← QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1

Prescribed and self-determined impact criteria

Criteria you write yourself to judge a solution's personal, social and economic impacts, unlike prescribed criteria, which the course sets for you. Make them measurable.

Part of: QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1 — Understanding Digital Problems — Module 60

Understanding Prescribed and self-determined impact criteria in QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1

What it does: It names a clear number and a target, so you can test whether the criterion was met. It uses a count of users and a time frame, so the personal impact can be checked with evidence. Prescribed criteria are given to you by the course. Self-determined criteria are the ones you write yourself. The task gave you the criterion, so it is prescribed. You did not choose it. Economic impacts are about money, such as costs and savings. A colour scheme is not an economic impact. Measurable criteria let you collect evidence, such as numbers or survey results, and judge the solution fairly.

Common mistakes: A criterion you write yourself is self-determined, not prescribed. Prescribed criteria are set by the course. Line 1 should be 'Type: self-determined'. A criterion must be measurable. 'Looks cheap enough' is only an opinion. It should name a unit you can check, such as 'Measure: dollars per year'.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 60–81) and word search (Modules 1–81).

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Learning
Duo
Who sets prescribed criteria?
The course or task sets them for youYou write them yourself
Matches
Criterion: The app should be good for the community
↓
It is vague and cannot be measured, so you cannot tell if it was met
Applying
Meanings
Term
self-determined criteria
Meaning
Criteria you write yourself to judge a solution's personal, social and economic impacts, unlike prescribed criteria, which the course sets for you. Make them measurable.
Practice
Type: self-determined
Testing
Gaps
type:
Check Answer
Spots
1Type: prescribed
2Impact: personal

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Quick Questions

1. Who sets prescribed criteria?
A. You write them yourself
B. The course or task sets them for you ✓
Prescribed criteria are given to you by the course. Self-determined criteria are the ones you write yourself.
2. Who writes self-determined criteria?
A. You, the student ✓
B. The course
Self-determined means you decide the criteria yourself, so they match your own solution and its impacts.
3. A task says: 'Judge the solution on privacy.' What type of criterion is this?
A. Self-determined
B. Prescribed ✓
The task gave you the criterion, so it is prescribed. You did not choose it.
4. You decide to judge a school app on how much time it saves students each day. What type of criterion is this?
A. Self-determined ✓
B. Prescribed
You chose this criterion yourself to fit your solution, so it is self-determined.
5. Which self-determined criterion is more measurable?
A. Students finish booking in under 2 minutes ✓
B. The app is quick and nice to use
A measurable criterion has a number or a clear test. 'Quick and nice' is vague, but 'under 2 minutes' can be checked.

Match the Pairs

Prescribed criteria → Criteria the course sets for you, so you do not write them yourself
Self-determined criteria → Criteria you write yourself to judge personal, social and economic impacts
A measurable self-determined criterion for an economic impact of a school canteen app → The app reduces average queue time from 8 minutes to under 3 minutes
A measurable self-determined criterion for a personal impact of a fitness tracker → At least 8 out of 10 users say they exercise more each week after 4 weeks
Criterion: The app should be good for the community → It is vague and cannot be measured, so you cannot tell if it was met
Our self-determined criteria are the ones QCAA gives us in the course → This mixes up the two types: criteria set by the course are prescribed, not self-determined

Key Term

self-determined criteria
Criteria you write yourself to judge a solution's personal, social and economic impacts, unlike prescribed criteria, which the course sets for you. Make them measurable.

Fill in the Blanks

1. type: prescribed set by: course
Hint: Type the kind of criteria that the course sets for you.
2. type: self-determined set by: student
Hint: Type who writes a self-determined criterion.
3. type: self-determined impact: economic criterion: Costs under $5 per month
Hint: Type the impact area that is about money and costs.
4. criterion: Fast and friendly measurable: no fix: add a number and a unit
Hint: Type yes or no: can this vague criterion be measured as written?
5. type: self-determined set by: student criterion: 8 of 10 testers finish in 2 min
Hint: Type the criteria type used when the student writes a measurable criterion.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A Type: prescribed
B Impact: personal
C Criterion: Sleep 8+ hours
D Measure: hours per night
Line A — A criterion you write yourself is self-determined, not prescribed. Prescribed criteria are set by the course. Line 1 should be 'Type: self-determined'.
Question 2
A Type: self-determined
B Impact: economic
C Criterion: Costs under $50/yr
D Measure: looks cheap enough
Line D — A criterion must be measurable. 'Looks cheap enough' is only an opinion. It should name a unit you can check, such as 'Measure: dollars per year'.
Question 3
A Type: self-determined
B Impact: social
C Source: set by the course
D Measure: survey, 1-5 scale
Line C — Self-determined criteria are written by the student, not set by the course. Line 3 should say the source is you, for example 'Source: written by me'.
Question 4
A Type: prescribed
B Source: written by you
C Impact: personal
Line B — Prescribed criteria come from the course, not from the student. Line 2 should be 'Source: set by the course'.
Question 5
A Type: self-determined
B Impact: technical
C Criterion: 80% feel included
D Measure: survey, 1-5 scale
Line B — The criteria in this module judge personal, social and economic impacts. 'Technical' is not one of them. Line 2 should be 'Impact: social'.

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