Assessment

For P1, learners should describe the role of the components of a given computer system in the production and manipulation of graphics. Learners could produce a series of information leaflets to cover at least one item from each of the groupings in the unit content.

For P2, learners should explain the features and limitations of different file formats, drawing conclusions regarding which lend themselves to particular graphical products.

For P3, learners could capture an image using a digital camera, or use a pre-existing image to edit. Tutors should supply learners with a user need. Learners must manipulate the image to achieve a pre-defined effect which should be related to a defined user need, for example to be more eye-catching, or to draw the attention to a specific element.

For P4, learners should create original images to present, for example, on the ‘company stand’ specified in the Programme of Suggested Assignments table. These images must have a defined purpose.

For P5, learners must be given feedback from ‘users’, which in this case may be the tutors’ or other learners’ responses to the company stand. They should then modify designs based on this feedback and be able to explain the desired effect of these alterations.

P6 is purely theoretical, learners need to explain some of the legal pitfalls in using and editing graphics. Essentially, this is about copyright issues and gaining permission to use copyright products.

To achieve a merit grade, learners must achieve all the pass criteria and the three merit criteria.

M1 is a comparison. Normally a comparison would consider both good and less good points, but in this case only the limitations are being compared. Within the remit that the hardware and software must relate to the production of graphics, learners can select any hardware devices and compare the limitations of those, and then select any software packages and compare the limitations of these. Whilst it is more appropriate for learners to select the items themselves, the tutor can direct them to devices and packages, or can give them a  short list of appropriate hardware and software from which to select.

For M2, learners must justify the choice of tools, file format, image resolution and colour depth used when creating the images. The ‘justification’ asks for the reasons why those specific items were used.

To achieve a distinction grade, learners must achieve all the pass and merit criteria and both of the distinction criteria.

For D1, learners will research the ongoing changes in, and additions to, output media and the effect this has on the creation of graphic images.

For D2, learners need to use different file formats, different compression techniques, different image resolutions and different colour depths, and for each show the final file sizes and the differences between. Some will of course be more significant than others. Learners can receive guidance in selecting each attribute type but thereafter must produce the files and the comparison independently. It makes sense for learners to reflect on what they have used in creating the three associated images, but if the tutor prefers they can supply a different set of images and a list of the tools, file formats, image resolutions and colour depth used, and learners can work with those.