BTEC ICT and Computer Science
The Royal Society believes that computer science should be integrated into all Information and Creative Technology qualifications, and so do we.
In their 2012 Report "Shutdown or Restart?” the Royal Society stated that computer science should be included in all ICT qualifications to give learners the best opportunities in higher education and the workplace.
The next generation BTEC Firsts in I&CT have been developed with this in mind – we’ve reduced the amount of content on digital literacy (communication skills, business office skills), to allow for some additional coverage of computer science knowledge and understanding. As the BTEC I&CT is a very flexible qualification, you can choose the right amount of computer science content for you and your learners, and evolve your course over time, e.g. by adding more computer science-based units.
For the BTEC First Award in I&CT (120 GLH) learners must complete either Unit 1 ‘The Online World’ or Unit 2 ‘Technology Systems’ and mandatory Unit 3 ‘A Digital Portfolio’. In both Unit 1 and 2, the content of one learning aim out of three provides an introduction to computer science.
The diagram below illustrates how you can choose the right amount of computer science for you and your learners (the same principles can be applied to the larger qualifications).
BTEC First Award in I&CT (120 GLH) - Flexible amounts of computer science content
* Only available in the Certificate, Extended Certificate and Diploma
For more information, see the specification or speak to Gareth Byrne, your ICT Subject Advisor, about how you can make BTEC I&CT work harder for you and your learners.