BTEC National Diploma for IT Practitioners

Name:
Assignment: Moondance Talking Books
Unit 1: Communication and Employment Skills for IT

Assessment Criteria Task Date Evidence Comments/Feedback IV comment

Achieved (pg. no.) (Date)

P1 Explain why employers value particular

employee attributes 2
P2 Describe potential barriers to effective
communication 4
P3 Demonstrate effective communication
related interpersonal skills 4
P4 Effectively communicate in writing
technical information to a specified
audience
3
Use IT tools effectively to aid
P5 communications 5
P6 Describe ways of identifying and
meeting development needs 6
P7 Create and maintain a personal
development plan 1
M1 Explain and use a specialist IT
communication channel effectively 5
M2 Explain mechanisms that can be used to
reduce the impact of communication 4
M3 Proof read, review and amend both own
and other people’s draft documents to
produce final versions
3
M4 Explain how individuals can use a
knowledge of their learning styles to
improve their effectiveness in 6
developing new skills or understanding

D1 Analyse interpersonal and written

communications criticising or justifying
particular techniques used
3
D2 Independently use a personal
development plan to undergo a process
or identification of skill need and related 1
improvements

Student Declaration
I confirm that this assignment is my own work and that all use of source material has been properly
acknowledged. I am aware that failure to make proper acknowledgement may lead to a charge of
alleged plagiarism.
Signed Date

Assessor comments attached

Signature: Date:
 BTEC National Diploma for IT Practitioners

SCENARIO
Moondance is a small charity that supports clients who have problems with their sight and need help in
using ICT.

Moondance employs four people, but mostly uses volunteers to help with clients.

Some volunteers help to create "talking books" for the clients. These are burnt onto CD or sent as
podcasts. Other volunteers visit the clients and show them how to operate the CDs and podcasts.

Your Brief
Your role is to work alongside Rania Sukra, the person who selects, interviews and manages the team of
volunteers. Rania maintains a database of clients and a schedule of volunteers and the work they are
expected to do.

Task 1 PDP {P7} {D2} deadline Wed 7th October

While working for Moondance, you will create and maintain a PDP (personal development plan). {P7}

1) Include your strengths and weaknesses (the knowledge and skills you need to manage the team of
volunteers).
2) Technical skills: what do you need to know about the software/system used for the podcasting and
the CDs?
3) Soft skills: what skills do you need to effectively manage a group of volunteers?
4) Key skills: what skills do you need when you communicate with the team?

5) {D2} Identify
one personal development need you have in each of these areas and plan how you will
meet this need.

Task 2 Attributes of employees {P1} deadline Oct 14th / 16th

1) {P1}Explain why employers value certain employee attributes. Use a table or suitable layout.
2) Give two examples of attributes that Moondance might expect their full-time staff to have.
3) Identify the personal attributes that Moondance might expect of their volunteers.

Task 3 {P4} {D1} {M3} deadline Nov 4th / 6th

Present, evaluate and proofread

1) {P4} Prepare a presentation on how to use ICT effectively to help the visually impaired. The
audience is a group of newly recruited volunteers.
2) {D1} Write a report to evaluate the presentations of two other people.
3) {M3} Proofread your own draft report and the draft reports of 2 other people (and correct as
necessary, submit both copies). (Must be at least 6 pages)
 BTEC National Diploma for IT Practitioners

Task 4 {P3} {P2} {M2} deadline Nov 18th / 20th

Interview skills

1) {P3}Role play:
a. interview a new volunteer and
b. play the role of interviewee (as a new volunteer)

2) Prepare a PowerPoint presentation for volunteers.

a. {P2} Explain to volunteers what the possible barriers to effective communication with the
visually impaired clients might be
b. {M2} Show the volunteers how they might overcome these barriers to communication

Task 5 {P5} {M1} {P5} deadline Dec 2nd

Effective Communication

1) {P5}Show how you might use ICT tools to aid communications with
a. Volunteers
b. Visually impaired clients

2) Choose one specialist ICT communication tool (such as email).

a. {M1} Create a report to explain the following:
i. How you would use this tool in your everyday work at Moondance.
ii. How you could use this tool most effectively
b. {P5} Choose an appropriate format for the report.

Task 6 {M4}, {P6} deadline Dec 9th / 10th

Create a human resources booklet

1) Create a booklet for use with new volunteers.

a. {P6} Show how to meet the personal development needs of the volunteers
b. {M4} Show how they might become more aware of their own learning styles, and how this
might help them deal with their clients
c. Use a style which suits the needs of a range of people (with their own learning styles).