Advanced Certificate in Information Technology in Support Services

Purpose

The Purpose of this qualification is to equip students with a set of skills to enable them to provide a range of advanced and specialised Information Technology (IT) support services to corporate Information Technology networks.

The Advanced Certificate: Information Technology: Support Services will develop three different skills' sets, namely

• Advanced network support.
• Database administration.
• Open source administration.

All three of these knowledge areas are introduced to the students in the Higher Certificate: Information Technology: Support Services on a fundamental level and are developed to a specialist level in the Advanced Certificate.

Advanced network support modules include

• Network Architecture B.
• Security Principles.
• Client System Configuration.
• Applications Support.

The Open Source track includes an introduction to Open Systems and Open Source Administration which is an important inclusion, considering the Government's policy on Open Source and the general growing interest in this field in industry. There are also two database modules: Introduction and Administration.

The qualification will contribute to the achievement of the intended outcomes by including a good balance of both practical and theoretical modules to accomplish its collective goals. The Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) module is specifically focused to combine and link all the critical components of the course and the application of the skills learned collectively, to assess the relationship between the main disciplines. The Work-Integrated Learning activities further ensure that project and solution development skills are mastered on an application level.

Service Management covers two areas that have become very important in the modern management approach to Information Technology Service Management, e.g., best practice and corporate governance and it further serves to link the key disciplines covered in the course.

Rationale

This is a vocational qualification which will provide students with a sound knowledge base in the field of Information Technology and will prepare graduates to apply their skills and knowledge in a professional context. Students will be required to undertake practical and specialised intensive learning and position them to further specialise in the niche market of advanced Information Technology support services.

The qualification provides an opportunity for students who have completed an appropriate Higher Certificate: Technical Information Technology studies to further specialise in this field and improve employment prospects, by offering prospective employers a high level of support skills beyond the fundamental skills generally taught in Certificates and Higher Certificates of this nature.

Basic and fundamental Information Technology support skills are generally not very hard to find in the job market, but medium and large organisations often require a higher level of competence and a wider skill set from Information Technology support services staff to support the rapid changes in technology, and such skills and knowledge are not widely available. This Advanced Certificate: Support Services addresses the need for a wider range of more advanced computer support services identified by industry and will provide students with a framework of specialised Information Technology support skills which include Database Administration, Open Source administration and Service Management skills and knowledge.

The Advanced Certificate will help address the national skills shortage in Information Technology as indicated in the Department of Labour's National Scarce Skills List by preparing graduates to take up positions as:

• Support specialists.
• Network Local Area Network (LAN) technicians.
• System support service administrators.
• Database administrators.
• Open source technicians.
• System configuration technicians.

It is assumed that the student would be competent in the language of instruction (English) and the theoretical and practical knowledge and understanding of Information Technology at NQF Level 5.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Students can achieve this qualification in part or as a whole through Recognition of Prior Learning.

Learners who do not meet the minimum requirements for admission may be granted access through Recognition of Prior Learning.

Access to the Qualification

A Higher Certificate in a cognate discipline.

The Advanced Certificate: Information Technology: Support Services consists of the following compulsory 11 modules at NQF Level 6, totalling 126 credits:

• Network Architecture B, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Security Principles, 10 Credits.
• Client System Configuration, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Open Source Systems, 10 Credits.
• Open Source Administration, 15 Credits.
• Database Introduction, 15 Credits.
• Database Administration, 10 Credits.
• Project Management for Work-Integrated Learning, 5 Credits.
• Service Management, 10 Credits.
• Work-Integrated Learning Project, 12 Credits.
• Applications Support, 15 Credits.

1. Maintain, deploy and support open source and vendor-specific systems.
2. Apply the concepts and principles of professional IT support services and infrastructure in an organisation to enable and support the effective use of IT.
3. Communicate effectively and appropriately in a professional environment.
4. Work effectively in a group or team to support IT users and infrastructure to achieve common goals.
5. Solve IT related problems in an unfamiliar context.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

All the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes are addressed in this qualification.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

1.1 Databases and the processes needed to support and administer them are explained.

1.2 Open source systems are deployed and maintained.

1.3 Concepts and principles of Information Technology support services in a business or corporate environment are applied to enable the effective use of Information Technology.

1.4 Generally accepted good practice strategies and techniques are applied to ensure the security in a LAN networking environment.

1.5 Network Security is constructed by applying strategies and techniques identified as common best practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

2.1 A critical understanding of the principles of Information Technology Support Services is demonstrated.

2.2 Knowledge of methods of enquiry into Information Technology Support Services is demonstrated.

2.3 Information in Information Technology support services is critically evaluated.

2.4 Databases are developed, managed and maintained using a query language.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

3.1 Information is communicated in a reliable and coherent format in a business environment using professional business communication discourse and formats.

3.2 Analysis of evaluation of problem scenarios is communicated to clients.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

4.1 Peer contribution is evaluated to achieve the common goal of a given project.

4.2 A practical project is implemented using project management skills in resolving specified problems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

5.1 Problems relating to Information Technology support in an unfamiliar context are solved.

5.2 The principles and practices of basic project management are explained and applied to a series of practical scenarios.

Integrated Assessment

Learning and assessment are integrated.

Formative assessment is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the work and limited numbers of outcomes. Students are given feedback on their progress in the achievement of learning outcomes and assignments based on the learning material.

Summative assessment is concerned with the judgement of the learning in relation to the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification. Such judgement must include integrated assessments which test the student's ability to integrate the larger body of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are represented by the Exit Level Outcomes as a whole. Summative assessment includes examinations, projects, laboratory reports or equivalent assessment, such as portfolios of evidence and tests the student's ability to manage and integrate a large body of knowledge to achieve the stated outcomes of the qualification or part thereof.