Developing ICT skills — ASDAN QCF Foundations for Learning Revision

    This subtopic develops fundamental ICT skills for learners to interact with their environment, access information, and communicate effectively using techno

    Topic Synopsis

    This subtopic develops fundamental ICT skills for learners to interact with their environment, access information, and communicate effectively using technology. It focuses on practical tasks such as using switches, touchscreens, and simple communication software to foster independence and participation in daily life.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Developing ICT skills

    ASDAN
    vocational

    This subtopic develops fundamental ICT skills for learners to interact with their environment, access information, and communicate effectively using technology. It focuses on practical tasks such as using switches, touchscreens, and simple communication software to foster independence and participation in daily life.

    8
    Learning Outcomes
    13
    Assessment Guidance
    13
    Key Skills
    7
    Key Terms
    14
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    ASDAN Entry Level Diploma in Personal Progress (Entry 1)
    ASDAN Entry Level Award in Personal Progress (Entry 1)
    ASDAN Entry Level Certificate in Personal Progress (Entry 1)
    ASDAN Entry Level Extended Certificate in Personal Progress (Entry 1)

    Topic Overview

    Foundations for Learning at Entry 1 is all about helping you understand *how* you learn and *what* helps you make progress. It's a key part of the ASDAN Entry Level Diploma in Personal Progress, designed to build your confidence and equip you with essential skills for everyday life and future learning. You'll explore simple ways to set personal learning goals, try out new activities, and recognise when you've achieved something, no matter how small.

    This unit matters because it lays the groundwork for becoming a more independent and effective learner. It’s not just about academic subjects; it’s about learning to learn in any situation, whether it’s trying a new recipe, understanding bus routes, or participating in a group activity. By focusing on your personal progress, you develop self-awareness and practical strategies that are valuable in education, employment, and daily living.

    Within the wider Personal Progress Diploma, Foundations for Learning connects directly to other units by providing the core skills needed to engage with them successfully. For example, the skills you develop in setting goals and reflecting on progress here will be vital when you tackle units like 'Developing Independent Living Skills' or 'Participating in the Community'. It helps you understand your own learning journey and empowers you to take small, manageable steps towards your personal aspirations.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Setting Personal Goals: Understanding how to identify simple, achievable learning targets relevant to your own interests and needs.
    • →Trying New Activities: Engaging with new experiences or tasks, even if they seem challenging, and being open to learning from them.
    • →Seeking Support: Knowing when and how to ask for help from teachers, family, or friends to overcome difficulties.
    • →Recognising Progress: Identifying and recording small steps of improvement or achievement in your learning journey.
    • →Using Resources: Understanding how to use simple tools or information (like a timetable, a picture guide, or a checklist) to help you learn or complete a task.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Identify and use basic ICT equipment (e.g., switches, touchscreens, keyboards) to control devices in the immediate environment.
    • Access a simple website or app to find specific information (e.g., weather, news, pictures).
    • Compose and send a short message using a communication app or email.
    • Recognise common ICT symbols and icons (e.g., power, volume, home screen).
    • Follow simple safety rules when using ICT (e.g., not sharing passwords, taking breaks).
    • Use ICT to control the environment, Use ICT as a source of information, Use ICT to communicate or to augment or enable communication
    • Use ICT to control the environment, Use ICT as a source of information, Use ICT to communicate or to augment or enable communication
    • Use ICT to control the environment, Use ICT as a source of information, Use ICT to communicate or to augment or enable communication

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for evidence showing the learner independently operating a switch to activate a toy or appliance.
    • Assessor observation of the learner navigating to a specified webpage or app and pointing to requested information.
    • Screenshot or printout of a sent message with appropriate content (e.g., 'hello', 'yes').
    • Photo/video of learner correctly identifying and pressing the home button on a tablet.
    • Witness statement confirming the learner followed safety instructions, like washing hands before using shared equipment.
    • Award credit for consistent, intentional activation of a switch or touchscreen to produce a specific environmental effect (e.g., turning on a light, operating a fan).
    • Evidence should show the learner selecting and accessing a simple information source, such as a cause-and-effect app, sensory website, or digital photo album, with a clear focus on the content.
    • Credit consolidation through demonstration of using an augmentative or alternative communication device (e.g., single-message VOCA, symbol-based app) to convey a choice, greeting, or request in a real-life context.
    • Award credit for demonstrating the ability to activate a switch or touch a screen to cause a change in the environment (e.g., turning on a light or music).
    • Award credit for showing awareness of accessing information via ICT, such as touching a picture on a tablet to hear a sound or see a related image.
    • Award credit for demonstrating use of ICT to express a choice or preference, e.g., using a communication app to indicate 'yes' or 'no' or to select an activity.
    • Award credit for demonstrating intentional activation of an ICT device to cause a specific, observable change in the immediate environment (e.g., pressing a switch to turn on a light or fan).
    • Evidence of learner independently selecting an icon or link to retrieve contextually relevant information (e.g., choosing a weather symbol to see today's forecast).
    • Credit for using an ICT-based communication tool to express a need, want, or idea, where the output is understood by a communication partner (e.g., selecting a ‘drink’ symbol on a speech-generating app).

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡Ensure portfolios include a range of media to demonstrate competence across different contexts.
    • 💡Annotate evidence to clearly explain how the learner achieved each objective.
    • 💡Break tasks into small, manageable steps and record progress at each stage.
    • 💡Use familiar and motivating ICT activities to encourage engagement.
    • 💡Collect a variety of evidence types – video clips, annotated photographs, and witness statements – to capture both the process and the outcome of ICT use.
    • 💡Use highly motivating and personally relevant activities (e.g., favourite music tracks, photos of family members) to encourage consistent engagement with ICT tasks.
    • 💡Ensure that any communication aids or control interfaces are set up identically across assessment sessions to provide a reliable measure of learner progress.
    • 💡Ensure evidence includes clear observation records or video clips showing the learner's interaction with ICT and the outcome.
    • 💡When assessing 'use ICT to control the environment', look for intentionality rather than random actions; note if the learner repeats the action to achieve the same effect.
    • 💡For communication, credit should be given for any consistent method of indicating a choice, even if it's subtle, such as eye gaze towards a symbol on a screen.
    • 💡Collect video evidence of the learner initiating the action, clearly showing the link between their input and the ICT output to demonstrate independence.
    • 💡Provide context in witness statements: describe the learner’s posture, access method, and reaction to confirm intentionality of the interaction.
    • 💡Embed ICT use into daily routines to capture authentic performance rather than setting up isolated one-off tests.
    • 💡Document Everything: Keep a simple record of every attempt, even if you didn't fully succeed. A photo, a short note, or a tick on a checklist can all serve as valuable evidence of your engagement and effort.
    • 💡Focus on 'I Can' Statements: When describing your progress, use clear, simple sentences starting with "I can..." or "I tried to...". This demonstrates your personal understanding and ownership of your learning journey.
    • 💡Show, Don't Just Tell: Instead of just saying you learned something, try to *show* it. For example, if you learned to make a cup of tea, provide a photo of you doing it or a simple sequence of steps you followed. Practical demonstration is highly valued.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Using excessive force on touchscreens or switches, causing inaccurate inputs.
    • Difficulty distinguishing between different apps or icons with similar appearances.
    • Not understanding that a search engine requires keywords, leading to irrelevant results.
    • Forgetting to press 'send' or addressing a message to the wrong contact.
    • Confusing incidental device activation with deliberate control of the environment; assessors must distinguish between random swiping and purposeful interaction.
    • Assuming that the learner understands the link between their action and the resulting effect without explicit teaching and reinforcement of cause-and-effect concepts.
    • Overlooking the importance of access methods tailored to individual physical or sensory needs, which can lead to inaccurate assessments of the learner's ICT capabilities.
    • Assuming that the learner must independently operate the device; at this level, physical guidance or prompting is acceptable but should be faded where possible.
    • Confusing 'using ICT to communicate' with verbal communication; the focus is on augmentative or alternative communication methods.
    • Overlooking the need for consistent responses before awarding credit; a one-off accidental activation may not demonstrate reliable skill.
    • Confusing accidental touch with deliberate interaction; evidence must show intentionality, not random activation.
    • Over-reliance on verbal or physical prompting from the assessor, which reduces the credit for independent performance.
    • Using ICT that does not match the learner’s sensory or physical needs, leading to frustration and non-engagement.
    • Misconception: "I have to learn really complicated things to show progress." Correction: At Entry 1, progress is about small, personal steps. It could be learning to follow a two-step instruction, identifying two types of fruit, or remembering to bring your bag to class. The focus is on *your* improvement, not on mastering complex academic content.
    • Misconception: "Learning only happens in a classroom." Correction: Foundations for Learning encourages you to recognise learning everywhere. You learn when you help with chores at home, when you try a new sport, or when you learn to identify different shops in your local area. Any activity where you gain new knowledge or improve a skill counts.
    • Misconception: "If I need help, it means I'm not learning properly." Correction: Asking for help is a crucial part of learning! It shows you are aware of your challenges and are actively trying to find solutions. ASDAN values your ability to identify when you need support and to communicate that need effectively.

    Revision Plan

    How to revise this topic in 1–2 weeks

    1. 1Week 1: Understand Your Goals: With support, identify 1-2 simple personal learning goals for the week (e.g., "I want to learn to make my bed" or "I want to identify three items in the kitchen"). Discuss what success would look like for each.
    2. 2Week 1: Practice and Record: Engage in activities related to your goals. Take photos, draw pictures, or ask someone to write down what you did. Focus on the *process* of trying and using any support you needed.
    3. 3Week 2: Review and Reflect: Look back at your records. Can you see any progress, however small? Discuss with your teacher or support worker what you found easy, what was hard, and what you learned.
    4. 4Week 2: Plan Next Steps: Based on your reflections, set a new, slightly adjusted goal or identify a new activity to try. This shows you're continuously thinking about your learning journey.
    5. 5Ongoing: Build Your Portfolio: Regularly add all your evidence – notes, photos, drawings, checklists – to your ASDAN portfolio. Make sure each piece clearly links to a learning goal.

    Exam Question Types

    How this topic typically appears in the exam

    • 📋"Show evidence of you trying a new activity related to [specific skill]."
    • 📋"Describe how you asked for help when you got stuck on a task."
    • 📋"Identify one thing you learned or one way you made progress this week."
    • 📋"Record your use of a resource to help you complete a task."

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •Basic Communication: The ability to understand simple instructions and communicate basic needs or observations, perhaps using words, gestures, or pictures.
    • •Engagement with Activities: A willingness to participate in simple tasks and activities, even if they are new or require some effort.
    • •Following Simple Routines: An understanding of and ability to follow basic daily routines or sequences of actions.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • Environmental Control
    • Information Retrieval
    • Communication Technology
    • Digital Literacy Foundation
    • Use ICT to control the environment, Use ICT as a source of information, Use ICT to communicate or to augment or enable communication
    • Use ICT to control the environment, Use ICT as a source of information, Use ICT to communicate or to augment or enable communication
    • Use ICT to control the environment, Use ICT as a source of information, Use ICT to communicate or to augment or enable communication

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