Welcome to the website to accompany the Foundation Apprenticeship in IT – Software Development course.
The course is made up of two parts:
- Year 1: Classroom based learning for an NPA
- Year 2: Workplace based learning for SVQs
What is an NPA?
NPA stands for National Progression Award. In this course you will be learning an NPA at SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework) level 6 which is the same level of difficulty as a Higher.
What is an SVQ?
SVQ stands for Scottish Vocational Qualifications and each one represents one aspect of a job.
Year 1
In the first year you will learn:
Software design and development
In this unit you learn the basics of program design and programming using Python.
Applications development
In this unit you propose and make your own application. This could be a video game, desktop application, or anything else of sufficient complexity.
Authoring a website
In this unit you learn how to design and make a website using HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript.
In year 1 your grade is based on written tests about the theory and project work where you will hand in the design documents and the final product that is either a programme or website depending on the unit. The only grades are PASS and FAIL.
For each unit there are a set of outcomes that must be passed. For example, the Software Design and Development unit has the following outcomes:
- Explain how programs work, drawing on an understanding of advanced concepts in software development and computer architecture
- Reading and explaining code
- Describing the purpose of a range of programming constructs and how they work
- Describing how a range of standard algorithms work
- Describing how programs relate to low-level structures and operations
- Develop modular programs using one or more software development environments
- Applying contemporary design and development methodologies
- Selecting and using combinations of appropriate constructs
- Selecting and using appropriate simple and structured data types, including 1-D arrays
- Testing digital solutions systematically
- Applying aspects of good programming technique — meaningful variable names, internal commentary, indentation
You might use a single written test to meet all 4 parts of the first outcome. Then you hand in a project for the second one. Let’s say your project fails to go into enough detail to pass the fourth criteria “Testing digital solutions systematically”. Instead of making you carry out a whole new project, you would just be given a program to test and fix any problems found.
Year 2
In this year you will be in either a workplace, a simulated workplace, or a combination of the two. You will learn:
Investigating customer requirements
In this unit you learn the techniques for gathering information about a project and working out if a system is viable.
Data modelling
In this unit you learn about databases and analysing data sets.
Health and Safety
In this unit you learn about health and safety in the workplace and the ergonomics of a computer workstation setup.
And one of the following units where you will learn more advanced programming:
Event driven programming
Object oriented programming
Procedural programming
There is also a unit called the Work Based Challenge Unit in which you collaborate with your employer to carry out a project. In this you will agree on a project, brain storm ideas, and then design, build, test and evaluate the solution. This unit might overlap with some of the other ones and the evidence could apply to both units. For example if your solution to the project uses a database then you will probably be able to use it as evidence towards the Data Modelling unit.
To pass an SVQ you must provide evidence meeting all of the outcomes of a unit. There aren’t any tests although you can use a test for evidence if it would be the best way to prove your abilities. You are continually assessed throughout the award.
It is up to you in both years to keep track of what outcomes you still need to complete.
