Information and Communication Technology Cambridge IGCSE Course – Code 0417:  

Introduction to Practical – Topics (11- 16)  

Course Description: 

 This online course is designed to provide students with the practical skills necessary to excel in the external examinations for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – Subject 0417. The course focuses on core topics essential for exam success, providing hands-on experience with ICT tools and techniques. It covers a range of practical tasks required for the exam, including file management, working with images, document layout, styles, proofing, and the creation of graphs and charts. 

By the end of the course, students will be well-prepared to confidently tackle the practical components of the ICT 0417 exam, having developed the skills to efficiently manage files, create and format documents, work with data, and present information visually through graphs and charts. 

 Course Highlights: 

 This online course offers a comprehensive, hands-on introduction to the practical components of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – Subject 0417. The course is designed to equip students with essential skills in file management, working with images, document layout, styles, proofing, and creating graphs and charts. By focusing on these key areas, students will be thoroughly prepared for the practical tasks required in the external ICT 0417 exams papers (2-3). 

Below are the key highlights of the course: 

• Exam Preparation Focus: Specifically designed to prepare students for the ICT 0417 external exams, covering all practical skills needed for success. 

• Master File Management: Learn efficient file organization, compression, and handling of multiple file formats, a key exam requirement. 

• Image Handling Skills: Gain proficiency in inserting, editing, and formatting images within documents and presentations, aligned with exam tasks. 

• Effective Document Layout and Styles: Apply and customize layouts, styles, headers, footers, and formatting to meet exam standards. 

• Accurate Proofing: Master proofing techniques such as spell check and grammar correction to produce error-free documents that are critical for exam scenarios. 

• Graphs and Charts Creation: Develop the ability to create, format, and interpret graphs and charts to present data effectively, a crucial aspect of the exam. 

• Practice with Real-World Exam Tasks: Engage in hands-on projects and exercises modeled after actual exam tasks, ensuring you are exam-ready. 

• Confidence in Practical Exams: Build the skills and confidence to complete exam tasks within time constraints and to the required standards. 

Course Outline & Objectives (Core and Supplement): 

1. Manage files (Lesson 1): Key objectives include: 

• Locate stored files  

• Open and import files of different types 

• Save files in a planned hierarchical directory/folder structure  

• Save files using appropriate file names  

• Save and print files in a variety of formats including a document, screenshots, database reports, data tables, graphs/charts, a web page in browser view, a web page in HTML view  

• Save and export in the file format of an application package including .docx, .doc, .xlsx, .xls, .sdb, .sdc, .accdb .odb, .rtf, .pptx, .ppt  

• Save and export in a generic file format including .csv, .txt, .rtf, .pdf, .css, .htm, .jpg, .png 

2. File formats (Lesson 2): Key objectives include: 

• Characteristics and uses of file formats including css, csv, gif, htm, jpg, pdf, png, rtf, txt, zip, rar  

• The need for generic file formats 

3. Reduce file sizes for storage or transmission (Lesson 3): Key objectives include: 

• Reduce file sizes for storage or transmission where necessary using file compression including .zip, .rar. 

• The need to reduce file sizes for storage or transmission 

• Recognise that reducing the file size can be achieved by reducing the image resolution or color depth 

4. Place and edit an image (Lesson 4): Key objectives include: 

• Place an image with precision  

• Resize an image as specified to maintain or adjust the aspect ratio of an image  

• Crop an image  

• Rotate an image Reflect (flip) an image horizontally or vertically  

• Adjust the brightness of an image  

• Adjust the contrast of an image  

• Group and layer images including grouping and ungrouping, moving to the front or back

5. Create or edit a document (Lesson 5): Key objectives include: 

• Enter and modify text and numbers with total accuracy  

• Use editing techniques to manipulate text and numbers including highlighting, delete, moving, cut, copying, paste, dragging and drop  

• Place objects into the document from a variety of sources including text, images, screenshots, shapes, tables, graphs or charts, spreadsheet extracts, database extract  

• Wrap text around a table, chart or image including above, below, square and tight 

6. Tables (Lesson 6): Key objectives include: 

• Create a table with a specified number of rows and columns  

• Place text or objects in a table  

• Edit a table and its contents including insert row(s) and column(s), delete row(s) and column(s), merge cells  

• Format a table including to set horizontal cell alignment (left, right, center, fully justified), set vertical cell alignment (top, middle, bottom), show gridlines, hide gridlines, wrap text within a cell, shading/coloring cells, adjusting row height, adjust column width 

7. Headers and footers (Lesson 7): Key objectives include: 

• Create or edit headers and footers  

• Align the contents of the header and footer consistently within a document including to left margin, right margin and centered within margins  

• Place text and automated objects in headers and footers including file information, page numbering, total number of pages, date, time 

• The purpose of headers and footers 

8. Styles (Lesson 8): Key objectives include: 

• Create, modify, update, and apply styles to ensure consistency of presentation  

• Font including font face, type (serif, sans-serif), point size, color  

• Text alignment including left, right, center, fully justified  

• Text enhancement including bold, underline, italic  

• Spacing including paragraph (before and after) and line  

• Bullets including shape, alignment, line spacing, and indent 

• Purpose and uses of a corporate house style 

9. Software tools (Lesson 9): Key objectives include: 

• Use automated software tools (spell check, grammar check) and make appropriate changes to ensure all work produced contains as few errors as possible  

• Use validation routines to minimize data entry errors 

• Automated suggestions given by spell-check software do not always give the correct response 

• Importance, characteristics, and uses of appropriate validation including range check, character check, length check, type check, format check, presence check 

10. Proofing (Lesson 10): Key objectives include: 

• Identify and correct data entry errors including transposed numbers, incorrect spelling, inconsistent character spacing, inconsistent case 

• Identify and correct inconsistent line spacing, remove blank pages/slides, remove widows/orphans, inconsistent or incorrect application of styles, and ensure that tables and lists are not split over columns or pages/slides 

• Importance, characteristics, and uses of verification including visual checking and double data entry to reduce data entry errors  

• The need for validation as well as verification 

11. Charts (Lesson 11): Key objectives include: 

• Select data to produce a graph or chart including using contiguous data, non-contiguous data and specified data ranges  

• Select the graph or chart type  

• Label the graph or chart including chart title, legend, sector labels, sector values, percentages, category axis title, value axis title, category axis labels, value axis labels, data value labels  

• Add a second data series  

• Add a second axis  

• Format numerical values to a specified number of decimal places 

•  Format numerical values to display currency symbols  

• Adjust the maximum and minimum values of an axis scale and set incremental values 

•  Enhance the appearance of a graph or chart including extracting a pie chart sector, changing the color scheme or fill patterns 

Course Benefits: 

• Immerse yourself in carefully designed video lessons that provide thorough explanations of each topic and experiment. 

• Gain access to downloadable study sheets, which summarize key information, helping you aim for an A* grade. 

• Strengthen your exam readiness with quizzes and assignments inspired by past papers, boosting your confidence for the big day. 

• Join an engaging student group community where you can connect with peers and the course instructor, ask questions, and share insights. 

Discover the exciting world of ICT and prepare to excel in the IGCSE ICT exam with our comprehensive “ICT Cambridge IGCSE Course – Code 0417” and “Introduction to Practical” course.