IB ITGS IA - Open Floodgates To That Sweet 7

The course?

 

Fantastic. Dynamic. Fun.

 

But what about the IA?

 

This extensive IB ITGS IA guide is here to answer just that from criterion breakdown to explaining its basics and even some tips and tricks (..sshhhh!) that no one will tell ya.

 

Congratulations and welcome to the world of ITGS!

 

We hope Nail IB played a role in helping you figure out if IB ITGS is the right fit for you.

 

We have you covered if you’re new to the space and still have this question wandering over your head. Head over to one of our previous blogs right here which breaks down this course to its core and gives you an insight into what you will be walking into!

 

Now that we know how fun and application-based this course is, we would also like to run you into a small heads-up: the IA is even better! It is all about composing a real-life roleplay that you’re going to love and learn a lot from.

 

However, it would be best if you were mindful of some basic and well, not-so-basic things.

 

Let us have a look at those while we also let you behind the veil to score a 7 in your IB ITGS IA.

This internal assignment requires you to evaluate a real-world client scenario and use information technology to develop and work toward a solution. An IB-published paper provides a list of potential solutions. The answer must require at least three advanced abilities.

 

A video that shows the product working correctly must be included alongside the product, paperwork, and other materials on a compact disk. 

 

Yes, it's more than just an essay; that makes IB ITGS IA so different and fun!

 

Be prepared to pay attention to your teacher and use the materials provided. It's crucial to arrange your daily activities to complete the task. Here, time management is essential.

 

You should give yourself training lectures on how to operate many programmes, including Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft Excel, before starting your IA. 

 

So, even though you do not have access to some editing tools at your leisure, we suggest devising a strategy for utilizing these tools for your IA before and after school.

 

However, you don't need to worry about your IA video clip not turning out to be like a pro ad shoot! 

 

It's more important to demonstrate to IB that you have learnt how and where to utilize various applications and, therefore, can describe how you accomplished it than it is to make it the most technically complex project.

 

During the IA, you will also walk through the project management process in this course. The project turned in for internal evaluation is distinct from the lengthy article. This extensive ITGS IA is all about delivering a rational and cohesive conclusion backed by primary and secondary information and the review of reliable facts. At the same time, the project focuses just on the creation of an authentic brand with accompanying resources and documentation.

 

….. Wait a Minute. A Client? Like, a Buyer?

 

Nope! A client, as in a hypothetical person around which you based the IT product. Let's make this easier to understand (and do).

Finding a client is the primary stage in the preliminary research. Your families or the local community can make up most of the Internal Assessment's clientele. 

 

Please note that the clients should be at least 18 years old. Suppose a client under the age of 18 is selected. In that case, you will need to identify a guardian who shall be onsite for all meetings and approve all required paperwork.

 

We advise picking someone you are familiar with and can converse with.

When picking the topic, the biggest mistake one could make is to base the problem around the client. It needs to be the other way around.

 

The intention is to pick the problem, discuss it with your client and then come up with IT solutions they need to solve it. Always start with talking about the potential "issue" that every client could have.

The final stage is to schedule a formal structured interview after you believe you have located a potential customer. 

 

Remember, this project is not concerning your problems but your client's. Utilize this chat to gain their viewpoint on the project.

 

Introduce yourself, the project (in broad terms), and why you are there at the opening of your interview. Describe the client's position and how you hope to assist them in resolving a societal issue using the learnings from your ITGS coursework. Brief and to the point, this opening should pique their interest in speaking with you. Next, ask the client to briefly describe themself, their role, and how those things relate to your project. You should conduct some compelling interviews for this.

 

The interview should continue with a comprehensive examination of the issue and its connections to various cultural contexts, both big and minor. Talk about who might profit from a remedy to this issue.

 

Ask incisive questions. You are eager to learn your client's opinions and points of view. Despite having a particular involvement in your project, you are labouring for their preferences and requirements. Record the conversation. Clarify doubts frequently and keep making concise notes. You can record notes in your journal book or clip the remarks, whichever is convenient. Just remember to note!

 

This interview can be used to make sure that you are building a good connection with the client who is passionate about finding a solution to a legitimate problem.

 

At least five minutes must be allotted for your client interview. We suggest submitting a conversation recording and your client's contact details to prove your IA is legitimate. Remember that the discussion should be structured (with pre-decided questions), and you should also be mindful of essential keywords for probing sub-questions.

Your school’s ITGS teacher will grade your ITGS IA, which the IB gods might externally evaluate at the end of the course.

 

Although this assignment has a 30-hour lesson allotment, you must spend additional time outside class to complete it successfully. Since the IA accounts for 20% of this subject's cumulative grade, you must give this IB ITGS IA essay top importance when planning your self-study plan. The internal assessment has a 30-mark value, and you should satisfy all evaluation requirements to receive the highest marks.

 

Here is a brief breakdown of factors your IA will be assessed on.

Aim: Concerning the client consultation, the shortcomings of the current circumstances need to be discussed in brief.

 

The initial investigation of IB ITGS IA has three steps

1. Identify a client.
2. Ask the client questions. Make a script or a recording.
3. Analyze the session in writing.

 

We already spoke about these 3 steps at great lengths in the section above (head to ….. Wait a Minute. A Client? Like, a Buyer? For a recap).

 

Keep in mind that during the interview, you want your client to talk about two or three concerns. The writing of a rationale will be made simpler if they mention a few topics. Additionally, the purpose of the interview is to gather the client's concerns issues, problems, and suggestions before turning the conversation to technology. It is important to first discuss with your client the desire for additional developments, to introduce new items to the public, and to enhance business advertising if you intend to build a website for them. You may then discuss potential solutions, such as applications, brochures, greeting cards, and modern networking concepts. It is simple to defend an excellent answer by contrasting it with a few ordinary ones.

 

Next, you need to provide the following to satisfy this criterion:

• Interview transcripts or synopsis
• Examine the client's problem and the shortcomings of the present arrangement.
• An audio copy of the interview (is optional, but we strongly recommend submitting one).

 

Your IA reference CD must contain a copy of your Initial Consultation document in a widely used and protected format. However, you must provide a textual synopsis of the consultation in the language of teaching at your institution. Audio and video recordings can be in whatsoever language.

Aim: Refer to the situation stated in criteria A and provide a thorough explanation for the IT solution's selection as well as a demand description which can be employed to assess the IT solution's viability.

 

Incorporate inputs, outputs, and privacy considerations in your solution. Although the customer frequently supplies the material, it is essential to determine who will enter the information into the technical solution.

 

Regarding IT network requirements, you must determine the program and equipment needed to produce your answer and the application and gear the final customer will need after your product has been developed. The system interface is where you may either describe your solution's functionality in detail or discuss the procedures necessary to develop it. Additionally, you might have to explain what might be needed for product creation and the finished solution as well as define and evaluate the various equipment and programming specifications for making the product in comparison to utilizing it.

 

Information, files, or records can be included as sources or outputs.

 

Remember: Processing must be addressed, and this might be explaining the procedures the learner will follow to create the result or the network procedures that transform input into output.

 

To handle privacy concerns, it is also necessary to talk about blocking unwanted accessibility to devices or confidential data, minimizing data theft or corruption, and restricting unlawful usage of the product.

 

If you mention and elaborate on all the angles mentioned above of IT product development, nothing can pull your criteria B down!

Aim: A complete timetable of the processes associated with designing, planning, developing, executing and testing the IT system should be described in the project schedule, which uses the planned timetable format and references to the suggested IT solution indicated in criteria B.

 

Your project schedule must describe the steps in implementing the suggested IT solution from criteria B. Your comprehensive strategy has to be supported by research you've done into the suggested IT strategy and the key components, as well as the key aspects involved. These key components are the product’s stakeholders, network requirements, data, software, hardware, input and output, policies and procedures. This timeline/schedule outlines essential moments in the product's planning, designing, creating, testing, and implementation.

Aim: Implement the IT solution's product concepts specified in criteria B. Then, utilize the product creation application and include enough information so that the third party with basic IT knowledge may understand how the product was made.

 

The ITGS IA Product Design outlines the product you want to develop for your customer, how it will be manufactured, how and who will use it, how it will be introduced, and how its performance will be judged. The IB Product Design Form should be utilized in Criteria D. It must address the following topics:

• Design approaches suited to the kind of IT product being produced
• Description of draught design, a general structure, and layouts, including mock-ups of the actual product.
• An examination of certain components utilized in the product
• A trial strategy that targets the primary operational aspects of the product and connects to the concept requirement and designing requirements. Determination of a variety of relevant tools and methodologies needed for the production of the product.
• A written statement from the customer confirming their approval of the designs.

 

A third party with IT knowledge should be able to autonomously develop the product thanks to the product design's level of detail. You must doodle several mock-up drawings and include thorough comments describing the designs' characteristics and other specifics.

 

To gain an understanding of what your clients demand and preferences, you must discuss a few suggestions with them for the greatest outcomes.

Aim: Develop the IT solution mentioned in criteria B. Images should be used to describe the product's architecture and the strategies selected to produce it. References need to be credited.

 

The complicated product for your ITGS IA must be developed to satisfy the criteria of your design brief and design specifications from criterion B, project timeline from criterion C, and product layout from criterion D.

 

To build your complicated IA product, specify the knowledge and methods employed. By the IB's definition provided in this paper, a complex product has at most three approved sophisticated techniques.

 

Make sure to:

1. Detail the methods utilized in the product's creation (how) and,
2. Describe why they proved suitable or the methodology was selected above alternative options.

 

This parameter is intended to evaluate the decisions the applicant makes and the reasons behind them about the product they produce. Be careful to cite and describe particular methodologies and to back up your claims with examples and rationale. The best practice would be to take a snapshot and add some commentary on the knowledge and methods employed. If you make a website, note the motifs and designs used to build it. Furthermore, templates can be utilized, but you must remember that you are creating a complicated product, not a basic one.

Aim: The product must be assessed depending on the client's comments. Future growth of the product must consider the precise performance conditions stipulated in the functional specifications, as well as the relevant suggestion or proposals.

 

Under Criterion F in your IA, you must assess the efficacy of your final software product dependent on in-depth customer input and with direct reference to the precise performance requirements listed in Criterion B. Additionally, you must list a few ideas for the technological product's upcoming advancements. You will be required to make enough use of assessment of the particular performance standards and client satisfaction surveys. This is a suggestion for potential changes to the product in the years ahead. These suggestions must clearly state how potential future improvements to the product may serve your client and/or relevant stakeholders.

 

While performing an assessment session with your clients, make certain that you ask for specific information about what they appreciated, didn't need, and what they would want to alter if you had to go afresh. Then, pay close attention to their answers and request thorough comments. If they didn't enjoy a certain feature, don't take it personally; consider it valuable feedback and appreciate it. The smoother it will be to compose this part if you collect thorough details the customers discuss with you on your product. Inquire your clients whether every single one of the precise performance requirements listed in Criterion B has been satisfied.

 

Lastly, you must offer proof that the conversation with your client occurred. This content should be stated on your IA description CD and also be in a generally recognized and encrypted form. Any dialect can be used for audio-visual recordings, but you must also provide a written description of the consult in the communication medium at your school. The ideal method to handle this is through a questionnaire that explicitly references the performance standards listed in Criterion B's specified requirements and every other pertinent input that was gathered from the client during the project delivery.

Aim: The four fundamental conditions should be satisfied.

 

The four fundamental conditions are satisfied to what degree is determined by this criterion. These 4 conditions are:

1. The product's functionality and substance are adequate for an IT-savvy foreign entity to dependably assess the product's efficacy.
2. The recommended cover page is utilized and serves its purpose.
3. The project uses proper file titles and storage structures at all times.
4. The product comes with a recording.

Nobody is perfect, and we all do some goof-ups. We’re here to help you avoid just that!

A student bringing up material not covered in the question-and-answer session is among the most common issues with Criterion A. Whenever a family member or friend is the client, this frequently occurs since the student has experience with the client's problems.

Prepare your questionnaire form as though you were speaking with a potential client for the first time. Make follow-up inquiries to urge the customer to provide more information when responding to open-ended specific concerns: 

• You claim that XYZ is tough. Please elaborate on that.
• What steps have you taken to address this issue already?
• Have you tried solving this issue in the past? How did it work?

Often; students lose the flow of the essay since they’ve been working on it in parts. The interview process and evaluation are often not in continuation when it comes to composing the idea. Hence, even though the essay is a collection of paragraphs, those paragraphs are not interconnected and lack the establishment of connection at places.

As stated in the establishment of Criterion B, the justification for selecting the suggested solution should always be provided in a lengthy written explanation of why this specific product is the best IT solution to the issue mentioned in Criterion A. This is anticipated to be heavily reliant on the details included in the requirement analysis. 

 

Other information that one could incorporate into the explanation for the suggested IT solution encompasses:

• If the learner has the computer abilities and exposure to the tools needed to create the IT solution.
• The degree to which the IT system is interoperable with the client's gear and applications 
• The amount of instruction the customer needs to utilize and sustain the suggested IT solution
• How well does the IT solution meet the customer's input and result specifications?
• Could the client or even the student receive the information needed for the IT solution?
• Could any privacy issues affecting the design and functioning of the IT solution be addressed?

In the IA, mainly since you're composing a lengthy essay, you must explain each stage you took to arrive at your result. Regardless of how simple every process appears, take advantage of the chance to employ the ITGS language. You will receive extra points for using vocabulary words and the ITGS triangle! 

 

You can score a 7 in your IB ITGS IA if you're dedicated and enjoy your work. So be open to some fun, and you'll definitely rock it! 

 

Nail IB's guides and resources can come in handy if you're burning the midnight oil because they're concise, easy to understand and great to grasp. 

 

We also publish weekly blogs, so keep checking out this space to stay in the loop and learn some of the best IB tips and tricks. 

 

Happy IBing!