ECDL or GCSE for computers?

mae

My son has just started college (doing A Levels) and they have said he has to take GCSE in IT Key Skills as compulsory as he didn't take computers at school.

I have been looking into doing the ECDL for myself and it has got me thinking that maybe, for job application purposes, my son would be better off doing the ECDL instead of the GCSE?

Has anyone any thoughts on this please?

Thanks

Lokolo

Um how good is he with computers?

I think you should ask the school if he can do the GCSE at the college? I can't believe there aren't others who haven't done a key skills in ICT. If he can use computers he should be ok, theres plenty of people around to help.

Or you could look at adult learning? I should think they will have ICT key skills qualifications.
Having a look, learndirect do a EDCL course for IT:

http://catalogue.learndirect.co.uk/courses/100464IC016/ -- Part 1 which is 10-40 hours

Not sure what parts he is meant to do.

However, I am quite suprised the college wants him to have that. Weird. Is he doing a computing or IT a level by any chance?

PasturesNew

GCSE will be required for academic purposes and covers IT, which is the technology involved in inputting/storing and retrieviing information.

The ECDL is actual skills in using specifically MS Office applications software and operating system.

They achieve different things entirely.

With a GCSE you will understand binary and read/write access to hard disks.
With an ECDL you will know that to change the paper orientation to print out your document in Word is found at File, Page Setup...

GCSE = needed if you want to study IT at a higher level
ECDL = needed if you want to walk into any office and be able to use the PC, Word, Excel and find your documents on the network and send/receive emails

mae

Thank you both for your replies.

He is doing A Levels in English, Media, Law and Philosophy!

He is very good with computers but as he didn't take any formal qualifacations for it at college so I think this is where is college is coming from but I just wanted to know if he would be better doing ECDL but from the sound of your replies as they are very different maybe we should just trust the college. Its just that he finds it basic and he said the course is for people who failed their GCSE at school so he says they treat him as though he is stupid (You have to forgive the attitudes of 16 yr olds sometimes sorry)

Thanks again

Lokolo

Um I think the ECDL (from what Pastures has explained) would be extremely frustration but ease through it...

Depends really. If he is going to struggle with his AS levels then do that, otherwise go for the GCSE option, but not sure where you'd be able to do this.

juno

If he's doing "key skills" in IT, then that actually isn't a GCSE. It's a pretty pointless qualification.

mae

juno wrote: »

If he's doing "key skills" in IT, then that actually isn't a GCSE. It's a pretty pointless qualification.

You might be right my son may have got it wrong that he gets a GCSE for it. He also thinks its pointless which is why I was thinking of asking the college as he is very competant in computers if he could de the ECDL instead. There is an open evening at his college for the parents on Thursday and that is whyI wanted peoples opinions before I braoched the subjects with his tutors. I think I will discuss with them if there are any alternatives as at the moment he is under the impression that as he didn't take IT at school they are saying he must do it compulsary.

Thanks

Rachel_123

ECDL would be a much better qualification than the keyskills (he is right - keyskills are a pain) and if the college are willing to let him do the ECDL rather than the keyskills he should go for it IMHO

mikewebs

For goodness sake check how they deliver the ECDL. My College delivers it online and it's an absolute pig of a system to use - contrary, pedantic, even down-right wrong sometimes! Honestly, if it's run through the course-source.net system tell him to take many tranquillisers because he will find that his blood pressure will rise rapidly and he will experience numerous bouts of Tourettes when the system doesn't behave itself. Even our tutors hate this system and prefer paper based teaching and assessment!

Hope this helps

juno

mae wrote: »

You might be right my son may have got it wrong that he gets a GCSE for it. He also thinks its pointless which is why I was thinking of asking the college as he is very competant in computers if he could de the ECDL instead. There is an open evening at his college for the parents on Thursday and that is whyI wanted peoples opinions before I braoched the subjects with his tutors. I think I will discuss with them if there are any alternatives as at the moment he is under the impression that as he didn't take IT at school they are saying he must do it compulsary.

Thanks

The school will get a lot of funding from the government for each student that does the key skills course. So they might not want him to do the ECDL as they'll lose out on his share of the money.

PasturesNew

mikewebs wrote: »

check how they deliver the ECDL. My College delivers it online and it's an absolute pig of a system to use - contrary, pedantic, even down-right wrong sometimes! Honestly, if it's run through the course-source.net system tell him to take many tranquillisers because he will find that his blood pressure will rise rapidly and he will experience numerous bouts of Tourettes when the system doesn't behave itself. Even our tutors hate this system and prefer paper based teaching and assessment!

LOL...
Yes, check how the course(s) are delivered.

I used to teach ECDL and Clait at a group of College outreach centres and there it was for adults self-teaching, following books with the tutor helping when required (everybody would turn up when they fancied during the week and all were on different modules and at different stages).

So there are a number of teaching models being used.