BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Unit title
Unit 2: Data and Spreadsheet Modelling
Key to learning opportunities
Guided learning
hours
60
IA/
PSA
Internal
assessment or
Pearson Set
Assignment
Number of lessons
30
GS
Guest speaker
V
Visit
Duration of lessons
2 hours
IS
Independent
study
C
Classroom
activities directed
by teacher
RS
Revision session
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
1
BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
Lesson
type
Suggested activities
Resources
Learning aim A: Understand the role of data and information in organisations
1
Introduction to the unit
IS/C

A1 Processing information
– Characteristics of data,
and how its processed
into information

Lead-in: Introduce the unit. Give an overview of the unit content and
how the unit will be assessed (Pearson Set Assignment). Explain that
learners will need to be able to apply all their knowledge in a given
context.
Sample datasets (max
10 lines)
Spreadsheet software
or printout of dataset
Teacher-led activity: Explore the characteristics of raw data.
o Explain the term no meaning, structure or context, unprocessed
and provide examples of data.
o Outline the main data preparation processes, e.g. data cleansing,
data redundancy, normalisation and provide examples of how they
are applied to a simple dataset.
– Data preparation
processes

Small-group activity: Learners investigate a dataset as a group. They
should practise one data preparation process, e.g. data cleansing, data
redundancy or normalisation. Each group should carry out a different
process, and following the activity, share the process taken with the
class.

Independent learning: Learners should investigate the dataset used
during the small-group activity and produce brief notes that cover:
o Investigate one of the other two data preparation process
o Any other key information about the dataset.
2
A1 Processing information
– Characteristics of
information including
IS/C

Class discussion: This is a good starting point for this activity Data,
information, and knowledge resource. Learners could discuss and
share findings.

Lead-in: Introduce the lesson. Recap on the characteristic of raw data
and the data preparation process. The focus of this lesson is the
characteristics of information including meaning, structure, context.
Sample dataset with
possible examples of
information
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
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BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
Lesson
type
meaning, structure,
context
Suggested activities

Teacher-led activity: Learners should now understand the
characteristics of data and outline the characteristics of information
(processed data becomes information).
Resources
Spreadsheet software
printout of bullet point
information or graphs
o Explain that information has meaning, structure and context.
o You should then show an example of processed data (data >
information) and show that information can be used to make
decisions, e.g. supermarkets’ use of data to identify bestselling
products.

Small- group activity: Learners should investigate the dataset used in
the last lesson and discuss possible information from the data (each
group should identify one piece of information). The group should
share the information with the class.

Independent learning: Learners should investigate the dataset used
during the small- group activity and produce brief notes including:
o Annotated data set to highlight the information
o Identification of an alternative piece of information not discussed in
the group activity
o Any other key information about the dataset.
3
A2 Data sources and
characteristics
– Sources of data and how
they can be used to
provide information
IS/C

Class discussion: Learners may find this information useful Data and
information resource they could discuss and share findings.

Plenary: in small groups (2 or 3) learners should share their work.
They should provide each other with feedback and adapt/improve
their work as appropriate.

Lead-in: Introduce the lesson explaining the focus will be on the
characteristics of data collected from different sources, e.g. social
media usage, mobile phone networks, shop loyalty cards, census data
etc., and on how the sources can be used to provide information.

Teacher-led discussion: Outline the meaning of primary and
secondary data collection methods using examples. Provide learners
Examples of primary,
and secondary data
collection methods
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
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BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
Lesson
type
Suggested activities
– Data characteristics and
reliability considerations
with examples of datasets and discuss the size and completeness of
datasets and the format of the data (data/number/currency).


Teacher-led activity: Give examples of different sources of
information and show how they can be used to provide information.
e.g. supermarket club cards use data to identify customer shopping
habits.
Small- group activity: Learners should be given examples of data
from various sources, e.g. analytical data from social media usage,
supermarket shopping receipt, mobile phone network usage. Learners
should explore the data to reach conclusions for example:
Resources
Sample formatted
(data/number/currency
) dataset
Sample unformatted
dataset
Examples of data from
various sources
o Promoted/sponsored advertising on social media
o Supermarket loyalty schemes
o Recommended products/mobile phone usage on mobile phone
supplier websites.
The group should share the information with the class.
4
A3 Quality of data and its
impact on decision making
– Quality of data
IS/C

Independent learning: Explore these areas in further detail and look
at data consistency and how the data is recorded, e.g. date format,
number format and currency.

Class discussion: Learners may find this information useful How do
companies use loyalty card data resources. They could discuss and
share findings.

Plenary: in small groups (2 or 3) learners should share their work.
They should provide each other with feedback and adapt/improve
their work as appropriate.

Lead-in: Introduce the lesson explaining the focus will be factors that
affect the quality of data, data modelling, and its impact on decision
making.
5 sources of
misleading statistics
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
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BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
– Data modelling and its
impact on decision
making
Lesson
type
Suggested activities

Teacher-led discussion: Discuss the factors that affect the quality of
data:
o Source and data collection method
o Completeness of the data
o Data accuracy
o Age of the data.
Resources
The 2021 Social
Media
Demographics
Guide provides a
summary of data
collection on users
Discuss the implication of using poor quality data on the decisionmaking process in a specific area (advertising, customer engagement,
performance and operations, financial management, predictive
analytics or demographic analysis). For example a proposed
marketing campaign may not be targeted at the target demographic.
You may find this resource on 5 sources of misleading statistics a
useful starting point.

Small -group activity: Ask learners to investigate The 2021 Social
Media Demographics Guide that provides a summary of data
collection on users. Ask learners to identify how the quality of the
data might affect the information provided . Ask learners to record
possible impacts of using poor quality data on the information
provided, e.g.
o Source and data collection method
o Completeness of the data
o Data accuracy
o Age of the data.
How the quality of the data might affect the information provided
could be explored further in the independent activity.

Independent activity: Learners may wish to investigate one impact of
using poor quality data further. This website may be a good starting
point: What is data quality.
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
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BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
5
Topic
A3 Quality of data and its
impact on decision making
Lesson
type
Suggested activities
GS/C/RS

Plenary: in small groups (2 or 3) learners should share their work.
They should give each other feedback and adapt/improve their work
as appropriate.

Guest Speaker: Invite one or two local organisations to talk to
learners about how they collect data and how they use it for decision
making. They should be asked to share:
o How they prepare data for processes
o The sources of the data
o How they ensure data consistency
o What information is provided
o How they ensure the quality of the data
o How data modelling impacts decision making process.

Class discussion: Learners can question the speaker(s) about
information they have provided.

Independent activity: Learners use Pearson’s Sample Assessment
Materials to complete Activity 1.
Resources
Gapped handout for
the learner to note
information shared by
the speaker(s)
Teachers should use the outcomes of the activity to monitor learners’
progress so far. This is not a final assessment.

Homework: Learners to focus on one of the organisations and
prepare notes reflecting on different ways data is collected and used,
and its impact on decision making.
Learning aim B: Create a dashboard using data manipulation methods
6
B1 Data processing
methods
– Applying data processing
methods for different
purposes
IS/C


Lead in: Introduce the lesson, recap on the reasons why organisations
process data. In the next few lessons learners will practise data
manipulation methods skills.
Teacher-led activity: Introduce data manipulation methods to explore
a dataset and present information.
Dataset
Spreadsheet software
Examples of fully
functioning
spreadsheet models
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
6
BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
Lesson
type
Suggested activities
– Presenting data
Resources
o Demonstrate the use of data manipulation methods to present
information.
– Data manipulation
methods
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Importing data
Formulae, e.g. =A2+B2
Functions, e.g. =SUM( A2:A33), =AVERAGE(A2:A33),
=MAX(A2:A33)
Decision-making functions, e.g. if, whatif, sumif
Lookup functions, e.g. vlookup, hlookup, match, index
Count functions, e.g. countblank, countif
Logical operators, e.g. not, and, or
Sort, e.g. multiple columns and values
Filter, e.g. greater than, equals.
o Provide examples/demonstrations of appropriate software tools in
action. You might find these YouTube videos useful.
How to import and analyse data
Overview of formulas and functions
Formatting data
Useful videos on creating charts and graphs
Creating pivot tables basics or pivot tables made easy

Independent activity: Provide learners with a dataset so that they can
explore how to use spreadsheet data manipulation tools to manipulate
data. This website provides valuable useful guidance on Excel basic data
manipulation.
Note – this activity will require some preparation time to ensure that
learners have access to the selected data manipulation tools, as well as
access to a suitable data source.
7-10
B1 Data processing
methods
RS

Lead in: Introduce the lesson, the following lessons are workshop
sessions on using data manipulation methods.
Spreadsheet software
Dataset
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
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BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
Lesson
type
Suggested activities

– Applying data processing
methods for different
purposes
Resources
Teacher-led activity: Demonstrate the use of data manipulation
methods to present information.
o Importing data
o Formulae, e.g. =A2+B2
o Functions, e.g. =SUM( A2:A33), =AVERAGE(A2:A33), =MAX(A2:A33)
o Decision-making functions, e.g. If, whatif, sumif
o Lookup functions, e.g. Vlookup, hlookup, match, index
o Count functions, e.g. Countblank, countif
o Logical operators, e.g. Not, and, or
o Sort, e.g. Multiple columns and values
o Filter, e.g. Greater than, equals.
– Presenting data
– Data manipulation
methods
Provide examples/demonstrations of appropriate software tools in
action.

Independent activity: Provide learners with a dataset so that they can
explore how to use spreadsheet data manipulation tools to manipulate
data. This website provides valuable information on Excel basic data
manipulation.
Note – the teacher will need to spend some preparation time to ensure that
learners have access to the data manipulation tools chosen by the teacher
as well as access to a suitable data source.
11
B1 Data processing
methods
– Other data processing
methods
IS/C

Lead in: Recap learning from the previous lessons.
Spreadsheet software

Teacher-led activity: Introduce the use of other data manipulation
methods to explore a data set and present information.
Dataset with the
implementation of
some a data
manipulation tool
Demonstrate the use of other data manipulation methods to present
information, to include:
o Absolute and relative cell references
o Macros
o Data validation
o Worksheets, e.g. Linking worksheets
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
8
BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
Lesson
type
Suggested activities
Resources
o Alternative views, e.g. Hiding and unhiding cells, freezing and split
planes
o Conditional formatting, e.g. colour-based formatting.
12-14
B1 Data processing
methods
RS
– Other data processing
methods
15
B2 Producing a dashboard
– Show data summaries
from the dataset
– Presentation methods
IS/C

Class discussion: Provide learners with a copy of an example
spreadsheet that uses a data processing method and ask learners to
investigate the purpose of two or three data manipulation methods and
feed back to the class.

Small group activity: Using the same dataset, in groups of 2 or 3,
learners should work to implement the other data manipulation tools
investigated in the class discussion.

Lead in: The following lessons are workshop sessions on using data
manipulation methods demonstrated in previous lesson.

Teacher-led activity: Recap on the use of other data manipulation
methods to explore a dataset and present information, demonstrating
methods at different points throughout the sessions as required.

Independent activity with teacher support: Over the course of these
lessons, learners should practise the different data manipulation
methods demonstrated by the teacher with teacher support as needed.

Lead in: Introduce the lesson, recap on the different data manipulation
practices in the last few lessons. In the next few lessons learners will
practise how to create a dashboard.

Teacher-led activity: Demonstrate different uses of dashboards and
their ability to provide clear and data summaries.
Spreadsheet software
Dataset with the
implementation of
some other data
manipulation tools
Dashboard scenario
Spreadsheet software
Dataset
o Totals
o Count
o Percentage
o Breakdown
o Performance
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
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BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
Lesson
type
Suggested activities
Resources
o Allocations.
Discuss the presentation methods used (listed in the specification) and
how they provide a clear and accurate summary of data on the
dashboard.
These dashboards might be a good starting point:
o dashboard 1
o dashboard 2
o dashboard 3
Further examples to consider
o dashboard examples
o dashboard examples
16-18
B2 Producing a dashboard
– Show data summaries
from the dataset
– Presentation methods
IS/C

Small- group activity: Give learners a scenario outlining the
requirements of a dashboard. Ask learners to create a draft
design/storyboard for a dashboard.

Independent learning: Learners should review the dashboard draft and
use at least two further types of presentation method ensuring to
ensure that the summary of data is clear. This webpage might be a
good starting point for learnershttps://www.datapine.com/blog/datadashboards-definition-examples-templates/

Lead in: Recap the last lesson. Introduce the lesson, explaining that
over the next few lessons they will practise different ways of
manipulating data and develop skills to produce a dashboard.

Spreadsheet software
Dataset
Independent activity: provide learners with access to a data set and
ask them to practice using different data manipulation tools to present
data and develop a dashboard. This resource is a good introduction to
getting started with dashboards Creating a Dashboard using VBA
Macro – This resources is a good introduction to creating Pivot tables.
Learning aim C: Review the effectiveness of the dashboard to provide information
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
10
BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
19
Topic
Lesson
type
C1 Drawing conclusions
IS/C
– Characteristics of
different types of
information
Suggested activities
Resources

Lead in: This lesson will explore trends, patterns and anomalies
identified in the manipulated data and dashboard. Explain trends,
patterns and anomalies.
Good and bad
examples of
dashboards

Teacher-led activity: Explain the need to present information in the
dashboard to ensure the information is not biased, or likely to be
misunderstood.
Spreadsheet software
Give examples of trends, patterns and anomalies on the data
manipulation sheet and dashboard.
20
C2 Review dashboard and
presentation methods
– Dashboard information
IS/C

Small group activity: Provide groups with a range of dashboards (both
good and bad). In groups of 2 or 3 learners should identify trends,
patterns and possible anomalies.

Class discussion: Groups to share their observations.

Lead in: This lesson will review different presentation methods used in
the dashboard.

Teacher-led activity: Discuss why it is important that dashboards
present information that:
– Presentation methods
o Is not misinterpreted
o Is not biased
o Does not allow inaccurate conclusions to be made.

Spreadsheet data
Dataset
Good and bad
examples of
dashboards
Explain how to review the different ways a dashboard can present
information.
Presentation methods:
o Form controls, e.g. Dropdown menus, spinners
o Tables
o Graphs or charts, e.g. Dynamic charts or graphs
o Pivot tables or charts
o Sparklines
o Radio buttons
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
11
BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
Lesson
Topic
Lesson
type
Suggested activities
Resources
o Checkboxes
o Conditional formatting
o Allocations, e.g. Time, budget.
Lesson
21-30
Topic
Learning Aim A Understand
the role of data and
information in
organisations
Learning Aim B Create a
dashboard using data
manipulation methods
Learning Aim C Review the
effectiveness of the
dashboard to provide
information

Small- group activity: Provide groups with a range of dashboards
(both good and bad). In groups of 2 or 3 learners should evaluate the
effectiveness of the dashboard ( presentation methods used) to present
information identifying where the dashboard is effective or ineffective.

Class discussion: Groups to consider how information was presented,
and the methods and features used to ensure the information was not
biased, or likely to be misunderstood.
Lesson
type
IA/PSA
Suggested activities
Resources

Lead-in: Organise learners so they can complete assessment tasks
independently.
Pearson Set
Assignment

Teacher-led activity: Discuss the definition of each of the key terms
used in the assignment task.
Spreadsheet software

Individual Assessment activity: Learners should complete the formal
assessment activity using the Pearson Set Assignment (PSA).
Dataset
Appendix 2: Glossary
of terms used
Note
The Pearson Set Assignment will be assessed internally by the centre using
the unit assessment criteria detailed in the qualification specification. The
assignment will be sampled by the Standards Verifier as part of the
standards verification annual centre visit.
The Pearson Set Assignment should be undertaken in conditions that
assure the authenticity of the outcome. This may require supervision.
Pearson BTEC International Level 2 Qualifications in Information Technology – Scheme of Work
October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
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BTEC INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 2: DATA AND SPREADSHEET MODELLING
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still accurate, relevant and appropriate. We suggest that teachers bookmark useful websites and consider enabling learners to access them through the school/college intranet.
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October 2021 © Pearson Education Limited 2021
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