Mission 1 · Spec 3.8
Ethical and cultural impacts
How digital technology changes lives, for better and worse, and how to think about who wins and who loses.
- Starter 5 min
- Learn 10 min
- Lab 15 min
- Quiz 10 min
- Exam 15 min
Should it be allowed?
A company can predict, using AI and your social media posts, how likely you are to repay a loan. Is it fair to use this to decide who gets one? Argue both sides.
Reveal
There's no single right answer. That's what makes it an ethical question: whether something is right or wrong, rather than whether it is legal. Good answers consider different stakeholders (the bank, customers, people wrongly refused) and weigh benefits against harms.
Key ideas
Ethical
Whether something is morally right or wrong. E.g. job losses from automation, AI bias, surveillance, addictive app design.
Cultural
How technology changes the way people live and interact. E.g. remote working, online communities, the digital divide between those with and without access.
Stakeholders
Everyone affected: users, companies, employees, governments, society. Different stakeholders often gain and lose different things.
Contexts on the spec
Cyber security, mobile technologies, wireless networking, cloud storage, hacking, wearable technologies, computer-based implants and autonomous vehicles.
Which kind of impact?
Who gains, who loses?
A bank closes branches and moves everything to an app.Exam-style question
1. Many shops now use self-service checkouts. Discuss the ethical impacts of this.
[6 marks]Mark scheme (levels)
- Level 3 (5–6): a range of well-developed points covering several stakeholders, with a balanced discussion.
- Level 2 (3–4): several relevant points, some developed.
- Level 1 (1–2): a few simple points.
- Indicative content: job losses for cashiers; lower costs for shops, perhaps lower prices; faster for some customers; harder for elderly or disabled customers; less social contact; more opportunity for theft and the shop's response (more surveillance).
TUTOR NOTES
- Misconception: ethical means legal. Plenty of legal things are unethical and vice versa.
- Exam habit: for every point, say who is affected and why it matters ("…so elderly customers may…").
- Discussion: use current news stories; examiners reward up-to-date examples.
- Extension: should computer-based implants that improve memory be allowed in exams?
Mission 2 · Spec 3.8
Legal impacts and privacy
The laws that apply to computing in the UK, and how our personal data is collected, used and protected.
- Starter 5 min
- Learn 10 min
- Lab 15 min
- Quiz 10 min
- Exam 15 min
What do they know?
List every piece of data about you that apps and websites might have collected this week.
Reveal
Location, contacts, photos, search history, purchases, messages, heart rate, voice recordings, what you watch and for how long… All of this is personal data, and UK law controls how organisations use it.
Key ideas
AQA asks you to discuss legal impacts and data privacy in context. Knowing these three UK laws gives you precise language to use.
Data Protection Act 2018 (UK GDPR)
Organisations must use personal data fairly, lawfully and transparently; only for specified purposes; keep it accurate, secure and no longer than needed. People can see the data held about them.
Computer Misuse Act 1990
Makes it illegal to access a computer without permission, to do so intending further crime, and to modify data or impair a computer (e.g. spreading malware).
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Protects creators' work (software, music, films, images) from being copied or shared without permission.
Privacy
The right to control information about yourself. Risks: tracking, profiling for adverts, data breaches, surveillance by employers or governments.
Which law?
Exam-style question
1. A school wants to use an app that tracks the location of students during school trips. Discuss the legal and privacy issues.
[6 marks]Mark scheme (levels)
- Level 3 (5–6): detailed, balanced discussion of legal and privacy issues with clear links to the scenario.
- Level 2 (3–4): several relevant points, some explained.
- Level 1 (1–2): simple points.
- Indicative content: location is personal data under the Data Protection Act; consent from parents; only used during trips and deleted afterwards; stored securely; who can see it; improves safety; risk of hacking revealing children's locations; students may feel monitored.
TUTOR NOTES
- Misconception: the Data Protection Act stops data being collected. It controls how it's collected and used.
- Misconception: hacking is only illegal if damage is done. Unauthorised access alone is an offence.
- Exam habit: name the law and then apply it to the scenario.
- Extension: is it ever right for the police to access encrypted messages?
Mission 3 · Spec 3.8
Environmental impacts
From mining to data centres to e-waste, and the ways technology can also help the environment.
- Starter 5 min
- Learn 10 min
- Lab 10 min
- Quiz 10 min
- Exam 15 min
The life of a phone
Trace a smartphone's life from the ground to the bin. At each stage, what harm could be done to the environment?
Reveal
Mining rare metals (damages land, uses water); manufacture (energy, emissions); shipping; use (charging, plus data centres powering its apps); disposal (toxic e-waste, often exported). Keeping a phone for longer is one of the biggest things a user can do.
Key ideas
Negative impacts
Mining scarce raw materials; energy used in manufacture and by data centres; e-waste containing toxic substances; short product lifespans and frequent upgrades.
Positive impacts
Video calls replace travel; smart heating and lighting save energy; sensors monitor pollution and wildlife; route planning cuts fuel; paperless offices.
Reducing harm
Recycling and refurbishing devices; data centres powered by renewable energy; designing products to be repairable; turning devices off.
Good or bad for the planet?
Exam-style question
1. Discuss the environmental impact of the increasing use of cloud storage.
[6 marks]Mark scheme (levels)
- Level 3 (5–6): positive and negative impacts, well developed and balanced.
- Level 2 (3–4): several points, some developed.
- Level 1 (1–2): simple points.
- Indicative content: data centres use large amounts of electricity and water for cooling; may be powered by renewables; shared servers are more efficient than many small ones; fewer local storage devices bought; encourages keeping far more data than needed; hardware replacement creates e-waste.
TUTOR NOTES
- Misconception: digital is always greener than paper. It depends on energy sources and device lifespans.
- Exam habit: include at least one positive impact, even when the question sounds negative.
- Extension: should manufacturers be forced to make phones repairable?
Mission 4 · Spec 3.8
Writing the extended answer
How to plan and write a top-band answer to the long "discuss" questions.
- Learn 10 min
- Plan 20 min
- Write 15 min
- Quiz 5 min
What examiners look for
Range
Cover several different areas: ethical, legal, environmental, privacy. Mention different stakeholders.
Development
Don't just list. Make a point, then explain its consequence: "…so…", "…which means…".
Context
Every point must be about the scenario in the question, not generic.
Balance
Consider benefits and drawbacks, then reach a justified conclusion.
Aim for 4 or 5 developed points for a 6-mark question, and 6 or more for a 9-mark question.
Extended answer planner
Complete every checklist item to earn 20 XP per scenario.TUTOR NOTES
- Routine: 5 minutes planning with the grid, 15 minutes writing, 5 minutes marking against the levels descriptors.
- Common weakness: a long list of undeveloped points stays in Level 1 or 2.
- Mark it: have the student highlight every "because / so" in their answer. Few highlights means little development.