School management systems Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology revision
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In plain words
A school is an organisation with hundreds of people to keep track of. Who is here today? How is each learner doing? Computer systems answer both questions faster and more reliably than paper registers and mark books.
5 things to know
- Registration and attendance can be recorded with ID cards that are swiped or held near a reader, or with biometrics such as a fingerprint.
- Advantages over a paper register: it is quicker and more accurate, the school knows exactly who is on site in an emergency, absences are spotted at once and parents can be told automatically.
- Learner performance is recorded in a database: marks, grades and teachers' comments. The system can track progress over time, compare results with targets and produce reports for parents.
- Computer-aided learning (CAL) uses software to teach and test. Learners work at their own pace and get feedback straight away. It cannot replace a teacher for explaining difficult ideas, and it needs enough equipment.
- Concerns: the personal data must be kept secure, the equipment costs money, and cards can be lost or lent to someone else.
Worked example
A school replaces paper registers with fingerprint scanners at each classroom door. Give two advantages over swipe cards.
- A fingerprint cannot be forgotten or lost, but a card can.
- A learner cannot register for a friend who is absent, because a fingerprint cannot be lent.
Tips and tricks
- For attendance systems, think: speed, accuracy, knowing who is on site, and telling parents.
- For performance systems, think: tracking progress over time and producing reports automatically.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
School management systems: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Which could be used to record learners' attendance automatically?
A biometric reader identifies each learner.
Which is an advantage of a computerised attendance system?
The data is available at once.
What is computer-aided learning?
Learners work through it at their own pace.
Why is a biometric system better than a swipe card for registration?
Nobody can register for an absent friend.
What can a system for recording learner performance produce automatically?
Marks over time are turned into reports.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
2 questions, 4 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
School management systems
Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology 0417 · 4 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Give two advantages to a school of recording attendance using a computerised system.[2]
Show answerHide answer
The record is more accurate than a paper register. The school knows immediately who is absent, and parents can be informed automatically.
Give one advantage and one disadvantage of computer-aided learning.[2]
Show answerHide answer
Advantage: learners can work at their own pace and get immediate feedback. Disadvantage: there is no teacher to explain something in a different way.
Answers: School management systems
- 1. The record is more accurate than a paper register. The school knows immediately who is absent, and parents can be informed automatically.
- 2. Advantage: learners can work at their own pace and get immediate feedback. Disadvantage: there is no teacher to explain something in a different way.