Welcome
Today you finish and save two files that together make up KA1: one real coursework document that somebody outside this room actually needs, and a short skills explanation that names the word-processing features you used in it and says why each one helps the person reading it. Both are saved as editable files and as PDFs in 04_evidence, and you only print if your teacher asks for paper.
KA1 pack: sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.docx and sm1_ka1_skills_explanation.docx — each editable + PDF — in Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm1/04_evidence/. Do not type file extensions yourself; Word Online and Google Docs manage those.
Warm-up: which path are you on?
- Path A — you already have a real document. Open it now, because your work today is mostly finishing rather than starting. You will rename it to
sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.docxand keep it in04_evidence, polish whatever still looks unfinished, write the skills explanation to go with it, and export both PDFs if the time stretches that far. - Path B — you have no finished document yet. Say so early rather than sitting quietly, because your teacher can sort it in a minute. Together you will either finalise a Module 1 file that another LCA course is genuinely going to use, or start a short outline in
sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.docxfrom the shortlist below. What you are aiming for today is a draft you can work with, plus the skills explanation set up with at least three honest entries in it, each one naming a feature you can actually point to in your own document. The rest of the entries and both PDFs can be finished before next lesson if the draft is still thin, and that is fine: a brand-new empty outline cannot honestly account for five Module 1 features in one period.
Shortlist (each of these has a real reader beyond this ICT class): Work Experience report, VPG CV or covering letter, Enterprise proposal, Practical Achievement log write-up, researched Social Education piece.
Your teacher confirms your path before you start working on your own.
What you are working towards
- Choosing a real LCA coursework document that genuinely needs to be produced
- Applying the Module 1 features that suit it, proofing and editing it, and exporting a finished PDF
- Writing a skills explanation that names at least five features and says why each one was used
- Saving the finished pair of files where your teacher can find and check them
KA1 = coursework document + skills explanation. Filenames: sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.docx and sm1_ka1_skills_explanation.docx (editable + PDF each), saved in 04_evidence.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| KA1 coursework document — a finished word-processed file needed for real LCA coursework, Work Experience, or a Student Task | The document has to do a genuine job for a genuine reader, not be an exercise that only ever gets looked at in this ICT class | A Work Experience placement report for your VPG teacher, or an enterprise one-pager for a real local stall idea |
| Skills explanation — a short second document listing at least five features and why each was chosen | KA1 is incomplete without the "identify the skills and explain why" piece, even if the main document looks excellent | "Heading 1 styles keep every section title consistent so a supervisor can scan the report in under a minute" |
| Filenames and finished format — correct Specialism names; editable source plus PDF hand-in | Your teacher verifies KA1 from the portfolio folder; wrong names or missing PDFs slow banking | sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.docx and sm1_ka1_skills_explanation.docx in 04_evidence, each as editable + PDF |
Good Why vs weak Why
- Weak: "I used bold because it looks nice."
- Strong: "Heading 1 on each section so my VPG teacher can scan the placement report in under a minute."
Name the reader first (teacher, supervisor, customer). The reason usually follows.
Model skills-explanation table (study this — do not copy into your file)
Example pack for a Work Experience placement report (anonymised). Your rows must name features you can point to in your coursework file.
| Feature | Where I used it | Why it suits the audience |
|---|---|---|
| Heading styles | Section titles (Duties, Skills, Reflection) | Lets my VPG teacher scan the report quickly without rereading every paragraph |
| Paragraph spacing | Body text under each heading | Keeps the page readable on screen and in PDF so the supervisor is not put off by a cramped block |
| Table | Weekly hours and tasks breakdown | Lines up figures so totals and busy days are obvious at a glance |
| Header and page number | Top of each page / footer | Identifies me on every page if the teacher prints or splits the PDF |
| Find and Replace + spell-check | Placement name and full document | Removes mixed spellings before hand-in so the report looks careful, not rushed |
Do not type Ciara, brownies, or stall into your file. If those words appear, delete the row and rewrite about your own document.
Your teacher may also screen-share this table. Vague rows will not pass.
In this walkthrough you lock your coursework file under the correct KA1 name and give it a quick polish pass, writing a one-line list of anything you will finish later rather than stopping to fix everything now. You then build the skills explanation itself in sm1_ka1_skills_explanation.docx inside 04_evidence, so that by the end of it the file has a title, its four section headings, your document's purpose and audience, and an empty features table with bold headers waiting for your own rows. You will fill those rows in later, when you are working on your own. Your teacher will show you one way of exporting a PDF before that. Nothing from the model table goes into your file.
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I am not sure which document counts for KA1 | Pick a document another LCA teacher, placement supervisor, or real contact will actually use. Practice-only ICT files without a real audience are not enough. Ask your teacher to confirm before you polish. |
| My skills explanation only lists buttons I clicked | Rewrite each row so the Why column names the reader or the job (scan faster, export cleanly, keep costs aligned, remove spelling drift). "I used bold" without a reason will not pass a teacher check. |
| I still have model or stall wording in my table | Delete it. Every row must name a feature you can point to in your own {{code:sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.docx}}. Never leave Ciara, brownies, or stall in the file. |
| I cannot find five different Module 1 features | Look back through your Module 1 work: styles, spacing, alignment, table tools, images or shapes, headers and footers, page numbers, section or page breaks, Find and Replace, comments or Track Changes, spell-check, PDF export. Path B today: three honest rows beat five invented ones. Add a missing technique to the coursework document only if it genuinely helps, then explain it. |
| My file is in Downloads or the wrong folder | In OneDrive or Drive, move {{code:sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.docx}} and {{code:sm1_ka1_skills_explanation.docx}} into {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm1/04_evidence/}}. Recreate PDFs after moving if needed. |
| Print or PDF looks different from the screen | Use Print preview before you finish. Check margins, page breaks inside tables, and header or footer collisions. Fix in the editable file, then export PDF again. |
Independent Practice
04_evidence, then write solid Why rows about YOUR own document, then the proofing note, and then the PDFs. A complete honest pack beats a pretty half-pack. Unless your coursework document was already close to final, treat the polish as a check rather than a rewrite and list anything you cannot finish.sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.docx and sm1_ka1_skills_explanation.docx in Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm1/04_evidence/. Finish purpose and audience if needed. Fill the features table with justified rows about features you can point to in YOUR coursework file (Path A: at least five rows; Path B: at least three real rows today). Then complete the proofing note, which is the short section under 4. Proofing and finished format where you say how you checked the document — spell-check, Find and Replace, and reading it through yourself — and what format you are handing it up in. Export fresh PDFs of both files into the same folder using the path you practised: Word Online uses File, Save as (or Export), Download as PDF; Google Docs uses File, Download, PDF Document. Name the PDFs sm1_ka1_coursework_doc.pdf and sm1_ka1_skills_explanation.pdf. If polish is unfinished, leave a one-line punch list for before next lesson — do not invent fake content.- Both files named correctly and saved in
04_evidence - Purpose and audience written in plain English about YOUR document
- Path A: at least five feature rows linking technique to reader benefit, no model wording; Path B: at least three real rows plus a written plan for the remaining rows before next lesson
- Proofing note filled; editable files proofed as far as time allows
- Path A target: both PDFs open cleanly in
04_evidence; Path B may bank skills PDF today and finish coursework PDF after polish if the draft is still thin
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