Introductory Essential Digital Skills Qualification (EDSQ) 2024-25

Do you wish you were more confident buying things online? Using a range of digital devices? Knowing which websites are safe? Communicating with people digitally?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then EDSQ is for you. The course aims to develop your essential digital skills so you feel confident doing a range of things on a mobile, tablet, laptop or PC. As the course aims to develop your confidence and skills it is best for you to have your own device to learn on that you can bring into college.

There are five main areas that the course will focus on. You will develop your confidence in:
- Using devices and handling information - using hardware and software, searching and navigating.
- Creating and editing - using apps to enter and edit information, capturing/saving multimedia.
- Communicating - sending and receiving communications.
- Transactions - e-commerce and buying online
- Being safe and responsible online - being safe online, protecting your data, etc.

This will enhance your confidence with using a variety of digital skills that can be used in the workplace.

You can choose to further develop your skills with Level 1 EDSQ.

Before you start the course it would be helpful if you could do the following things independently:

-Turning on a device (including entering and updating any account information safely, such as a password)
- Using the available controls on a device (such as a mouse and keyboard for a computer, or touchscreen on a smartphone or tablet
- Making use of accessibility tools (including assistive technology) to make devices easier to use (such as changing display settings to make content easier to read)
- Interacting with the home screen on a device
- Connecting to the internet (including Wi-Fi) safely and securely, and opening a browser
- Opening and accessing an application on a device

However, if you do not already feel confident in these areas we can help you at the start of the course to develop these skills.

Our entry requirements are in place to support our students in achieving the qualifications they have chosen to study. In addition to the entry requirements, all students will be regularly assessed by East Durham College at an early stage in their study programme. This is to ensure that students are enrolled onto courses which suit their abilities – following assessment, there may be occasions when students are transferred to a relevant course at a higher or lower level in order to ensure they are enrolled on to the right course for them to achieve and progress.

Entry onto any course at EDC may have entry requirements in addition to exam results; this includes but is not limited to DBS checks, references, fitness to practice and at times physical requirements to be capable of achieving the practical elements of the course without assistance. Entry onto any course at East Durham College is subject to final approval from the Assistant Principal.

You will be assessed in a variety of ways:
- Task based assessment
- Question paper
- Observation by your lecturer

Various start times throughout the year.

The course is delivered through a combination of small group workshops and online learning that you can access through your personal device.