5th Year LCA.

Section 1 Communications and the Working World.

Answer question 1 or 2
1. Read the following piece on the Importance of Staying Connected Through Social Media,
based on an article from the website, www.businesstocommunity.com. Answer the
questions that follow.

Social media has become almost a necessity for us in today's world and social networking is
more accessible than ever before. We carry our social media with us throughout the day on
our smart phones, tablets, and iPods etc. Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus are all
different platforms that people use to stay connected with their online communities.
What are the benefits of using social media?
1. Social media allows you to connect with people all over the world for free. This comes
in handy if you have friends who have travelled abroad. You can send them messages on
Facebook or Twitter, and they can respond quickly from wherever they are.
2. Social media platforms provide a cheap, easy way to do business in different countries.
They allow you to quickly communicate your point to your customers or clients across the
world. You can send a private message, publicly share something or video chat, for free.
Using social media for a company is very cost effective and time efficient. Staying connected
to these people is important to improve your business relationships.
3. Staying connected through social networks can be vital to your professional success.
Through social media sites, you can find jobs, be informed of business opportunities and
career openings and you can even manage your accounts. A good site to look at, if you're
trying to create a professional network, is Linkedin. The site is designed specifically to help
you advance in your career.
4. Being an active participant in social media is a great way to learn new things. News
outlets are constantly using social media to help keep people in the loop and it's the way that
news is spread. It's not only good for sharing and spreading news, it's a great place to find
out about people's opinions on various topics.
(a) Identify three social media sites that feature in the above text. (3 marks)
Award 3 marks for any three of: Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Linkedin.

(b) (i) Based on your reading of the text above, outline two ways in which a business could
benefit from using social media. (6 marks)
Award 3+ 3 marks for points explaining how social media could be of benefit for a company, based
on the content of the passage, e.g. Easy communication, cheap, video chat, public/private
messaging

(ii) Do you think that social media could have any negative effects in the workplace?
Explain your answer. (3 marks)
Award 3 marks for a clearly explained response to the question. A range of responses could be
offered, distraction, work place bullying, time consuming,etc.
(c) How do you think the use of social media sites could benefit you in your personal life?
Explain your answer. (6 marks)
Mark ex 6 marks. Candidates should explain how social media could be beneficial to them in
their personal life. Award clearly outlined ideas. A range of responses could be offered, e.g.
staying in touch with friends, sharing experiences, cheap way to communicate, entertaining,
informative, etc.
(d) As part of your work placement, you were expected to keep a work diary of your
experience. Write three diary entries based on one of your work experience placements.
 The first entry should deal with your first day on work placement.
 The second entry should describe one skill that you learned on work placement.
 The third entry should deal with your last day on work placement. (12 marks)

Candidates should write using a tone and register suitable for a diary. Discriminate based on the
quality of the answer.

First day on work placement One skill that you learned on Last day on work placement.
work placement.
Ex 4 marks Ex 4 marks Ex 4 marks

OR
2. Read the following piece on the importance of good writing skills, based on an article on the
website, www.mindtools.com. Answer the questions that follow.

A colleague has just sent you an email about a meeting you're having in one hour's time. The
email is supposed to contain key information that you need to present, for an important
project. But there's a problem: the email is so badly written that you can't find the information
you need. As a result, the meeting doesn't go as well as you want it to.
It's vital to communicate clearly in business today. The better your writing skills are, the better
the impression you'll make on the people around you – including your boss, your colleagues
and your clients. The following pieces of advice will help you to write well.

1. Choose an appropriate format. Do you need to send an informal email, write a detailed
report or write a formal letter?
2. Start by identifying who will read your message. Who is your target audience? Your
target audience, will define your "writing voice" – that is, how formal or relaxed the tone
should be. For instance, if you write an email to a client, should it have the same tone as
an email to a friend? Definitely not.
3. Your document should be as "reader friendly" as possible. Use headings, subheadings
and bullet points whenever possible to break up the text.
4. Adding graphs and charts is also a smart way to break up your text. These visual aids not
communicate important information much more quickly than text.
5. Avoid grammatical and spelling errors.
6. Be clear and to the point.
7. The enemy of good proofreading is speed. Be sure to proofread your document before
you send it or present it to your audience. Many people rush through their documents,
but this is how you miss mistakes.

(a) Why do you think it is important to communicate clearly in business today? (3 marks)
Award 3 marks for a clear reason why it is important to communicate clearly in business.
(b) (i) Which two pieces of advice about clear communication listed above do you think
would be most helpful when writing a business email? Explain your answer. (6 marks)
Award 3 + 3 marks for nominating and explaining each of two reasons why the candidate thinks
advice would be most helpful when writing a formal email. Reward understanding of ‘formal’ in
the response. Any two of the points above are valid responses.
(ii) Apart from good writing skills, outline one other way you could make a good
impression in the workplace. (3 marks)
Award 3 marks for any reasonable response to the question, clearly outlined, e.g. punctuality, neat
dress, politeness, willingness to do extra, showing initiative, good team player, etc.
(c) Based on your study of communications and the Working World, identify one writing task
you undertook as part of this module. Outline one change that you made when
Section 3: The Communications Media
Answer question 5 or 6
5. Examine the following poster advertising places on a Summer Radio Camp run by UCC
98.3FM. Answer the questions that follow.

 Aimed at 14-19 year olds

 A practical and fun week
 Go on air each day on 98.3FM and online
 Produce over 15 hours of broadcasting
 Get advice from members of the station staff
 Receive a portfolio of your work and a surprise
gift to remember
your week

For more information email: info@ucc983

(a) Identify two things listed above in the Camp Programme that would appeal to you.
Explain why they would appeal to you. (6 marks)
Award 3 + 3 marks for the identification of two things listed in the camp programme and for the
explanations as to why they would be appealing in the candidate’s view.
(b) Identify two techniques used by the advertisers in this poster to encourage young people
to attend this Radio Camp and explain whether or not these techniques are effective.
(6 marks)
Award 3 + 3 marks for the identification of two techniques used in the advertisement to
encourage young people to attend the camp. Candidates should also comment on the
effectiveness of these techniques. Possible points: Use of bright colour; imagery; aspects of the
course content; offer of free gift, etc.

(c) (i) This summer radio camp gives you the opportunity to produce and present your own
radio programme. Name one type of radio programme you would be interested in
producing and presenting. (2 marks)
Award 2 marks for the naming of a type of radio programme.
(ii) Outline two skills you think would be required when producing and/or presenting
this radio programme. (4 marks)
Award 2 + 2 marks for the identification of two relevant skills, for instance, good communication,
good diction, lively style, good research, organisation skills, etc.

(d) The purpose of advertisements can vary but they all aim to grab your attention. Identify
one advertisement that you have seen, read or heard recently that grabbed your attention
and discuss it under the following headings: (You may not use the advertising poster
printed above.)
 Identify the product or service being advertised
 Suggest a suitable target audience for this advertisement and explain your choice
 Name and explain two techniques that were used by the advertisers to make it more
persuasive and grab your attention. (12 marks)

Product or service Suggest a suitable Name and explain two

target audience for this techniques that were used by
advertisement and the advertisers to make it
explain your choice more persuasive and grab
your attention.
1 marks Ex 5 marks 2 x 3 marks
 OR
6. Read the following text based on an article by Tim Dowling that appeared on the website,
www.guardian.co.uk. Answer the questions that follow.

We Laugh, We Cry, We Cringe: Reality TV Turns Twenty

The BBC's original reality TV series Castaway was broadcast in 2000. Reality TV is probably one
of the most controversial TV genres ever devised, one for which audiences have a seemingly
limitless appetite. Castaway was followed by such enormously successful programmes as Big
Brother, Geordie Shore, Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Love Island.

It was so long ago now that it's hard to remember how the general public was once treated by
television. While they were occasionally invited on to the airwaves, their participation – in
programmes such as Antiques Roadshow or the old version of Masterchef – was kept to a
minimum because they were, by and large, no good on TV.

Why has reality TV been so successful? Some blame the arrival of digital editing, which made
it possible to quickly find 30 minutes of ordinary people being interesting, from hundreds of
hours of footage of them being boring. It was also not lost on producers and programmers
that reality TV could be made very cheaply. And there can be no doubt that it offers audiences
a direct connection to people like them: we laugh, we cry, we cringe. Reality TV engages us,
and asks almost nothing in return.
The reality TV format was an instant popular success. The first series of Big Brother was
broadcast before Castaway finished. New formats quickly spread across the globe. We were
presented with What Not to Wear, X-Factor and others. There were shows that just followed
real people as they did their jobs, such as Airport and Ice-Road Truckers. More recently we've
been introduced to "scripted reality" or "structured reality" shows – the likes of Made in
Chelsea – which are just soap operas performed by people who can't act. Over two decades
this all-consuming genre has all but ruined telly and to a large extent, civilisation.

(a) Based on what you have read above, explain why you think reality TV has been so
successful. (6 marks)
Mark ex 6 marks. Candidates may offer a range of responses. Answers should be explained.
Possible responses could include: cheap to produce, the arrival of digital editing, funny, people are
like us, cringe tv, enjoy seeing people make a fool of themselves, etc.

(b) Do you agree or disagree with the idea expressed above, that reality TV has ‘ruined telly’?
Explain your answer. (6 marks)
Mark ex 6 marks. Candidates are free to agree or disagree or both. Allow for a variety of views,
clearly expressed. Candidates should explain their point of view.
(c) (i) The text above deals with reality TV programmes. Identify one other type of
television programme. (2 marks)
Award 2 marks for identifying one other type of television programme.
(ii) Explain two characteristics that you think are typical of this type of television
programme. (4 marks)
Award 2 +2 marks each for explanations of things that are typical of the type of television
programme nominated.
(d) You have been asked to write an article for your local newspaper about the television
viewing habits of young people today outlining the pros (advantages) and the cons
(disadvantages) for young people of watching television. Include each of the following:

 Name of your local newspaper

 Give your article a suitable title
 Outline some of the pros for young people of watching television
 Outline some of the cons for young people of watching television (12 marks)
Candidates should write using a tone and register suitable for a report. Discriminate based on the
quality of the answer.
Name of local Title of Outline some of the pros Outline some of the
newspaper article for young people of cons for young people
watching television of watching television

1 marks 1 marks Ex 5 marks Ex 5 marks