ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Security

The ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Security unit provides a relatively gentle introduction into the field of cyber security.  This unit is one of the core units in the NPA in Cybersecurity at Levels 4, 5 and 6.  This means if learners already have the Cybersecurity NPA then they do not need to do an optional unit in the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science NPA.

If a school or college is experienced in delivering the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Security unit, then this would be a natural choice of optional unit, at least for the first year or so until educators are familiar with the other units and are interested in trying other options.

ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science Project

The ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science Project unit at Level 5 is a group project, with learners working together to source and analyse data and then communicate their findings and recommendations.  At Level 6 this is an individual project.  Learners will be investigating a problem that they have chosen themselves.

This unit has a lot of potential to be a hugely engaging and fun experience for learners, particularly if they are prompted to investigate projects that can make a real difference in their schools and communities.  For example, learners could use IoT sensors to investigate environmental conditions in their school building or in their neighbourhood, perhaps combined with available climate data.  Learners having a sense of ownership over the project and self-efficacy will be beneficial for the success of the projects.

Although it is anticipated that this unit will be a popular choice with schools and colleges, it might not be the best choice for an inexperienced teacher or lecturer the first time this course is run in a centre.  The second time around, it would be a fun option for an educator who has gained confidence with the core units, particularly the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science unit.

Computer Programming

The Computer Programming unit covers writing algorithms to solve problems, explaining programming concepts and writing computing programs.  The programming language used is not specified, so if learners are going to use Python in the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science unit (particularly at Level 6) then covering this unit first to introduce learners to the Python language would seem a sensible approach.

Statistics

This unit has been popular in Maths departments.  If a school or college is experienced in delivering this Statistics unit, then this would be a natural choice of optional unit, at least for the first year or so until educators are familiar with the other units and are interested in trying other options.  This would be a good optional unit choice if the course is being delivered by a Mathematics teacher with experience of teaching statistics.  Gaining this single unit qualifies learners for a Statistics Award, in addition to the NPA in ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science.

ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science Statistics

This would be a suitable optional unit choice if the course is being delivered by a Mathematics teacher or lecturer with experience of teaching statistics in the field of data science.  It would require more experience than the Statistics unit and covers more in-depth content.  It may possibly require more preparation and development time than some of the other optional unit choices.

Machine Learning

This would be a suitable optional unit choice if the course is being delivered by an experienced Computing Science educator with experience of machine learning techniques.  It would probably require more preparation and development time than some of the other optional unit choices.

You can read more about the core and optional units in the Educators Guide to the NPA (pages 6-9)

The post Choosing an optional unit for the NPA ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science appeared first on ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ.

The course can be delivered in a range of different settings and within different subject areas.  In schools, it is already being delivered by CS, Maths and Geography teachers.  In FE colleges, the NPA has so far been embedded into courses for Health and Social Care students and Car Mechanics students. 

ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science tools and techniques are being used in some many different fields of industry.  The NPA is flexible enough that it can be taught using a wide range of examples, case studies and data sets, or it can be used to focus on a narrower field of application such as health and sports science, or geography and agriculture.

Flexible optional units

The optional unit can be selected to fit in best with the educator’s experience and interests as well as the needs of the learners.  A Computing Science educator might choose to deliver the Computing Programming unit first to introduce the learners to the Python language that they can then use later in the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science unit.  A Maths lecturer might choose to follow up the core units with the Statistics unit to develop learners’ knowledge and skills beyond the basic statistics concepts covered in the core units.

Interdisciplinary team delivery

The NPA can be taught across different departments.  For example, ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Citizenship could be delivered by Geography or Modern Studies teachers, ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science by a Science or Computing Science teacher, and Statistics delivered by the Maths faculty.  This allows for more flexible timetabling based on staff availability, expertise and interests.

Engaging stand-alone units

Each of the units was written so that it could be delivered stand-alone.  For example, the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Citizenship unit could be delivered as part of a digital literacy course or an additional unit in a social studies course. 

Multi-level classes

Multi-level classes are not ideal but they are a reality in many settings.  The core units in the NPA have been written to aid educators who are teaching multiple levels of learners in one class.  Topics can be delivered once to all learners, with some learners given some additional information or responding to assessments in more depth.

Flexibility for Level 4 learners

Level 4 only consists of two core units.  This potentially gives Level 4 learners the time and space to reinforce learning by going over familiar concepts in other contexts. 

Alternatively in a multi-level class, Level 4 learners could pick up an additional unit if they have extra time, such as the Level 4 units in Computing Programming or ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Security, while the Level 5 learners undertake the Level 5 equivalent. 

The NPA at Level 4, with only the two core units, could slot into a timetable with a numeracy unit, such as the Numeracy Level 5 unit.  This could be an attractive option for Maths departments looking for real-world maths courses that would engage learners. 

Complementing other
course offerings

The ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Security unit at Levels 5 and 6 is also part of the NPA in Cybersecurity, so learners could gain two qualifications by completing just five units.  Alternatively, gaining the Statistics unit at Level 6 will also qualify learners for an Award in Statistics.

You can read more about different delivery models and planning for progression in the Educators Guide to the NPA (pages 10-12)

The post Delivery models for the NPA ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Science appeared first on ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ.

Helping young people develop digital skills is important part of their educational experience. It can be challenging to keep up to date with the ever increasing number programs and tools that we are using in the classroom. One way of gaining some support is to engage with people working in industry.

These videos contrast examples of poor practice (version 1) with examples of good practice (version 2).

Bug fixing – version 1

Supporting learners to identify, understand and resolve a problem.

Bug fixing – version 2

Group support – version 1

Contrasting approaches engaging group learners experiencing difficulties completing an activity.

Group support – version 2

Talking about your job – version 1

These examples consider appropriate use of technical language, when to use general or specific examples and weighing up positive and negative aspects of your work.

Talking about your job – version 2

Thanks to our colleague Craig Steele for helping with these videos. You can find out more about how Craig can help you on

The post Computing Education with Industry support appeared first on ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ.