Solutions Bundles at GroupMobile.com!

Group Mobile has created mobile computing product bundles to provide an easy and affordable way for our customers to get all of the mobile printing products they need without any guesswork. These rugged computing kits have many of the essential upgrades and accessories needed to help make mobile workers more efficient and productive at a reduced price. More bundle options will be added often so check back for more solutions soon, or call us at 1-866-784-4338 to build a custom mobile computing solution.

For more information regarding rugged mobile computing visit www.groupmobile.com or call us at 1-866-RUGGED-8.

Updated team chart

There have been a couple of small changes to the responsibilities within the team. Nothing major. Caroline continues to (broadly) look after the HN part of the portfolio and Hilary (broadly) looks after the NC/SVQ part of the portfolio.


You can download the current version of the team's organisation chart here.

Linux Cascade Centre Starts Cascading

The first part of DIVA process is to support capacity building and staff development.  Here is a training for teaching staff offer from the recently appointed cascade centre for Linux

Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Training Opportunity

Forth Valley College, in conjunction with LPI (Linux Professional Institute) are running a CPD opportunity for staff wishing to deliver the LPI-1 qualification within their own Centre. The training will be offered on two dates and lasts 5 days at a cost of £525 per delegate. All courses run at Forth Valley College, Falkirk Campus . There are a choice of two dates:

4^th  – 8^th April

27^th  June – 1^st July

The 5 day training course will prepare participants for the Linux Professional Institute examinations LPI- 101 and LPI- 102 which when successfully achieved give LPIC-1 certification.

For more information or to book a place please contact Tony Dyer on 01324 403158 or e-mail tony.dyer@forthvalley.ac.uk

Safer Internet Day 2011

Safer Internet Day 2011 is 8 February. As part of a wide range of national initiatives to support this event, SQA will offer part of the Internet Safety course for free to learners during the week commencing 7 February and ending 11 February.

We hope that the course will of interest to all sorts of people -- young people who may be concerned about online bullying and older people who may be concerned about identity theft or online fraud. The one week course will provide a taste of everything that's in the actual course.

We plan to use social media to engage learners. The course sign-up will be done using Twitter, which we will also use for course updates, and we will use a blog for the actual teaching and learning. The entire course has been optimised for delivery on a mobile phone (although it can be done on a PC). There is no formal assessment.

We could do with your help! Please encourage your learners to follow us on Twitter. That's all you need to do. Once they do, we will take care of them. The only thing the learners require is a mobile phone (or a PC). There is absolutely no cost, no form filling and no time commitment.

We hope that this short taster course will not only be fun and interesting (and short!) but also deliver genuinely useful knowledge and skills about how to protect yourself when you're online. So I would be grateful if you use your own networks (websites, student forums, etc) to pass on the following URL to everyone who may be interested:

http://twitter.com/sqaesafety

Please contact Caroline if you want to know more about this initiative.

Trimble Yuma Tablet Updated with an 80GB SSD


We're excited to announce that the Trimble Yuma Rugged Tablet is now available with the option to swap the original 32GB Solid State Hard Drive for a 80GB SSD at no additional cost.  Conducting inspections, collecting data and information, capturing geo-tagged photographs, communicating with headquarters, and real-time transferring of data will be even easier than before — and you'll still have the peace of mind that your important information is protected from dust, sand, mud, humidity, and temperature extremes by the Yuma tablet's rugged magnesium alloy shell.

 

Don't forget, the Yuma also comes standard with these great features...

• Outdoor rugged tablet design complies with MIL-STD-810F and IP67 standards for drops, vibration, humidity, altitude, and temperature extremes.
• Sunlight viewable 7" touchscreen display for easy viewing in all lighting conditions
• Integrated wireless capabilities including GPS, WiFi 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth for easy connection to other devices, networks, and the Internet
• Dual hot-swappable Lithium-ion batteries to reduce downtime
• 12-month limited warranty

For more information regarding rugged mobile computing visit http://www.groupmobile.com/ or call us at 1-866-RUGGED-8.


 

 

 

 

National Certificate (Level 6) validation

I returned from two weeks in Botswana yesterday, where I was helping their Ministry of Education launch an Advanced Certificate in ICT, which is similar to our HNC Computing/Networking awards. I greatly enjoyed (and learnt from) the experience. It's amazing how teachers the world over share the same concerns (resources, assessment, quality of students, etc.).

The team has been busy in my absence. In particular, Angela has been working hard to prepare for this Friday's validation of the new National Certificate in Digital Media Computing at Level 6. As you probably know, the Levels 4 and 5 awards are currently available to centres, so this award completes the suite. Walter Patterson is leading the Qualification Development Team and Ron Dillon (Stow College) is convening the Validation Panel. It should be a good event.

I've also (at last) got around to asking for volunteers for the QDT for the HND Multimedia development so please check this out if you want to be involved in this important development.

Free online course for teachers of Computer Games

Scotland's Colleges and SQA Academy are working together to support teachers who deliver the NPAs in Computer Games Development.

A short course is available to teachers from 14-28 February. The course is designed to provide support for the delivery and assessment of the NPAs, and is open to any teacher in Scotland (college or school). It's mostly an online course, but one day attendance (on 28 February) is required. The course is free.

The programme begins on 14 February via SQA Academy, when you will have an opportunity to look at a range of online learning materials to support you when teaching these awards. The course tutor is the same person who created the materials, so you will hear it from the horse's mouth. The course concludes with a one day face-to-face event at Scotland's Colleges, in Stirling, on 28 February when you will have an opportunity to meet other participants and undertake a number of interactive activities to help you deliver the qualifications.

You don't have to attend the face-to-face event, if you are unable to get release from your centre, but the course was designed to include online and offline components to make the most from it.

Since the NPAs are component parts of the new National Certificates in Computer Games Development, this course is also suitable for anyone who teaches on those awards.

This course is separate from the support materials for these NPAs being developed as part of the TRANSET project, which are still under development.

If you are interested in attending, you can download the programme and book a place here, or contact Fiona Saxby for more information about the programme. Contact Hilary if you want to know more about the NPA awards.

Havis Vehicle Computer Mounts

Havis manufactures high quality mobile office solutions for members of public safety, utility and public works, military and government, transportation industries, and other mobile professions. 

Group Mobile has recently enhanced the Havis Vehicle Mount Solutions we offer! Visit http://www.groupmobile.com/brand.asp/mf_id=61/Havis.html to check out our newest Havis products.


Group Mobile carries a broad line of vehicle mounts. Even if your computer is not rugged, our vehicle mounts fit all brands. Start by selecting the make of your vehicle, followed by the model and year. Visit the Vehicle Computer Mount Store to shop now!

HND Interactive Media validation

We held the validation event for the HND Interactive Media qualification today. Ron Dillin of Stow College chaired the Panel, which included representatives of industry (including SkillSet), FE and HE. The QDT was led by Mark McPhee of Adam Smith College.



The Panel were very thorough and we got several conditions and recommendations to deal with, but, overall, the outcome was positive, and the resulting qualification will be much better for it.

We agreed to address the conditions and recommendations by 28 February so the qualification should be available to centres from Spring.

Please contact Caroline for more information about the validation or this award.

Gender problem persists

The Times ran an article last week about the continued problems attracting women to STEM subjects at university. The figures for Computer Science were particularly bleak, with 87% of entrants last year being male, a rise of 2% since 2008. The good news is that the total number of people doing Computer Science at university has risen dramatically, up almost 50% in the last seven years. But the gender problem appears to be getting worse. There has been numerous initiatives to address this problem over the last decade but the figures appear to show that none have worked.

Understanding Rugged Mobile Computers

Here, at Group Mobile, we feel it's important for our customers to be able to make the most educated decision possible when purchasing new computers. We are also aware, with such a large variety of computers on the market, that it can be overwhelming at times determining which computer fits your situation best. Group Mobile's Rugged Computer Guide will teach you about the different types of rugged computers and the features that make them different from conventional, commercial-grade computers; as well as other considerations such as vehicle docking and mounting, integrated wireless and cellular broadband, GPS, cameras, bar code scanners, backlit keyboards and other capabilities that are often mandatory in mobile or outdoor computing.

Group Mobile's Rugged Computer Comparison Charts offer side-by-side specification comparisons of the brands and models we carry based on rugged rating and form factor. Have a few you are interested in? Choose the appropriate category to view our product comparisons. 

If you have more specific questions or are not completely sure of which rugged system works ideally with your goals, please contact one of our mobile computing specialists and they will be happy to assist you with whatever you may need.

PC Passport QDT meeting

The first meeting of the Qualification Development Team (QDT) for PC Passport met on Saturday in Stirling. It was a good meeting. There were representatives of the college and school sectors.

We made a lot of progress in a short time. There was a consensus among the group that we wanted to go back to basics with the award, which would mean simplifying the structure and refocusing on application packages. Application packages have changed a lot since PC Passport was first introduced in 2004 and the new award would reflect this, with an emphasis on web apps, cloud storage and group collaboration. Products like Microsoft's Office 365 and Google's Apps for Work illustrate the type of software that the new award will focus on. This back-to-basics approach will mean that there will be separate National Units on word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and databases. Topics such as file structures, Internet skills and cyber security will be embedded within the application units rather than separated out, which means that they will be taught in context. We will also reduce the amount of assessment so that it takes up much less time.

The QDT will meet again, in the near future, to brainstorm the contents of the revised qualification. It's not too late to join the Team. We're particularly looking for school, employer and training representatives. Contact Helen if you want to know more.

We hope to have the revised qualification available to centres from January 2016.

Understanding the Importance of Vehicle Mounts

Why would you want to use a vehicle mount for your computer? The answer is simple - you cannot afford not to! A vehicle mount is a must have if you are driving with your computer in the vehicle, and the selection of vehicle mounting systems Group Mobile carries makes it easy to choose the correct mounting solution for your specific needs.

Safety is one of the top reasons to use a computer vehicle mount. Every year over 130,000 people are hurt by flying objects inside vehicles, not just during an accident but during sudden stops, turns and unexpected maneuvers. Your computer, or your employee's computer, becomes a very dangerous object at unexpected times. The computer itself can be damaged, causing down time and potentially costly repairs.

Ergonomics and ease of use are additional reasons to install a vehicle computer mount. Having the vehicle computer in a comfortable and easy to reach position reduces back and eye strain as well as increases productivity. If you use a mobile printer, it can also be mounted keeping everything safe, within reach, and in a professional looking set up.

Group Mobile offers a wide selection of mounting options to choose from. We carry the top brands, including Gamber-Johnson, RAM, and Havis. There are also computer specific cradles and docking stations available for many computer brands and models. These cradles and docking stations offer custom fit for your computer as well as port replication with some offering antenna pass-through to increase wireless reception. Whether mounting your computer in your car, truck, van or boat, we have the mounting system you need.

Visit the Group Mobile Vehicle Mount Store to find a mount to fit your vehicle, or fill out the Vehicle Mount Questionnaire and we will contact you with a custom solution to meet your needs.

HND Computer Games

As you will probably remember, we have started developing a new HND award relating to Computer Games.

I created a blog this afternoon to record developments so that you can keep up-to-date with what's happening. You'll find the blog here and you may want to bookmark it if you are interested in this new award.

Updated qualification portfolio

I updated the summary of vocational Computing qualifications to include the latest developments (such as the PDA in Online Child Protection).

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

You can download it here.

iPhone Application Development

As part of DIVA refresh we are looking at new ways in which Colleges can engage with schools and industry.

If your College is currently doing any work around i-phone application development please e-mail joe.wilson@sqa.org.uk

E-assessment: Effective Learning Conference

The Computing team attended SQA's E-Assessment Conference today. The event was aimed at college managers and lecturers with an interest in how e-assessment can be used to improve learning. The SOLAR project was a particular focus of the day.

I gave a couple of presentations [PPT] on our e-learning suite of awards since we hoped that some of the people attending might be interested in undertaking these qualifications - especially the Diploma in E-Assessment. Our workshops went well and it was an interesting day.

Contact Caroline for more information on these qualifications.

Rugged Fixed Mount PC's

A fixed-mount rugged PC is designed to be mounted to something or on something and to stay there. Fixed-mount rugged PC's do not have internal batteries; therefore they cannot be carried around away from an AC outlet or a vehicle battery. There are two typical applications for a rugged fixed-mounted computer. One is in a factory or industrial environment where the rugged computer is mounted to the wall or to a piece of equipment for monitoring/control. The second typical application is when a rugged computer is needed in or on a vehicle or any mobile conveyance. Examples of this would be cars, trucks, semis, forklifts, tractors, backhoes, ATV's, cement mixers, aircraft, ships, barges, etc. Fixed-mount rugged PC's are typically ultra rugged, totally sealed and designed to run for many years without problems. Click here to see all of Group Mobile’s Rugged Fixed Mount Computers.

For more information regarding rugged mobile computing visit http://www.groupmobile.com/or call us at 1-866-RUGGED-8.

Thanks,

PC Passport -- versions!

I received a call from a teacher on Friday about the various versions of PC Passport in existence. He wasn't sure which support materials to use.

PC Passport was originally introduced in 2003. It underwent a refresh in 2007 and this is the current version. So, the current awards are:

• G8H7 44 PC Passport (SCQF 4)
• G8H9 45 PC Passport (SCQF 5)
• G8HA 46 PC Passport (SCQF 6)

Although the original group awards were withdrawn, the original units were retained since a lot of centres wanted to continue to offer these units.

As a result of feedback from centres, which were using the refreshed awards, we commenced a minor revision of units and assessments in 2009. These are no more than tweaks to correct a number of ambiguities or small errors. However, it will mean that tweaked units and assessments will be published later this year (before summer).

Both the old and the new units have existing assessments, which are available via SQA Secure (contact your SQA Co-ordinator).

You can find out more about PC Passport here. Or call Hilary (0845-213-5130) if you want to talk to someone.

NC review

The review of some of the National Certificates (NCs) in this area commenced yesterday, when we held the first full-day meeting of the Qualification Development Team (QDT). We are specifically looking at the NCs in Digital Media Computing, which were first introduced in 2007.

The QDT is responsible for reviewing the existing awards and suggesting how the awards need to change. Once this is agreed, the QDT leads the development. Part of the job of the QDT is to consult with external stakeholders so that we don't make decisions in a vaccuum. The final output is an updated qualification.

Twelve peope attended yesterday's meeting, representing colleges (such as Inverness), schools (such as Cathkin HS) and businesses (an IT company based in Dunfermline).

It was a busy day and there was a lot of agreement about what is right and wrong with the current awards. For example, there was a consensus that the current awards are "too repetitive", that there is too much assessment, and that the contents need to be modernised. On the other hand, people liked the simple structure (6 mandatory and 6 optional units), liked the three levels (SCQF 4, 5 and 6). The large number of options was also liked. The business representative reminded us of the importance of core skills and this is likely to have a greater profile in the new awards. We also wanted to increase group work and a large project-type unit (in all awards) was liked.

So there were lots of agreement and lots of good ideas, which we now need to turn into something concrete.

It's not too late to get involved in this development so contact Hilary if you want know how. The updated awards will be available to centres from August 2014.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter to keep up-to-date with all developments in this area.

DV6D 34 Information Technology Graded Unit Exam Exemplars

The following Exam Exemplars for IT have now been published:

DV6D 34 Information Technology: Graded Unit 1 Exam Exemplars 4, 5 & 6

Centres can also use Versions 1, 2 & 3 and all of these are available on the SQA secure website for download through your SQA Centre Co-ordinator.

Royal Society report on Computing in schools

Readers of this blog will be aware of the on-going discussions about Computing in schools. Co-incidentally to the Minister's announcement about the subject, the Royal Society recently produced a report about the issue.

Shut Down or Restart? [PDF] makes 11 recommendations about Computing in schools. Although the report focuses on England, most of the recommendations relate to the entire UK.

It makes interesting reading. Of particular interest is the criticism of "ICT" as a description of the subject, and a recommendation that it is divided into three distinct subject areas: "digital literacy", "Information Technology", and "Computer Science".

The report has potentialy important implications for awarding organisations (such as SQA). For example, one of the recommendations is that every awarding organisation in the UK reviews its portfolio of awards and clearly distinguishes each one using this classification.

SQA is actively considering the recommendations in the report. Look out for more reaction to this report in future blog posts.

Digital Passport validation

The validation event for Digital Passport was held yesterday in the SQA offices in Glasgow. The purpose of a validation event is to check that new (or revised) qualifications fulfil a genuine need and are properly designed.

Validation events are "meetings of peers" -- we're all there to improve the qualification. The "panel" is made up of stakeholders (representing schools, colleges, employers and national bodies), and the Qualification Development Team (QDT) is made up of the people (usually classroom practitioners) who created the qualification.

The validation event is a vital milestone in the development of a new qualification, and I am delighted to report that Digital Passport was validated, with some conditions and recommendations, which, I think, will improve it. But the basic structure of the award is unchanged. So, we (the development team) were delighted with the outcome.

This means that there will be a new suite of National Progression Awards, at SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6, available to centres from April of this year. Readers of this blog will know that we're pretty excited about Digital Passport since we think it's the most advanced digital literacy award in the UK.

Once we get the award fully validated and "on the system", I'll say more about the launch events that we're planning. In the meantime, please contact Hilary for more information about this new award. I reassured the panel that we hadn't forgotten about PC Passport. A refreshed version of PC Passport will be available to centres within the next few months.

Qualification Officer wanted

You might have noticed the advert for new Qualification Officers (QOs) in Friday's Herald? We're looking for three new QOs - and one of them will join the Computing team. The successful person will help me develop and support Computing/IT qualifications within colleges and training centres including HN awards and SVQs. You would join a small, friendly team. More information here.

Learning Wireless Security WEP Methods.

WEP is a first standard security & encryption used on wireless, WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is a method of securing a wireless network, also called Shared Key Authentication. Shared Key Authentication is the authentication method that requires the use of WEP. WEP encryption uses a key that is inserted (by the administrator) to a client or access point. This key must match from a given access point to the client, with the inserted client to authenticate to the access point.

Here is the process of Shared Key Authentication :

• Client has asked the association to the access point, this step is the same as the Open System Authentication.
• Access point sends challenge text to the client in a transparent manner.
• Client will provide a response by encrypting the challenge text using the WEP key and sends back to the access point.
• Responded to an access point client response, the access point will perform encryption decrypt the response from the client to verify that the challenge text is encrypted using the WEP key as appropriate. In this process, the access point will determine whether the client has given the corresponding WEP key. If the WEP key provided by the client are correct, then the access point will respond positively and immediately to client authentication. But if the client entered the WEP key is incorrect, then the access point will respond negatively and will not be given a client authentication. Thus, the client will not be authenticated and not associated.

Data communication via the IEEE 802.11, Shared Key Authentication is more secure than it seems from the Open System Authentication, but in reality are not. Shared Key instead opened the door for intruders or crackers. It is important to understand two streets used by WEP. WEP can be used to verify the identity of the client during the process of shared key authentication, but can also be used to decrypt data sent by the client via the access point.

WEP has many flaws, among others:

• The problem of weak keys, RC4 algorithm used can be solved.
• WEP uses a static key.
• Problem of initialization vector (IV) WEP.
• Message integrity problem Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC-32).

WEP consists of two levels, namely 64-bit key, and 128 bits. Actually, the secret key on a 64 bit WEP key is only 40 bits, while 24bit is an Initialization Vector (IV). Similarly, the 128 bit WEP key, secret key consists of 104bit.

The attacks on WEP weaknesses include:

• The attack on the weaknesses of the initialization vector (IV), often called the FMS attack. FMS stands for the name of the three inventors of the IV weakness Fluhrer, Mantin, and Shamir. This attack was done by collecting a weak IV as much as possible. The more weak IV is obtained, the sooner discovered the key that is used.
• Getting a unique IV data obtained through the packet to be processed for WEP key cracking process more quickly. This method is called chopping attack, first discovered by h1kari. This technique only requires a unique IV thus reducing the need for IV are weak in WEP cracking.

Both of the above attacks require considerable time and packet, to shorten the time, the hackers usually do traffic injection. Traffic Injection is often done by collecting the ARP packet and then sends back to the access point. This resulted in the collection of initial vectors is easier and faster. Unlike the first and second, to attack traffic injection, required specification of tools and applications that start rarely found in stores, ranging from chipsets, firmware version, and versions of drivers, and not infrequently have to do patching of drivers and applications.

Group Mobile Wants to Hear from YOU!

Group Mobile, and our customers, need your help. We believe that User Reviews are extremely valuable to those looking to acquire technology products. For this reason we are collecting user product reviews and will be posting them on our website for all to see. If you use a rugged portable computer, of any make or model, please take a few minutes to complete our quick four-question survey.

Take our quick survey to let us know how you rate your rugged computer.
Your user product review will help others make more informed buying decisions. Having numerous, candid user product reviews on our website will help you in the future when you are next in the market for a rugged computer. Thank you in advance for your participation and valuable contribution!

To read how other rugged computers users rate the machines they are using, visit the Rugged Computer Product User Reviews page.

How to sort an array’s elements

Here we have used Bubble Sort algorithm. First we will take the array’s elements. For this we have used scanf() function. Then we will sort the array’s elements using Bubble Sort Algorithm.

#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
  void main()
  {
            int a[20],N;
            clrscr();

            printf("How many item:");
            scanf("%d",&N);
            printf("Enter items :\n");
            for(int i=0;i<N;i++)   // Taking array’s elements
            {
                  scanf("%d",&a[i]);
            }
            printf("Array is :");   // Showing  array’s elements
            for(i=0;i<N;i++)
            {
                  printf("%d  ",a[i]);
            }
// sorting array’s elements
            for(i=0;i<N;i++)  
            {
              int ptr=0;
              while(ptr<N-1-i)
              {
                if(a[ptr]>a[ptr+1])
                 {
                         int temp=a[ptr];
                         a[ptr]=a[ptr+1];
                         a[ptr+1]=temp;
                 }
                        ptr=ptr+1;
              }
            }

            printf("\nSorted array :");  // Showing sorted array’s elements
            for(i=0;i<N;i++)
            {
                   printf("%d  ",a[i]);
            }
   getch ();
  } 

Review of HNC/D Interactive Media

I announced the review of HNC/D Interactive Media some time ago. Since then, we've created a Qualification Development Team (QDT), which has now met on three occasions. One of those meetings was held today in the SQA offices in Glasgow. Fiona Murnin (of New College Lanarkshire) is leading the development.

The development is progressing well. Fiona has created  frameworks for three new awards;

1. HNC Digital Design & Web Development
2. HND Web Development
3. HND Digital Design.

Today's meeting was to discuss the draft frameworks. It went well. There was general agreement about her proposals. One of the (many) things that I liked about the proposed stuctures was their flexibility. Fiona has given centres lots of choice with her options.

The frameworks will be revised in the light of today's meeting and Fiona will continue to consult with stakeholders, which include college representatives, university faculty and employers. But I am hoping to have a complete (draft) version of the Group Award Specification available soon so that we can progress to unit writing.

Please contact Caroline if you want to know more about this development or contact Fiona if you want to know more about the contents of the new awards. And, of course, we're always looking for willing helpers.

Congratulations to Ayr College

Well done to Tony Gurney and his team for winning the IBM competition to design a poster for IBM System i.

The competition was lauched by IBM last October and finished on the 31st December 2007.

The winners each receive a 4GB iPod Nano.

Exam Marking Workshops

These workshops, for each of the Graded Unit 1 specifications which form part of the HNC Computing, HNC Information Technology and the HNC Interactive Multimedia Creation awards, are designed for individuals within centres who have the following responsibilities –

• The production of question papers and/or relevant marking schemes
• The marking of the candidate evidence in line with the marking scheme

In the morning, we will be introducing good practice in the design and construction of a question paper with the production of a suitable marking scheme.

In the afternoon, we will also be covering workshops on how to mark the candidate question papers with a workshop covering each of the following areas –

• HNC Computing
• HNC Information Technology
• HNC Interactive Multimedia Creation

During this event the presenters will be demonstrating the use of SOLAR (http://www.solarproject.org/) to automate the presentation of this Graded Unit 1 as we have a number of centres that have volunteered to work with us on the electronic presentation of the examinations in these areas.

This event is targeted at academic members of staff who will write, construct, present or mark these examinations within centres. It is being held at the SFEU, Argyll Court, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4TY on the 23rd of February 2007. In order that we know which centre individuals are attending could you please register your attendees (no restriction on the number of attendees per centre, although this could be restricted due to the venue size) at the following link –

http://rsvpregister.com/event.php?21395

Please contact Caroline Douglas (caroline.douglas@sqa.org.uk) 0845 213 5476 if you require further information relating to this event.

HNC Computing exam - additional questions

Thanks to a European grant, we received funding to produce additional questions for Section 1 of the HNC Computing examination. We met in Jury's Inn in Glasgow this morning to take this forward.

Caroline has put together a team of writers, vetters and moderators to produce the additional questions. We're aiming to write 250 items. These will be sent to colleges (to use as you please) later this year (probably June).

Mike Janetta (Lauder College) and Graeme Clarke (Adam Smith College) provided the training on writing multiple choice questions. I think everyone enjoyed the day.

More information from Caroline.

Big Savings on the Trimble Yuma Outdoor Rugged Tablet

Model Closeout Pricing on the Trimble Yuma Outdoor Rugged Tablet 

Only $3,199  
While supplies last!

Group Mobile is excited to offer model closeout pricing on the Trimble Yuma! The Yuma offered in this limited-time special offer features has an 80GB solid state drive, eliminating internal moving parts and providing protection against stress from bumps, drops, shock, and vibration. It also includes an upgrade to the extended hot-swappable Lithium-ion batteries (5100mAh hour each). 

Other impressive features of the Yuma include an Intel® Atom™ 1.6GHz processor, integrated WiFi, Bluetooth®, GPS, and two digital cameras, as well as SDIO and ExpressCard slots. The Yuma has a 7" widescreen display that is readable in sunlight. Add to this the Windows® 7 Professional operating system, and this rugged tablet clearly demonstrates the versatility to be your all-in-one rugged tablet computer solution! Learn more about the Trimble Yuma... 

SRP $4,123 -- Only $3,199 until January 31, 2013!

Quantities are limited, so order yours now!

50% Extended Warranty Discount 

Protect your investment with a two-year extended warranty 

Accidents happen, particularly in challenging outdoor environments, and having an Extended Warranty provides peace of mind. The Trimble Extended Warranty Program is especially valuable to customers as it covers accidental damage in addition to the standard warranty for defects in materials or workmanship. 

Every Yuma comes with a standard one-year manufacturer warranty. Purchasing a two-year Extended Warranty upgrades the standard manufacturer warranty to include accidental damage coverage, and it extends the length of the warranty period by two years, for a total of three years. Visit the Yuma Configure and Buy page to add on a two-year extended warranty.

SRP $599 -- Only $299 until January 31, 2013!

 

Aspect report on Computing in colleges

I met with Sheila Page, of Education Scotland, on Friday morning to discuss her review of Computing in Scottish colleges. Sheila wanted to discuss a number of curricular issues with me, relating to provision in colleges.

Education Scotland is in the process of carrying out a follow-up review to the 2009 Aspect review [PDF], which looked at teaching and learning (of Computing) in colleges. That report identified several challenges, and this one is going to look at what progress has been made in the last four years.

I'm delighted to report that Sheila accepted my offer to speak at the forthcoming Heads of Computing event. She offered to give some initial feedback on her findings, which should make for a fascinating presentation. Her inclusion adds to an already interesting and varied agenda.

It's not too late to register for the event. Contact Caroline for more information.

NPA validation event

Three more NPAs were validated on Monday... or, rather, we held a validation event on Monday because the result of the meeting was a large number of conditions that we must meet before the awards will be validated.

Although we were a little disappointed at the outcome, the Panel was very thorough and the awards will be much better as a result. But we have got a lot of thinking to do about precisely what NPAs we should develop. I had planned to produce 19 awards (including the seven we have already validated) but the Panel asked us to think again and ensure that each award is worthwhile in its own right and does not overlap with any other award. We were also asked to carry out research to ensure that there is demand for each qualification.


The end result, I'm sure, will be better, more popular awards but it does mean that the full suite of awards (however many that will be) will not be available to centres until August 2009. I'll let you know our precise plans once we've worked them out.

Please contact Shirley for more information about NPAs.