This unit is designed to provide candidates with an opportunity to carry out a practical investigation into a computing issue and engage them with computing in the real world. 

The unit deliberately extends the candidate’s work beyond the topics in Unit A451 in order to provide a stimulating experience.

Candidates should study one from a range of topics which will be supplied by OCR. Candidates will be expected to carry out practical investigations of the topic(s) and any supplementary research necessary to complete these investigations. They will produce a report in which the topic is analysed, justified and evaluated showing evidence of the practical work undertaken.

Candidates will be expected to produce a report which will then be assessed under the four headings:

• Practical activity
• Effectiveness and efficiency of the solution
• Technical understanding 
• Testing, evaluation, judgements and conclusions

The finished work will be assessed according to a best fit approach to the marking criteria.

Candidates should be able to:
(a) plan and carry out a practical investigation of a topic
(b) use practical skills effectively and efficiently to develop solutions to problems
(c) test their solutions
(d) evaluate and modify these solutions in light of test results.

Candidates should be able to:
(a) select suitable techniques for the development of their solution
(b) use suitable techniques to solve all aspects of the problem
(c) deploy practical techniques in an efficient and logical manner.

Candidates should be able to:
(a) show an understanding of the relevant information by presenting evidence of the
development of their solutions
(b) show an understanding of the technical terminology/concepts that arise from their
investigation through their analysis of the data collected
(c) use the terminology/concepts surrounding their topic and contained in the information
collected correctly when it comes to producing their analysis in the supporting script.

Candidates should:
(a) produce a full report covering all aspects of the investigation
(b) present the information in a clear form which is understandable by a third party and which is
easily navigable
(c) critically appraise the evidence that they have presented
(d) test their own solution
(e) present their evaluation in a relevant, clear, organised, structured and coherent format
(f) use specialist terms correctly and appropriately
(g) present a conclusion to the report
(h) justify their conclusions based on the evidence provided.