 Web Authoring - unit 57 |
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Edexcel Distinction:
To achieve a distinction grade, in addition to achieving all the criteria at pass and merit level, learners must achieve all the criteria at distinction level.
To achieve at distinction level, learners must show that they can justify the points they make, providing reasons for their explanations, demonstrating their depth of knowledge and understanding. Examples provided will be elucidated to show how they illustrate a point. Their work will be comprehensive in scope and substance.
D1: learners will explain fully how elements of HTML are used by citing specific examples. The arguments made will be clear and expressed using fluent technical language. Fuller and more extensive explanation, better application of examples, and provision of argument to support points made, plus the higher quality expression, will discriminate between this level and the merit.
A distinction-level learner might
write,
‘Not all HTML is used for layout and format, some codes are used for special
purposes such as metadata. For example, the following tags <META
name=“Description” content=“Description of site”> and <META name=“keywords”
content=“keywords describing site”> are used to make sure that search engines
properly index your website. It is very important to select and use the best keywords
and phrases to describe the site to help improve the sites ranking with search
engines.’
D2: learners will produce a website to an agreed specification of technical quality that reflects near-professional standards. The product will implement the concepts, principles and standards of web authoring with flair. Learners will apply their technical skills not just with imagination but with ingenuity, and codes and conventions will be used with occasionally surprising results.
A full range of authoring tools will be used during the production.
The website will comply with all current requirements for the purpose specified and will have been completed without assistance.
D3: full evidence of planning will be present, including the creative design process, research, consideration of good practice and current requirements. The learner will consult the tutor (acting as client) to clarify items of the specification and seek approval for designs. The plan is likely to include appropriate charts with milestones and key dates clearly marked. There will be evidence of planning the entire site in the form of site maps, screen layout, navigation, storyboards, etc.
The learner will actively seek feedback of their work on an ongoing basis from the tutor and peers. A full and comprehensive log of all work carried out on production will be provided. The project will be completed on time and will be fully tested.
D2 and D3: learners will be capable of working autonomously and effectively. The term ‘working independently’ means that they are able to work on their own initiative, do not need constant support or supervision, give the work their full commitment, work positively and cooperatively with others, and meet deadlines. In other words, they have the kind of self-management skills that would be expected of them in a professional context. Note also that this criterion should not be taken to mean that learners do not seek advice or that they work without discussing things with their tutor, but rather that they are not dependent upon the support of others and that when they take advice they weigh it carefully for themselves.
D4: learners will upload their site and carry out a full range of tests to ensure that it meets the specification and complies with current legislation. They will also have carried out some form of user tests, obtained feedback and either made changes or noted recommendations for further improvement. Learners will be able to make an accurate and critically objective assessment of their own achievement with detailed reference to elucidated examples taken from that work. They will be able to make critical comparisons of their own work with current practice in website design.
At this level a learner might report,
‘I carried out user tests with users from the target
audience group using computers with a variety of connection speeds and different
web browsers. Feedback and problems were logged using a standard form. In
response to the feedback, modifications were made to improve the site performance
and the product was republished to incorporate the improvements. In particular I was
pleased that the users liked the navigation and found information quickly with a
minimum of clicks as this is a feature that I rate highly in the websites I use.’
D1 and D4: when expressing themselves orally, learners will speak with fluency, using a wide vocabulary and deploying both general and technical language with accuracy and confidence. Register will always be appropriate. When expressing themselves formally in writing, learners’ skills will be good with typically quite complex sentence structures, very few grammatical errors and infrequent errors in spelling and punctuation. Generally, language skills will enable learners to express complex ideas and to handle difficult material.