Internet Safety Qualification

Background to Internet Safety

Internet safety is about the safe and legal use of the Internet. The Internet is used by lots of people, of all ages, for lots of purposes, ranging from chatting to friends to booking a holiday – and the use of the ‘Net is growing at a rapid pace. But there are risks involved in using the Internet. These risks include: unwanted email, online fraud, identity theft, child grooming and viruses. There are numerous media reports about abuses. And new threats are emerging all of the time. A large survey carried out by Ofcom highlighted these two trends – growing use of the Internet, accompanied by increased threats to personal safety – and a lack of awareness about potential threats.

So Internet safety means knowing about potential threats when you are online; knowing what you can and cannot (legally) do when you are online; and knowing how to protect yourself from some of the risks that are involved in using the ‘Net.

The Internet Safety Award is a qualification offered by CCPAS and is the first “e-only” internet safety qualification in the EU. In other words, it is the first qualification that is only available online and supported with digital material – there will be no paper material. So, the teaching and learning material will be in digital format and the assessments are available online. The award has been developed in collaboration with a number of external partners (including BT, Microsoft and Strathclyde Police).

Aims of the Qualification

The qualification consists of a single National Unit at SCQF level 4(Intermediate 1).  The unit is entitled “Internet Safety”. There are four outcomesin the Unit:

1. Identify threats that can exist when using the Internet.
2. Describe safety precautions which should be taken when using the Internet.
3. Describe legal constraints which apply when using the Internet.
4. Take appropriate safety precautions and operate within relevant legal constraints when using the Internet.

Delivery of the Qualification

In February 2011, CCPAS was approved by SQA as the first centre in the country to be offering the internet Safety award entirely online. This method of delivery means that there is no requirement to attend lectures, seminars or class-based activities – everything is undertaken using your own IT equipment, wherever and whenever you want to study!

This distance learning method enables you to learn and complete the award at your own pace and offers the greatest flexibility of any learning environment. Every candidate will be assigned an Assessor who will provide support and assess the evidence of learning that you submit.

All assessment activity is completed by the candidate electronically, either through the SQA online learning portal assessment system (SOLAR) or through submission of reflective exercises via blog or email.

Summary of the Qualification

The Unit is designed to enable candidates to make safe and legal use of the Internet. It will provide candidates with information about the safety factors and legal considerations which need to be taken into account when using the internet, and give candidates practical experience in taking safety precautions and operating within legal constraints. The contents of this Unit include dealing with unwanted e-mail, protecting against identity theft, and protecting systems against viruses and other threats. This free-standing Unit is suitable for a wide range of candidates and is particularly appropriate for young people, parents and mature internet users.

Click here for access to the course learning material: http://www.e-learning-computing.com/netsafe/

Who the Unit is for?

The unit should be of interest to anyone who uses the internet. Although much of the media focus is on young people, mature users are just as likely to experience problems. So the unit is designed for school pupils, college students, adults who work with children, people who shop online, and “silver surfers”.

It is expected that the unit will be of particular interest to teachers and those working with children and young people in a variety of settings (e.g. youth work, social work and other caring services) and others who may want to know more about the potential dangers facing young people in their charge.

Enrolment Information

Students interested in studying for the Internet Safety Award will be able to enrol to commence the course at one of four enrolment stages throughout the year; January, April, July and October. There are currently a limited number of places available for each intake, so it is advisable to register your interest as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. July and October are already fully booked, so if you would like to be considered for later enrolment please contact us as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Once you have registered your interest and specified your preferred enrolment date, we will notify you of availability for your preferred date and provide you with details about the full enrolment process to enable you to be registered with SQA to undertake the award.

Click here to register your interest

How much does the course cost?

Because this award is delivered entirely online, we are able to maintain the cost of the course at an incredibly attractive rate. The full course, including access to the online learning environment, tutor support, assessment and certification/accreditation is £45.00 per student.

Further Information

Further information and details about ‘block’ enrolment can be gained from our Courses Administrator on 0845 120 4550 x208.

Click here to download the leaflet