Essential Digital Skills L1 - Practical Assessment - Set 1 — Open Awards Essential Digital Skills Digital Skills & IT Revision
This subtopic assesses the practical application of essential digital skills for both work and everyday life. Candidates must demonstrate competence in usi
Topic Synopsis
This subtopic assesses the practical application of essential digital skills for both work and everyday life. Candidates must demonstrate competence in using devices, handling information, creating and editing content, communicating online, and staying safe and responsible, as defined by the national standards for Essential Digital Skills at Level 1.
Key Concepts & Core Principles
- Digital footprint: Every online action leaves a trace; understand how to manage your online reputation and privacy settings.
- Phishing and scams: Recognise suspicious emails, messages, and websites that attempt to steal personal information or money.
- File management: Organise files and folders effectively using save, rename, move, and delete functions on a device.
- Creating and editing content: Use basic software (e.g., word processors) to create, format, and save documents, images, or spreadsheets.
- Online transactions: Safely shop, bank, and fill in forms online, including recognising secure payment methods (e.g., padlock icon, https).
Exam Tips & Revision Strategies
- Read all task instructions carefully before starting; highlight key requirements like file names, required elements, or specific datasets to use.
- Manage your time by allocating a set period to each task and leaving time at the end to review your work.
- Demonstrate all specified skills explicitly—even if a task seems simple, ensure you show evidence of formatting, saving, or security steps as requested.
- Use the help functions or on-screen guidance available in the software if you are unsure about a feature, but avoid wasting too much time.
- Double-check that you have used the correct communication channels (e.g., email, messaging) and included all required recipients and attachments.
Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to save work regularly, leading to loss of evidence if the application crashes.
- Not following instructions precisely, such as missing a required element like adding a footer or specific chart.
- Using inappropriate or personal information in practice documents (e.g., real email addresses or phone numbers) instead of provided dummy data.
- Overlooking security aspects, such as leaving a device unlocked or sharing login details during the assessment.
- Misunderstanding spreadsheet cell references, resulting in incorrect formula calculations.
- Failing to check spelling and grammar in documents before final submission.
Examiner Marking Points
- Award credit for demonstrating safe and responsible use of devices, including logging in securely, managing files appropriately, and following data protection guidelines.
- Look for evidence of effective information handling, such as using search techniques to find specific information online and evaluating its relevance and reliability.
- Credit should be given for creating and editing a document with appropriate formatting (e.g., fonts, alignment, images) and saving it in a suitable format.
- When assessing spreadsheet tasks, check for correct use of basic formulas (e.g., SUM, AVERAGE) and clear presentation of data, including appropriate cell formatting.
- In communication tasks, verify the ability to compose, send, and manage emails, including adding attachments and using CC/BCC appropriately.
- For online transaction tasks, assess the completion of a simulated purchase or form, with attention to accuracy and security considerations (e.g., recognising secure websites).