UNDERSTANDING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

L/505/5392

LEVEL 3 UNIT 41

GUIDED LEARNING HOURS: 60

UNIT CREDIT VALUE: 10

OCR LEVEL 3 CAMBRIDGE TECHNICALCERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA IN

IT

Oxford Cambridge and RSA

Version 2 - January 2017:Page 7, M4 amended to read M2

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UNDERSTANDING MOBILE TECHNOLOGYReference code L/505/5392

LEVEL 3

AIM AND PURPOSE OF THE UNIT

Mobile technology is developing and evolving rapidly with more and more devices used to communicate digitally. Devices take a range of formats and their application varies although these differences are being lost as devices are expected to do more and perform in different ways. Learners need to appreciate the scope of mobile technology, beyond personal and social use and the fundamentals of how it works, the options and operating systems on which it can be used and also the benefits it provides within business across all sectors.

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Understanding Mobile Technology Level 3 Unit 41

ASSESSMENT AND GRADING CRITERIA

Learning Outcome (LO)

The learner will:

Pass

The assessment criteria are the pass requirements for this unit.

The learner can:

Merit

To achieve a merit the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:

Distinction

To achieve a distinction the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:

1 Understand channels and devices used with mobile technology

P1 explain what is meant by the concept multiple channels

P2 explain multiple devices across operating systems for mobile technology

D1 compare and contrast different mobile solutions and purposes

2 Understand improvements to business activities created by mobile technologies

P3 explain the benefits to business organisations of mobile technology

M1 explain how mobile technology is changing the nature of business activities

3 Know how mobile technology can be used in business models

P4 evaluate the approach of an existing mobile business model for customer interaction

M2 describe potential improvements to the business model using mobile technology

D2 develop a business proposal to enhance a business model using mobile technology

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TEACHING CONTENTThe unit content describes what has to be taught to ensure that learners are able to access the highest grade.

Anything which follows an i.e. details what must be taught as part of that area of content.

Anything which follows an e.g. is illustrative, it should be noted that where e.g. is used, learners must know and be able to apply relevant examples to their work though these do not need to be the same ones specified in the unit content.

LO1 Understand channels and devices used with mobile technology

• Multiple Channel Distribution

• Recipient sectors - Call centres - Internet portals - Public access points - Hand held devices - Transport - Booking centres - Retail outlets

• Mobile devices - Mobile phones - Smart phones - PDA/EDAs - Pagers - GPS devices - Retail terminals - Tablets - Games consoles

• Operating system types: (e.g. GUI, multi-user, multi-processing, multi-threading)

• Operating systems by platform e.g. - for large computer systems (e.g. Solaris, Unix, z/OS) - for desktop computers and laptops (e.g. Linux, Mac OS

X, Windows) - for tablets and phones (e.g. Android, iOS, Windows

Phone)

• Computer system types: - basic systems (e.g. desktop computers, laptop

computers) - complex systems (e.g. tablets) - multi-purpose platforms (e.g. games console, mobile

phones, embedded systems) computer languages supported by operating systems: (e.g. C++ - Android, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, Windows; Java - Android, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, Windows; Python – Android, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, Windows; Scratch - Windows, Mac OS X; Visual Basic - Windows)

LO2 Understand improvements to business activities created by mobile technologies

• Integration - Technology - Functionality - Collaboration - Multi-platform

• Accessibility - Customers - Staff - Sharing Data - Instant updates

• Benefits - Reduced human intervention - Speed of Development/Product to Market - Adapting to platforms, - retail models i.e. ease of Customer Access, - mobile data capture - blended models

• Sectors - Banking e.g. payments and mobile commerce - Communications e.g. voice, data, video - Electronics, automotive, aerospace - Energy and utilities e.g. supply, generation, efficiencies - Government e.g. services, support, interconnected - Healthcare e.g. patient diagnosis, treatment, advice - Insurance e.g. information, patterns, - Oil and gas e.g. generation, management - Retail e.g. sales, delivery, stock control - Transport e.g. traffic control, navigation, routing

LO3 Know how mobile technology can be used in business models

• Business model - Objectives - Strategies - Economic considerations - Components/elements - Types e.g. collectives, online, intermediaries,

distribution, franchise

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Understanding Mobile Technology Level 3 Unit 41

• Feasibility study: market/business feasibility e.g. - market - technical considerations e.g. hardware and software - costs - profits

• Business proposal - purpose - Product/service - costings - market - timescales - Marketing - Additional considerations e.g. Strengths and

weaknesses, pricing, research, flexibility

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DELIVERY GUIDANCE

Understand channels and devices used with mobile technology

Firstly learners should be encouraged to discuss the concepts of information that they use and have access to. Everything they interact with provides or generates some information and it will then lead them to understand the different channels that source and use this information and data. They should then be involved in discussions as to how they access or store data using different technologies such as on a tablet or a smartphone. They should then be encouraged to discuss and research more widely the classifications of mobile technology devices. By working in groups, they could choose to research different devices, the technologies that they use to receive and transmit information, and also the operating systems that they use or provide information to.

By presenting the information back to the wider group, they could then further discuss the commonalities of technology for different purposes, different sectors and for different data/information types.

Understand improvements to business activities created by mobile technologies

This LO will be a large piece of research for learners and should be carried out in small teams. They should consider the developments with mobile technologies from the introduction of mobile phones with large battery packs to the current smart phone option. Their research should not be solely based on mobile phones but should be broadened to ensure they consider the wide range of business sectors in the teaching content. They should understand how these sectors have radically changed how they operate based on these advances and where some businesses are benefitting and others are losing out due to their application of the technologies. By relating the examples to businesses that the learners are familiar with such as retail experience, learners will appreciate the subtleties of the developments for different purposes and business development.

Know how mobile technology can be used in business models

Learners should then consider a range of businesses that they have identified as being weak in the application of mobile technologies, identifying the weaknesses and strengths of their business model, comparing and contasting like for like within a sector or for a purpose will

enable learners to develop a wider understanding. This should provide an understanding of the gaps that some business models have and the opportunities they have to improve them. Learners should consider the potential improvements a business could plan and implement and consider the feasibility of these improvements to the identified business.

Once learners have identified businesses that could be improved and where the advantages and benefits would outweigh the challenges, they could consider how they would propose this to a business. Although the learners are not being assessed on feasibility studies, it would benefit their knowledge and understanding of considerations in a business propsal.

Learners should then be encouraged to look at business proposals and business plans and understand the differences between the two. They should review business proposals within the public domain and the contents of them. Would they as consumers or financiers sponsor the proposal or accept the idea? Why or why not? When constructively discussed these views will help them understand the approach and required contents for any business proposals they create. They should be encouraged to develop business proposals for existing products and deliver to the wider group. This will help them test whether acceptance of the proposal can be based simply on the proposal or on the proposal together with an understanding of the benefits.

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Understanding Mobile Technology Level 3 Unit 41

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT SCENARIOS AND TASK PLUS GUIDANCE ON ASSESSING THE SUGGESTED TASKS

Assessment Criteria P1,

For P1 learners must explain what is meant by the concept ‘multiple channels’. This could be in the form of a presentation with notes or a report where the learner identifies a range of channels that are used by mobile technologies and how these work.

Assessment Criteria P2, D1

For P2 learners must explain multiple devices across operating systems for mobile technology. This may be evidenced in the form of a presentation with notes or a report or as an extension of the evidence for P1. The learner should identify a range of mobile technology devices and the operating systems they use to support the technology.

For distinction assessment criterion D1 learners must compare and contrast different mobile solutions and purposes. This may be in the form of a report where learners clearly identify a range of mobile technologies and solutions for identified purposes. They should explain the solution to include devices, systems, purposes and potential channels (if applicable) before comparing and contrasting.

Assessment Criteria P3, M1

For P3 learners must explain the benefits to business organisations of mobile technology. This may be in the form of a presentation, report or video identifying how the use of a range of mobile technologies could benefit an organisation and the ways in which these benefits can be realised.

For merit assessment criterion M1 learners must explain how mobile technology is changing the nature of business. This should clearly identify how the implementation of mobile technologies, the environments in which people work and the business model is changing as people increasingly use and rely on the technologies.

Assessment Criteria P4, M2, D2

For P4 learners must evaluate an existing business model and approach to customer delivery. This would be the evaluation of an identified organisation where the wide use of mobile technologies has not yet been applied. This could be in any sector that the learner chooses to research and may be in the form of a report or presentation with notes. The evidence should include the business model itself and

the focus of the business model

For merit assessment criterion M2 learners must describe potential improvements to the business model using mobile technology. This could be an extension of P4, where the learner uses the business and model they have already identified to suggest improvement to it. They should describe how a range of mobile technologies could be introduced to the business model to improve customer delivery.

For distinction assessment criterion D2 learners must develop a business proposal to enhance a business model using mobile technology. This would logically be an extension of M2 where the learner develops a business proposal across the range of criteria in teaching content for the identified business model.

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RESOURCESCisco training details:

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/certifications/index/htm

Comptia

http:certification.comptia.org/

http://www.03-ibm.com/ibm/university/academic/pub/page/academic_initiative

Centres may wish to sign up free of charge to the academic initiative for the full range of resources and videos.

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Understanding Mobile Technology Level 3 Unit 41

MAPPING WITHIN THE QUALIFICATION TO THE OTHER UNITSUnit 4 Managing networks

Unit 7 Computer networks

Unit 11 Maintaining computer systems

Unit 28 Networked systems security

Unit 29 The business environment

Unit 40 Cloud computing in business

LINKS TO NOS4.7 Systems Design

6.3 IT Disaster Recovery

7.3 IT/ Technology Problem Management

7.8 Change and Release Management

CONTACT USStaff at the OCR Customer Contact Centre are available to take your call between 8am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. We’re always delighted to answer questions and give advice.

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