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

Name: Lucy Marshallsay

Target grade:
Score on this assessment: 35/58
Grade for this assessment: C

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. Make sure that I know the difference between hardware and software.
2. Revise the actions of RAM,ROM and CPU.
3. Give ALL questions a go.
REVIEW
The one question that I got right was:
23. Give one use of a Smartphone.
I got this right by saying that you can use a smartphone to keep in touch with people and
call them.
The one question I got wrong was:
9. List 2 things that an operating system does
I got this question wrong because I said that: It keeps files organised and puts things on the
screen. I should have put that it manages resources and deals with errors that occur in
applications programs.

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.

Describe four features of ROM:
ROM retains all the Data, even when the computer is turned off.
ROM stores all the instructions on what the computer should do when it is turned on and off.
Without it all your work would be lost, so essentially it lets you save electricity and turn on the
computer.
Without ROM the computer wouldnt function properly after it was turned back on.