Case Study for ECDL & IT User 1 & 2 in Schools

The ECDL Qualification continues to prove its value as an effective universal standard for IT User skills, as the case for using ECDL in schools to provide a vocational qualification of real value for future jobseeking is now firmly established. Read on for a compelling case study.

The BCS have announced that the ECDL Qualification can be accessed by using e-learning credits. The exact details of this development are still to be presented, but this is welcome news for schools. Many schools have recognised the benefits of ECDL, and are keen to integrate ECDL into their curricula. The vocational benefit case has always been strong, as ECDL is already mapped closely to the National Curriculum Information & Communication Technology Key Stage Levels 1-4, as well as the National Curriculum Key Skills, and NVQs. However, the financial feasibility case needed to be established.

The following extracts are adapted, with little editing, from the business case proposal by the Head of ICT Studies at a school now using the ECDL scheme. (Many thanks Mark for letting us use your Business Case Study):

"Why Change to ECDL?

Every year 75% of Year 11 leave the School with no ICT qualification. This is in a country where 70% of the labour force is involved in knowledge and information processing. Of those who do attain a grade the results are disappointing. This is not just the case at this School but it is a national issue. What goes against the GCSE Short Course is the insufficient amount of time for KS4 ICT each year and the high expectations of the quality and size of the coursework by the examination boards. In many cases this does not allow for even the most academic of our students to receive a result they deserve.

The alternative.

I am changing the GCSE ICT Short Course to the ECDL (The European Computer Driving Licence).

It consists of two levels
Level One IT User - 3 Assessed Tests
Level Two IT User – a further 5 Assessed Tests

It is accredited via the British Computer Society

BCS Level 1 Certificate for IT Users (ECDL Part 1)
• A. Concepts of Information Technology - ECDL Module 1
• B. Using the Computer and Managing Files - ECDL Module 2
• C. Information and Communication - ECDL Module 7

BCS Level 2 Certificate for IT Users (ECDL Part 2)
• A. Word Processing - ECDL Module 3
• B. Spreadsheets - ECDL Module 4
• C. Database - ECDL Module 5
• D. Presentation - ECDL Module 6
• E. Using IT – ECDL Unit E

What’s it worth?

In order to show easily and quickly what the qualification is worth in terms of the GCSE points standard the following tables show the points equivalence mapping.

ECDL
Grade Points
Lev 2 ... 46
Lev 1 ... 25 (Note: this is now 6.3 points)                                   Link on to page 2