ECDL - experiences/thoughts?

challengemaster

right, so, now in TY, the ECDL is coming soon enough. so what are people's thoughts on it, and people's experiences after completing it?

are you confident about it? how do you think you will do? how have past people done? etc.

advice etc all welcome

Piste

Yeah we do it too, because of timetabelling and me wanting to do both French and German I may miss one of my two ECDL classes a week but I'm fairly computer-literate so it shouldn't be too bad, the only thing I'm not too familiar with are Excel and Acces. In the ECDL do you get to familiarise yourself with different OSs or just Windows?

Jello

I'm starting it soon, there's a new server being put in right now in school so we'll start when that's done.
I did most of the stuff that's on it in computer class in first year, so it should be easy.

Piste

You got Computer class? Snazzy.

CarefulNow

I started it the last day. The discs you get just teach you how to do it so the teacher does nothing. Its so boring though. If only the person thats narrating the stuff on the cd had a more exciting voice.

Jello

Piste wrote:

You got Computer class? Snazzy.

Yeah had it once a week, made our own websites and all, it was fun.

PurpleFistMixer

We're doing it, stupidly enough, in 5th and 6th year.

philologos

apparently its meant to be a pisstake, I did the one from the Irish Commercial Board or something, got highest mark in it

Piste

I may be missing one ECDL class a week for French class, but if it's really as easy as it's made out to be that shouldn't be a problem. So is it only Windows you use?

lilmissprincess

THE most BORING class ever. I've been using a computer since I was 8, and teh otehr morning I had to watch a pc teach me how to open a word document and how to save it. I was after being hyper all morning(coffee with 5 sugars when ur not used to caffeine does that to you), and I was yawning my entire way thorugh teh class. Worse was at home though when I heard yer womans voice....why did my parents pay for this????

philologos

Piste wrote:

I may be missing one ECDL class a week for French class, but if it's really as easy as it's made out to be that shouldn't be a problem. So is it only Windows you use?

yep its with office applications... its generally done in Windows anyway.

Diarmsquid

Piste wrote:

I may be missing one ECDL class a week for French class, but if it's really as easy as it's made out to be that shouldn't be a problem. So is it only Windows you use?

I did it last year. Our teacher gave us out bick thick books and went through it with us, while most of just used bebo and the like (untill he blocked it). Boring stuff, and fairly easy for anyone who's fairly familiar with a PC. The thing that anoyed me is that we went so slow and only got 5 of the 7 modules done.

And, it's only Windows. (well for us it was anyway )

Aisling(",)

im doing it now and its the biggest waste of time ever!the teacher acts as though weve never seen a computer before and dosent even let ya turn it on before he tells you.its a waste of a class

BlueSpiral

Piste wrote:

You got Computer class? Snazzy.

Yeah, we got to learn how to type up CVs.

"hey miss,how do you spell ugly?".
:rolleyes:

Piste

I had my first ECDL class today, 10/15 minutes spent logging on, the rest was spent on how to make folders, how to make folders WITHIN folders. Then for my second ECDL class (we have a double a week) it was spent in a different class with a different teacher where we had been told to "familiarise ourselves with windows" so I just played minesweeper and spider solitare for the class. My Lord, it's such a wastye of time!

Apple Gal

I have double computer class four times a week and we have been doing the word processing module or whatever it's called since the first day of school. I actually think I will do really badly in it because I just cannot listen in that class,I find it really boring. The minute my teacher starts talking with all these big fancy computery words I just stop listening and I spend the whole class watching this little computer dude dancing in the corner of the screen!

philologos

yep it can be boring having a teacher yabbering on about stuff... especially boring when you knew how to do it all already

triskell

the ECDl cert is a waste of time, it has being used and abused over last few years by companies selling courses 1 day course 3 day course, 1 week course online courses 24 hour course 72 hour course, that most employers are not interested in the qualification because it is no indication of real ability. the full syllabus for European computer driving licence is 3,500 pages long.
if you want a decent applications(office) qualification do the MOUS course microsoft office user

challengemaster

uhm...do we even have a choice in TY? O_o
or did you even know that this is the TY forum...

Diarmsquid

I wanted to just sit the exams of the modules we didn't do in class. I passed the others without any work, and I'd love a full ECDL qualification to put on my CV.

Piste

Actually does anyone have a full list of all the different modules in case I want to sit one we don't do in class?

Diarmsquid

Module 1 - Basic Concepts of Information Technology (IT)
Module 2 - Using the Computer and Managing Files
Module 3 - Word Processing
Module 4 - Spreadsheets
Module 5 - Databases
Module 6 - Presentations
Module 7 - Information & Communication

Source: http://www.ecdl.nhs.uk/qualification/modules

I think I got 1 to 5 done.

pureirishsugar

ECDl is the most boring class that ever existed.it appears to be designed for someone who has never seen a computer.i have one of the tests done,the teacher basically gave us the answers if we didnt know them.apparently a few people didn't pass,which amazed me.i spand the whole class on the internet www.hidemyass.com gets passes the block on bebo

challengemaster

already!?

jesus we're only doing our first exam on monday

its Word so like, lol

CM>*>word

Piste

I don't think we do the tests till the end of the year. I also spend most of my time on Bebo, they blocked most of the proxies for ages, but then the web design class needed collegepie.com for class and so that can be used for Bebo. Unfortunately webmessenger and ebuddy wont work though

challengemaster

bebo wtf, bebo ****ing sucks donkey dick. biggest heap of ****e ever.


anywho, module 3 done today, guarentted 100% on it, it was fecking piss easy, had it done in under 30 mins.

Piste

I like Bebo.



[on topic] We're doing module 1 and 3 tests after midterm. My timetable for tuesday is weird so I have one ECDL class with my teacher who "teaches" us, then another with another teacher who teaches another class while we have to do whatever the last teacher has set us to do (which is usually "read this page" which really doesn't take 40 mins) so today I just skipped my second ECDL class and went home for a shower because I hate having my time wasted[/on topic]

Sierra Oscar

My god...ECDL = Piece of ****

I have all my 7 done.

Piste

I have 4/7 done. Gonna sit the powerpoint one next time I can, I did most of the other ones like file management and IT and communications before we'd done the modules cos it's basic computer literacy which as easy to pass. I wont be able to wing access or excel though cos I havent a clue how to use them so I''ll have to wait till we do the module in them.

Sierra Oscar

As far as I remeber Database was the hardest. Leave that till last.

PurpleFistMixer

I've got my databases one on friday. Done word and excel already, though some girls have still to PASS them... But yeah. Disc is so GOD AWFUL. God I loathe the way it works. So so so slow. If I didn't have to wait for every little bit of information to slowly appear, I'd probably have the thing done in an hour. (thing being module 5, don't think I could do 7 modules in an hour, as easy as they may be).

We're not getting an option as to what we do/when we do it either, which is annoying. We spent the first month or two of school doing... word... which I could have done without even looking at the disc. Grr. So long as we get it done before the end of 6th year I'll be happy.

JC 2K3

Why use the disc? There are handbooks available....

dfaf wrote:

the ECDl cert is a waste of time, it has being used and abused over last few years by companies selling courses 1 day course 3 day course, 1 week course online courses 24 hour course 72 hour course, that most employers are not interested in the qualification because it is no indication of real ability. the full syllabus for European computer driving licence is 3,500 pages long.
if you want a decent applications(office) qualification do the MOUS course microsoft office user

lol, and sell your soul to Microsoft? How is MOUS any better than ECDL? Most employers aren't interested in ECDL? Where did you get that idea? And you did know that ECDL is only meant to be a basic qualification? Ever heard of ECDL Advanced or ECDL Expert?

MOUS is simply part of Microsoft's policy of competing in every sector of the IT industry. ECDL is superior as it can be done in any application that fits the task as opposed to MOUS which is limited to MS Office applications.

PurpleFistMixer

JC 2K3 wrote:

Why use the disc? There are handbooks available....

For free? The computers teacher showed me a book he has for it but it's ridiculously large and undoubtedly costs a load of money. You'd think they'd include a handbook with the price of the disc/certification.

JC 2K3

I'm surprised they don't...

I'll relay this info to my mom, who works in this area in ICS Skills.

Do they do online testing yet? I was testing one of the prototype online testing programmes over the summer. Dunno if it's implemented yet.

Back when I did mine I used a floppy disk, I presume it's CDRs now, yes?

PurpleFistMixer

It is online alright. Which makes the cost seem a LITTLE bit ridiculous... I mean, maybe if people were hand-correcting it...
And yes, it is a CD.

Sierra Oscar

#Elites wrote:

same with exel and databases..did the other 5 off the top of my head, and now im ****ed for the last 2! ahhhhh

Hehe that is mainly due to the fact that you never use those programs?:D

Sierra Oscar

#Elites wrote:

who the **** does!

Good question!;)

JC 2K3

Secretaries, database administrators, accountants, self employed company owners, anyone in a job that involves handling data....

Sierra Oscar

JC 2K3 wrote:

Secretaries, database administrators, accountants, self employed company owners, anyone in a job that involves handling data....

We were just messing:rolleyes:

BostonB

JC 2K3 wrote:

Why use the disc? There are handbooks available....



lol, and sell your soul to Microsoft? How is MOUS any better than ECDL? Most employers aren't interested in ECDL? Where did you get that idea? And you did know that ECDL is only meant to be a basic qualification? Ever heard of ECDL Advanced or ECDL Expert?

MOUS is simply part of Microsoft's policy of competing in every sector of the IT industry. ECDL is superior as it can be done in any application that fits the task as opposed to MOUS which is limited to MS Office applications.

ECDL is a very basic exam. But it gets people with no computer experience up to a basic skill level which is probably all they will ever need. As a basic IT benchmark its good enough. Unless of course someone is someone is good at passing exams but can't translate that knowledge to real world problems, which is common enough. MOUS if you do all of it is aimed at power users of the Office Suite. Which again is what most people will use. So its good enough for that scenario. If you were looking for someone to work with excel or access and had 3 applicants the only difference between them being no certification, ECDL or Access\Excel Expert. Which would you choose (other than the best looking).

I think it comes down to having something, is better than having nothing.Like others I have to say most of this kinda training material is desperately boring to someone with any computer experience at all. Dull beyond belief.