This course introduces LCA students to essential ICT skills through practical, project-based learning aligned with Curriculum 2025/2026. Over ten weeks, students select a real personal or work-related project and develop a professional digital portfolio covering word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, internet research, cloud storage, file management, and online safety. They create formatted documents, build functional budgets with formulas and charts, produce researched reports, and compile evidence for KA1, KA2 and KA3 tasks. Teachers choose it because it delivers authentic, portfolio-ready work that directly supports other LCA subjects while building confident, workplace-ready digital competence.
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This module introduces foundational computer skills, emphasising practical application via a student-chosen project. Learners explore hardware, software, storage, file management, and operating systems; master word processing techniques including formatting, tables, and proofing; and develop safe internet practices, effective searching, and professional emailing. A digital portfolio captures progress for assessment.

Introduction to Computers
Welcome to ICT: Pick Something Real and Set up Your Workspace Quiz
What Is a Computer?: Hardware Vs Software Quiz
Input and Output: Devices and How They Work Together Quiz
Computer Storage and Memory: Where Your Work Actually Lives Quiz
Files and Folders: Creating, Naming, Organising Quiz
Common File Types and Formats Quiz
The Operating System: Settings You Can Actually Use Quiz
Cloud Storage and School Accounts Quiz
Basic Computer Functions: Click, Drag, Shortcut, Open, Close, Save Quiz
Unit 1 Review and Recap Quiz
Introduction to Word Processing
Your First Document: Create, Open, Save Quiz
Map the Screen: Ribbon, Cursor and Status Tools Quiz
Text Formatting: Fonts, Sizes, Emphasis Quiz
Paragraph Formatting: Alignment, Spacing, Indentation Quiz
Page Layout: Margins, Orientation, Headers and Footers Quiz
Inserting Images: Phone, Licensed Stock, or AI Quiz
Inserting and Formatting Tables Quiz
Bullet and Numbered Lists Quiz
Proofing: Spell-check and Grammar Tools Quiz
Find, Replace and Word Count Quiz
Print Preview, Print Settings and PDF Export Quiz
KA1 Workshop Part 1: Creating the Range of Documents Quiz
Finish Your Proposal and Letter (KA1 Checkpoint) Quiz
The Internet and Email Essentials
How the Internet Works: Browsers, Urls, Basics Quiz
Effective Searching: Traditional Search and AI Search Tools Quiz
Evaluating Online Sources: CRAAP and AI Verification Quiz
Staying Safe Online: Phishing, Scams, Malware, and the Digital Age of Consent Quiz
Email Essentials: Formal Email Style in a World of Dms Quiz
KA2 Workshop Part 1: Building the Researched Report Quiz
KA2 Workshop Part 2: Email to a Named Recipient and Module Recap Quiz

This module introduces essential software packages beyond basic tools, focusing on spreadsheets and presentation applications. Learners evaluate tool suitability for projects, master data entry, navigation, formatting, formulas, charts, and error checking in spreadsheets. It covers slide design, animations, and image editing in tools like PowerPoint or Canva, culminating in practical workshops for real-world portfolios.

Spreadsheets
What's a Spreadsheet for?: Suitable Uses Quiz
Entering Data: Cells, Rows, Columns, Sheets Quiz
Safe Editing, Undo and Fill Quiz
Saving, File Formats and Versioning Quiz
Cell Formatting: Numbers, Currency, Dates, Alignment Quiz
Borders, Shading and Readability Quiz
Simple Formulas: SUM and AVERAGE Quiz
More Formulas: MIN, MAX, COUNT Quiz
Cell References and Autofill Quiz
Logical Formulas: IF Quiz
Everyday Functions for Your Budget Quiz
Sorting and Filtering Data Quiz
Checking Your Data: Finding and Fixing Errors Quiz
Print Preview, Print Areas and Page Setup Quiz
KA1 Workshop Part 1: Gap Check Before You Build Quiz
KA1 Workshop Part 2: Formulas That Do Real Work Quiz
KA1 Workshop Part 3: Evidence Check and Unit 1 Recap Quiz
Introduction to the Graphical Presentation of Data
Your First Bar Chart Quiz
Your First Pie Chart Quiz
Chart Formatting: Titles, Labels, Legends, Colours Quiz
Chart Interpretation: What Does It Say? Quiz
KA2 Workshop: Charts in Graphic Format and Interpretation PDF Quiz
Intro to Presentations: Powerpoint, Slides, or Canva Quiz
Inserting Text and Images in Slides Quiz
Slide Design: Readability at the Back of the Room Quiz
Animations, Transitions and When to Use Them Quiz
Image Editing Basics: Crop, Brightness and Text Overlay Quiz
KA3 Workshop Part 1: Designing the Promotional Document Quiz
KA3 Workshop Part 2: Building the Promotional Document Quiz
KA3 Workshop Part 3: Pitch Day and Full Portfolio Walkthrough Quiz

This module introduces foundational computer skills, emphasising practical application via a student-chosen project. Learners explore hardware, software, storage, file management, and operating systems; master word processing techniques including formatting, tables, and proofing; and develop safe internet practices, effective searching, and professional emailing. A digital portfolio captures progress for assessment.

Introduction to Computers
Welcome to ICT: Pick Something Real and Set up Your Workspace Quiz
What Is a Computer?: Hardware Vs Software Quiz
Input and Output: Devices and How They Work Together Quiz
Computer Storage and Memory: Where Your Work Actually Lives Quiz
Files and Folders: Creating, Naming, Organising Quiz
Common File Types and Formats Quiz
The Operating System: Settings You Can Actually Use Quiz
Cloud Storage and School Accounts Quiz
Basic Computer Functions: Click, Drag, Shortcut, Open, Close, Save Quiz
Unit 1 Review and Recap Quiz
Introduction to Word Processing
Your First Document: Create, Open, Save Quiz
Map the Screen: Ribbon, Cursor and Status Tools Quiz
Text Formatting: Fonts, Sizes, Emphasis Quiz
Paragraph Formatting: Alignment, Spacing, Indentation Quiz
Page Layout: Margins, Orientation, Headers and Footers Quiz
Inserting Images: Phone, Licensed Stock, or AI Quiz
Inserting and Formatting Tables Quiz
Bullet and Numbered Lists Quiz
Proofing: Spell-check and Grammar Tools Quiz
Find, Replace and Word Count Quiz
Print Preview, Print Settings and PDF Export Quiz
KA1 Workshop Part 1: Creating the Range of Documents Quiz
Finish Your Proposal and Letter (KA1 Checkpoint) Quiz
The Internet and Email Essentials
How the Internet Works: Browsers, Urls, Basics Quiz
Effective Searching: Traditional Search and AI Search Tools Quiz
Evaluating Online Sources: CRAAP and AI Verification Quiz
Staying Safe Online: Phishing, Scams, Malware, and the Digital Age of Consent Quiz
Email Essentials: Formal Email Style in a World of Dms Quiz
KA2 Workshop Part 1: Building the Researched Report Quiz
KA2 Workshop Part 2: Email to a Named Recipient and Module Recap Quiz

This module introduces essential software packages beyond basic tools, focusing on spreadsheets and presentation applications. Learners evaluate tool suitability for projects, master data entry, navigation, formatting, formulas, charts, and error checking in spreadsheets. It covers slide design, animations, and image editing in tools like PowerPoint or Canva, culminating in practical workshops for real-world portfolios.

Spreadsheets
What's a Spreadsheet for?: Suitable Uses Quiz
Entering Data: Cells, Rows, Columns, Sheets Quiz
Safe Editing, Undo and Fill Quiz
Saving, File Formats and Versioning Quiz
Cell Formatting: Numbers, Currency, Dates, Alignment Quiz
Borders, Shading and Readability Quiz
Simple Formulas: SUM and AVERAGE Quiz
More Formulas: MIN, MAX, COUNT Quiz
Cell References and Autofill Quiz
Logical Formulas: IF Quiz
Everyday Functions for Your Budget Quiz
Sorting and Filtering Data Quiz
Checking Your Data: Finding and Fixing Errors Quiz
Print Preview, Print Areas and Page Setup Quiz
KA1 Workshop Part 1: Gap Check Before You Build Quiz
KA1 Workshop Part 2: Formulas That Do Real Work Quiz
KA1 Workshop Part 3: Evidence Check and Unit 1 Recap Quiz
Introduction to the Graphical Presentation of Data
Your First Bar Chart Quiz
Your First Pie Chart Quiz
Chart Formatting: Titles, Labels, Legends, Colours Quiz
Chart Interpretation: What Does It Say? Quiz
KA2 Workshop: Charts in Graphic Format and Interpretation PDF Quiz
Intro to Presentations: Powerpoint, Slides, or Canva Quiz
Inserting Text and Images in Slides Quiz
Slide Design: Readability at the Back of the Room Quiz
Animations, Transitions and When to Use Them Quiz
Image Editing Basics: Crop, Brightness and Text Overlay Quiz
KA3 Workshop Part 1: Designing the Promotional Document Quiz
KA3 Workshop Part 2: Building the Promotional Document Quiz
KA3 Workshop Part 3: Pitch Day and Full Portfolio Walkthrough Quiz

Curriculum Mapping

See exactly how this course maps to official curriculum specifications

Curriculum Area
Outcomes
Module 1: Introduction to the computer and word processing
Unit 1: Introduction to computers
M1.U1.1 M1.U1.2 M1.U1.3 M1.U1.4
Unit 2: Introduction to word processing
M1.U2.1 M1.U2.2 M1.U2.3 M1.U2.4
Unit 3: The internet and email essentials
M1.U3.1 M1.U3.2 M1.U3.3 M1.U3.4
Module 2: Introduction to other software packages and applications
Unit 1: Spreadsheets
M2.U1.1 M2.U1.2 M2.U1.3
Unit 2: Introduction to the graphical presentation of data
M2.U2.1 M2.U2.2 M2.U2.3

The curriculum does not include official reference codes for individual learning outcomes, so we have assigned a code scheme to make it easier to identify and track coverage.

What Students Will Learn

Learning Goals

**Curriculum Goals**
  1. Develop a real, personally relevant ICT project that spans the entire course and serves as the foundation for all practical work and assessments.
  2. Build and maintain a well-organised digital portfolio in cloud storage, demonstrating consistent file management, version control, and professional document creation.
  3. Master core word processing skills including document layout, text and paragraph formatting, tables, lists, proofing tools, and PDF export to produce high-quality, professional materials.
  4. Understand computer hardware, software, storage, operating systems, cloud services, and safe internet practices, applying this knowledge to work efficiently and securely.
  5. Apply research, evaluation, and communication skills to create a sourced report (KA2) and promotional document (KA3), while developing critical awareness of online information and digital safety.

Learning Outcomes

**Learning Outcomes**
  1. Choose a real personal project and write three specific ICT goals linked to techniques covered in the module.
  2. Set up a structured Digital Portfolio folder in cloud storage and correctly save their first project brief document inside it.
  3. Identify input and output devices on their computer, match them to workplace tasks, and create an ergonomic workspace plan.
  4. Save the same file to cloud storage, local storage, and a USB stick, then explain the difference between RAM and permanent storage.
  5. Recognise common file extensions (.docx, .pdf, .xlsx, .csv) and correctly save a document in both an editable and a fixed format.

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