HNC/D ADMINISTRATION & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SCOPING REPORT JANUARY 2016 Kathryn Lyneborg 25 February 2016

So, SQA went a-looking for someone to undertake this exercise …. And they found … Kathryn Lyneborg

Sources of Information Survey Monkey: - Employers - 6 - Administrators/PAs/Secretaries - 16 - Centres - 29 SQA 2014/15 Review: - Centres – (18 HNC/14 HND max) - Candidates – (56 HNC/13 HND max)

Some interesting Stats …. Please rate the following areas of online technology by priority according to the knowledge and skills you would expect of ….. from 0 – 5 (0 = low, 5 = high).   Employer Employee Centre Cloud Technology 2.67 2.69 3.83 Document Sharing (eg Dropbox) 2.83 2.50 3.97 Collaborative Software 1.19 3.34 Social Software 3.33 2.63 3.79 Search Engines/Business directories 3.67 4.19 4.21 E-commerce (eg: Paypal) 4.00 Communication (eg Skype, Facetime) 3.00 2.00 4.07 Meeting software (meet-o-matic) 3.17 1.06 3.86 Travel/Accommodation Sites/booking online 4.24 Survey Data gathering (eg Survey Monkey) 4.17 1.00 4.10 Updating company websites 4.03

Please rate the following areas of local network technology by priority according to the knowledge and skills you would expect … from 0 – 5 (0 = low, 5 = high).   Employer Employee Centre Managing/updating Intranet/Forums 4.00 0.63 Word Processing Software 4.50 4.31 4.86 Database Software 4.17 3.19 4.45 Presentation Software 2.44 4.66 Spreadsheet Software 4.38 4.69 Accounting Software 3.17 1.13 3.82 Instant Messaging 2.00 Booking rooms/equipment etc for meetings 4.67 2.81 Managing E-Diaries 4.33 3.56 4.71

Please rate the following areas of Hardware technology by priority according to the knowledge and skills you would expect of … (0 = low, 5 = high).   Employer Employee Centre Network/Peripheral equipment 2.33 3.31 3.57 Mobile devices 3.17 3.47 4.50 Wi-Fi networks 3.33 3.69 4.34 Tablets/Laptops 3.83 3.13 4.81 PCs 4.33 4.71 Remote Conferencing 1.56 4.32 Remote Networking./working from home 1.80 4.36 Docking/charging equipment and devices 3.00 2.31 3.75

What areas or units within the HNC/D that you studied do you think were relatively easy or hard, using a scale of 1-5 where 1 = easy, 5 = hard. HNC: 1 Easy 2 3 4 5 Hard Weighted Average ITB: Word Processing & Presentation 20 15 14 6 1 2.16 ITB: Spreadsheets 11 18 9 7 2.82 ITB: Databases 12 Office Administration 19 17 5 2.38 Office Technologies 2.52 Communication: Analysing & Presenting Complex Communication 16 Recording Financial Transactions 3.36 Personal Development Planning 25 2.13 Graded Unit 1 13  

HND: 1 Easy 2 3 4 5 Hard Weighted Average ITB: Advanced Word Processing 6 2.23 ITB: Advanced Spreadsheets 5 1 2.92 ITB: Advanced Databases 3.15 Office Management ICT in Business 9 2.33 Presentation Skills 1.85 Graded Unit 2 7 3.62 Graded Unit 3 8 3.08

What areas or units you have studied within your HNC do you think will be prove to be the most beneficial to you in the future?   Essential Beneficial Not Beneficial Weighted Average ITB: Word Processing and Presentation Applications 42 12 1 1.25 ITB: Spreadsheets 35 20 1.39 ITB: Databases 27 25 3 1.56 Office Administration 1.60 Office Technologies 17 30 8 1.84 Communication: Analysing and Presenting Complex Communicating 19 26 10 Recording Financial Transactions 14 29 11 1.94 Personal Development Planning 28 2.30

Please provide feedback on the coverage of the mandatory units, ie whether everything necessary is covered, there is too much, too little or gaps in content. HND Content too heavy Content appropriate Content too light Gaps in Content ITB: Advanced Word Processing 1 10 ITB: Advanced Spreadsheets 11 ITB: Advanced Databases Office Management ICT in Business Presentation Skills Graded Unit 2 Graded Unit 3

Please rate the mandatory units in terms of level of difficulty for candidates in completing assessments whether it be due to level of demand, volume of assessment and/or other factors. HNC 1 (easy) 2 3 4 5 (difficult) ITB: Word Processing & Presentation Applications 9 ITB: Spreadsheets 8 ITB: Databases   11 Office Administration 12 Office Technologies Communication: Analysing & Presenting Complex Communication 7 Recording Financial Transactions Personal Development Planning Graded Unit 1 6

Please rate the mandatory units in terms of level of difficulty for candidates in completing assessments whether it be due to level of demand, volume of assessment and/or other factors. HND 1 (easy) 2 3 4 5 (difficult) ITB: Advanced Word Processing 7 ITB: Advanced Spreadsheets ITB: Advanced Database 6 Office Management 8 ICT in Business Presentation Skills Graded Unit 2 Graded Unit 3

Office Technologies content is dated. Comments taken from both Surveys: Office Technologies content is dated. Office Technologies is light/perhaps a little out of date. Needs to address more the use of mobile and social technologies. Beneficial to have students use/have exposure of using external software tools – wiki spaces, prezi, etc. I feel it is important to include social media as per social software above – twitter, FB etc and also updating company websites

OT file management task is too low level. Comments taken from both Surveys cont … OT could incorporate Social Networking, how an Administrator would be responsible for this etc. OT file management task is too low level. OT – restricted to cover file management; level 7 should not be assessing this. Addressing the issues in relation to Office Technologies, including the use of social media and mobile technologies.  OT needs to be updated.

Comments taken from both Surveys cont … The work required for the Spreadsheets unit could easily be covered in a simpler assessment. Many of the students struggle to understand what is required of them. ITB: Spreadsheets at HNC level – this is frequently found to be a tough subject for many and those who manage it at NC level do not always manage at HNC level. It can be very confusing and would be better I think to either reduce a little, or to not have this as a mandatory unit as they can achieve all other units and still not achieve the group award due to this one.

Comments taken from both Surveys cont … ITB: Spreadsheets –too high a volume of assessments tasks. Marking time for consequential errors is a lengthy process. Chart element over assessed. ITB: Spreadsheets – First task huge and confusing. Structure of assessment a hindrance. Content required could be covered in a less confusing way.

WP – lack of features covered that are more useful. Comments taken from both Surveys cont … WP – lack of features covered that are more useful. Advanced WP – subdocuments causes students considerable amount of stress. Most employers do not required employees to set this up or use it. Advanced WP – over assessed – too many subdocuments. WP & Presentations: part 1 – too much expected of students, should be broken down into 2 smaller tasks. More leeway on number of errors accepted. 

Presentation Skills – outcome 1 needs reviewed. Comments taken from both Surveys cont … Presentation Skills – outcome 1 needs reviewed. RFT is levelled appropriately but is over-assessed and has too much accountancy focus. Administration and IT focus on the process and administrating not on accounting theory. IT Units need updating to stop forcing use of outdated features. Allowing students to choose feature and give justification would be better.

Ergo ….. Office Technologies – needs updated. All IT Units, particularly Spreadsheets and Word Processing & Presentations need a “sense” check! Presentation Skills – is it appropriately levelled? Recording Financial Transactions – is it over-assessed and if so, how?