Zen Internet Support Forum

It looks like I need to get some basic bits of paper (my 1975 A-level equivalent in Computer Studies is a bit out of date...).

Having looked into ECDL it seems to be ending on the 21st of this month: or BCS support and public funding for it anyway.   What does that mean?

In which case it would appear CLAiT is the answer?

Advice appreciated.

Pwhyles,

    In my opinion, based on your posts I've seen in these forums, you probably won't learn that much on a course for either of those qualifications. Your A Level will have given you a good grounding in the fundamentals that never go out of date. Yes, technology moves on at a pace, but logic is .... well, logic! lol

    I'd recommend an ONC or HNC or Degree, you can do all these part time. ECDL and CLAiT are more for the user and office worker. If I remember correctly ECDL was introduced by the British Computer Society to provide a mechanism for the average Joe or Joanne to become acquainted with basic computer skills.

   You're way above that in my opinion.
 

Hello pwhyles,

I can tell you for a fact that both ECDL and CLAIT offer about the same level of knowledge and technical studies. If you already have some experience with computers & IT, then I also doubt that CLAIT will teach you much that you don't already know.

NOTE: I'm talking from direct personal experience as I completed my CLAIT many years ago. CLAIT will only teach basic stuff like "here is the on off power button!" or this is a disk drive and this is what it does, etc,etc. If you already know how & what a hard disk drive is then CLAIT is not going to be for you.

**If you want or need to know more in depth technical stuff like the in's & out's of the TCP/IP protocol suite then YES! I agree what you probably need is an HND in computing or IT. (evening courses at local college or university. Possibly day release or even Open University distance learning courses which have a large online element of study. **Bear in mind the OU practically pioneered distance learning methods involving multi media & the internet BEFORE anyone else. Now OU methods are considered main stream as part of learning.

Ivan 

Thanks both.