and drop, find, replace, insert, delete, size, crop and position, relevant to the particular information.
 
Evidence: Documents and/or centre devised test or task
 
Additional information
In general, at this level the expectation is that candidates should be able to use these tools in straightforward situation and with occasional prompts when unfamiliar circumstances arise. 
 

1.7 I can store and retrieve document files effectively, in line with local guidelines and conventions where available

Candidates should be able to save files including the use of "save as", use the filing system to find files and open them. They should be beginning to understand basic issues of compatibility.
 
Evidence: Direct observation and/or centre devised test or task
 
Additional information
If the user is using OpenOffice.org Writer, they should be aware that saving in .odt format will make the file difficult to access in some other Word processors. Saving as .rtf will enable other systems that support .rtf to use their work. Saving as .doc will enable MS Word to open the files. The more complex a file the more likely there are to be problems opening it in a different word processor even using "save as". For this reason candidates should always be encouraged to keep documents as structurally simple as possible to try and optimise the accessibility of the information to other people. 

2. The candidate will structure information within word processing documents

2.1 I can create and modify tables to organise tabular or numeric information

Candidates should create simple tables formatting them appropriately. 
 
Evidence: Candidate documents and/or centre devised tests and tasks.
 
Additional information and guidance
Tables will typically have straightforward structure. Complex tables within tables are not required or tables hyperlinked to other applications e.g. spreadsheets. Tables should be appropriately formatted internally and free from padding "spaces". Candidates should be able to left align, right align and centre tables and also the cell content. 

  2.2 I can select and apply heading styles to text

​Candidates should demonstrate the ability of applying appropriate pre-defined styles.

  Evidence: Candidates' documents and/or centre devised tests/tasks
 
Additional information and guidance
Assessors can provide a range of styles from which candidates choose appropriately. Their own documents should exhibit an appropriate style for the information they are presenting.

3. The candidate will use word processing software tools to format and present documents

3.1 I can identify what formatting to use to enhance presentation of the document

Candidates documents should be clearly presented with simple but effective formatting
 
Evidence: Candidates' documents and/or centre devised tests/tasks
 
Additional information and guidance
 
Assessors can provide a range of formats from which candidates choose appropriately. Their own documents should exhibit an appropriate format for the information.

3.2 I can select and use appropriate techniques to format characters and paragraphs

Candidates should layout paragraphs with clear consistent structure in keeping with local guidelines. Sentences should start with a capital letter and end with a full stop. Candidates should know how to get commonly used special characters such as @, ©, ¼
 
Evidence: Candidates documents and/or centre devised tests/tasks
 
Additional information and guidance
At this level the formats will be simple and straightforward.

3.3 I can select and use appropriate page layout to present and print documents

Candidates should be familiar with the need for margins on pages, how to number pages and include headers and footers where appropriate. 
 
Evidence: Candidates documents and/or centre devised tests/tasks
 
Additional information and guidance
 
This would be a good time to introduce the differences between publishing for paper and web pages. Web pages can change size and resolution and so complex layouts are often not desirable because they will not look good on a wide variety of displays. Paper is usually printed to a standard size. The export of pdf documents from word processors enables a document to be circulated for printing without it being easy to edit. pdf is designed for printing to paper and is not the right format to use for displaying on the web although it is often used like that. They should also consider whether putting information directly into  web pages might be more appropriate than a Word Processor document if there is no need to put the information on paper. Reducing printing will help the environment.

3.4 I can check documents meet needs, using IT tools and making corrections as necessary

The candidate should be able to check documents against simple criteria and  make a judgement about whether they are fit for their intended purpose.
 
Evidence: From candidate's documentation and/or centre set tasks or tests.
 
Additional information and guidance
 
The documents they check could be their own, their peers, documents prepared by the assessor or documents from e.g. government web sites. Was the information clear? Is their format appropriate? Could they be improved? The candidates own documents should be free from obvious spelling mistakes, misuse of capitals such as i instead of I. SMS style should not be used in formal documents. Assessors should encourage peer review, checking and re-checking. Candidates should make corrections themselves when errors are pointed out. 
 

Moderation/verification

The assessor should keep a record of assessment judgements made for each candidate and make notes of any significant issues for any candidate. They must be prepared to enter into dialogue with their Account Manager and provide their assessment records to the Account Manager through the on-line mark book. They should be prepared to provide evidence as a basis for their judgements through reference to candidate e-portfolios. Before authorising certification, the Account Manager must be satisfied that the assessors judgements are sound.

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