M6 Develop a functioning app with an effective user

interface appropriate for audience and purpose.

Essential information for assignments

The recommended structure of assessment is shown in the unit summary along with suitable forms of evidence. Section 6 gives information on setting assignments and there is further information on our website.

There are a maximum number of three summative assignments for this unit. The relationship of the learning aims and criteria is:

Learning aim: A (A.P1, A.P2, A.M1, A.M2, A.D1) Learning aim: B (B.P3, B.P4, B.M3, B.M4, B.D2) Learning aim: C (C.P5, C.P6, C.M5, C.M6, C.D3)

Further information for teachers and assessors

Resource requirements

For this unit, learners must have access to app development environments.

Essential information for assessment decisions

Learning aim A

For distinction standard, learners will select different types of app and evaluate how effectively design and functionality are combined to serve a specific purpose and meet the user requirements. Learners will evaluate how effective native, web and hybrid app development environments are for building apps to work across different platforms and devices.

For merit standard, learners will select different types of app and analyse how they have been designed to serve a specific purpose and meet the user requirements. The analysis will draw on detailed examples of both native and web apps, and learners must analyse the effectiveness of design and functionality across different platforms and devices.

Learners will also analyse how effective native, web and hybrid app development environments are for building apps, using examples of apps that serve different purposes and users.

For pass standard, learners will include a clear explanation of the purpose and intended user for the chosen apps. Learners will explain how design and functionality are combined in the apps to serve a specific purpose and meet the user requirements, including an explanation of how the apps work across different platforms and devices.

Learners will explain that developers have to choose an app development environment to build an app and provide a comparison between the strengths and weaknesses of native, web and hybrid app development environments.

Learning aim B

For distinction standard, learners will demonstrate platform-specific development skills by developing user interface elements and assets and combining appropriate coding techniques in different programming languages, with the features of different development frameworks and environments, in order to design, run and test app functionality. Learners will provide evidence of their development work and will justify the tools, skills, techniques and approach they have adopted. They will evaluate the outcomes, including valid suggestions for improvement.

For merit standard, learners will use at least one native development framework, for example iOS or Android SDKs, and one framework based on web technologies, for example Apache Cordova for hybrid apps, to develop different user interface elements.

Learners will demonstrate how to write and edit code to design, run and test app functionality in more than one programming language, for example Java for Android and Blackberry, Swift for Apple iOS, HTML5 and JavaScript for Windows 8.

Learners will experiment with user interface elements for the app that they intend to build for a specific audience and purpose in learning aim C, or they will explore the development frameworks, environments, software development kits and libraries through a series of shorter test projects, designed to expose learners to different aspects of app development environments. Whichever approach is adopted, learners will provide appropriate evidence of their development work, including an explanation of what they were trying to achieve and how it was achieved, what they learned and what they need to learn to improve further.

For pass standard, learners will select a specific development framework or environment designed to build native, web or hybrid apps.

They will demonstrate understanding and skills in the relevant programming languages and appropriate code design skills to develop user interface elements and design, code and test app functionality in the chosen framework.

Learning aim C

For distinction standard, learners will demonstrate that they have designed, developed and tested an app that functions as intended on at least one device on the chosen platform. The app will benefit from a user-friendly and effective interface, which is the result of effective planning and development work. The user interface design will provide the user with an engaging experience and the app will serve its purpose in a creative and imaginative way.

For merit standard, learners will demonstrate that they have planned an effective structure for the app through a detailed technical specification and suitable design work. They will produce evidence of planning for an app that is appropriate for audience and purpose.

Learners will produce a functioning app that responds as intended to the user‟s interaction on a device, or device(s), on the chosen platform. The user interface will not only enable the app to serve its purpose but its design will be sufficiently imaginative to enhance the user experience. For pass standard, learners will produce evidence that the app has been designed with a suitable structure to meet the specific purpose for the app, for example audience and purpose is defined and the planned features, user behaviours, number of screens and interface design are appropriate for that audience and purpose.

Learners will produce an app that partly responds to the user‟s interaction on a device on the chosen platform. The user interface may be basic but it is clear to the user how to use the app and the app itself, at least in part, serves its purpose.

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