 SUGGESTED TIMETABLE ALLOCATION

It is estimated that the syllabus can be covered in approximately 160 hours or four periods per
week during the fourth and fifth years in the secondary school. A suggested time allocation (in
hours) is shown below for each section. The laboratory hours indicated are calculated on a per
student basis.

Section Class Lab Field Total

1. Computer Fundamentals and Information Processing 30 4 34

2. Computer Networks and Web Technologies 11 - 2 13

3. Social and Economic Impact of Information and 12 - - 12

Communications Technology

4. Word-Processing and Web Page Design 5 15 - 20

5. Spreadsheets 5 10 - 15

6. Database Management 5 13 - 18

7. Problem-Solving and Program Design 20 - - 20

8. Program Implementation 15 20 - 35

Allied Subjects

Although no subjects are being specified as either prerequisites or co-requisites to Information

Technology, it is expected that students would have pursued a course in Mathematics up to Grade
9 (Form 3).

 FORMAT OF THE EXAMINATIONS

Paper 01 Sixty multiple-choice items: 35 items from Sections 1, 2 and 3; 15
(1 hour 15 minutes) items from Sections 4, 5 and 6; and 10 from Sections 7 and 8.

Paper 02 Four compulsory structured questions drawn from all areas of the
(2 hours) syllabus. Marks will be allocated as follows: 35 marks toward the
Theory profile, 30 marks toward the Productivity Tools profile
and 25 marks toward the Problem-Solving and Programming
profile. Knowledge of a specific programming language will not
be tested.

Paper 032 Alternate to the School-Based Assessment for private candidates.

Assessment for Private This paper will examine similar skills as those tested in Paper 031.
Candidates only The focus, therefore, will be on Productivity Tools and Problem-
(2 hours) Solving and Programming. This paper will be a practical paper,

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 3 www.cxc.org

 consisting of five questions: four on Productivity Tools, worth 35
marks, and one on Problem-Solving worth 15 marks.

School-Based Assessment

Paper 031 The SBA component will comprise a practical project testing
Section 4, Word-Processing and Web Page Design; Section 5,
Spreadsheets; Section 6, Database Management; Section 7,
Problem-Solving and Program Design; and Section 8, Program
Implementation.

The Project will carry 50 marks which will account for 25 per cent
of the final grade. This 50 marks will be distributed as follows: 10
for Word-Processing; 5 for Web Page Design; 10 for
Spreadsheets; 10 for Database Management; and 15 for
Problem-Solving. The project will be marked by the teacher in
accordance with CXC® guidelines and the marks should be
submitted to CXC®. The assignment should be administered as
specified in the instructions contained in the Guidelines to the
Conduct of the SBA, on pages 31–42.

 CERTIFICATION
The subject will be examined for certification at the General Proficiency. The School-Based Assessment
component for this syllabus is aligned to selected units within the regional qualification of the
Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ). Through this integration, once all requirements for issuing
the CVQ are met, every student with acceptable grades will receive a Statement of Competence to
recognize their competencies in selected units from the Level 1 Caribbean Vocational Qualification
(CVQ) in Data Operations – Level 1 (CCITI10106). The decisions to award competencies will be based
on the quality and relevance of the pieces of evidence presented for the occupational area.

In addition to an overall grade, there will be a profile report that reflects the performance of each
candidate under the following headings.

 DEFINITION OF PROFILE DIMENSIONS

Profile Dimensions

Theory The ability to apply fundamental concepts and skills to Information

Technology.

Productivity Tools The ability to apply standard features in the following areas:

(a) word processor in the preparation of documents, as well as

the candidate’s ability to use web page design applications;

(b) spreadsheet program in solving problems and presenting data;

and,

(c) database management program in storing and retrieving

data.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 4 www.cxc.org

 Problem-Solving and The ability to use analytical skills in the development of algorithms,
Programming expressed as flowcharts or pseudo code, that can then be implemented
as applications or computer programs.

MARK AND WEIGHT ALLOCATION FOR PROFILE DIMENSIONS

P a p e r / Profiles Theory Productivity Problem-Solving Paper % Weighting

Tools and Total Of Papers
Programming
Paper 01 35 15 10 60 30
Paper 02 35 30 25 90 45
Paper 03 - 35 15 50 25
Profile Totals 70 85 50 200
% Weighting 35 40 25 100
Profiles

 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

For Schools:

1. It is the responsibility of schools presenting candidates for the examinations to ensure that
the required hardware and software are in place to achieve the syllabus objectives.

2. Candidates are advised to try out solutions to a variety of different problems on a computer
using a programming language of their choice; no particular programming language will be
assumed in this syllabus.

3. From the list provided below, teachers may select appropriate software for the Word-
Processing, Spreadsheets, Database Management, and Web Page Design components of the
syllabus.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 5 www.cxc.org

 RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE

Word-Processing Spreadsheets Database Management Web Page Design

1. Microsoft 1. Microsoft 1. Microsoft Access 1. Microsoft Word
Word Excel
2. OpenOffice Base 2. Free online web
2. Google 2. Google services such as
Docs Sheets www.wix.com,
www.webnode.com
3. Google 3. 3. OpenOffice or www.weebly.com
Forms Calc
3. Google Sites
4. OpenOffice
Writer

 NOTES TO TEACHERS
1. Students should be aware of the input/process/storage/output cycle as it pertains to
hardware and software components in Section 1.

2. Section 7 should be taught before Section 8. Students should learn how to develop
algorithms before they are introduced to writing code in a programming language.

3. In Section 7, the focus should be on the development of solutions in the form of algorithms
(pseudocode/flowchart). The problem-solving skills acquired in this section serve as a
foundation for programming in Section 8.

4. In Section 8, students are required to translate a suitable selection of the algorithms

developed in Section 7 into a n end-user application using one of the programming tools
recommended by the centre. Use simple problems, for example, finding the average of a set
of integers, or calculating tax payable, to illustrate how to develop simple programs.

5. In Section 8, laboratory sessions should be used to:

(a) familiarise the student with the features of the recommended translator;
(b) identify and correct syntax errors;
(c) identify and correct logic errors; and,
(d) execute program and display results.

It is recommended that students develop the algorithms on paper before converting into
source code. This allows for more efficient utilization of computer time.

6. While it is expected that students will gain skills in the use of productivity tools through
practice on specific packages, teachers should ensure that students have an appreciation of
the generic operations of each of the productivity tools so that skills are transferable to
other packages.

7. Although not a requirement of the course, it may be useful to apprise students of the
history of computers.

8. A glossary has been provided to facilitate a uniformed interpretation of the terminology

used in the syllabus. Teachers are advised to make use of this glossary and also the list
of recommended texts. However, the reading list provided is not exhaustive and additional
references should be consulted.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 6 www.cxc.org

 REGULATIONS FOR RESIT CANDIDATES
For CSEC® candidates, SBA scores can be carried forward only ONCE and only during the year
immediately following the first sitting. In order to assist candidates in making decisions about whether
or not to reuse a moderated SBA score, the Council will continue to indicate on the preliminary results
if a candidate’s moderated SBA score is less than 50 per cent in a particular subject. Candidates reusing
SBA scores should register as “Resit candidates” and must provide the previous candidate number
when registering. These candidates must rewrite Papers 01 and 02 of the examination for the year in
which they re-register.

Resit candidates may enter through schools, recognized educational institutions or the Local
Registrar’s Office.

 REGULATIONS FOR PRIVATE CANDIDATES

1. Private candidates must be entered for examination through the Local Registrar or approved
private institutions in their respective territories and will be required to sit Papers 01, 02, and
EITHER Paper 031 OR Paper 032.

2. Paper 032 is a practical examination designed for candidates whose work cannot be monitored
by tutors in recognized educational and approved private institutions. The Paper will be of 2
hours’ duration and will consist of five questions. Questions will test the Productivity Tools and
Problem-Solving and Programming profiles.

3. Candidates entered for the examination through private institutions and who opt to complete
the SBA project must note the following:

(a) Candidates’ work must be monitored by tutors in the institution and feedback given
before the final assessment of that component. Tutors must also monitor candidates’
project to determine the veracity of work submitted. Tutors should not accept projects
which were not monitored during development. The marks recorded in the four
components will be collated to form the final SBA mark for submission by 30 April, in
the year of the examination.

(b) Marks must be submitted to the Caribbean Examinations Council on the School-Based
Assessment forms provided online. The forms should be submitted electronically via
the SBA data capture module on the Online Registration System (ORS) on the Council’s
website. Candidates who do not fulfil the requirements for the School-Based
Assessment will be reported as “ungraded”.

(c) Candidates as well as tutors must retain a copy of the completed component as part
of their portfolio.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 7 www.cxc.org

 SECTION 1: COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS AND INFORMATION
PROCESSING

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

On completion of this Section, students should:

1. develop an understanding of the fundamental hardware and software components and the
interrelationship among them;

2. develop expertise in evaluating computer systems; and,

3. develop an understanding of basic information processing principles.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS

Students should be able to:

1. explain the concept of Information Definition and scope of Information

Technology; Technology.

2. distinguish among the major types of Major types:

computer systems in terms of processing
speed, storage and portability; (a) Super Computers (for example, Cray).

(b) Mainframes (for example, IBM

zEnterprise System).

(c) Desktop systems.

(d) Mobile devices (for example, laptops,

notebooks, netbooks, smartphones,
tablets and game consoles).

(e) Embedded devices (for example,

special-purpose systems such as
controllers in microwaves, car ignition
systems, answering machines).

3. explain the functions of the major Major components: input, central processing
hardware components of a computer unit, primary memory (RAM and ROM),
system; secondary storage, output.

(a) Secondary storage devices: hard disk,

magnetic tape, flash drive, memory
card, and optical disks (CD, DVD and Blu-
Ray).

(b) Units of storage: bits, bytes, kilobytes,

megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 8 www.cxc.org

SECTION 1: COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS (cont’d)

Students should be able to:

4. explain how the major hardware Input processing output storage (IPOS) cycle.
components of a computer system
interrelate;

5. evaluate the relative merits of cloud Definition of cloud and local storage.
storage and local storage; Assessment criteria: capacity, cost,
accessibility; security issues.

6. select appropriate input/output devices Associate the following devices with suitable
to meet the needs of specified applications:
applications;
(a) Input: Optical mark reader (OMR),
character readers (OCR, MICR), mouse,
joystick, bar code reader, document
scanner, light-pen, touch terminals,
voice response unit, Touch Screens
(tablets, point of sale, ATM), keyboard,
digital camera, biometric systems,
sensors, remote control, sound capture,
pointing devices, webcam.

(b) Visual output: Monitors, Printers (laser,

inkjet, dot matrix, thermal, plotters, 3D
Printers), microfilm.

(c) Audible output: speakers, headphones,

earphones.

7. explain the role of the different types of System Software: Operating System, Utilities.
software in computer operation;
Application software: general-purpose and
special-purpose; integrated package; source:
off the shelf, custom-written, and customized.

8. discuss the relative merits of the various Hardware: touch screens, specialized
types of user interface; keyboards.

Software: command line, menu-driven,

graphical user, touch.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 9 www.cxc.org

SECTION 1: COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS (cont’d)

Students should be able to:

9. evaluate the suitability of a given Basic knowledge of system specification

computer system for a specific purpose; needed for purposes such as: to run a video
game, web browsing, graphic design, video
editing, and desktop publishing.

Criteria:

(a) Processing speed (CPU type and speed);

(b) Memory (RAM);

(c) Secondary storage (capacity and

speed);

(d) Types of software; and,

(e) Input/Output devices.

10. troubleshoot basic computer hardware Cable problems (for example, loose cables).
problems;
Monitor problems (for example, improperly
adjusted monitor controls).

Printer problems (for example, changing

printer cartridges).

Battery problems (for example, loose or dead

battery).

INFORMATION PROCESSING FUNDAMENTALS

Students should be able to:

11. distinguish between data and Data as raw unprocessed facts; information as
information; processed data.

Sources of data and information (people,

places and things).

Document types: turnaround document,

human-readable and machine-readable
forms; hard copy, and soft copy.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 10 www.cxc.org

SECTION 1: COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

INFORMATION PROCESSING FUNDAMENTALS

(cont’d)

Students should be able to:

12. evaluate the reliability of information Evaluation of information retrieved

obtained from online sources; electronically for authenticity, currency,
relevance, and bias.

13. differentiate between validation and Difference between validation and

verification of data; verification.

14. identify appropriate validation and Methods of validation: range check,

verification checks given a particular reasonableness checks, data type checks,
scenario; and, consistency checks, presence, format and
length.

Methods of verification: double entry and

proofreading (to identify and correct
typographical and transpositional errors).

15. select appropriate file organization for File access methods: sequential, serial, direct
particular application. and random.

Application areas: archiving, payroll file, real

time systems.

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

To facilitate students’ attainment of the objectives of this Section, teachers/facilitators are encouraged
to engage students in the teaching and learning activities below.

1. Organize students in groups to conduct a research on the major hardware components of a

computer system. They should use a “show and tell” approach to present findings.

2. Arrange visits to local Computer Technology businesses to expose students to different system
specifications needed, for example, running a video game, web browsing, graphic design,
video editing, and desktop publishing.

3. Teachers should arrange for practical sessions in a computer laboratory. After demonstrations
by the teacher and/or professional, students should be arranged in pairs to carry out activities
such as attaching a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the computer’s system unit, fixing loose
cables, and changing printer cartridges.

4. Use a video tutorial to illustrate the various types of user interfaces. Allow students to identify
merits of using each interface.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 11 www.cxc.org

SECTION 1: COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING (cont’d)

5. Organize students in groups and assign the task of collecting samples of the different
categories of input and output devices. They should then set up an exhibition area and be
encouraged to invite the school population to visit booths.

6. Invite local software developers/software engineers/programmers to do guest lectures in

which they explain the types of software and their role in computer operation.

7. Allow students to mount a display on the major types of computers systems, using pictures
and other relevant information.

8. Encourage students to create a scrapbook with samples of information, data, sources of data
and information, as well as different document types.

9. Arrange visits to local archives, libraries and media houses to expose the students to the work
of appropriate file organization and access.

10. Engage students in activities during a class session to write scenarios for their colleagues to
identify the appropriate data verification and validation checks that should be applied.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 12 www.cxc.org

 SECTION 2: COMPUTER NETWORKS AND WEB TECHNOLOGIES

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

On completion of this Section, students should develop an awareness of:

1. basic networking concepts, including mobile networks; and,

2. Internet and Web Technology concepts.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

1. distinguish among types of networks; Types of networks (local area network,

metropolitan area network, wide area
network, mobile network).

(a) Concept of mobile network as radio-

based common carrier.

(b) Overview of mobile networks: from 2G

to current. (Knowledge of the inner
workings of mobile systems is NOT
required)

Wireless network technologies (for example,

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, hotspot).

Level of privacy (intranet, extranet, Internet).

2. explain the functions of the basic Basic components and functions:

components of a network;
(a) Transmission media:

(i) Wired: twisted pair, coaxial,

fibre; and,

(ii) Wireless: infrared, microwave,

satellite.

(b) Switch, router, modem.

(c) Network interface card/network

adapter.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 13 www.cxc.org

SECTION 2: COMPUTER NETWORKS AND WEB TECHNOLOGIES (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

3. assess the importance of mobile Suitability of mobile networks to various

communication technologies as a applications (for example, education,
component of modern communication commerce, and journalism).
networks; and,

4. explain the interrelationship among key World Wide Web.

Web technology concepts.
Hypertext Markup Language.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol.

Hyperlinks.

Web Server.

Web Page.

File Transfer Protocol.

Web Browser.

Uniform Resource Locator.

Upload and download.

Email.

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

To facilitate students’ attainment of the objectives of this Section, teachers/facilitators are encouraged
to engage students in the teaching and learning activities below.

1. Engage students in a debate on the importance of mobile communication technologies to our

daily lives, for example, the pros and cons of mobile technology in the fields of education,
commerce, and journalism.

2. Engage students in a matching activity where they match the functions of the basic
components of a network.

3. Engage students in role play activities where they illustrate how the different networks
operate.

4. Invite someone with expertise in computer networks and web technologies to address the
class and explain some of the concepts.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 14 www.cxc.org

 SECTION 3: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

On completion of this Section, students should be able to:

1. develop an understanding of the various elements of computer security, and data misuse and
the impact on individuals and organizations;

2. maintain safe and secure computing environments; and,

3. assess the impact of technological advancements on different fields, disciplines and jobs.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

IMPLICATIONS OF MISUSE AND

CYBERSECURITY

Students should be able to:

1. outline the concepts of computer Computer security and cybersecurity as

security, cybersecurity and computer related to the assessment and minimization
misuse; of risk.

– Elements: vulnerability, threat, attack,

countermeasure.

Computer misuse by individuals and

groups/organizations.

2. assess the potential impact of computer Misuse:

systems misuse based on the main
entities impacted; (a) Cyberbullying, copyright
infringement, data theft, denial of
service attacks, transmission of
viruses and malware, identity theft,
online publication of obscene
materials, phishing attacks, software
and music piracy, financial abuses,
violation of privacy, propaganda,
electronic eavesdropping, industrial
espionage; and,

(b) Entity impacted: individual,

organization, government.

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SECTION 3: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY (ICT) (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

IMPLICATIONS OF MISUSE AND

CYBERSECURITY (cont’d)

Students should be able to:

3. describe suitable countermeasures to Physical measures: backup and recovery

mitigate effects of identified threats; procedures; hardware firewall, intrusion
detection systems, biometrics.

Software measures: effective passwords and

authentication systems, encryption of data,
firewall, biometrics, antivirus and malware
detection.

Personal Security practices.

Some practices include:

- verifying authenticity of email from

companies or individuals, assessing
website URLs for authenticity, limiting
access to open Wi-Fi networks, securing
mobile devices, protection in an online
environment (for example, social
media).

IMPACT ON JOB SKILLS AND CAREERS

Students should be able to:

4. assess the effect of automation on job Job loss vs productivity gains in skilled and
security; unskilled job categories.

5. describe the roles of various personnel Network Engineer, Computer

in computer-related professions; and, Programmer, Computer Support
Specialist, Computer Systems Analyst,
Administrators (Network, Systems and
Database), Software Developer, Web
Developer, Social Media Specialist.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 16 www.cxc.org

SECTION 3: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY (ICT) (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

IMPACT ON JOB SKILLS AND CAREERS

(cont’d)

Students should be able to:

6. assess the impact of information and Economic implications of ICT on Education,

communications technology on select Medicine, Business, Law Enforcement and
fields. Recreation.

For example:

(a) Impact on Education in terms of:

access to information, reach (distance
teaching), collaborative teaching and
learning, plagiarism; online tutoring.

(b) Impact on Medicine in terms of:

access to information (for both medical
personnel and patients), telemedicine,
eHealth (online access to health
services), implications for the quality of
healthcare, increase in self-diagnosis,
easy access to medical expertise in
distant location (for example,
teleradiology).

(c) Impact on Business in terms of:

E-commerce, Electronic Point of Sale
(EPOS), telecommuting Email.

(d) Impact on Law Enforcement in terms of:

E-surveillance, finger printing,
Biometrics.

(e) Impact on Recreation in terms of:

Music and gaming.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 17 www.cxc.org

SECTION 3: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY (ICT) (cont’d)

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

To facilitate students’ attainment of the objectives of this Section, teachers/facilitators are encouraged
to engage students in the teaching and learning activities below.

1. Using a screenshot of a student’s offensive comment about a teacher/peer on social media as

stimulus, engage students in a discussion on cyberbullying.

2. Allow students to observe short clips about various forms of computer systems misuse (for
example, hacking and identity theft) then engage in discussions on cybersecurity.

3. Encourage students to write a report to be placed on the school’s notice board to describe the
threats associated with each specific vulnerability discussed in class.

4. Have students classify countermeasures into appropriate categories: physical or software

related. Have students derive definitions of physical and software counter measures, based on
classifications.

5. Engage students in a poster-making competition in which they illustrate good personal security
practices.

6. Engage students in a web quest where they explore different scenarios that will culminate in
obtaining authentic and reliable online sources.

7. Engage students in a debate where they explore the implications of companies utilizing
automated kiosks to transact business. Have students discuss the effects of job loss versus
productivity gained in skilled and unskilled categories.

8. Engage students in a project where they visit/research various businesses to determine the
extent to which technology is being used in different positions.

9. Have students conduct research on cybersecurity and then present their information in a panel
discussion format. (Students should be able to pose questions to the panel members).

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 18 www.cxc.org

 SECTION 4: WORD-PROCESSING AND WEB PAGE DESIGN

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

On completion of this Section, students should:

1. have hands-on experience in the use of Word-Processing and Web Page Design in the
development of computer-generated documents; and,

2. be able to express their aptitude and creativity in design.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

WORD-PROCESSING

Students should be able to:

1. create a document using content from Importing text (combining documents).

a range of sources;
Typewritten text, images and other objects.

2. use appropriate document formatting Formatting features: font types and sizes,
features; colour, underline, bold, italics, superscript and
subscript, tab stops, bullets and numbering,
line spacing, justification (left, right, centre,
full), highlight, uppercase, word wrap, page
size, margins, page and section breaks, page
numbers, headers, footers, footnotes and
endnotes.

3. use appropriate editing features to Drag and drop editing: perform block
structure and organize a document; operations on selected areas of text within a
document.

Use search and replace functions appropriately

to edit a document.

Use of tables, table styles, shading, borders,

row and column insertion, split cells, split
tables, text direction and cell margins, cell size.

Use of columns (one, two, three, left and right

columns, column breaks).

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 19 www.cxc.org

SECTION 4: WORD-PROCESSING AND WEB PAGE DESIGN (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

WORD-PROCESSING (cont’d)

Students should be able to:

4. use the review feature of a word Spell and grammar check, thesaurus, word
processor to enhance document count, language setting, comments, and track
readiness; changes.

5. appropriately use features that allow Automatic save and backup copy, edit
the protection of a document; restrictions – password protection.

6. generate table of contents for a Auto table of content.

document;

7. use mail merge feature in the Creation of primary documents and data files
preparation of a document for a in mail merge application.
variety of situations;
Field names.

8. create a fillable electronic form for Use of content controls, such as check boxes,
online use; text boxes, date picker, drop-down lists, and
command buttons.

WEB PAGE DESIGN

This section provides students with hands-on experience in the use of web design tools to create a
simple website.

Students should be able to:

9. plan a website structure and Reasons for the website.

organization of page;
The intended audience.

Number of web pages desired (no more than 3

pages).

Content of each page.

Layout of the web page.

10. create simple web pages using a Choosing an appropriate design for a page.
variety of design features;
Inserting and deleting text and graphics.
(The use of HTML coding is not
required.) Wrap text with image.

Create home page with hyperlinks.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 20 www.cxc.org

SECTION 4: WORD-PROCESSING AND WEB PAGE DESIGN (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

WEB PAGE DESIGN (cont’d)

Students should be able to:

11. insert hyperlinks within different Link to another web page.

locations of a typical web page; and,
Link to a location within the web
page.

Link to an email address.

Link to user-created files.

12. evaluate a website for accuracy, user Considerations for publishing a website:
friendliness and effective display.
Verify that all the hyperlinks work correctly.

Use a test audience.

Verify that all content is up-to-date.

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

To facilitate students’ attainment of the objectives of this Section, teachers/facilitators are

encouraged to engage students in the teaching and learning activities below.

1. Have students compare and contrast different types of word processors.

2. Encourage students to create newsletters/brochures/business cards/advertisements for Clubs

and Departments within their school.

3. Arrange for students to perform the duties of the School Secretary for the Week, for example,
students should prepare: notices for parent conferences, gate/corridor passes, and letters
seeking sponsorship for a school activity.

4. Organize students in small groups to develop and create club or school web pages using a word
processor or free online web services. Investors and/or Stakeholders should be invited to
critique as students give their presentations.

5. Demonstrate how to add the Developer tab in different productivity tools to access Visual Basic
for Applications (VBA) (for example, Microsoft Excel or Word).

6. Share examples of fillable forms where users order items online.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 21 www.cxc.org

 SECTION 5: SPREADSHEETS

GENERAL OBJECTIVE
On completion of this Section, students should develop expertise in the use of a spreadsheet package
in the development of computer applications.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

1. explain the purpose of a spreadsheet; Purpose of a spreadsheet: a spreadsheet is a

table consisting of cells (columns, row
locations) that hold accounting or financial
data and simulates the traditional
spreadsheet. It captures displays and
manipulates data.

2. use appropriate terminologies and Common features: workbook, worksheet,

notions commonly associated with column, row, cell (cell address, range, label,
spreadsheets; value), formula, function.

3. use basic pre-defined systems Including sum, average, date, max, min, count,
functions; counta, countif, vlookup, pmt, if.

4. create advanced arithmetic formulae; Formulae including addition, subtraction,

multiplication, division, and use of brackets.

5. replicate (copy) formulae into other Relative addressing, absolute addressing,

cells; naming of ranges.

Effect of move, copy, delete operations on

formulae.

6. manipulate columns and rows; Insert, delete and modify columns and rows.

7. manipulate data in a spreadsheet; Numeric Data formatting (currency,

accounting, percentage, comma, decimal
places).

Sorting data (primary field, secondary field,

ascending vs descending order).

Filtering data (multiple criteria, complex

criterion).

Pivot Table (create one and two dimensional

pivot tables, create frequency distribution from
data and create pivot chart)

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SECTION 5: SPREADSHEETS (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

8. perform charting operations; and, Select appropriate chart types: Column charts,
Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts.

Labelling charts: graph titles, labels on axes,

data labels.

9. Manipulate one or more worksheets. Use of one or more worksheets to solve

problems involving some of or all of the
functions and operations listed above.

Linking of two or more worksheets to solve

problems.

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

To facilitate students’ attainment of the objectives of this Section, teachers/facilitators are encouraged
to engage students in the teaching and learning activities below.

1. Teachers should engage students in using feedback on class activities towards completing their
SBA.

2. Encourage students to complete exercises that use functions and formulas to effect a more
efficient and effective solution.

3. Demonstrate examples of locating text and data on a spreadsheet so that data is not lost if
rows or columns are inserted or deleted.

4. Encourage students to practise pasting versus moving various types of charts to a new sheet;
inserting titles and axes labels. Students should also practise pasting charts to a word-
processed document and adjusting the chart on the page.

5. Encourage students to practise entering test data for their programs to see the results and
reinforce these concepts from Sections 7 and 8.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 23 www.cxc.org

 SECTION 6: DATABASE MANAGEMENT

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

On completion of this Section, students should develop expertise in the design of a database
management system in the development of computer applications.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

1. explain the concept of a database; Definition of database:

(a) repository of information; and,

(b) collection of tables that are related to

each other.

Purpose of database.

2. use terminology commonly Database terminology: table, row (record),

associated with a database; column (field), primary key, secondary key,
candidate key, foreign key.

Data types: numeric; text; logical; date /time;

currency.

3. create a database; and, Table structure with at least three data

types and populated with at least 25 records.

Modify a table structure: adding new fields,

deleting fields, changing field definitions.

Establish primary keys.

Establish relationships: show the joins between

tables (one-to-one and one-to-many).

4. manipulate data in a database. (a) Forms:

(i) Use of form wizard only;

(ii) select suitable fields; and,
(iii) use of sub-form.

(b) Queries:

(i) more than one criterion;

(ii) use of select;
(iii) use of calculated field; and,
(iv) two or more fields involving the
use of relational and logical
operators.

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SECTION 6: DATABASE MANAGEMENT (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

(c) Reports:

(i) use of report wizard;

(ii) use of sorting, grouping, statistical
and summary features, for
example, count, sum, and average;
(iii) report generated to screen, printer
and file; and,
(iv) renaming of report title.

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

To facilitate students’ attainment of the objectives of this Section, teachers/facilitators are encouraged
to engage students in the teaching and learning activities below.

1. Highlight various paper-based databases of which students may be aware and discuss
advantages of digitizing these paper-based records. From the discussion, have students
generate definitions of a database and terminologies associated with a database.

2. Engage students in exercises where they create database tables and practise changing the
general properties of database tables.

3. Engage students in activities where they practise manipulating table-editing features such as
sorting, inserting and deleting records and fields.

4. Engage students in activities where they use given criteria to create simple queries that will
pull specific records from a table or tables.

5. Engage students in activities where they create presentable reports based on tables and/or
queries that can be distributed. Students should also practise generating additional report
details such as summary options.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 25 www.cxc.org

 SECTION 7: PROBLEM-SOLVING AND PROGRAM DESIGN

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

On completion of this Section, students should:

1. develop the cognitive skills to solve problems; and,

2. develop competence in applying a structured approach to solving problems on the

computer.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

1. outline the steps in problem-solving; Steps in problem-solving:

(a) define the problem;

(b) propose and evaluate solutions;

(c) determine the most efficient solution;

(d) develop the algorithm; and,

(e) test and validate the solution.

2. use the divide-and-conquer approach Basic treatment of the structured approach

to decompose large everyday for solving complex problems.
problems into smaller tasks;
Note: It is not necessary to give a detailed
treatment of the approach. Simple illustrations
can be provided to help students recognize that
most problems involve multiple tasks and that
they should understand how to approach such
problems in a structured manner.

3. define a problem by decomposing it The components are: input; process; and

into its significant components; output. A defining diagram (IPO Chart) may be
used to delineate the components.

4. distinguish between variables and Variables as an area of storage whose value

constants; can change during processing; the value of a
constant never changes.

Data types: integers, floating point (real),

characters, Boolean, string.

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SECTION 7: PROBLEM-SOLVING AND PROGRAM DESIGN (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

5. explain the concept of algorithms; Definition of algorithms.

Characteristics: finite number of steps,

precise, unambiguous, flow of control from
one process to another, terminate.

6. represent algorithms in the form of Use of flowchart symbols: input/output,

flowchart and pseudocode; and, process, decision, directional arrows,
start/stop.

Pseudocode – Use of read, input, store,

write, print, output, display, conditional
branching (if-then, if-then-else, nested
conditions); loops (for, while, repeat).

Use of relational operators: <, >, =, <=, >

=,< >.
Logical operators: AND, OR, NOT; use of
truth tables.

Arithmetic operators: +‚ –‚ *, /, MOD, DIV.

7. test algorithms for correctness. Desk checks/dry run: construction and use of
trace tables to verify results. Trace tables
consist of variable names (identifiers) as
column headings and values in the cells, one
row for each pass.

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

To facilitate students’ attainment of the objectives of this Section, teachers/facilitators are encouraged
to engage students in the teaching and learning activities below.

1. Provide students with simple everyday scenarios which would allow them to practise the steps
in problem-solving and logical thinking. Examples of scenarios include giving directions to a
particular location; or determining which mode of transportation (for example, airplane,
bicycle, vehicle, walking) is best suited for travelling to a specific location based on weather
conditions; or determining which of three groups of CSEC® subjects (for example, languages,
sciences, arts) should be chosen given that a favourite subject is included in two of the groups.

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SECTION 7: PROBLEM-SOLVING AND PROGRAM DESIGN (cont’d)

2. Illustrate using everyday problems, such as finding the exit within a hotel or preparing a three-
course meal.

(a) divide the problem into a number of sub-problems;

(b) solve the sub-problems individually; and,

(c) combine the solutions to the sub-problems to generate the solution for the original
problem.

3. Present simple scenarios to help students appreciate the difference between variables and
constants by using everyday values such as the percentage of road tax, amount of school fees,
cost of bus tickets, cost of today’s lunch, or time taken to walk from one class to another.

4. Present students with visuals to encourage them to identify flowchart symbols (for example,
rectangular symbol to represent a process). Teachers can also use exercises to match
pseudocode statements with select symbols (for example, start of algorithm (start/stop
symbol), input (read/write symbol), and a condition (decision symbol).

5. Engage students in an activity to help them identify relational, logical and arithmetic operators
and how a decision is transformed into a flowchart symbol or a pseudocode statement using
suitable operators.

6. Encourage students to practise drawing flowcharts and producing accompanying pseudocode.

They should then use pseudocode to draw the flowchart as practice towards their SBA
assignment.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 28 www.cxc.org

 SECTION 8: PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

On completion of this Section, students should:

1. know how to translate an algorithm into a high-level program; and,

2. understand how to employ techniques to successfully execute a program.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

1. distinguish between low-level and high- Low-level language (Machine or Assembly).

level programming languages;
High-level language (For example, Visual
Basic, Pascal, C).

2. describe the sequence of steps in Steps in implementing a program:

implementing a program;
(a) create source code;

(b) translate and/or link (on some systems

this step is transparent to users);

(c) execute/run program; and,

(d) maintain program.

3. perform checks and tests on programs Errors: syntax, logic, runtime.

to verify correctness;
Testing (test data).

Debugging techniques.

4. declare variables and constants using Data types: integer, real/double/float,

elementary data types; character, string and Boolean/logical.

5. translate algorithmic statements into Assignment statements; input/output

high-level language syntax; and, operations using standard input/output
(reading data entered via keyboard,
displaying data on monitor).

Syntax for arithmetic, logic and relational

operators.

Syntax for conditional branching (for

example, if-then, if-then-else, nested if-then-
else or case).

Syntax for Iteration (Loops): for, while,

repeat.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 29 www.cxc.org

SECTION 8: PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION (cont’d)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONTENT

Students should be able to:

6. effectively document programs. Importance of documentation.

Features of internal documentation (use of

mnemonic, variable names, use of
comments, indentation, effective use of
white space).

Features of external documentation (user

manual).

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

To facilitate students’ attainment of the objectives of this Section, teachers/facilitators are encouraged
to engage students in the teaching and learning activities below.

1. Provide students with various examples of codes that represent high-level and low-level
programming languages.

2. Use programming examples to demonstrate to students the effect of not declaring variables,
constants, or arrays, and the advantage of initializing them to avoid processing erroneous
data.

3. Provide opportunities for students to practise identifying test data for sample programs to
understand the use of appropriate data (for example, negative, positive, or decimal values,
text) for declared variables and the types of errors produced as a result of incorrect input.

4. Encourage students to use the selected programming language to practise writing code for
simple applications based on flowcharts and pseudocode as practice towards their SBA
assignment.

5. Engage students in activities where programming language code of declarations, input/output

and assignment statements, conditional branching and loops are used to produce working
programs.

CXC 30/G/SYLL 17 30 www.cxc.org