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Has anybody done this?

 

I'm interested in doing it, but I'm a bit scared (don't tell anyone).

 

I'm not quite a beginner on the computer, but everything I do know I have taught myself, and I am sure I am missing a lot.

 

In some ways, it seems quite basic, but complicated in others. Maybe this just reflects that I know more about certain things than others. But I don't want to find it's too basic and I don't learn anything new. Nor do I want to find it's too much hard work, and not cope with it.

 

There are other courses too, and it's hard to know which one would be at the right level.

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Has anybody done this?

 

I'm interested in doing it, but I'm a bit scared (don't tell anyone).

 

I'm not quite a beginner on the computer, but everything I do know I have taught myself, and I am sure I am missing a lot.

 

In some ways, it seems quite basic, but complicated in others. Maybe this just reflects that I know more about certain things than others. But I don't want to find it's too basic and I don't learn anything new. Nor do I want to find it's too much hard work, and not cope with it.

 

There are other courses too, and it's hard to know which one would be at the right level.

 

I took ECDL about 5 years ago! I found that it was very easy and doesn't take that long to pick up. The majority of it was fiddling about with documents.

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I started it but typically for me never finished it. It was easy to do and the modules were staright forward.

Go for it Tally....it a qualification worth having to add to your CVa nd widely recognised.

 

Clare x x x

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Yup, I did it a couple of years back.

If I can do it, anyone can.

I've now forgotten most of what I learnt :rolleyes: but its good for your CV & shows an employer you can do it. I just forget stuff I dont use, like the dreaded spreadsheets.

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How does it complare to a GCSE in ICT, does anyone know? I'm researching options for L who wants to get a basic qualification in computing. She started the ECDL a while ago, but didn't get very far with it - she also found it easy and this put her off a bit.

 

K x

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The ECDL is a rather basic course intended for people who will use a computer in an office type setting. It is intended for adults who had no or minimal exposure to computers whilst at school, or those who haven't used office type software for several years.

 

It isn't really necessary for people who will use computers at a more technical level such as programming, systems administration, website design, or CAD.

 

How does it complare to a GCSE in ICT, does anyone know? I'm researching options for L who wants to get a basic qualification in computing. She started the ECDL a while ago, but didn't get very far with it - she also found it easy and this put her off a bit.

 

Good point. I have had a few HE kids contact me about whether it is better to take an ICT GCSE or the ECDL. For the past few years I have wondered if various vocational IT qualifications will marginalise the GCSE or whether employers will get uptight over the lack of an ICT GCSE.

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Good point. I have had a few HE kids contact me about whether it is better to take an ICT GCSE or the ECDL. For the past few years I have wondered if various vocational IT qualifications will marginalise the GCSE or whether employers will get uptight over the lack of an ICT GCSE.

 

I have both GCSE IT and ECDL. The thing I found with employers is that not all of them had heard of ECDL so it was a pretty useless qualification for me whereas everyone has heard of GCSEs. The GCSE covered the topics in more detail and ECDL was only any good if you are wanting to go into admin work. :)

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Thanks Canopus and ScienceGeek - that's really useful info. She may want a career in ICT, so it sounds as though the GCSE would be the better option for her.

 

(sorry to hijack your thread, Tally!)

 

K x

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I have both GCSE IT and ECDL. The thing I found with employers is that not all of them had heard of ECDL so it was a pretty useless qualification for me whereas everyone has heard of GCSEs. The GCSE covered the topics in more detail and ECDL was only any good if you are wanting to go into admin work. :)

 

You could be right about many employers haven't heard of the ECDL although I have encountered a few jobs being advertised (mainly local government) that mentioned it although they didn't specify it as an essential qualification. The ECDL is definitely aimed at officey type jobs which aren't something I usually look at. I might be wrong here, but I suspect the ECDL is intended as a qualification recognised across all of Europe, and most other European countries also have a similar qualification.

 

It isn't customary to put GCSEs on a CV or application form unless it requests it. I'm not sure how employers rate the ICT GCSE.

 

She may want a career in ICT, so it sounds as though the GCSE would be the better option for her.

 

An ICT GCSE isn't required to get on an A Level ICT or computing course. The same also applies to most vocational courses as well.

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I have both GCSE IT and ECDL. The thing I found with employers is that not all of them had heard of ECDL so it was a pretty useless qualification for me whereas everyone has heard of GCSEs. The GCSE covered the topics in more detail and ECDL was only any good if you are wanting to go into admin work. :)

 

That does surprise me SG as in the public sector where I work it is well recognised & promoted. I'd agree it is way more suitable for office based computer work.

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That does surprise me SG as in the public sector where I work it is well recognised & promoted. I'd agree it is way more suitable for office based computer work.

 

The public sector was the only place that did recognise it. All of the private sector jobs that I went for noone knew what it was.

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The ex-mother-in-law had to do it as part of her job, but again, that was public sector.

 

I don't really want it as a qualification for getting into a job, I just want to learn how to use computers properly. They change so quickly and I am scared that in 5 years' time I will no longer be able to use them and will have no access to the outside world!

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The ex-mother-in-law had to do it as part of her job, but again, that was public sector.

 

I'm starting to read between the lines and wondering whether the government no longer has any faith in its own education system (the NC and GCSE ICT) to produce suitable people for office work in government owned institutions.

 

I don't really want it as a qualification for getting into a job, I just want to learn how to use computers properly. They change so quickly and I am scared that in 5 years' time I will no longer be able to use them and will have no access to the outside world!

 

The only real way to learn to use a computer properly is to play around with the software yourself and find a suitably knowledgeable person to help you out and give advice. I don't have a GCSE ICT or computing and hardly ever used a computer at school. I am largely self taught when it comes to computers.

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I'm starting to read between the lines and wondering whether the government no longer has any faith in its own education system (the NC and GCSE ICT) to produce suitable people for office work in government owned institutions.

 

Or it could be that there are people like me who were educated when the GCSE in IT didnt exist. ECDL is much less of a commitment than a GCSE & can be done in under 6 months, & as others have said, for what most admin staff need, is perfectly adequate.

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Or it could be that there are people like me who were educated when the GCSE in IT didnt exist. ECDL is much less of a commitment than a GCSE & can be done in under 6 months, & as others have said, for what most admin staff need, is perfectly adequate.

 

Some of us were educated when computers hardly existed...... :whistle::whistle:

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I'm starting to read between the lines and wondering whether the government no longer has any faith in its own education system (the NC and GCSE ICT) to produce suitable people for office work in government owned institutions.

 

My ex-mother-in-law is in her 50s, and was not taught to use a computer in school because it was not part of the curriculum at that time.

 

I am 26 and I was not taught to use a computer in school either. They had computers, and we were sat in front of them sometimes, but the teachers did not know how to use them any more than we did. I was in the 6th form when the school employed its first IT teacher.

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I mentioned in #6 about it being aimed at adults with mimimal or outdated experience of using computers. However, they can still take an ICT GCSE as there is no maximum age for taking one.

 

The ECDL appears to be the modern day version of the typing and office skills course that colleges offered in the 1960s and 70s that wasn't a CSE or an O Level.

 

There are times when I have wondered if it would be a good move to gradually phase out GCSEs and replace them with more practical courses like the ECDL. I know some people in the HE community who think so.

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I am doing ECDL through work to pad out my CV.

 

With some basic computer knowledge you will find the first module quite simple. The rest, even as a regular user of MS o*fice publications i found out lots of shortcuts and useful things that helped me save time. You can do it on a home computer over the internet with most providers. You do NOT need your own copies of the software as the online providers all seem to use a simulation of the software for the purpose of teaching, revision and assessment.

 

I dont know if its worth the financial outlay from a useful qualification perspective, but I got it free through my employer.

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