Unit 1 Information Technology Systems – Strategy, Management and Infrastructure Assignment Brief

Unit in Brief

Learners study the role of computer systems and the implications of their use in personal and professional situations.

Unit introduction

Information technology (IT) systems play a significant role in the world around us. They play a key part in almost everything we do. They give individuals and organisations opportunities to access goods, information and services from around the world to an extent not possible before. Having a sound understanding of how to select and use appropriate IT systems will benefit you personally and professionally.

You will explore the relationships between the hardware and software that form an IT system. You will look at the way that systems work individually and together, as well as the relationship between the user and the system. You will examine issues related to the use of IT systems and the impact that they have on organisations and their stakeholders. You will explore how IT systems enable organisations to access data, information and users locally and globally.

This unit will give you a fundamental understanding of all areas of IT, supporting your progression to an IT- related higher education course.

This unit also provides partial coverage to content from the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals Certification.

To complete the set assignment in this unit, you will need to draw on, and apply, your learning from across key content areas.

Learning Aims

In this unit you will:

A Explore how IT infrastructure meets the needs of organisations and their stakeholders

B Understand how organisations make use of data and information

C Develop policies for the use of IT within an organisation.

Summary of Unit

Assessment Criteria

Essential information for Assignments

This unit is assessed using a Pearson Set Assignment Brief. A set assignment must be used to assess learners.

Further information for Teachers and Assessors

Resource requirements

For this unit, learners must have access to IT systems typically found in schools, colleges, and offices such as:

• personal computers
• office productivity applications, for example word processing, databases, spreadsheets
• network connectivity
• internet access.

There are no additional specialist resources needed for this unit.

Learning aim A

For Distinction standard, learners will produce a comprehensive, well-balanced evaluation of how IT infrastructure could be used to meet the needs of an identified organisation and its stakeholders. They will make realistic and well-explained  business-related observations on the benefits and disadvantages of the different elements of their infrastructure plan. They will consider the impact on a wide range  of the company’s stakeholders and the company as a whole.

Learners must articulate their arguments through high-quality written communication, supported by accurate and fluent technical vocabulary. They should use well-structured and considered responses that clearly demonstrate chains of reasoning, leading to concise evaluations and reasoned, valid judgements.

For Merit standard, learners will present a reasoned and well-explained analysis of a range of different ways in which an organisation can use IT infrastructure to meet identified needs.

The analysis will explore the impact the identified methods will have on the organisation and its stakeholders.

The analysis will be balanced and supported by clear examples.

The evidence must be technically accurate and demonstrate good-quality written or  oral communication.

For Pass standard, learners will provide a detailed plan of how IT infrastructure could be implemented by an organisation to meet most of its identified needs. The report should cover use of software, hardware and data connections and networks. It will provide some evidence of decision making such as explaining why a particular technology meets an identified need. Learners are unlikely to compare these identified technologies to alternatives.

The evidence may have some inaccuracies and include a limited range of examples.

Learning aims B and C

For Distinction standard, learners will draw on, and show synthesis of, knowledge across the learning aims in order to evaluate their recommendations for data and information use, and the policies they have produced.

Learners also need to show that they have considered the impact that the introduction and use of different technologies and procedures will have on the organisation and  its stakeholders.

Learners must provide reasoned and realistic justifications of the decisions they have made in their reports and policies. The evaluation and justification will be informed by  a balanced, wide-ranging review of the positive and negative aspects of the recommendations they have made in comparison to alternatives.

For Merit standard, learners will provide a clear, accurate and well-reasoned analysis  of how and why data and information will be used by the organisation to meet identified needs, considering the importance of data and information to the company and how it will be used. They should consider how data is collected and for what purpose, and how digital tools can help them to use data and information. Learners should also consider how data and information is shared and exchanged between the organisation and its stakeholders (including clients/customers).

Learners will explore the potential threats to the organisation’s IT systems and how the mitigation of these threats will impact the organisation.

They will explore how procedures that ensure that IT is used in a legal, moral, ethical and safe manner impact on the organisation and its stakeholders.

Learners will show a clear link to the organisation’s requirements.

The analysis will be balanced and supported by clear examples.

The evidence must be technically accurate and demonstrate good-quality written or  oral communication.

For Pass standard, learners will produce formal reports that detail how data and information can be used and distributed to meet the identified requirements.

Their formal report will consider the use of data and information, both internally and externally to the organisation.

Learners will produce formal IT policies detailing ways in which the organisation makes use of IT in order to operate in a legal, moral, ethical and safe manner.

The policies will cover potential threats to data, information and the system they use. The policies will provide details of procedures that can be implemented to mitigate potential threats.

Assessment Controls

Time: this assignment has a recommended time period. This is for advice only and can be adjusted depending on the needs of learners.

Supervision: you should be confident of the authenticity of learner’s work. This may mean that learners be supervised.

Resources: all learners should have access to the same types of resources to complete the assignment.

Research: learners should be given the opportunity to carry out research outside of the learning context if required for the assignment.

Maintaining security

• During any break, materials must be kept securely.
• User areas must be accessible to individual learners and to named members of staff only.
• Access to the internet is not permitted.
• Learners can access their work only under supervision.
• Learner work must be regularly backed up.
• Any work that learners produce under supervision must be kept securely.
• Any materials being used by learners must be collected in at the end of each session, stored securely and handed back at the beginning of the next session.

Links to other units

This unit links to:

• Unit 2: Creating Systems to Manage Information
• Unit 3: Using Social Media in Business
• Unit 5: Data Modelling
• Unit 11: Cyber Security and Incident Management
• Unit 12: IT Technical Support and Management
• Unit 15: Cloud Storage and Collaboration Tools.

Opportunities to develop transferable employability skills

In completing this unit, learners will have the opportunity to develop a number of transferable employability skills, including:

• analytical and decision-making skills
• formal written communication
• selection of appropriate IT tools and systems
• ability to work in a legal, moral and ethical manner.

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