Essential information for assessment decisions Learning aim A For Distinction standard, learners will evaluate why and how customised and
integrated applications meet organisational needs. They will draw on varied information,
themes and/or concepts, including a comparison of the customised and integrated
applications with off-the-shelf applications and the factors that need to be considered
in deciding which technology to use. Learners’ evaluation will lead to a supported
judgement, showing relationship to its context. For example, one factor that may be
considered for using the cloud for shared technology is data security because it is
vulnerable to data loss and insecure interfaces. One way to reduce the security
threat is data encryption.
Overall, the evidence will demonstrate high-quality communication through the use of
accurate and fluent vocabulary, supporting a logically structured and thought-out
response that clearly connects reasoning.
For Merit standard ,
learners will compare why and how customised and integrated
applications meet organisational need and will include a comparison with off-the-shelf
applications. For example, off-the-shelf office applications offer limited functionality in
comparison to customised and integrated applications that are modified to provide
improved functionality, such as to transfer data between spreadsheets and a database.
The evidence will show how the software applications meet the organisational needs
and what the difference and common issues are with each approach.
Overall, the evidence will be logically structured, technically accurate and easy to
understand.
