Personalised Feedback Sheet for IGCSE Section 1 Types and Components of Computers

Name: Joshua Garbett

Target grade:
Score on this assessment: 28/58
Grade for this assessment: E

General feedback/class needs:
On the plus side, most of you understood what hardware and software is and could identify
examples of each. Also, most of you managed to do well with a bit of common sense on the
true/false questions.
However, overall performance in this test by the whole class was poor. Basic knowledge was lacking
and it was painfully evident that most students had not prepared or revised properly for this test.
Worst of all, students were not even reading questions carefully and provided poor answers which
had nothing to do with the question.
Common issues:
USB is NOT a storage device. In fact the answer USB is useless in any question, it means
Universal Serial Bus, and there are countless devices that use it. You must specify WHAT USB device,
A USB Memory stick for example, otherwise your answer is meaningless.
RAM and ROM clearly many students had not learned the definitions, were confused as to the
meaning of the word Volatile and could not provide adequate descriptions as to what each does and
is for.
Operating Systems Students could not explain what it does, worse, virtually no one understood the
advantages and disadvantages of GUIs and CLIs, despite this being clearly written in your notes.
Reading the question countless marks were lost due to students not reading a question carefully
and giving a totally irrelevant answer.
Your personal targets (to be filled in during the lesson):


1. To revise GUIs and be able to describe WIMP, its advantages and disadvantages
2. To revise CLIs and be able to describe its advantages and disadvantages
3. To revise the components of a computer and their functions


Review
I got question 15 right because the other objects are computers and mainframe is a part of the
computer.
15. Which is the odd one out: Laptop, Mainframe, Desktop, Netbook
I got question 3 almost right but I just forgot to say if they were right or not
3. Describe the difference between RAM and ROM
I got question 23 completely wrong
23. Give one use of a Smartphone.
Challenge/Extension
You will have been allocated an exam question to further your knowledge or help you to overcome a
misconception. Copy out the question here in full and answer it.
1. Explain why computer systems have both backing storage and RAM
RAM is the place where information is put when you are working on a specific project or game it is
also volatile because when there is a power cut it will all be deleted