For the past two weeks I have been given the task of becoming familiar with the Stndards set by both BTEC and Skillset. It is now my task to compare and contrast the two.
The first major difference between Skillset and BTEC is the size of the document, BTEC having 198 pages and Skillset having only 41. The main reason behind this is because BTEC goes into more pages about a unit giving us an idea on how it should be delivered, BTEC also gives Goals on what will be learnt through the units. Skillset is set out in a table making it easier to understand and shows the 'Knowledge and Understanding' , 'Awareness' and 'Performance Statements'. I personally see this as being easier to understand compared to the BTEC standards and having them on the same page helps keep everything together.
Skillset seems to be more on the 'Technical' side saying that we should learn more coding languages including PHP. I for one would like to learn PHP as I see it as it is a skill that is highly sought after in IM Careers. The Skillset standards also help with life skills including communication and time planning. I don't think that all of these skills could be taught in the two years that I am on the course but I think that it could be handy looking at the units we will not get to do and seeing if I can meet the requirements. It is a shame that we cannot do some of these units as I am interested in some of the units and would like to pursue some of them.
The Skillset standards however do generalise themselves to one specific area/job, which in some places of employment can be accurate when the work force is substancially large. This is handy though as it shows the skills that are needed for a specific role but when the work force is a small team of about 5 people you may find that the roles swap and some people may find themselves with out work to do. So it is common that people will learn more than one set of skills for the job.
Personally if I were to go into a Interactive Media post I would make sure I had learnt about different areas e.g. Coding, DTP, Image Manipulation and Animation, as this would make more accessible to work in a variety of roles.
The information on the BTEC is sometimes seen as old and outdated making it harder to clearly add to an assignment. Some sections have to be re-worded/worked to make it clearer to complete. Skillset on the other hand is updated more frequently and has been updated in the last week.
Personally I think that the Skillset are the most relevant as these are up to date and more relevant because they include coding units and BTEC do not. I believe that coding is a big part of our job and would have liked to learn PHP and mySQL.
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4 comments:
With regards to PHP and mySQL in a designer's role, I'd say that an appreciation of is all that we really need. I agree with you, I'd like to have more knowledge on the pair of them, but you've got to realistically think about what we should be good at to be a web/graphic designer.
Obviously, the main skills for us are design skills and CSS and XHTML. Even so, a lot of positions in more established design studios don't involve any kind of coding and you literally are just designing all day.
A point to consider maybe when suggesting we should have the opportunity to do more coding languages.
I agree with you both it would have been great to have been afforded the time to learn more code and even look at the ones we have studied in more depth.
What I feel is that we need a foundation of knowledge to get a job in the industry and it is when we are actually working in the industry that we will learn how to do it for real. I guess its like when you learn to drive, you are taught how to pass your test and then once you have your license you truely learn how to drive. (or maybe not)
I agree with what your say Craig in regards to Designers design and Coders code. It's like you have said on your blog that most design companies don't have more than 10 people working for them so its more beneficial to have more than one area.
I guess its like we have all discussed before, yes it is better to have a specific area of expertise but it can be more beneficial to know a bit of everything.
@Drew - I agree entirely. We do need a greater knowledge of all things Internet(y) as we need to be the ones the employer hires. If we only know slight PHP or Flash we may not get the contract.
I think that learning code specifically CSS & XHTML is a fundamental part of a web design course. I mentioned in my own post that there is no mention of it in the BTEC syllabus which I find astonishing! Which is proof of how out dated it is.
I agree that designers should have a basic understanding of PHP and the use of database driven sites to help them create more innovative websites.
In an industry where you are required to have multiple skills, the more wider your understanding of codes will benefit everyone.
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