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60 mins
Teacher/Student led
+65 XP
Pupils work on their own device

KA2 Workshop: Reflection and Course Close

This final lesson of the ICT Vocational Specialism requires you to reflect on your investigation process covering bias, authenticity, authorship and ethics. You will bank your Specialism Module 4 Key Assignment 2 and confirm Specialism Key Assignments against the evidence checklist.

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    1 - Introduction ~5 mins

    Welcome

    Illustration for IntroductionThis is the final lesson of the ICT Vocational Specialism. You have carried one Something Real project across four modules and built the evidence for eight Key Assignments. That is a serious body of work: today is about naming how you investigated, locking the last Key Assignment, and closing the Specialism with evidence you can stand over. You write the SM4 KA2 reflection on your investigation process, then walk the portfolio with your teacher so KA evidence can be confirmed.

    By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

    • Reflect on the investigation process including bias, authenticity, authorship, and ethics
    • Bank Specialism Module 4 Key Assignment 2 and confirm Specialism KAs against the evidence checklist
    • Close the 120-hour Specialism with a course reflection on your strongest artifact and post-LCA use

    Warm-up

    You may open {{code:sm4_search_log}}, {{code:sm4_references}}, or your source-grading notes if you need a prompt. Name one moment in your investigation that fits one of these:

    • Surprised you (a source said something you did not expect)
    • Disappointed you (a source looked strong then failed a check)
    • Changed your mind (evidence shifted what you thought was true)

    Keep that moment ready: it belongs in today's reflection.

    2 - Key Concepts ~4 mins

    Key point

    SM4 KA2 is not a summary of your findings. It is a reflection on how you investigated. Your document needs these five sections. Your teacher will project the headings and talk through one short example for each while you write.

    What {{code:sm4_ka2_reflection}} needs

    1. Investigation process — what you set out to answer, how you searched, and how the plan changed. Example: five targeted searches, three sources graded, two cut after authenticity checks.
    2. Bias — one concrete slant you spotted and what you did next. Example: a social post that only showed successes for a local enterprise; you cross-checked costs elsewhere.
    3. Authenticity and authorship — checks on who wrote key sources and whether they held up. Example: testing whether a careers blog was written by a guidance professional or an anonymous marketer.
    4. Ethics — citing, media licences, privacy or footprint choices, and any AI disclosure. Example: Creative Commons image with the licence noted; one line if AI helped tighten wording.
    5. Course closing — biggest Specialism learning, strongest single portfolio artifact (real filename), and one post-LCA use. Example: naming {{code:sm3_ka1_problem_solver}} as the piece you would show first on Work Experience.
    Tip

    Aim for clear short sections. Quality of judgement beats length. Findings stay in KA1; KA2 is about choices and decisions.

    3 - Write SM4 KA2 Reflection ~25 mins

    Build {{code:sm4_ka2_reflection}} with the five required sections. In this block, get the five headings down and a solid first pass on process, bias, authenticity and authorship, and ethics. You will polish course closing and the PDF when you finish and join the portfolio check.

    Before you write

    Before you write body text: open {{code:sm4_search_log}}, {{code:sm4_references}}, and your source-grading notes beside the new document. Keep one real URL or source name visible for Bias and Authorship.

    Sentence starters (use or adapt)

    • Process: "I set out to find out… I searched by… When the evidence shifted, I changed my plan by…"
    • Bias: "One source that showed slant was… because… So I…"
    • Authenticity / authorship: "I checked who wrote… Their role or expertise was… That check held up / did not hold up because…"
    • Ethics: "I cited… / I used media under… / For privacy I… / AI helped with…; the judgements are mine."
    • Course closing: "My biggest learning was… My strongest artifact is… Beyond LCA I will use…"

    Worked snippets (swap in your own sources)

    Example

    Bias model: "One post about a local enterprise only listed success stories and skipped costs or complaints. That selection pulled the reader toward a positive view. I downgraded it in my grading notes and cross-checked figures on a named public page before I used any claim."

    Example

    Ethics model: "I listed sources in {{code:sm4_references}} and used a Creative Commons image with the licence noted on the slide. I did not share classmates' personal details in screenshots. AI helped tighten wording in the process section; all source judgements and examples are mine."

    Your teacher will circulate and check that the document is heading toward KA-ready before walkthroughs.

    4 - Common Issues ~3 mins

    Common Issues

    Keep these three fixes in mind while you draft and when you export. Your teacher may also show them on a side slide during writing and walkthroughs.

    IssueSolution
    My reflection only retells the investigation findingsRewrite under process, bias, authorship, and ethics. Findings belong in KA1; KA2 is about how you worked and what you decided.
    The PDF downloaded to Downloads instead of my portfolioMove {{code:sm4_ka2_reflection.pdf}} into {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm4/}} beside the editable file so both sit with Module 4 evidence.
    I used AI and do not know what to writeAdd one honest line under Ethics, for example: "AI helped tighten wording in the process section; all source judgements and examples are mine."

    5 - Finish KA2 and Portfolio Check ~15 mins

    Finish KA2 and portfolio check

    Your goal: Finish {{code:sm4_ka2_reflection}} so it is ready to be signed off, and walk your teacher through the files in your portfolio folder.
    Time: ~15 minutes
    Task: Finish any thin sections of {{code:sm4_ka2_reflection}} first, using real examples from your investigation and Something Real project, then export the PDF beside the editable file in {{code:sm4}} if you have not already. Keep working on your five sections until your teacher calls you. When called, open {{code:09_specialism}} and walk through your files from sm1 to sm4. Then return to your seat and finish any missing lines or the PDF. There may not be time for everyone to go through every file today; if something is missing, take the catch-up list your teacher gives you.
    Success criteria:
    • {{code:sm4_ka2_reflection}} (editable and PDF) sits in {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm4/}}
    • All five sections are present: process, bias, authenticity and authorship, ethics, course closing
    • Examples are specific to your investigation and name real sources or files
    • Your teacher has checked the reflection against the brief and told you clearly what, if anything, is still missing
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