Functional Skills Qualifications Functional Skills ICT — Finding and Communicating Information Syllabus

What are browser tabs and why are they useful?

Tabs let you open several web pages within one browser window; you can switch between them, comparing or referring to multiple sources without losing your place.

What does it mean to acknowledge a source, and why must you do it?

Acknowledging a source means stating where information, images or quotes came from (e.g. author, website, date). It gives credit, avoids plagiarism, and lets readers verify the information.

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work, words or ideas as your own without giving credit; it is a form of cheating and can have serious academic consequences.

Name two ways to avoid plagiarism when using online information.

Put direct quotes in quotation marks and credit the author; paraphrase in your own words and still cite the source; and include a reference or link to where you found it.

What is copyright?

Copyright is the legal right of a creator to control how their original work (text, images, music, video) is used or copied; you usually need permission to reuse copyrighted material.

What is the difference between the To, Cc and Bcc fields in an email?

To is the main recipient; Cc (carbon copy) sends a visible copy to others for information; Bcc (blind carbon copy) sends a copy whose address is hidden from all other recipients.

What is an email attachment?

An attachment is a file (document, image, spreadsheet, etc.) sent along with an email message so the recipient can download and open it.

What is the purpose of an email subject line?

The subject line gives a short, clear summary of the email's content, helping the recipient understand its topic and priority before opening it.

What does the 'Reply All' option do, and when should you avoid it?

Reply All sends your response to the sender and every other recipient. Avoid it when your reply is only relevant to the original sender, to prevent unnecessary inbox clutter.

Give three examples of good email etiquette.

Use a clear subject line; greet and sign off politely; keep the message concise and professional; check spelling/grammar; and only use Reply All when appropriate.

What is spam email and how should you treat it?

Spam is unwanted or junk email, often advertising or scams; you should not reply to it or click its links, and should delete it or mark it as spam/junk.

What is phishing in the context of email?

Phishing is a fraudulent email pretending to be from a trusted organisation to trick you into revealing personal information (passwords, bank details) or clicking malicious links.

Compare synchronous and asynchronous communication, giving an example of each.

Synchronous communication happens in real time with instant responses (e.g. video call, instant messaging); asynchronous has a delay between sending and reply (e.g. email, forum posts).

Name three online communication tools other than email.

Instant messaging (e.g. WhatsApp, Teams chat), video conferencing (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams), and forums or discussion boards; also social media and SMS.

What factors should you consider when choosing the right communication method?

The audience, urgency, formality, length/complexity of the message, whether a record is needed, and whether a real-time or delayed response is required.

When is email more appropriate than instant messaging for communication?

When the message is formal, detailed, needs a written record, has attachments, or is not urgent; instant messaging suits quick, informal, real-time exchanges.

What does it mean to collaborate on a document online?

It means two or more people can view and edit the same shared document at the same time over the internet, with changes saved and visible to all collaborators.

Name two cloud services that allow sharing and collaborative editing of documents.

Google Drive/Google Docs, Microsoft OneDrive/Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint Online); also Dropbox for file sharing.

What is the difference between 'view only' and 'edit' sharing permissions?

View only lets a person read the document but not change it; edit permission allows them to make and save changes to the shared document.

What is 'track changes' in word processing, and why is it useful for collaboration?

Track changes records every edit (insertions, deletions, formatting) so collaborators can see, accept or reject each change, making reviewing and editing transparent.

What is a word processor used for? Name an example.

A word processor is software for creating, editing and formatting text documents such as letters, reports and CVs. Example: Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

Name three text-formatting features available in a word processor.

Bold, italic and underline; font type, size and colour; alignment (left, centre, right, justify); bullet or numbered lists; and line spacing.

What is the purpose of 'headers and footers' in a word-processed document?

Headers and footers are areas at the top and bottom of every page used to display repeated information such as page numbers, titles, dates or the author's name.

What is a spreadsheet and what is it mainly used for?

A spreadsheet is software (e.g. Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets) that organises data in a grid of rows and columns and is used for calculations, data analysis and creating charts.

In a spreadsheet, what is a 'cell' and how is it referenced?

A cell is the box where a row and column meet; it is referenced by its column letter and row number, e.g. cell $B3$ is column B, row 3.

Why must a spreadsheet formula begin with an equals sign, and what does this formula calculate: $=A1+A2+A3$?

The equals sign tells the spreadsheet the entry is a formula to be calculated, not plain text. $=A1+A2+A3$ adds the values in cells A1, A2 and A3 together.

What does the spreadsheet function $=SUM(B2:B10)$ do?

It adds together all the values in the range of cells from B2 to B10 inclusive and displays the total.

Write and explain a spreadsheet function that finds the average of the values in cells C1 to C5.

$=AVERAGE(C1:C5)$ — it adds the values in cells C1 through C5 and divides by how many there are, giving the mean.

What is presentation software used for, and what is a 'slide'? Name an example.

Presentation software (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides) creates slideshows to present information to an audience. A slide is a single page/screen of the presentation.

What does it mean to 'combine and integrate information', and why review and improve the final output before sharing it?

Combining/integrating means bringing content from different sources or applications into one document (e.g. inserting a chart or image into a report). You review and improve the final output by proofreading, checking spelling, formatting, accuracy and fitness for purpose so it is clear, professional and error-free before sharing.