Functional Skills Scenarios for ICT

One of the ways in which Functional Skills is defined is interms of “identifying and using the appropriate skill in any novel situation.” That means learners have to become accustomed to using their skills in contexts that are familiar or unfamiliar to them.

Guroo supports this concept by providing you with a wide variety of resources that practice skills in different settings - which we call “Learning Challenges”. The more scenarios your learners use their skills in, the closer they get to that ideal of “mastery” where it no longer matters what the situation is.

We’ve designed the scenarios listed below specifically for functional Mathematics- but its important to remember that most challenges contain elements that are relevant to the Functional Skills standards of other subjects. So, while your colleagues in English and Mathematics are working through their subjects’ guroo Learning Challenges, they will also be covering part of functional ICT!

You will also find that although you may be working with learners at a particular level, many of the materials at other levels can be used as the basis of valuable practice with your classes.

The guroo Functional Skills service currently includes these Learning Challenges for ICT:

Level 2

It’s A Risky Business

You have been asked to help a local company complete an IT health and safety check. Your tasks include:
•    creating a risk assessment form
•    helping write a best practice guide
•    identifying relevant points of health and safety law.

PA To The Stars

You are working for Pandora Xue, an up-and-coming reality star. Your duties will include:
•    sort out Pandora’s schedule for the week
•    update her contacts database
•    correctly format a script so it is easier for Pandora to read
•    answer some formatting questions from the publicity team.

Can You Help?

You want to find a job for the summer holidays and decide to register with a recruitment agency to see if they can help. They offer you a short term content in one of their own city centre offices. On your first day the office manager asks you to:
•    find a number of candidate files so that interviews can be set up for them
•    create and format a table to show new registrations for the previous month
•    review and improve formatting of a standard offer letter.

It’s All About You

In this challenge, you have been asked to prepare a presentation to support your application for a job. You will need to:
•    find out what skills employers value
•    plan and create a presentation that  supports your application
•    practise your presentation

Not A Penny More

In this challenge, you run your own plumbing business and need to:
•    design an invoice to send to a customer
•    create a spreadsheet  to help to keep track of your expenses
•    find out the total claimed using your spreadsheet

TA Trip

In this challenge, you are helping to organise a cadet training weekend and have been put in charge of managing the information.
•    write an email to the cadets asking for important information
•    create a spreadsheet that stores details of all cadets who will be involved in the training weekend
•    adapt the spreadsheet to store details of  payments made and work out what still needs to be paid
•    work out costs for the training weekend in a spread sheet

Level 1

Help Wanted

A friend has asked you to help him with some work he needs to complete for the college newsletter. He has been asked to write a short article about the Louvre museum in Paris but he is not sure where to start. You will need to help him:
•    identify the most appropriate places to find out more about the museum
•    work out the best way to use a search engine
•    check through his article for any formatting or page layout issues.

Winning Post

You have joined a committee that is organising a charity run. You have been asked to:
•    select and resize a suitable image to include in a promotional poster
•    help organise a database of the runners’ contact details
•    identify suitable formulas for the committee’s spreadsheet.

Sing To Win

You apply for an audition on the hit show ‘Sing to Win’. You need to:
•    write an email to the show’s producer
•    write the audition details in to your diary
•    work out how to get to the audition from the station
•    work out the train times.

Plug And Play

You have just bought a new computer for home. You’ve plugged everything in and switched it on, what’s next? You need to:
•    make correct use of the password security
•    set the computer up to suit your individual needs
•    install relevant software applications.

Grandad’s Computer

In this challenge, your Grandad has just bought a new home computer. He has asked for your help in setting it up and installing all the software he needs.  You’ve plugged everything in and switched everything on for him, you next have to:
•     use the  internet to find out about the anti virus software that is available
•    check the software settings
•    deal with a problem once the computer is set up
•    give him some advice on web safety

Nursery News

In this challenge, the Nursery where you work has asked you to help with some ICT issues. You will need to:
•    help to format and correct a newsletter
•    sort files for storage
•    give advice of safe storage and transference of data

Show’s Over!

In this challenge, you are employed by guroo and have just returned from an ICT exhibition.  At the exhibition you have collected contact details from a number of people that you might want to write to in the future. You will need to:
•     enter the contact details into a spreadsheet
•    assign a priority to each contact that depends upon their job title
•    write an email to each of the high priority contacts

Entry Level 3

Blog It!

In this challenge, you are setting up a blog. You need to :
•    select and resize the most suitable image to include in a promotional poster
•    format your profile and check for spelling and punctuation mistakes
•    identify unsuitable profile information

Mum’s The Word

In this challenge, your mum has asked for advice on buying a computer system. She has picked out some computers that she is interested in. Your task is to look and see if they suit her needs.
•    identify the things she needs on the system
•    work out any extras she may need
•    help find a suitable anti virus program

Sounds good? Find out how you get access to all these - and more - here.