BTEC National Diploma IT Practitioners Newbee help

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geek-girl

Hi, ive just gone into my 2nd year of the Btec National Diploma for IT practitioners in Software Development.

Did pretty well last year:

Language and Communication - Distinction
Computer Systems - Distinction
Business Information Systems- Distinction
Introduction to Software Development - Distinction
Visual Programming - Distinction
Application Software Development - Distinction
Human Computer Interface - Distinction
System Justification - Distinction
Website Development - Distinction

We're programming using Visual Basic 6, which i'm not too bad at now.

I'll be happy to help anyone who needs it, just pm me.

Units started this year are: E-Commerce, System Analysis, Software Development Project (IVA), Communication Technology, Programming Concepts and Practice). I may need some help with the IVA so watch this space....

Doing Key Skills Level 3 in Communication & Maths too grrrr

Books I recommend, which I found really helpful:

Business Information Systems 3rd Edition by Paul Bocij, Dave Chaffney, Andrew Greasley & Simon Hickle

Btec IT Practitioners (ICT Systems support) Jenny Lawson <--This one has loads of really helpful stuff on Communication Technology

Does anyone know the kind of job i could get when i finished the course? I really don't fancy Uni

Hope I can help,

Lisa

Damn It, why does everyone have problems with the IVA, has anyone actually done it with distinction so they can help?

Reply 41

geek-girl

I need help with the IVA coz my teachers not too helpful. It's not so much the actual implementation of the programming, it's the bits before... design methodologies and stuff. 1 min he tells us its one thing... the next he tells us summit else.

Will hopefully have the IVA Software Development Project done by xmas (to distinction level), so i'll help anyone then.

Are the design methods things like the SSADM (Structures systems analysis and design methods) or is it the things like top-down design methods, reverse engineering etc????

Thanks

Reply 42

mosesff

geek-girl

IVA is crap I wish it wasn't part of the course, I've completed it and its in the process of being marked by a different teacher, our original teacher in the first year was total pants, she taught us nothing and was really lazy. Thankfully our teachers have improved this year and I know want to complete the Software Dev Project and IVA by this year. Its all about working hard and knowing what to do.

Reply 43

jermaindefoe

geek-girl

Hi, ive just gone into my 2nd year of the Btec National Diploma for IT practitioners in Software Development.

Did pretty well last year:

Language and Communication - Distinction
Computer Systems - Distinction
Business Information Systems- Distinction
Introduction to Software Development - Distinction
Visual Programming - Distinction
Application Software Development - Distinction
Human Computer Interface - Distinction
System Justification - Distinction
Website Development - Distinction

We're programming using Visual Basic 6, which i'm not too bad at now.

I'll be happy to help anyone who needs it, just pm me.

Units started this year are: E-Commerce, System Analysis, Software Development Project (IVA), Communication Technology, Programming Concepts and Practice(IVA). I may need some help with the IVA so watch this space....

Doing Key Skills Level 3 in Communication & Maths too grrrr

Books I recommend, which I found really helpful:

Business Information Systems 3rd Edition by Paul Bocij, Dave Chaffney, Andrew Greasley & Simon Hickle

Btec IT Practitioners (ICT Systems support) Jenny Lawson <--This one has loads of really helpful stuff on Communication Technology

Does anyone know the kind of job i could get when i finished the course? I really don't fancy Uni

Hope I can help,

Lisa

did pretty well last year! lol u got 54/54! i could have but didnt undertsand the distinct in intro soft dev - arrays in java ! damn

as for getting a descent job without a degree, you will have to be very lucky

well done on year 1

what iva's are you doing peeps, list em and ill list mine

im doing a system for a libary as one
and the other is a programme for a school games competition - is this the same for everyone?

Reply 44

geek-girl

We're not doing the school game program in the Edexcel IVA learner instruction pdf thing. Our teacher has set us a different scenario about a DVD shop, which doesnt look too bad.
For my own project, im doing a hotel booking system... I wish i wouldn't have started it now, it looks way too hard! I might have to link ma program to a database, which im not looking forward to. But i guess that if i get my head round the DVD shop, then my own project will be quite similiar.

We're not even having it externally assessed. I know they did last year, but i think they've changed everything this year, i'm guessing thats why our teacher was allowed to change the scenario.

Not sure whether it will be worse if our teacher marks it tho, coz he can be abit of an arse.... best stay in his good books until then.

How are you doing your library system? Will you be using a database?

Let me know... we can get through this together lol

Reply 45

jermaindefoe

yeh im going to be using vb.net with access, as the system will be restricted to just one libary (based on the principle that the libary is stand alone, no other stores etc) could have used asp.net or php with mysql or somethign similar, but there is no need making things hard! vb.net should make it much easier (al that matters are the 12 points for a distinction at the end of the day, not what language you do it in)

how comes we dont all do the same iva's?

Reply 46

geek-girl

I think they have all been the same until now.

The new year 1 Btec IT are doing something different to what we did in first year. I guess they're changing the system...could be something to do with the IVA being a load of crap. The new btec 1st yrs are doing java as well as vb. The only language we have learnt is vb and a little bit of html in web dev.

Bloody el! vb.net, asp.net, php and mysql?? We're not doing owt like that!! Do you reckon i'll be able to link an access database to a normal vb program someway? Looks like i'll have to get a pass :-(

How many points do i need to get DDD? Can i afford to not do so well in some units?

What jobs can i get when i finish?

Reply 47

jermaindefoe

i need 46 this year for ddd and got 52/54 last year

yeh access and vb.net are fine to use, and easy

havent you been learning java

Reply 48

geek-girl

nah, we havent learnt java. This years group do it though. Not fair really because i would have liked to of learnt it.. but hey... one language is enough for now. English even peppers my head sometimes!

I'm using visual basic 6, so would this be ok for linking to a database or would i have to use vb.net?

Reply 49

mosesff

I'm learning Java,VB.NET and some Excel Coding too oh and HTML. Its fun. I think the more languages you learn the better.

My Levels are for the Software Development Course:
Java= Begginer
VB.NET= Quite Good
HTML= Know all the basics
EXCEL Code= Still Learning Some Code

Reply 50

jermaindefoe

i disagree a little moseff, its good in the face that we need to no certain things to get our distinctions!!!! however i wouldnt concentrate to much on learning them, as at university they will want us to forget everything and start again

and once in a routine its hard to get out of it?

geeky girl, vb.net and access are fine, as well as vb and access

remeber though, vb and vb.net are different so dont get them mixed up

moseff and geeky girl keep checking and posting in this post and we can all help each other out, what do ya wreckon? may as well eh?

Reply 51

geek-girl

Cheers for that jermaindefoe... im gunna look into some database programming books. Just bloody missed one on ebay grrrr

Ye, i'm up for helping anyone!

What units have you started this year?

Reply 52

mosesff

jermaindefoe

Yeh why not. Also why not get some experience of the languages before you go to uni, so you'll be ahead of everyone else.

I'll be willing to help anyone on Computer Systems (All Assignments) in Exchange for the IVA.

Also a standard unit I have done in return for the software dev project, where you have to create a problem in a language.

For Software Development.

Reply 53

jermaindefoe

lol, lets turn the student room in to ebay by proposing swap deals for the IVA's. Id be willing to swap any of the following for the IVA's

all of computer systems - distinction level
all of operating system - distinction level
all of systems analysis and design - distinction
all of business information systems - distinction level
all of langauage and comms - distinction level
all of web mangament - distinction level
all of hci - distinction level
all of comms tech - disitnction level
all of introduction to software - merit level (in java)

PLEASE! ANYONE! we all need the iva's!

Reply 54

Exopaladin

People can either hit me up on MSN/hotmail(check my profile) or here and I can attempt to help with the school games IVA (PCP) as I got a distinction on it last year.

I'll not be providing the actual documents or code though, given that Edexcel doesn't look kindly on people that directly copy work, or those who allow others to directly copy their work. :P

Reply 55

VK-91

can anyone send me some units?

as im doing it next year (inshallah), and just want to kno whats involved.

Mod edit: Please do not post emails on the public forum

and whats all the fuss about IVA? what the heck is it?

Reply 56

INTit

How much you willing to bid for my Distinction year 2 IVA, £ bid four figures minimum :rolleyes:

I got a DDM overall in the national Diploma Software Dev but without any decent GCSES i was realy lucky to get into uni and only got one offer( and no i wasnt applying to top 10 unis)

Other people with similar/lesser results but good GCSEs had no problem.

So if your retaking Maths and English make damn sure you get them.

Reply 57

jermaindefoe

INTit

How much you willing to bid for my Distinction year 2 IVA, £ bid four figures minimum :rolleyes:

dont you want to share this information? seeing as your done with it? it would be much appreicated.....

anyway how would ddd go down with c's at g.c.s.e in

maths
english lang
english lit
physics
chemistry
biology
french

and a d in geogrphy? would unis accept them?

Reply 58

INTit

Yea you will be fine one of my friends with DDD and gcses like that got offers from both Aston and Birmingham and the rest of the unis he applied to :P

Reply 59

jermaindefoe

INTit

Yea you will be fine one of my friends with DDD and gcses like that got offers from both Aston and Birmingham and the rest of the unis he applied to :P

what bout the sharing of information?! lol no chance of it i take it?!!!

im hoping to go to kcl, gotta get ddd, with d in all math modules and a maximum of 3 merits in second year :eek: