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Welcome to the Computing and IT Department at Reigate College.

My name is Gomathy Krishnaswamy and I’m the course leader for the Level 3 Alternative Academic Qualification Cambridge Advanced National in Computing: Application Development course. At the start of the new academic year we will welcome you to the department in person, but for now, we’d like you to undertake a series of activities to prepare you for starting on the course.

All the tasks should be carried out on your own, and there’ll be the chance to review and discuss what you’ve learnt when we meet together in September.

The tasks are organised in three distinct steps and should all be completed by Choices Day on 25 August 2026. This is to give you the best insight into what the courses will be like and/or help prepare you for them.

Please note, some Course Leaders (for example for Music) may release their tasks earlier, as they may form part of the College’s audition process. If this applies to you, you’ll be notified separately.

New Starters Course Tasks and Activities

Release date Suggested Completion Dates
Explore your Subject1 June 1 July
Get Going1 June1 August
Aim High1 June1 September

Explore your Subject

Challenge!

Can you design a website?

Have a go, play around with wix.com: https://www.wix.com/blog/2016/11/10-wix-essential-tutorials/

With the link above, open the link entitled ‘create a website’. Use your current ‘school’ login details to sign up to wix.

Using ‘tutorials’, create a simple ‘blank template’ website that has three separate pages. You should be able to move between each page via a navigation bar (menu) at the top of each page.

Decide a theme for your site i.e. yourself – GCSE subjects, hobbies, favourite foods or places of interest etc.

What to include:

  • page title
  • a standard navigation bar in all pages
  • image/s
  • video/s
  • internal and external links
  • a consistent colour scheme (house style)
  • if you want to include a logo for your website, try Logo, Graphic & AI Design | Design.com.

Get Going

What Makes a Successful App?

This course introduces you to application development, where you design and build software such as mobile and web apps. You’ll learn how developers combine coding with creative design to create apps that are both functional and easy to use. A key part of this is understanding user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design.

To get started, you’ll explore what makes some apps successful while others fail by researching and comparing real-world examples.

TASK 1:
Choose 2 popular apps such as Instagram, Spotify, Uber or Duolingo, and compare them with one app that has poor reviews. This can be done as a PowerPoint presentation or a report.

What You’ll Explore

  • How easy the app is to use and how quickly users can achieve their goals
  • What the app looks and feels like, including layout, colours, and consistency
  • How well the app performs, including speed, reliability, and responsiveness
  • What features the app offers and how useful they are to users
  • What real users say in reviews, including common positives and complaints

Aim High

Want to go further? This challenge introduces you to how real developers and designers plan user-friendly applications. It also introduces you to some job roles in the industry linked to the course.

TASK 1: 

Watch the following videos or research online resources about UX/UI design and app development:

UI/UX Explained In 8 Minutes | UI/UX Design For Beginners | UI/UX Design Basics | Simplilearn

While watching or researching, answer these questions:

  • What is the difference between UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface)?
  • What stages are involved in designing an app (e.g., planning, design, testing)?
  • Why is it important to design an app before building it?

TASK 2: 

Use the internet to research real job roles for people working with applications and digital products.

Jobs to Research

  • UX Designer
  • UI Designer
  • Mobile App Developer
  • Web Developer / Website Designer
  • Game Developer

For each role, find and note:

  1. Job Title
  2. Typical Responsibilities – What do people in this job actually do?
  3. Skills and Qualifications Required – What do employers look for?
  4. Salary Range (approximate)
  5. Where employers advertise these roles now (e.g., LinkedIn, Indeed)

Suggested websites to use:

We hope you’ve enjoyed finding out more about some of these areas and we’re looking forward to exploring them together when we start the course.

Gomathy Krishnaswamy
Gomathy Krishnaswamy
Course Leader – Computing and IT (A Level Equivalent)
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