To choose a device for a task, list what the person needs to do, then match each need to a feature of one device type. A scenario question rewards the link between need and feature, not the name of the device alone.
This skill opens the hardware, software and systems module and returns whenever a question describes a user and asks what they should buy or use.
How do you build a choice step by step?
- Underline the needs in the scenario: where the device is used, what is typed, drawn, watched or stored, and how long it must run.
- Turn each need into a feature: moving around means portable and battery powered; lots of typing means a keyboard; detailed drawing means a large screen or a stylus.
- Pick the device type that gives most of those features: desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
- Write each reason as a pair: “because the user needs X, the device has Y”.
- Check against the question: if a feature has no matching need, drop it.
Worked example
A site surveyor walks round building plots all day. She must photograph the site, type short notes, and send them to the office. Which device suits her?
Step 1, needs: she moves outdoors all day; she takes photos; she types short notes; she sends files from the site.
Step 2, features: portable and light; a built-in camera; a touch screen or small keyboard; a wireless connection.
Step 3, device: a tablet or smartphone.
Step 4, reasons:
- She walks outdoors all day, so it is light and portable with a battery that lasts.
- She photographs the site, so it has a built-in camera.
- She sends notes from the site, so it connects wirelessly to a mobile data network.
Step 5, check: a desktop would fail the first reason, so it is not chosen.
What mistake do students make?
The most common slip is to choose the most powerful device and justify it with a general word.
Mistaken answer: “A desktop, because it is fast and powerful.”
This names no need from the scenario. A surveyor outdoors cannot carry or power a desktop.
The correction is to start from the person, not the device. Ask “what does this user need?” before “what is the strongest machine?”.
Check yourself
1. A graphic designer works at one desk all day on large images. Name a suitable device and give two linked reasons.
Show answer
A desktop computer. The images are large, so a big screen and a powerful processor help. She stays at one desk, so portability is not needed and the desktop can use a full-size keyboard and mouse.
2. A student wants to watch lesson videos and read notes on a short bus journey. Which device type fits better, a desktop or a tablet?
Show answer
A tablet. It is portable, has a screen big enough for notes and video, and runs on a battery during the journey.
3. Why is “because it is the newest” a weak reason?
Show answer
It names no feature and no need from the scenario, so it cannot earn a mark that depends on a link.
Where does this lead next?
Next, work on telling system software from application software, which uses the same habit of classifying with a reason. The mixed practice set tests all five lessons together, and the practical task and evidence checker shows how scenario work is judged.
Some students find the idea easy but run out of words when a scenario is long. Our teachers can work through that in online one-to-one ICT tuition.