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T Level Digital: the chapters

Pick a chapter, then a lesson. Each preview is the first page of the lesson, with its first activities to try.

Problem solving and programmingCore, Paper 1 · 43 lessons
  1. What is computational thinking?40 minutes
  2. Decomposition: break it down45 minutes
  3. Pattern recognition40 minutes
  4. Abstraction: keep what matters45 minutes
  5. Algorithms and flowcharts45 minutes
  6. One algorithm, three ways to write it45 minutes
  7. Trace it, find the error, fix it45 minutes
  8. Top-down, bottom-up and modules40 minutes
  9. Root cause analysis45 minutes
  10. Six steps to solve a problem40 minutes
  11. Standard data types40 minutes
  12. Variables and constants45 minutes
  13. Changing one data type to another40 minutes
  14. Scope: where a variable lives45 minutes
  15. Lists and arrays45 minutes
  16. Dictionaries: look it up by name45 minutes
  17. Build and debug with lists and dictionaries45 minutes
  18. Arithmetic operators45 minutes
  19. Comparing and combining with and, or, not45 minutes
  20. Read, write and fix code with operators45 minutes
  21. Input from the keyboard, output to the screen45 minutes
  22. Cleaning and checking typed text45 minutes
  23. Saving and loading with text files45 minutes
  24. Sequence and selection45 minutes
  25. Repeating with loops45 minutes
  26. Read, write and fix choices and loops45 minutes
  27. Functions and procedures45 minutes
  28. Using code that others wrote40 minutes
  29. Working with dates and times40 minutes
  30. Validation: checking input45 minutes
  31. The check digit35 minutes
  32. Order, speed and memory45 minutes
  33. Names and code style40 minutes
  34. Judging a solution45 minutes
  35. Robust code45 minutes
  36. Finding and fixing bugs45 minutes
  37. Linear and binary search50 minutes
  38. Bubble sort and insertion sort50 minutes
  39. Merge sort50 minutes
  40. Comparing algorithms50 minutes
  41. Testing parts, then the whole50 minutes
  42. More testing methods and automation50 minutes
  43. Test data and test plans50 minutes
Emerging issues and the lawCore, Paper 1 · 15 lessons
  1. Digital systems change the workplace40 minutes
  2. Digital inclusion: fair access for everyone45 minutes
  3. Digital systems change society45 minutes
  4. Why developers keep learning30 minutes
  5. Artificial intelligence and extended reality45 minutes
  6. Open source, blockchain, the planet and robots45 minutes
  7. Storage, quantum computers and the Internet of Things45 minutes
  8. The Computer Misuse Act45 minutes
  9. Data protection law and your data45 minutes
  10. The Equality Act and fair treatment45 minutes
  11. Health and safety when you work with screens40 minutes
  12. Protecting ideas: designs and patents35 minutes
  13. The laws together, and law across borders45 minutes
  14. Acceptable use policies and speaking up45 minutes
  15. Codes of conduct and industry standards45 minutes
Business contextCore, Paper 2 · 15 lessons
  1. Types of organisation and business models40 minutes
  2. Who cares? Stakeholders35 minutes
  3. Digital systems for managers, stock and money45 minutes
  4. Meeting user needs and keeping quality high45 minutes
  5. Digital systems for sales, design, people and operations45 minutes
  6. Risks of using digital systems45 minutes
  7. When a system leaves people out45 minutes
  8. Is the project feasible?45 minutes
  9. Planning a change: the change board and goals45 minutes
  10. Recording a change, training and version control50 minutes
  11. How organisations respond to change40 minutes
  12. Testing, rolling out and going back45 minutes
  13. Why organisations have to change45 minutes
  14. Outside factors that force change50 minutes
  15. Impact, resources and telling people50 minutes
DataCore, Paper 2 · 33 lessons
  1. Data, information and knowledge40 minutes
  2. Where data comes from40 minutes
  3. Using data fairly and judging its value40 minutes
  4. How organisations use data45 minutes
  5. Changing data: manipulate, analyse, process40 minutes
  6. Numbers or words: kinds of data40 minutes
  7. Counted, measured, grouped, and coding words45 minutes
  8. The seven common data types45 minutes
  9. Structure, types and changing types45 minutes
  10. ASCII and UTF-840 minutes
  11. Choosing and changing a data format45 minutes
  12. Text, CSV, JSON and XML50 minutes
  13. File-based and directory-based storage40 minutes
  14. Hierarchy storage and changing structure45 minutes
  15. Metadata: data about data40 minutes
  16. Big Data and the six Vs45 minutes
  17. Keeping data good: quality checks45 minutes
  18. Maintaining data: time, skills, cost45 minutes
  19. Choosing how data goes in45 minutes
  20. Data entry errors and how to stop them50 minutes
  21. What a data system does45 minutes
  22. Data wrangling in five steps45 minutes
  23. Choosing the right chart45 minutes
  24. Ways to show data40 minutes
  25. Choosing a data model45 minutes
  26. Three ways to organise data45 minutes
  27. Drawing data models45 minutes
  28. How an API gives access to data30 minutes
  29. Why we use an API40 minutes
  30. Choosing how to give access45 minutes
  31. Permissions and access control45 minutes
  32. Mining, reports and customer data50 minutes
  33. Lakes, warehouses and marts45 minutes
Digital environmentsCore, Paper 2 · 22 lessons
  1. Types of computer35 minutes
  2. Processor, memory and storage45 minutes
  3. Computer parts and devices45 minutes
  4. Types of operating system45 minutes
  5. Utility software45 minutes
  6. Developer tools and everyday apps45 minutes
  7. Everyday applications in detail50 minutes
  8. Why we network, and the types45 minutes
  9. Wired and wireless connections40 minutes
  10. Network shapes: topologies45 minutes
  11. Network models and components45 minutes
  12. The OSI and TCP/IP models50 minutes
  13. Data packets50 minutes
  14. Common network protocols50 minutes
  15. Bandwidth and latency45 minutes
  16. Virtual machines and hypervisors45 minutes
  17. Virtual environments: good and bad45 minutes
  18. Public and private cloud40 minutes
  19. IaaS, PaaS and SaaS45 minutes
  20. Why resilient systems matter45 minutes
  21. Updates, replacement and hardening50 minutes
  22. Backups, recovery sites and procedures50 minutes
SecurityCore, Paper 2 · 16 lessons
  1. What a company must keep secret40 minutes
  2. Malware, botnets and DDoS45 minutes
  3. Hackers and attacks on websites50 minutes
  4. Tricks that fool people40 minutes
  5. Weak points in systems40 minutes
  6. People, buildings and impact45 minutes
  7. Security labs: attack and defend60 minutes · Extra
  8. Walk around the office: people and places50 minutes
  9. Attacks on the way: DNS, Wi-Fi and APIs50 minutes
  10. Encryption and hashing50 minutes
  11. Security tools, rules and hardening55 minutes
  12. Backups, updates and air gaps45 minutes
  13. VPNs, MFA and security testing50 minutes
  14. Firewalls, segregation and monitoring55 minutes
  15. The CIA triad40 minutes
  16. Identify, authenticate, authorise, account50 minutes
Specialism: analyse and planOccupational Specialism · 25 lessons
  1. Pictures that explain a problem45 minutes
  2. Build, test, release and look after it50 minutes
  3. Design the product and check AI code50 minutes
  4. The seven stages of a software project35 minutes
  5. Plan the project: time, money and language45 minutes
  6. Understand the brief and do the research40 minutes
  7. Plan the project: scope, value and KPIs45 minutes
  8. Write good user stories45 minutes
  9. Who does what in a digital team40 minutes
  10. Agile and Scaled Agile50 minutes
  11. Choose the right method: a decision game50 minutes
  12. User centred design40 minutes
  13. Waterfall, RAD and Lean45 minutes
  14. Functional requirements and secure by design50 minutes
  15. Non-functional requirements, KPIs and acceptance55 minutes
  16. AI, biometrics and big data50 minutes
  17. Smart devices, robots, cloud and 5G50 minutes
  18. Find and fill your own skills gaps40 minutes
  19. Ethics, licences and standards50 minutes
  20. The law and your software55 minutes
  21. Find and rate the risks55 minutes
  22. Reduce risks and plan for trouble55 minutes
  23. Can you trust that source?50 minutes
  24. Eight ways to get feedback and data50 minutes
  25. Design a survey and an interview55 minutes
Specialism: design and buildOccupational Specialism · 43 lessons
  1. Top-down design and data flow40 minutes
  2. Object-oriented design50 minutes
  3. Data models and E-R diagrams45 minutes
  4. Test-driven and behaviour-driven design45 minutes
  5. Functional design50 minutes
  6. Choosing a design approach40 minutes
  7. Choosing development platforms45 minutes
  8. gitFlow and GitHub flow50 minutes
  9. User experience design principles45 minutes
  10. UI design: wireframes and prototypes45 minutes
  11. Content management systems45 minutes
  12. Flowcharts and pseudocode50 minutes
  13. Data types, validation and structures50 minutes
  14. Choosing graphics, audio and video45 minutes
  15. Using AI for content and assets35 minutes
  16. Target platforms and design40 minutes
  17. Network integration points45 minutes
  18. What databases are used for45 minutes
  19. Data dictionary and ERD45 minutes
  20. Normalisation to third normal form55 minutes
  21. Why teams work together40 minutes
  22. Code reviews45 minutes
  23. Tools for team work45 minutes
  24. Version control, conflicts and reviews60 minutes
  25. IDEs and code collaboration50 minutes
  26. Two languages, one product55 minutes
  27. Dynamic pages, forms and cookies55 minutes
  28. Files and data on a server60 minutes
  29. Access control and encryption55 minutes
  30. Using libraries and packages50 minutes
  31. Platforms, devices and networks55 minutes
  32. Packaging and CI/CD pipelines50 minutes
  33. Coding conventions45 minutes
  34. Twelve factors, part one45 minutes
  35. Twelve factors, part two45 minutes
  36. User interface features50 minutes
  37. User interface techniques50 minutes
  38. Interface design decisions45 minutes
  39. Connecting to data with an API55 minutes
  40. Connecting code to a database55 minutes
  41. JDBC and ODBC50 minutes
  42. Ways to deploy software45 minutes
  43. Containers and schedulers55 minutes
Specialism: test, change and supportOccupational Specialism · 18 lessons
  1. Functional testing: unit to system45 minutes
  2. Non-functional testing40 minutes
  3. Front-end testing40 minutes
  4. Security testing50 minutes
  5. Acceptance, alpha and beta testing40 minutes
  6. Closed box, open box and AI testing45 minutes
  7. Test data: normal, edge and wrong45 minutes
  8. The test plan and re-testing45 minutes
  9. Maintenance: prevent and correct40 minutes
  10. Keeping a product useful40 minutes
  11. Planning a software change45 minutes
  12. Regression tests and releases45 minutes
  13. Writing code a team can maintain45 minutes
  14. Git: read the history, then branch45 minutes
  15. Git: when two people change one line45 minutes
  16. Git: pull requests and review40 minutes
  17. Communicating with your users45 minutes
  18. Helping users: from ticket to fix45 minutes
ProjectsEmployer Set Project, Occupational Specialism Project · 33 lessons
  1. How the Employer Set Project works40 minutes
  2. Get to know an industry fast35 minutes
  3. Your practice project: Hillside35 minutes
  4. English, maths and digital skills60 minutes
  5. How the two Core exams work40 minutes
  6. How your marks become a grade40 minutes
  7. Break a big problem into small jobs40 minutes
  8. Command words: what the question wants40 minutes
  9. Plan your time and your risks45 minutes
  10. Read a brief like a developer40 minutes
  11. People, costs and your reasons45 minutes
  12. Find and fix defects in code45 minutes
  13. Make code safer40 minutes
  14. Test your work and keep proof45 minutes
  15. Design the steps with a flowchart45 minutes
  16. Design the screen and the data45 minutes
  17. Design so others can build it45 minutes
  18. Build the solution in small steps45 minutes
  19. Tidy, safe and organised code45 minutes
  20. Screens and messages people understand40 minutes
  21. Data from CSV files and charts45 minutes
  22. Work well against the clock40 minutes
  23. Evaluate your own work45 minutes
  24. Explain your work to a client45 minutes
  25. Design the solution and use AI wisely45 minutes
  26. How the specialism project works40 minutes
  27. Requirements and acceptance criteria45 minutes
  28. Sources, risks and the law45 minutes
  29. Build, save versions and review code45 minutes
  30. Build a portfolio of evidence40 minutes
  31. Test, report and fix45 minutes
  32. Gather feedback from real users45 minutes
  33. Turn feedback into decisions45 minutes