OCR Nationals ICT Level 2. Some questions regarding Unit 2

[Paj]

Hi there.

 

I am a teacher at a secondary school in Sunderland and have some questions regarding the aforementioned Unit.

 

1) How much CSS Scripting is required for a Distinction. the unit spec states "Candidates will produce high quality web pages using CSS." But it neglects to mention if the entire page must be done using CSS or whether you can use WYSIWYG software like Dreamweaver or, as we are using (shudder), Serif Webplus.

 

2) (Not so much a question as a curiosity of mine) It also states that tables must be used throughout to "aid with the layout of different components". Personally, in Dreamweaver I make use of frames rather than tables, likewise for Serif although for that software I usually don't even use frames, just arrange the components on the page itself. What do people here recommend?

 

3) For AO4, candidates are required to have some use of scripting. I can't really think of any examples of what scripting the pupils could do. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

4) Can Webplus be used to create custom CSS? I must confess that I strongly dislike Webplus as the Serif suite has major problems with crashing/corrupting saves on our network. In fact the only reason it gets used is that currently, out of the 6 ICT staff, only I have any experience with Dreamweaver. And our head of department has deemed it too time intensive to train the staff and pupils in its use.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

- Paj

[nickbro]

1) I think we just use Serif Webplus

2) You should not touched frames with a barge pole as a web developer, tables should really only be used for data, but it is student work. Frames = BAD, Tables = OK, DIVs = BEST

3) Javascript, it ties in with unit 2. Though I can't remember what we actually do.

4) I don't know, I avoid all Serif Software as a I find it cumbersome (apart from MoviePlus but I still don't use it). I'm a VS2012/Notepad guy myself

 

We do units 1, 2, 5, 21, 23

 

Seems the example for unit 2 is in Dreamweaver

Edited September 5, 2012 by nickbro

[Paj]

Looking through some of the exemplar material on the OCR website the scripting does not need to be done from the beginning, pupils can use existing java scripts as long as they can describe what they do so that shouldnt be a problem.

 

How 'good' is Webplus at using tables to determine page layout?

 

Thanks for the help so far!

 

- Paj

[nickbro]

I believe it does it by it self. You can always go insert table